Long Layover: Sydney

Jason and I often have long layovers in foreign cities, but we rarely get a chance to enjoy them. Partly because I'm the type of person who always gets stressed out traveling. I have nightmares about missing connecting flights, no joke. But with a full 12 hours in Sydney, and daytime no less, it seemed silly to sit in the international terminal twiddling our thumbs.

Thankfully we have a friend in Sydney who was happy to play tour guide, taking us on a whirlwind jaunt around the city that included amazing gelato and a few flat whites.  

My favorite part of the day was when we jumped on a ferry next to Sydney's famous opera house and headed out to Watson's Bay, a beachy little suburb that's at the head of Sydney Harbour. From Watson's Bay, you can look in one direction and see a picture perfect view of the Sydney skyline, then it's just a short walk across the road from the beach and suddenly you're standing on a cliff looking out into the vast Tasman Sea.

It was absolutely beautiful. Walking in the sunshine and fresh air was exactly what our bodies needed to shake the jet lag. We made it all the way out to the Hornby Lighthouse that marks the entrance to the harbour.

Doyles was our last stop in Watson's Bay. We sat outside, enjoying the weather and the view as we ate amazingly fresh shrimp and fish and chips.

In the photo, you'll see the sign says "Established 128 Years" and that was exactly the feel that it gave off. It had the charm that you'd expect  stepping into a beach resort in the 1880s.

Afterwards, a quick ferry ride had us back into Sydney and we were off to the airport and ready to take a nap on the flight to Auckland.

Have you ever done any layover exploring? I'll be posting tips next week!