Sydney, NSWMay 2026

If I had to describe Sydney in one word, it would be

I visited in early May, when autumn was settling into the Southern Hemisphere. But the city felt almost like spring. The air was cool enough to walk for hours without getting tired, the sky was an endless shade of blue, and the sunshine made everything look a little brighter.

Sydney,
Australia

Some places stay with you long after you've left.

May 202633.87° S · 151.21° E

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The green

What struck me first was the green.

A Sydney street under a canopy of yellow-green trees — Above the sidewalk

A huge old tree on a lawn, sun behind the leaves — Looking up

A tall pine against a clear blue sky — All that green

Sydney feels like a city that has grown out of nature rather than been built around it. Towering trees line the streets, their branches spreading wide above the sidewalks. Greenery spills between buildings, stretches across open lawns, and follows you all the way to the coast. Even in the middle of the city, nature never seems far away.

And everything looks so full of life.

I remember walking around, looking up at the trees and thinking how wonderful it must be to live somewhere like this. Somewhere the ocean, the sunshine, and all that green are simply part of an ordinary day.

I fell for Sydney almost immediately.

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Chapter 01

Days by the ocean

Some of my happiest memories from Sydney are simply of walking along the coast.

Watsons Bay, Bondi Beach, Coogee — each had its own charm, but they all gave me the same feeling of being completely at ease.

Watsons Bay: a path through the park, the city skyline across the water — Watsons Bay

The coastline was breathtaking. Deep blue water stretching towards the horizon, waves crashing against the rocks, green hills rising above the sea.

Me on the cliffs at Watsons Bay, hair in the sea wind — The Gap

Every so often, I'd stop walking just to take it all in.

But what I loved just as much was watching the people.

Me sitting on a park bench under the trees — Watsons Bay

Friends sitting in little circles on the grass, talking for hours. Couples lying in the sunshine. People finding a quiet spot overlooking the ocean and doing absolutely nothing.

A selfie on the coastal walk — Along the coast

Nobody seemed
to be in a hurry.

I loved that you didn't have to do anything to enjoy being there. You could just walk, feel the breeze on your face, listen to the waves, and let the afternoon unfold.

I don't know how else to describe it, but those walks made me feel alive again.

Chapter 02

Watching the city turn to night

The Harbour Bridge in golden evening light from Observatory Hill

The bridge in silhouette after the sun has gone

Observatory Hill

One evening, we made our way up to Observatory Hill just before sunset.

The grass was dotted with people who had come for the same reason we had. Some were chatting with friends, some were lying back on the lawn, and others were simply sitting quietly, looking out towards the Harbour Bridge.

We found ourselves a spot and joined them.

I remember watching the light change, almost without noticing the time passing. The sky softened from gold to pale pink, then slowly faded into blue.

The outlines of the buildings grew darker, and one by one, the lights across the harbour began to appear.

Even after the sun had disappeared, hardly anyone seemed ready to leave.

Neither were we.

There was something lovely about sharing that moment with so many strangers. All of us sitting on the same hillside, watching the same sky, with nowhere else we particularly needed to be.

Circular Quay · 1/3AfternoonSunsetBlue hour

Circular Quay station platform in the afternoon, bridge and ferries beyond

The same platform at sunset under a violet sky

The same platform at blue hour, city lights coming on

Circular Quay was another place I couldn't get enough of, especially around sunset and blue hour.

I've always thought of stations as places you pass through on your way somewhere else. But Circular Quay made me want to stop and stay.

The ferries moving across the water, the harbour glowing in the last of the evening light, the city slowly turning blue — it all felt strangely cinematic.

At one point, the colours reminded me of La La Land.

That dreamy, almost unreal kind of beauty.

The Opera House under a purple sky, a ferry passing

Except this wasn't a movie set. People were still catching ferries, heading home from work, meeting friends, going about their evenings.

And somehow, that made it even more beautiful.

Chapter 03

A little reminder of what it feels like to be young

We also visited the University of Sydney, and happened to arrive on a graduation day.

The campus was beautiful, with its grand sandstone buildings, old archways, and wide green lawns. But what made that afternoon special was the people.

Graduates in their gowns were everywhere, posing for photos with their friends and families. Parents were proudly taking pictures, groups of friends were laughing together, and everyone seemed to be celebrating something.

Watching them took me back to my own graduation.

I remembered that feeling of standing at the beginning of something. When the future seemed wide open, when there were so many things you wanted to do and so many different lives you could imagine living.

Of course, life after graduation turns out to be a little more complicated than we expect. There are decisions you second-guess, plans that change, and moments when you're not entirely sure where you're heading.

But being there, surrounded by all those happy faces, brought back a little of that excitement.

Me under the University of Sydney crest — The crest

Graduates posing with family in front of the Quadrangle — Everyone celebrating something

Me on the lawn in front of the sandstone Quadrangle — The Quadrangle

That feeling that there is still so much ahead of you.

I found myself smiling at people I didn't know, quietly sharing in their happiness.

It was such a lovely afternoon.

Chapter 04

A little farther from the city

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The sea at Kiama seen through tall pines

As much as I loved Sydney itself, Kiama and Gerringong felt like discovering a little piece of paradise.

The weather on the day we visited Kiama was almost impossibly beautiful.

Sunlight scattered across the ocean, making the water sparkle. The sky was a brilliant blue, the grass impossibly green, and everything seemed to stretch out into the distance.

People were walking their dogs, bringing their children out to play, or simply enjoying the sunshine.

Nothing extraordinary was happening.

And yet, I remember thinking that I could happily spend an entire afternoon doing exactly the same thing.

Me sitting on the grass by the sea at Kiama — Doing exactly that

Kiama · 5 May

Then something rather wonderful happened.

We were sitting and enjoying the view when an elderly gentleman came over and greeted us. There were pigeons wandering around nearby, and after settling onto a bench, he casually announced that he was going to put them to sleep.

I thought I'd misheard him.

But then he took out a little mouth organ and started playing. One tune after another, right there on the bench, for an audience of pigeons.

And somehow, the pigeons actually seemed to settle down. They stopped wandering around and sat quietly near him, almost as if they were listening.

I couldn't quite believe what I was seeing.

It was such a funny, unexpected, and oddly tender little scene.

I have no idea whether he did this every day, or whether the pigeons really enjoyed his music. But I still remember that moment so clearly: the sunshine, the sparkling sea, the old man on the bench, and his remarkably attentive little audience.

It felt like something out of a storybook.

Except it was just another afternoon in Kiama.

Gerringong · the same day

A little piece of paradise, one frame at a time.

Gerringong's long beach curving to a green headland — 01

Houses above the beach and rolling green hills — 02

A mother and child talking under a pine by the sea — 03

A quiet road in late afternoon light — 04

Me sitting on the grass in a pink skirt — 05

Me under the Gerringong station sign — 09

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Chapter 05

The little things

Not every happy memory from the trip involved a spectacular view.

Two gelato cones in front of the Messina sign

A koala high up in a tree — Spot the koala

Me inside the Queen Victoria Building under the great clock — Queen Victoria Building

They're small moments, really.

But they're the kind that make a trip feel like your trip, rather than just a collection of beautiful places.

Chapter 06

What stayed with me

When I think back to Sydney, I remember the beautiful scenery, of course. The endless blue skies, the ocean, the trees that seemed to grow everywhere.

But more than anything, I remember the people in those places.

The friends chatting on the grass beside the sea.

The strangers watching the sunset together on Observatory Hill.

The graduates celebrating with their families.

The old man playing music for his pigeons.

And somewhere in between, my friend and I, ridiculously happy over discounted gelato.

I think what I loved most about Sydney was how naturally the outdoors seemed to be woven into everyday life.

The ocean wasn't just somewhere to visit on a special occasion. The grass wasn't just there to be admired. People actually lived in these spaces — walking, talking, celebrating, resting, spending time together.

There was something so lovely about that.

I was only there for a short while, but for a few days, I got to share a little of that life.

And perhaps that's what I miss most.

Not just the places themselves, but the feeling of being there. Walking beneath those enormous trees, sitting on the grass as the sky turned dark, and watching the simplest moments unfold around me.

Me at the Opera House, late afternoon — Sydney, May

I'll always remember Sydney in May.

All that sunshine. All that green. All those little moments I never expected to remember so vividly.

A city that made everyday life feel like something worth looking forward to.

Sydney,Australia

What struck me first was the green.

A little farther from the city

Sydney,
Australia