Sydney, Australia Baby! (January 19, 2026)
It’s not that I enjoy sleeping on airplanes. It’s just that sometimes that’s the best way to get from one country to the next. This time, I took a “no frills” airline called Cebu Pacific Air. One class of service (Economy) with minimal recline. You know you’ve become a power traveler when you can sleep in “any” condition and position.
Trains, Subways and public transportation is spot on in Sydney
My first impressions (having not been in Sydney for over a decade) is how easy this city has become. I walked from the international terminal to T8 and for the cost of $1 AU (currently about $0.68) I got to my hotel in a little over 20 minutes. The train was a double decker, so plenty of room even with all the passengers with luggage.
Getting to my hotel couldn’t have been easier. It’s a beautiful day here in Sydney (about 21 Celsius or 70 degrees Fahrenheit) and a short 10 minute walk after my stop. Another shout out to Airalo for always providing accessible mobile data in every country (cheap and easy). I find I can get anywhere (walking, driving or public transit) with either Apple or Google Maps — just need a cellular connection.
LOVE my hotel in Sydney Harbor (YEHS). Great EVERYTHING.
You’ll notice that over the past 180 or so blog posts, I rarely talk about where I’m staying, but I need to pause to rave about YEHS for a moment. I generally don’t like to spend more than about $100 a night on hotels, preferring to invest in quality experience instead. In Hanoi, Vietnam I got an amazing apartment for about $30 per night, but the cost of living in Vietnam is much less than other places. But what you get for about $100 varies wildly from city to city. Here at YEHS, you get it all. Hot Tub, sauna, pool, gym, kitchen (WITH DISHWASHER!!!), washing machine, dryer, couch, and plenty of space. Violet will be thrilled when she joins me in two days.
And I can often get these kinds of amenities if I’m willing to say “off the grid” so to speak. But that’s the kicker. I’m in the heart of down town Sydney — walkable (or public transit) to everything.
So I do what I normally enjoy doing when I first arrive at my hotel. I unpack and go for a wander. (You know, as in “All who wander are not lost”). This allows me to get my bearings, see what’s around me and take in this part of the city.
I was THRILLED with what I discovered on my walkabout. Turns out, I’m staying in “Darling Harbor” which has a massive walking bridge overlooking the aquarium, mu-SEA-um, and this really cool exhibit I can’t wait to show Violet when she arrives. I won’t spoil it here. But feel free to take a look at what’s about 5 minutes from where I’m staying.
This reminds me so much of my time living in San Francisco. Perhaps it’s the harbor combined with great access to museums, public transportation (minus the cable cars), great resturants and a host of bustling activities all around me. I know I’m going to love my time here and tomorrow I get to leave all of this and have my first walkabout in the bush with a fellow coach, Swantje Lorrimer and her husband, Patrick. Can’t wait!
