A typical weekend in Sydney offers so many exciting things to see and do – if you like closed rooms and skyscrapers that is!
If picturesque green rolling hills, fresh air, meeting new friends and having outdoor adventures is more your thing you certainly don’t have to strike Sydney off your list. Within just a couple of hours travel of the concrete jungle you can find culinary adventures and breath taking mountain ranges that will have your GoPro salivating at the ready to take the photographs that will have your Instagram followers drooling.
When it comes to day trips from Sydney you are certainly spoilt for choice and if you only have a weekend up your sleeve before you have to return to reality you need to make some tough choices to maximise your time. Check out my ultimate Sydney weekend …. without the concrete!
Saturday – A food and wine adventure in the Hunter Valley
You’ll have to be up early for this one but you know what they say about birds and worms! Your reward will be a gorgeous day sipping the citrus and honey flavoured Semillons and fruity Verdelhos that have made the Hunter Valley a wine destination to remember. Couple that with the vibrant plum and subtle oak characters of a rich Merlot, the creaminess of a locally made Labna cheese and some refreshing strawberry and cream flavours in a complex Moscato with a light spritz to finish, and you truly have a recipe for a day that your friends who are too busy to join you will envy!
Of course everyone thinks of wine when you mention the Hunter Valley but there are some true gems in this region that give you even more reason to leave Sydney in your rear view mirror for the 2 hour journey North.
The range of exciting craft beers is just one reason. You won’t be able to ask for a “Dirty granny” or a “Dogbolter” or a “Redback” at the average bar in Sydney … and enjoy it in a rustic chic-setting where the indoors can become the outdoors within a few steps of the floor to ceiling glass doors.
And what about shopping?
There are more shops in Sydney than Lady Gaga could visit in a year but what you won’t find is authentic handmade produce made by locals with more love and genuine passion than a supermarket has ever envisioned. I’m talking about visiting the Handmade In The Hunter Markets which are right on your doorstep most weekends if you visit Kevin Sobel’s wines. Imagine candles that could pass for a chocolate Sundae dessert or handmade jewellery that is nothing short of an artwork that you can wear. You are not just buying a handcrafted item here – you are buying the artistic talents of Hunter Valley locals and you don’t have to have the kind of budget needed to purchase a Rembrandt to take home a piece of Hunter Valley artwork that is the pride and joy of its creator.
These are just a couple of the amazing gems you can discover in the Hunter Valley and the best way to find them all is to join a tour with a guide that is a local. Other than the fact that you won’t have to stress about navigating (or have someone in your group miss out because they need to stay under the legal alcohol limit to drive), you can draw on your guide’s local knowledge of the cellar doors and their wines in order to have a unique tasting experience. Tour guides often have established relationships with the cellar doors and can ensure your group receives a private tasting with cheese and biscuits and other accompaniments that enhance the wines you taste that you wouldn’t normally get at the public tasting bar with a sommelier that is busy serving everyone else from the general public as well as you.
It’s a long way from Sydney (2 hours drive North of Gordon) so travelling with a tour company that offers those little luxury extras like stylish and comfortable leather seats, individual air conditioning controls, a mini-fridge to keep your dairy purchases cold and fresh and tasteful onboard entertainment through a DVD and sound system will take your tour experience to the next level. The wine tours of the Hunter Valley offered by Tastes Of The Hunter Wine Tours are definitely worth checking out. Their Trip Advisor reviews paint a picture of a comfortable ride and mention those little extras that make an experience memorable.
You’ll want to arrive back to Sydney relaxed and ready for a big sleep before your Sunday adventures…
Sunday – Stunning scenery in the Blue Mountains
Charge your GoPro and bring extra battery packs as you are about to experience nature at its best. From the majesty of the Three Sisters rock formation to the quirky limestone rocks of the Jenolan Caves the Blue Mountains National Park is certainly a treasure trove of sights. All the famous characters of “Downunder” can be found as far as wildlife go with Kangaroos and Koalas in abundance but Wombats, Dingos and little Penguins are also waiting to greet you if you journey to Featherdale Wildlife Park.
If a wild ride is more your style rather than wildlife, then buckle up for the Scenic Railway – Australia’s steepest railway. If you are not afraid of heights then cruising 370 metres above the mountain chasm of the Jamieson Valley also awaits you on the Skyway.
You can relax and enjoy the journey by coach or if you want to skip the peak hour traffic back to Sydney on a Sunday night and do things a little differently, you can enjoy a Parramatta River Cruise to see you back to Sydney as you relax with a drink from the bar in hand.
With so much to see and do beyond the city limits you should certainly think of Sydney as a region rather than just a city. When you do, your holiday and day trip options start to become way too many and too tempting to just think of Sydney as a weekend destination. Maybe you should apply for some extra annual leave and make it a whole week rather than a weekend!