Sydney – Affordable Luxury

6 of the best day trips from Sydney

Australia is huge! If you’ve only got a couple of days to explore, then day trips could be the perfect option for you. If you’re looking for a quick adventure not too far from the hustle and bustle of Sydney, consider taking these day trips!

Central Coast

The central coast is home to a collective of stunning beaches, so if you love the sand and the sea, you need to be there! With dozens of beaches available at your fingertips, you’ll be spoilt for choice. The area offers a chilled vibe and secluded hideaways so this is the perfect place for a relaxing getaway. Is the beach not your thing? If not, the coast also offers astounding bush and coastal walks as well as some amazing markets!

Royal National Park

The distance to this national park isn’t too bad for the visitors that don’t want to travel for more than an hour. There’s so much to do and see at the Royal National park! Whether you’re just sightseeing or after an adventure, this national park is the place for you. It’s the home of stunning waterfalls, coastal cliffs and the infamous Wedding Cake Rock. Whether you’re taking a dip, a hike or want to hire a canoe, this is the perfect spot!

Southern Highlands

Although this is a large area, dropping in at any city in the Southern Highlands won’t disappoint! If you’re looking to travel somewhere closer to Sydney, try stopping by Stanwell Park or Helensburgh! They have great lookouts for spectacular views and have beaches that are much quieter than the ones in larger cities. If you’re willing to go the distance, drive down a bit and check out Kiama. Whilst you’re there, go and check out the Kiama blowhole or stroll along the Kiama Coast walkway!

Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains is one of the top day trip destinations for visitors and for good reason! Both Sydney siders and visitors come to the Blue Mountains to immerse themselves in the lush landscape filled with dense eucalyptus trees. With more than 140kms worth of hiking trails, you’ve got plenty to explore! The location is also home to spectacular rock formations like the Three Sisters and Bridal Veil Falls! Whether you’re hiking, rock climbing or just having a stroll, Blue Mountains is the perfect place to visit.

Ku-ring-gai National Park

Ku-ring-gai is just a dash north from Sydney and it’s the second oldest national park in Australia! Filled with tranquil bays, waterfalls and stunning bushland, you’d be crazy to give this one a miss! You’ll be surrounded by an astounding view and it’s the best place for a kayak down the river or for some solid hiking. Without a doubt, you won’t regret spending your day here!

Palm Beach

If you’ve just visited Ku-ring-gai National Park, why not head up a bit to the breathtaking palm beach! Here you can snap a pic at instafamous Barrenjoey Lighthouse as it’ll give you a spectacular panoramic backdrop! The area is home to some of the best beaches and is the perfect place to settle down for a picnic.

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What’s on in Sydney | October

There’s plenty for you to do this October in Sydney! This month is jam packed with festivals, food and fun so bring your family and friends along for a great time!

Sydney Craft Week | 11-20 October

Head over to Sydney Craft Week and get your creativity on! From Egyptian art to pottery, there are a plethora of stalls, exhibitions and workshops for you to explore. This year, thousands of crafty minds will be coming to celebrate through this year’s theme, ‘Play’. The festival encourages it’s attendee’s to immerse themselves in al l things ‘play’ and be inspired to consider new possibilities! This year, you’ll be bound to have a good time so give yourself the opportunity to let loose and get creative!

Sydney Night Noodle Markets | 11-18 October

Indulge in a night of glutton and pure food fantasy at the 2019 Night Noodle Markets! Back again this year, this food festival is a culinary delight that all foodies look forward to every year and has a bountiful of stores you can choose from. This year’s lineup will include Xian Biang Biang, Gelato Messina, Wonderbao, Chur Burger, Donut Papi and many more! If you’ve got a little furry friend with you as well, bring your pup down to the festival on October 12^th for the first Night Poodle Market! Tickets for the poodle market are $5 which comes with a dog treat and the proceeds will go to the RSPCA! Whether you have a pup or not, be sure not to miss out on the Night Noodle markets otherwise your stomachs will be waiting for another year!

Pinot Palooza | 12 October

Pinot Palooza is back for it’s eighth year as Australia’s largest annual pinot noir festival! The festival is home to over 100 kinds of Pinot and they’re all ready for tasting! This year’s festival will be held at Carriageworks and a standard ticket will only cost you $65 which includes every drop of pinot. If you’re feeling a little tipsy from the pinot, there are also food stalls, classes and performances too! You’ll also see a special appearance from Burger Project, La Bastide, Porteno and Agape! Yet read to drink your way around the world and strap yourself in for a good time!

William Street Festival | 19 October

The boutique and hip lane, William Street, hosts a festival each year and fills it to the brim with fashion, food and music! The festival celebrate the unique businesses and the heritage of Paddington. It’ll be a relaxed and fun filled day of scrumptious food and live entertainment. Kick your weekend off on the right note by grabbing a drink and leisurely strolling around the festival! The festival features a variety of eclectic vendors including 10 William Street, Elph Store and Italian Bar!

Oktoberfest | 26 October

Get your lederhosen and dirndl on and get ready to have a good time at Oktoberfest in the Gardens! Once again this year, The Domain will be transformed into a beer fuelled party and a giant beer garden inspired by Germany’s Oktoberfest. The festival will be hosting two big beer halls, a silent disco, roving performers and a giant dodgeball competition! Whilst you’re there you’ll be surrounded by circus performers, magicians, accordion bands, yodelers and brass bands so you’re bound to have a good time. Beer, cider, wines and spirits will be frivolously pouring throughout the day and you can pair it will a pretzel or bratwurst. Whatever you have, you’re bound to have a crackin’ time so don’t forget your tickets!

Sculpture by the Sea | 24 October – 10 November

One of Sydney’s infamous annual events, Sculpture by the Sea is back for its 23^rd year! The two kilometer coastal walk from Bondi to Tamarama is going to be filled again with spectacular sculptures from incredible local and international artists! The walk is the perfect way to start off the week or wind down from a hectic schedule, but be warned, crowds can get a little crazy during the weekends so come on weekday mornings if you can!

There’s plenty to do this October so be sure to jot these events down in your calendar! Not from Sydney? Head to Aabode.com for some great accommodation for your stay in Sydney!

What’s on in Sydney | July

It might be frosty outside but it doesn’t mean you should be cooped up inside! There’s plenty to do in Sydney this July so grab your coats and head out the door. From music festivals to outdoor ice skating, there’s plenty to do this winter!

Australian International Music Festival – Sydney Opera House

The Australian International Music Festival is one the most popular events in Sydney and brings in a crowd from all over the world. The event provides a fantastic musical and cultural experience to Sydney and aims to expand your mind! Talented musicians will be performing at the Sydney Opera House, the City Recital Hall and Darling Harbour!

Winterlight – Parramatta

Winterlight is returning just in time for the school holidays and it’s a magical hub where you can skate, eat and play. Situated in Prince Alfred Square in Parramatta, this winter wonderland is not to be missed. The event will include the largest open-air rink in Sydney for you to skate on and a giant thirty-metre ice slide! After all of the skating, they also have warm winter snacks for you to munch on!

Carraigeworks Winter Night Market

The Carriageworks Winter Night Markets are back and it’s going to be better than ever! At the markets, there’ll be more than 50 stalls from leading Sydney restaurants and bars. This year, the stallholders will be inspired by the theme WILD, which highlights using native and locally sourced produce. As well as all of the delectable delights, there will also be live music and cooking demonstrations!

Ice skating at St Mary’s Cathedral

Throughout June and July, you’ll be able to skate in front of the breathtaking St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney CBD! In the evenings, the park will be illuminated with a glowing hue and you’ll be able to soak in the atmosphere while you skate in an open-air ice rink! Once you’ve tired yourself out, you’ll also be able to warm up with some snacks and hot choccy from the food vendors! If you bring the whole family along, there’ll also be jumping castle, music and much more!

Apollo 11 Exhibition – Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences

The Apollo Exhibition commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Moon landing! It’s hosted at the Museum of Applied Arts & Science and is displaying over 200 objects. Key objects that will be displayed in the exhibition include items from all around the world! The exhibition will also have a new virtual reality experience where visitors will be able to watch the moon landing from a new perspective!

Bastille Festival

French food and culture are returning to Circular Quay and The Rocks to celebrate the 7th annual Bastille Festival! The four-day event will be home to 100 food stalls that showcase the best of French cuisine! Whether you’re craving raclette, crepes or a glass of champagne, it’s all here! The festival will include a Parisian Foodie Village, a Gourmet Produce Alley and a Mulled Wine Cinema!

Bondi Winter Magic

It might be too cold for an ocean dip but it’s the perfect temperature to go ice skating! Bondi has transformed once again into a winter playground by the sea at Bondi Winter Magic. Whilst you skate around, you’ll have a spectacular view of the ocean and a 22-metre Ferris wheel! Along with this, Bondi Pavilion will also be home to Bondi Feast, a fringe style winter festival!

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An animal lovers guide to Sydney

Whether you’re in Sydney for a few days or are lucky enough to call this place a home, you’ll know that this city is full of furry, cuddly, slimy, and wild and all other sorts of creatures. And this is your perfect chance to go say hello or even take your pets for a little pampering day! We all know that there’s Taronga Zoo and the Sea Life Aquarium, but venture into this list to find a list of other places where you can embrace the animal-lover within you!

Featherdale Wildlife Park

This place is home to over 1700 animals from 250 different species and is mostly famous for all the Koalas that the place shelters. It’s not as massive as the Taronga Zoo, but all those famous names that you keep seeing on TV or reading in books are all here. Kangaroos, koalas, quokkas, wombats, crocodiles and much more.

This is also the place where you can get a picture taken with a koala for free! You can even pay and have your own one-on-one session with a koala and pet them. All the zoo keepers take a very personalized approach to each animal and give you little stories about them while they’re at it, making the feeding times of each animal one of the best when compared to other parks!

Spot some kangaroos and cockatoos at Euroka clearing

Other than the best secret place for camping and bush-walking, Euroka Clearing is the best place to catch some kangaroos in their natural habitat. This hidden spot that is located near Glenbrook has over 40 campsites and the best time to find those roos are during dawn and dusk. Although these kangaroos are not like the ones in the zoo, unfortunately you cannot feed them but as they are used to people coming and observing them, they do not scare away that easily. So go get lucky and watch them closely while you can! I would advise you to stay away from the large male ones as they can get a bit aggressive and the mothers can get a tad bit protective if there are small joeys in the group.

Mix it up in Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Park

If you’re a fan of tiny little fish, Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Park is a nice short little walk from Manly Wharf. This reserve that covers the area between the southern ends of Manly Beach to the northern ends of Shelley Beach Headland attracts schools of small fish. If you’re lucky enough you might even get to see some gropers. The area is also staffed by volunteers on the weekend who will happily answer any questions that you might have. And if you want to mix up observing some fish with something else, this is also a great spot for snorkeling and underwater photography. It is famous among photographers as at various times, over 150 different species of fish have been recorded to be swimming in the water!

So now that you know where the wild things are, here are some tamer places for you and your furry ones!

Chew Chew Pet Restaurant

This is where pet nutrition comes first! Pet nutritionist and pet care advisor Naoko Okamoto has designed a Japanese style dog menu with a focus on nutritional content and taste. Serving organic meat and fish straight from the Sydney fish markets, there is always a lot of thought that is put into the dishes for your pals. You can order 3-course meals for your dog, including an entree of soup, a lamb omelet, and a cupcake and doggie cappuccino to top it off. In case this cafe couldn’t get any more loveable, you can now host your pooch’s birthday party here!

Catmosphere

Sydney’s first space-themed cat café is going to be your heaven if you have been wanting those cuddles with kitties. You can have a yoga session for 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of cuddling with cats! How good is that! I cannot think of a better way to relieve stress! All the cats here are fostered rescues and chosen especially because of their sociable purrsonalities. Entry to the café is free and you can just get a coffee there and relax and the rooms with cats can only be entered after you’ve paid for it.

Your pets deserve pampering too!

Australia’s premier pet grooming station- The Fur Station by Rufus & Coco that opened up in April this year is not just about haircuts and all. Your furry ones are more than welcome to get a full-standard massage just like humans in order to shine on their inner a well as their outer beauty! This pet grooming center that has taken the idea to a whole new level uses products only from Rufus & Coco. These are high quality products that are free of paraben and soap and also sulfate. Catered to the breed of your pal, they can get a full mud bath and well-being massage so that even the most sensitive ones can experience the very best!

Visit Aabode.com and book your perfect accommodation to have the perfect holiday experience!

What’s on in Sydney | June

While the rest of the world is jumping into the summer hype, everyone in Australia is burrito-ing themselves into blankets and amping up the heater to its highest temperature because winter is definitely going to be a big one. But the cold shouldn’t stop you from getting out of your house! Grab your coats and sweaters and let us help you with this list by adding some fun and warmth in this sweater weather!

Markets!

Markets all around the year and markets some more! Sydney is bringing you some of the best markets with products ranging from vintage collectibles to mouth-watering food trucks that will keep you going back for more because one day will just not be enough! Go to the Glebe markets that have over 200 stalls, combined with live music to add some jazz and really yummy eats for your tummy! Head to one of Sydney’s finest shopping precincts and get lost in the Mosman Artisans markets that are held every first Saturday of the month throughout the year except January. With over 140 arts and crafts stalls, gourmet food and musical entertainment, you’ll surely have a lively winter’s day fun in the sun! Located in Sydney’s only remaining drive-in theatre- The Skyline Drivein will have the Blacktown Markets that will be complimenting a variety of food-trucks and pop-up food places with live music and a big bouncy castle for the kids!

Cruises

Want to take it up a notch and add some luxury into your winter days? Sydney is bringing you lunch and dinner cruises for you and your friends, partner, family and everyone else to feel oh so fancy! One of Sydney’s most majestic cruises, The Catarman that is a hit amongst the locals as well as tourists. Enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour while you have lunch in an air-conditioned dining saloon. For some city lights in the evenings have an unforgettable cruising experience aboard the Spectacular Sydney Showboat II. A three-hour dinner cruise on an authentic, air-conditioned paddlewheeler with a deluxe three-course seated and served menu. Take advantage of the fabulous photo opportunities with the magnificent Harbour Bridge and Opera House in the background.

And while you’re at it, catch the fireworks at Darling Harbour every Saturday from 8:30 PM.

Taste of the Opera House

Calling all the foodies in! Wine and dine your way around the Sydney Opera House’s restaurants and bars. An entirely different way to experience Australia’s most inspiring building while taking in the culinary delights of some of Sydney’s best chefs.

Escorted by your own personal Sydney Opera House guide from Stage Door, begin with a cocktail making a class at Opera Bar learning to create one of their signature cocktails while enjoying fresh seafood and charcuterie from Matt Moran influenced RAW bar and Meat and Cheese Room. You will make your way down the concourse to get hands-on at Opera Kitchen in a poke bowl making masterclass with one of their expert chefs. The best part of the masterclass is you get to eat it after. A spectacular lunch will then be served at Portside Sydney, where you enjoy a scrumptious main course paired with matched Australian wines.

Finish your day at Bennelong restaurant, enjoying a delicious Peter Gilmore signature dessert and theatrical cocktail to accompany.

Aboriginal Heritage Tour

Whether you’re a tourist or a local looking to enrich your cultural and historical knowledge, go on an Aboriginal Tour with an Aboriginal guide in the heart of the city. Located in a spectacular harbourside setting, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney is one of Sydney’s most treasured and iconic destinations.

On the traditional land of the Cadigal people, the land now occupied by the Garden is the site where the modern transformation of the Australian continent began and can be regarded as the ‘first frontier’ between Aboriginal and European societies.

Join an experienced Aboriginal guide on a 1.5-hour walking tour of the Garden which highlights the significance of the site to Aboriginal people, as well as the rich heritage and culture of Aboriginal people of the Sydney region.

The tour runs every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at 10 AM, starting from the 29th of May.

Sydney’s largest yoga and meditation group

If you want to do something different and find your inner peace and balance within you, Mita Meditation which is a volunteer-run Meditation and Wellness center is bringing you various meditation programs every Sunday starting from 2nd June.

It is a movement that promotes self-empowerment of individuals thus creating no/less dependency on external factors for them to achieve success in any area of life.

Mita Meditation also has a mission to empower every being by spreading a basic understanding of one’s true self which is referred to as Eternal Power. They also teach various Mind training techniques including meditation. Mita Meditation sessions are free of cost solely run on voluntary contributions.

Vivid

An event that is all the craze now! If there’s one place in the world where inspiration shines bright, it’s Vivid Sydney. Returning for its eleventh year from 24th May to 15th June 2019. Vivid Sydney is Australia’s most awarded festival that brings together light artists, music makers, and brilliant minds to share their creativity with you.

Vivid Light illuminates Sydney’s skyline with Lights On! from 6 PM each evening. As the Lighting of the Sails unfurls across the architectural wonders of the Sydney Opera House, weave your way along the Light Walk around the harbor front and the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, and venture into other parts of Sydney to brighten up your winter nights. Additionally, Vivid Ideas brings you 23 days and nights of future-facing talks, hands-on workshops, and industry-shaping forums. Game Changers Spike Lee and Esther Perel challenge assumptions on race and relationships. The Mark Colvin Conversation: Net Worth, asks what price we’ll pay for our constant digital distraction. What more could you ask for when you can experience, knowledge, fun and bright lights all in one place?!

For making your stay more memorable in Sydney, visit Aabode.com now to have a look at some exciting properties ranging from funky apartments to serene accommodations with a homely vibe!