Growing up in the 1990s, I was one of many Americans influenced and obessed with Australia thanks to pop culture and media export boom. I may of rented "Crocodile Dundee" a bit too many times and admired the spirit and love for animals with Steve Irwin and The Crocodile Hunter, followed by the globally celebrated 2000 Sydney Olympics. Visiting Australia felt like one of those dreams that just had to come true.

While I would of loved to be able to travel the whole territory, we had to really limit our time as New Zealand was also on the agenda and we had only a few weeks. We kept our time located in one of Australia's largest cities and capital of New South Wales, Sydney; with plans to tackle more on another trip. Sydney is probably best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby. We also spent some time exploring surrounding neighborhoods, the Australian Museum, and the Queen Victoria Building.

We stayed in the neighborhood of Cremorne, an affluent, leafy harbourside suburb on Sydney's Lower North Shore, located just 5–6 kilometers northeast of the CBD. It was a great blend of upscale residential vibes with a vibrant cultural and cafe scene which made for great local exploring. One of the best ways to access Cremorne Point is via the scenic ferry commute, which cruises directly past the Harbour Bridge; which combined with our flora packed harbor walks made for some of our favorite parts of the trip. Just dont look up of orb spiders give you a fright, because they are everywhere.

Taronga Zoo Sydney is a government-run public zoo located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It offers great views of Sydney Harbour and the city. Taronga is a conservation zoo, world famous for wildlife experiences, education and impact in protecting animals and restoring habitat. Located in the Lower North Shore suburb of Mosman, it offers stunning, panoramic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Accessing it via a scenic 12-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay is a major highlight. It features a large collection of animals (over 5,000) and offers extensive shows and wildlife encounters. We were surprised too at how close some of the exhibits are, espcially with the kangaroos that felt more like a sprawling, naturalistic bushland retreat.

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is a public aquarium in Sydney, Australia. Opened in 1988, it features a large variety of Australian aquatic life, displaying more than 700 species comprising more than 13,000 individual fish and other sea and water creatures from most of Australia's water habitats. It houses the world's largest variety of Australian aquatic life and boasts features like the "Day and Night on the Reef" exhibit and shark-filled underwater tunnels. We had a great visit and found a nearby harbour spot for lunch, enjoying sunshine and bay views.

The Blue Mountains is a breathtaking World Heritage-listed region located just 90 minutes (about 80 km) west of Sydney CBD. Famous for its dramatic sandstone cliffs, deep eucalyptus forests, and the iconic Three Sisters rock formation, it is one of New South Wales' most popular destinations. The area gets its name from the distinctive blue haze covering the landscape, which is caused by the fine mist of eucalyptus oil evaporating from the massive gum tree forests. Because it is an elevated plateau, the region is significantly cooler than Sydney, which had us looking for layers doning hats and gloves in portions of our journey. We took a on-and-off bus up to the region, had plenty of time to explore, take pictures, and do a few small hikes before grabbing the bus back down to our drop off point.