We arrived in Sydney on December 31, 2023, after flying in overnight from Bali, and stayed for a few days at the W Sydney for New Year's before boarding a 15-day cruise to New Zealand. Sydney is one of those cities that is exactly as good as everyone says.
The best thing we did in Sydney was rent self-drive small powerboats and tear around the harbor ourselves, cruising past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge. You do not need a boating license, it is way less expensive than a chartered cruise, and you get the iconic Sydney photos from the water on your own terms. We also spent an afternoon at Bondi Beach and had a great dinner catching up with our long-time Seattle friend, Dave, who happened to be in town. New Year's Eve in Sydney is something everyone should do once — the harbor fireworks are next-level and the W Sydney is the perfect spot to watch from.
Our Viking cruise then showed us three more Australian ports. In Melbourne, we did a walking tour of the central business district, had lunch in town, and then toured the Lume, a massive digital art experience that walks you through projections of classical paintings.
But our favorite Australian port turned out to be Hobart, Tasmania. There, we visited the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, where we got to walk around with Tasmanian devils, wombats, kangaroos, and koalas. We felt very outback Australian, getting up close and personal with the animals and learning more about their rehabilitation.
Australia reminded us of the city look of Seattle mixed with the laidback people, sunshine, and beaches of California. Everyone was incredibly friendly and just chill. If it weren't for the 20-hour flight, we would definitely spend more time there.