A koala at the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
Heading across the ditch for the first time and don’t know where to start? Sydney and its surroundings are the perfect mix of urban culture and natural gems, writes Danielle Zollickhofer.
There is nothing like the serenity of a forest.
The trees and wildlife almost seem to form a shield that the busyness of everyday life can’t break.
There is nothing quite like walking through a forest of eucalyptus trees that is home to some iconic residents.
I’m in Port Stephens, a charming little coastal town 2.5 hours’ drive from Sydney. More specifically, I’m at the Koala Sanctuary, an eight-hectare area of protected bushland run by the council and Port Stephens Koala Hospital, which is within the sanctuary and helps care for and rehabilitate sick or orphaned koalas.
While the intensive care units and rehabilitation yards aren’t open to the public, there is a large window into the clinical services area where visitors can observe non-invasive treatments (if any are scheduled).
The sanctuary also has eight permanent residents who cannot return to the wild: one, for example, is blind, and another has a leg deformity. Visitors can see them while walking along a 225-metre-long elevated pathway that winds through the forest, but given their climbing abilities and love of long naps, it can feel like a tough game of Where’s Wally? Despite being solitary creatures, two of the resident koalas get along well and can sometimes be found in the same tree. During my visit, they were not only close to each other but close to the pathway as they munched on eucalyptus.
For some, a few hours will be enough, but if you want to extend your stay, there are cosy glamping tents and rooms, as well as a pool and barbecue area. There is no need to set an alarm for morning: you will wake up to the chatter of kookaburras and rainbow lorikeets.
Cute koalas aren’t the only creatures to visit in Port Stephens. The azure waters are also home to humpback whales and dolphins.
They are, obviously, best visited via a boat tour, for example, through Moonshadow-TQC Cruises (although you can sometimes see them from the land, I’ve been told).
They offer separate whale and dolphin experiences (and snorkelling trips), but during the Whale Watch Express tour, we were lucky to see both species, as well as seals and a range of seabirds. Our fun, knowledgeable guides said they had also seen hammerhead sharks.
The wider Port Stephens area is known for the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes in the Worimi Conservation Lands, the largest moving dunes in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sand Dune Adventures, owned by Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council, runs quad bike and sandboarding tours of the dunes, which are equally fun as they are informative.
As a motorbike enthusiast, this was right up my alley, although I was among the slower part of the tour group: it took a bit of time getting used to going down steep slopes on four wheels.
We stopped a few times and turned off the quads, allowing us to appreciate further the magnificence of the dunes, which felt reminiscent of a desert, vast and serene.
In other places, they provide a mesmerising vantage point of the ocean, where we spotted whales breaching in the distance. The dunes aren’t just beautiful, our guide explained, they are also a culturally significant site for the Worimi people and contain historic camp and burial sites, as well as ancient middens with shell deposits and tool-making artefacts.
If someone who hasn’t been to Sydney asked me to describe it, I’d say it’s something between New York and Auckland.
The hustle and bustle that comes with being home to more than 5 million people (let that figure sink in for a second - New Zealand’s entire population fits into Sydney) can be felt even from the comfort of a taxi.
Beautiful historic buildings, some of them very colourful, sit next to modern multi-storey apartments with panorama windows and the more the CBD approaches, the higher the buildings seem to get.
There are lots of things to do, and you could easily spend a few days in the city alone.
It’s well-connected, with a metro and bus network (and Ubers), so even though I believe there is no better way to get a feel for a city than by exploring it as a pedestrian, there are plenty of opportunities to give your feet a break.
As I was in the city for a good time, not a long time, I made a beeline for Sydney’s icons, the harbourfront with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. They are real stunners, especially around sunset (even in winter), but that’s also why it is touristy.
In the grand scheme of metropolis travel, it’s not that bad, though, and there are plenty of spots to snap a selfie with the Harbour Bridge without being photobombed by strangers.
The Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Town Hall features 144 apartment-style rooms, plus a pool and gym. You can do your own cooking, which can be quite handy if you want to stay in after a big day of exploring. It’s right in the centre of the action and only a short walk from the metro station.
If you want to treat yourself, the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth makes you feel like a celebrity. No wonder: opened in 1966, it is Australia’s first international hotel and has hosted Princess Diana, the Queen and Elton John, among others. A short walk from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the perfectly located spot also has two restaurants and two bars.
Both Sydney and Port Stephens are full of amazing food and dining experiences.
In Sydney, The Tailor Room is an intimate cocktail bar with an innovative menu, inspired by fabric. Instead of selecting a drink based on your alcohol of choice, you are inspired to try something new, as the main menu only describes the character of the cocktail (fresh, bright and fizzy, for example) and doesn’t list the ingredients (although these are mentioned in the back of the menu).
The adjacent Dining Room, a fine-dining restaurant, boasts an original menu that showcases seasonal produce. I don’t usually opt for meat or seafood but, based on the recommendations of the staff, I gave the caviar tartlets and the beef fillet a try - and I’m so glad I did.
Another standout is Midden by Mark Olive, by the Opera House. The stunning views of the Harbour Bridge pair well with the menu celebrating indigenous Australian cuisine.
In Port Stephens, Little Beach Boathouse and Rick Stein at Bannisters both focus on the region’s seafood, but there are other options on the menu. If you come for dinner at the Little Beach Boathouse, you might be lucky enough to see the local dolphin pod swimming by, staff told me.
Light Years Newcastle is also well worth a visit. The menu features modern Asian share-style dishes and signature cocktails (their wild truffled mushroom dumplings are a true highlight).
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
GETTING THERE
Fly direct from Hamilton to Sydney with Jetstar.
DETAILS
Visit destinationnsw.com.au
New Zealand Herald travelled courtesy of Jetstar and Destination New South Wales.