From the moment we touched down in Sydney after a 14-plus-hour flight from San Francisco, friends Paul and Julie, my husband and I did not let much dust settle beneath our feet. We flew right over the International Date Line, skipping Sunday entirely and landing at SYD on Monday morning at 9:30. We made it to our accommodations in Surrey Hills (within easy reach of the harbor areas and CBD but not too noisy), dropped off our bags and headed out on foot. We all felt pretty good although none of us really slept that much on the plane (we flew United in the Premium Plus cabin), and we figured walking would be a good way to keep us going until evening.

A note here about Sydney’s public transportation system: It’s great!! Modes include buses, electric trams, trains and ferries. We tried each form several times over, and stations and vehicles were all clean and well-maintained. Payment proved a breeze. One can purchase a rechargeable Opal card, but we just used our credit cards; you “tap on” on the platform or bus and “tap off” again when you alight. The fare is very reasonable (around 65 cents U.S. equivalent when we rode from our neighborhood up to the Circular Quay at Sydney Harbour), and the trams proved much faster than road transport when moving through the city. Ferries run frequently between various points across the greater Sydney area and make a lot of sense in this region heavily crenellated with bays and headlands.

Our first stop, in Hyde Park, was at the ANZAC Memorial, commemorating the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The building, dedicated in 1934, holds much symbolism in all the elements of its design, and at its center lies the Hall of Silence where the statue Sacrifice encourages quiet contemplation of the costs of war. Outside, a peaceful pool reflects the austere façade. From there we moved further north, and as it was a warm day, we took the opportunity to duck into the Australian Museum to cool off a bit as we wandered through the free exhibits, which combined natural history with that of the Aboriginal and immigrant populations. The building itself incorporated a 19th-century core with more modern wings, and exhibits also reflected both modern and traditional elements.

After catching our breath, we walked on past the imposing St. Mary’s Cathedral; past the Sydney Tower (sorry, but in my opinion perhaps the least attractive such tower of many I’ve seen); and through the Domain, a large public park featuring broad lawns and huge old trees providing welcome shade. At last we came upon our first views of the Sydney Opera House, a truly remarkable building from any angle. We crossed through the Royal Botanic Gardens, remarking at all the unique trees and flowers and plants both familiar and tropical that caught our eyes. We were especially surprised to come across a whole flock of white cockatoos with their lemony crests, just grazing across one of the lawns.

Finally beginning to feel both the heat of the day and our waning energy, we made our way back, passing the large Archibald Fountain and its cooling spray and under the arching branches of a lane of trees. A quick dinner and early night in had us ready to go for the next day’s adventure to the Taronga Zoo.

We hopped a tram up to the Circular Quay, residing between The Rocks, Sydney’s early settlement, and the Opera House. Here several ferry lines embark and the cruise ship terminal also sits, and we jumped aboard a ferry to take us across to the zoo, enjoying views of the bridge, Opera House and skyline as we went.

Taronga Zoo, a not-for-profit, spreads across a large hillside facing Sydney, and we decided to help ourselves by starting at the top and working our way down to the ferry dock at the bottom of the hill (an excellent plan, as it turned out). We also decided to focus our attention on indigenous wildlife rather than trying to hit all the animals we could also see at almost any zoo in the world. Entering through the main portal, we were immediately greeted by a large and colorful Aussie ambassador. Further along, we encountered another great creature, King Nyani, a 30-foot-long gorilla (the largest gorilla statue in the world) who in 2022 took up residence here. Not only does the zoo have wonderful animal habitats, but artwork like this can be found everywhere around the grounds. We enjoyed some great keeper talks throughout the day: chimpanzees (not indigenous, but fascinating nonetheless), dingos and seals and sea lions. We walked through the kangaroo and emu enclosure, right through their habitat, as they nonchalantly lounged about as the people gawked at them, close enough to touch. The koalas did what they do 20 hours a day — sleep in the eucalyptus trees — but again we could get at eye level with them, which was delightful. We also enjoyed watching the little blue penguins zipping through the water of their large aquarium.

Late in the afternoon, we climbed aboard another ferry, enjoying a different angle of the Opera House as we returned to Sydney. In great need of sustenance, we strolled over to The Rocks district and found a great little café, one of many lining George Street. Although it had started to drizzle, we found a table under an umbrella and ordered some beer and a late lunch. My gnocchi was just the perfect answer to my carb cravings.   We sat there for quite a while, just soaking up the atmosphere. The building our café resided in had been standing there since the late 18th century, and all the buildings in the area now house everything from high-end retailers (think Louis Vuitton and Gucci, among others) and art galleries to wine shops and chemists. It makes for a lively atmosphere, and we knew we’d be back again to take it all in.

That wrapped our first two days in Sydney, but we packed a lot more in over the next three days. I’ll share more in upcoming blogs. G’day!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor