How to avoid the tourists and experience the real Sydney

Sydney is Australia’s most popular tourist destination and being the gateway to this dusty brown country is the most accessible. It is with good reason that it is so highly visited though with such incredible sights as the Harbour Bridmge, Opera House, and well, the harbour itself.

But what do you do when you’re done? How do you experience the real Sydney?

Well. The answer lies within the neighbourhoods. I have read the big name travel guides for Sydney, and even taken various groups of foreign friends around Sydney and we did not even set foot in the neighbourhoods (except for the one we were lucky enough to house sit in). But it is these suburbs adjacent to the CBD where you get to experience the true culture of Sydney and see how the locals live.

Once you get the big sights like the above-mentioned, Manly, Bondi out of the way here are few suggestions on how to ‘escape the hordes’.

Surry Hills

Most big cities will have a Chinatown, some a Koreatown, and even others might even have a Little Italy. Well Surry Hills is like Sydney’s Little Melbourne. Or Melbournetown. Whichever you prefer.

Hipster cafes roasting their own beans, boutique beer pubs, and trendy, underground cocktail bars abound in this off-kilter suburb that seems as dedicated to the foodie and coffee cultures as Melbourne.

Many of the best places are signless and hidden, and exploring is a great way to get a feel for the area in terms of backstreet cafes, but also to take in the beautiful town houses. Best to keep your eye out for some street art as well, it is as sporadic as it is impressive.

Alexandria

Alexandria is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance at the moment. Historically it is known as an industrial wasteland, with no reason to go there unless to work at an unexciting job. However, places like the Grounds of Alexandria and their little brother The Potting Shed are injecting some much needed alternative style with their unique garden set cafe and restaurant.

The locals are only just beginning to cotton on to Alexandria’s resurgence so you can bet that the tourists haven’t even given it a thought.

The Northern Beaches

If you are wanting to experience the true culture of a day at an Aussie beach and don’t want to battle with the crowds of Bondi again, head out to Dee Why and French’s Forest. Granted, they aren’t the easiest to get to without a car, but they can be fairly easily reached by bus from Manly, as they are the next beaches north.

On a hot day they can still be kept reasonably busy by the locals, but surprisingly, unlike many Australian coastal cities, Sydneysiders frequent their beaches much less than other coastal cities. My guess is that being so big, it is still a lot of effort to reach unless you live right by it.

Got time for a quick pin? This is actually Clovelly Beach, not far Gordon’s Bay (below)

Newtown

Ten minutes south-west of the city is Newtown, essentially one long road exploding with cool cafes, boutique shops, plenty of bars and more variety of ethnic cuisines than you can poke a stick at.

Popular with the trendy locals but still fairly well hidden from the Lonely Planet traveller. In fact, Lonely Planet gives this incredible suburb a measly one paragraph in it’s Sydney chapter of the Australia guide book – a travesty to say the least.

Worth at least half a day Newtown is a perfect neighbourhood to explore and find one of the many, many places to eat, drink and shop.

Waverton

Just a few stops north of the bridge is the sleepy suburb of Waverton. Explore Balls Head Park on foot while taking in the spectacular views of the Harbour and the Bridge.

The park is very typical of Australian flora and you can also discover caves and an Aboriginal waterhole. I’m not actually sure what makes it Aboriginal – perhaps indigenous Australians, having lived here before Europeans, named it after themselves.

Who knows? If you enjoy walking, catch the ferry from Circular Quay to Luna Park or McMahon’s Point and walk west to reach the reserve. When your exploration is complete, you can walk up Dogs Head Road (which turns into Bay Road) and have a snack/meal/coffee at the very cute Botanica garden cafe. Across the road is Waverton Station, where you can catch a train back to the city.

Gordon’s Bay

Another Alternative beach experience for you, Gordon’s Bay is less beach, and more large rocks to sit on. A bay (and a hill) around from Clovelly Beach, and about a half hour walk around from Bondi, you will be greeted by old dinghy boats pulled up on the shore and plenty of sunbathers on the rocks (is that some type of drink?).

Walk around to the right and pick your favourite spot on the rocks by the water. Bring a towel though because they can get hot.

Heading to Sydney soon? Then read this next: My 4 Day Sydney Itinerary article.