University of Wisconsin–Madison

Australia: Talia Bergerson (Top ten list: Sydney)

Creating this list was not an easy task, and every time I thought of one new experience to add, twenty others popped into my head. You can find something new in Sydney each time you step outside. It is a city filled with exquisite (and unique) food options, beautiful beaches, parks on every corner, quaint streets, and free museums. If you are looking for it, I know you can find it in Sydney.

My top 10 changes each day, and by the time you read this, my list will have flipped completely. But for now, as I enter the halfway point in my semester, here is my current top 10:

A singular sailboat sits in a lake with a rocky cliff in the background.
A typical view you can find along the coast of Sydney.
  1. Take a ferry to the northern beaches of Sydney (highly recommend seeing Manly and heading over to Shelly Beach – a good snorkeling spot!). You will not be disappointed by the view of the Sydney Opera House and harbour bridge that accompanies this efficient mode of public transport.
  2. Get outside and hike the Blue Mountains; however, if hiking is not your thing, the Blue Mountains area still has a lot in store to appreciate. If you want to hike, I recommend going to Wentworth falls and doing “The Falls” hike, and then heading to Katoomba and seeing the Three Sisters and the trails around that popular lookout point. For the non-hikers, Katoomba has a lovely downtown area, filled with vintage stores, cute cafés and many restaurants.
  3. Enjoy a stroll through the Royal Botanic Gardens. This is a huge area of luscious greenery and beautiful flora. This space makes you forget you are in the heart of Sydney and places you into nature.
  4. Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. This walk takes you from the famous Bondi Beach down south to Coogee beach. A walk with unforgettable coastal views that brings you through other lovely beaches: Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, and Gordon’s Bay. You truly get to see it all and enjoy the lifestyle of Australian beach culture.
  5. If you like seafood, head to the Sydney Fish Market. Open 7 days a week and full of fresh and tasty seafood of all sorts!
  6. Take advantage of the ocean: I have both surfed and sailed while I’ve been here and those are some of my favorite memories!
  7. Go to all the markets you can: from The Rocks market to Paddington Markets, and all those in between. Each day you can find a new market to explore and a neighborhood to see.
  8. Watson’s Bay Area. One of my favorite places I have been: filled with small, local beaches, and it has a lovely path connecting two famous lighthouses (one of them is the oldest lighthouse in Australia).
  9. Check out the Port Stephens area! It is a few hours out of Sydney, but it is too lovely to pass up. While I was here, I went sand-boarding down massive sand dunes and dolphin watching. The water was some of the clearest and most blue water I have ever seen before.
  10. For the less outdoorsy people, I highly recommend going to all the museums you can (all have free entry). The Art Museum of NSW is one of my favorites and has a host of immaculate artwork.

 

Talia smiles in front of a bright blue door, underneath a flowering pink tree.

Talia Bergerson

Hometown: Burnsville, Minnesota

Major: Philosophy with a Certificate in Criminal Justice

Program: University of Sydney – Exchange

I hope to pursue a career in either International, Maritime, or Environmental law (or a mixture of the three), and the University of Sydney and Australia in general are places where these interests perfectly intersect!

CRICOS Provider: 00026A