During my 3 week trip to Sydney, I stayed at the Four Seasons, located in the Rocks District. The hotel has an excellent location, right by the water, with easy access to ferries, shopping, and downtown. I could also walk to the numerous bars and restaurants of the historic Rocks part of town, which I loved. The lobby was great, and the staff were what you would expect out of a Four Seasons. The rooms were recently re-done, but still a bit small, even for a city hotel. My view was great of the Harbour. I wasn't thrilled with the food, but after three weeks anywhere, I might have gotten a bit bored, especially because I am vegetarian. The bar in the lobby was filled with business men, and served a good variety of appetizers which substituted for my dinners most nights. The fitness center was a bit small and crowded, but doable. I also visited the Shangri-la hotel, located a few blocks away on the Harbour. It had a newer, more modern feel, the rooms were larger, and the bar located on the top floor was amazing. I would definitely stay there over the Four Seasons, if I was traveling alone. The Four Seasons does have more conference space, and a large ball room that can be utilized for large events.

My host was nice enough to set up a harbour cruise for our first full day in the city. After a very good night’s sleep, I woke up early to walk to the docks near the Contemporary Art Museum and board the yacht. I was still adjusting to my 24 hours of flying from the states to Australia from the day before, and I wasn’t exactly happy about my early wake-up call. But once I got some fresh ocean air, I changed my mind. This truly was a great way to see Sydney, and get orientated. We cruised around the main Harbour, seeing the iconic Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, the fish market (some great cooking schools there!), and viewing both the magnificent sky line, and quaint harbour homes. It was quite comfortable. Our group left from a port near the Contemporary Art Museum. We had a mini feast aboard of salmon and cream cheese canapés, bacon quiches and fresh fruit with mascarpone. Although the day was cloudy, it was a great way to really get a feel for the city. Sydney is truly beautiful; I loved all the harbor side houses, and our tour guide was great at pointing out the landmarks.

When the weather took a turn for the worse, I decided to go below deck and chat with my fellow travelers, but this proved to be a bad idea. Probably the fastest way to get yourself seasick is to go below deck, which I learned pretty quickly. I rushed to the top to take in some fresh air and clear my head, and the captain let me steer the vessel; we were in open water so it didn’t take much coordination, but it did make for a great photo-op.

The Sydney Wildlife World, located near darling Harbour, was a blast for our group of 20s-40s. Although it was aimed at children, Australia boasts some very unique animals. Some of the exhibits were quite creepy, and allowed for us to get up close and personal with snakes, bugs, and reptiles (not to mention the world's "most dangerous" bird!) that were all native to Australia. The highlights of Wildlife world were being able to get up close to small Kangaroos,(I snuck a feel through the fence), and the Koalas of course. The Wildlife World will take a picture with you and a perched koala, for 15 AUD, which was worth it. The pictures came out great, and it was a good experience for all of us.