My Holidays in Sydney

For backpackers the holidays tend to look a little bit different, especially when you’re on the opposite side of the world from where you are used to. Coming from Minnesota I am used to cold, white Christmases so the Australian summer holiday was quite a culture shock.

I actually spent most of my December and festive activities in Brisbane where I took part in outdoor Christmas cinemas, barbecues, and markets. All activities I would never dream of finding back home at this time. My coworkers and I did a Secret Santa for which I requested vodka and chocolate since didn’t want to have to find space in my backpacks for new things. And as a regular at 7/11, I was gifted a box of Christmas donuts!

Christmas:

I landed in Sydney at 10am and headed off to a friend’s place to stay the night. We caught up, she cut my hair and I plucked her eyebrows and then, clad in Santa hats, sunnies, and swim suits, we were off to the beach! Bondi Beach is the epicenter for Christmas activities but we decided on Coogee for the day, which was still insanely crowded. We remained at the beach until sunset when we caught the last bus home where we settled in for some wine and Love Actually.

My next few days leading up to New Years was spent in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney. Find my 3 day Blue Mountains itinerary here.

New Years Eve:

At the start of the day I had absolutely no plans, and by the end I was surrounded by friends, music, and fireworks! Halfway through the day I was adopted by an old coworker’s friend group who all committed to sneaking me into the event they were heading to at Barangaroo Reserve. Surprisingly, it worked and the park was filled with live music, a bar, food trucks, yard games, and of course a magnificent view of Sydney Harbour.

As one of the first cities in the world to ring in the new year, Sydney definitely makes it a memorable one. Between their fireworks, events, and closed off streets for massive crowds to walk through, I can’t recommend Sydney enough for a fun-filled New Years Eve.

New Years Day:

After a fairly late night, I woke up knowing I had to hype myself up for an all day festival – Field Day. Field Day is an annual New Years festival. I paid about 200 AUD, but it is cheaper if you purchase tickets earlier than a week in advance like I did.

The festival had a good range of genres but mostly techno. Vodka Redbulls became my best friend and there were lots of food trucks. I had a halloumi salad and I must say – when in Australia, you MUST try some form of halloumi. Whether a burger, fried, or grilled, halloumi cheese is simply one of my favorite Australian discoveries (it can be purchased in other countries, but I have never seen it as popular as it is in Australia).

My night ended front row for Dom Dolla and then Diplo. I can also recommend Patrick Topping, who I saw earlier in the day from the center of the mosh.

If you ever have the opportunity to be in Sydney for the Holidays, I cannot recommend it enough. Having Christmas and New Years in the middle of summer felt so unreal at times but definitely made it unforgettable.

I will be honest, it was strange not being around my family and at certain points it just did not feel like the holidays. However, being surrounded by friends who were all experiencing the same feelings made me feel much less alone. If you are backpacking for the holidays, remember that no matter who you are or where you’re from, everyone has one thing in common – no one wants to be alone for the holidays so just have a good time!