Australasia & the South Pacific: Round-the-World Travel Destinations

Budget Scale: 1-5

1-least expensive; 5-most expensive
4– Major city in a western country means that travel is not going to be cheap. Depending on where you’re coming from will have an effect on your budget, as exchange rates could help or hurt your cause.

Indie Travel Scale: 1-5

1-not a good Indie Travel destination; 5-a great Indie Travel destination
3– Sydney is middle of the road when it comes to indie travel. You can certainly have an indie travel experience, but it’s not going to jump out at you and make it easy. You’re going to have to put forth some effort to get off the regular tourist trail.
Indie Travel Tips
People flock to Sydney for a variety of reasons – famous sites and beaches among them. But what if you are looking to have as authentic of a Sydney experience as possible? Where would you go? What would you do?

• The beaches in Sydney are a major tourist destination, but instead of heading to uber-popular and crowded Bondi Beach, check out Coogee Beach, Palm Beach, or Whale Beach.
• If you like chilling out, not spending much money, and hanging out with locals and tourists alike, have yourself a barbecue at Centennial Park.
• If you want to get away from the crowds, check out one of the suburbs like La Perouse.
• Check out one of these wild walks in and around Sydney. Sometimes simply getting out and just wandering provides travelers with great indie experiences.

Why you should add Sydney to your RTW travel list

• Have your photo taken atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge
• Take in a show at the Opera House
• Shake your booty at the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras
• Learn to surf at Bondi Beach
• Scream yourself hoarse at the Rugby League Grand Final
• Check out the interesting nightlife of King’s Cross
• Catch the Manly Ferry for a cheap tour of Circular Quay
• Stroll around the weekend markets at The Rocks
• Spend hours wandering around the Darling Harbour leisure park
• Go bushwalking in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Why you should not add Sydney to your RTW travel list

• Sydney can be pricey and a bit on the touristy side of you don’t know where to go.
• It’s pretty far from the rest of the world, making getting here quite expensive.
• If you’re going to be driving yourself, prepare for tolls, lots of them.

Are you heading to Sydney? What do you need to do?

• Buy a plane ticket to/from Sydney
• Book a Sydney hostel
• Book a Sydney hotel
• Take a backpacker trip in Sydney
• Talk to travelers on the Australasia and the Pacific message boards
• Read travel articles on Australia

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