Visit Melbourne first, you love it more. Visit Sydney first, you love it more. The two cities lie approx.850km apart, which in Australian terms is not far, and have enjoyed a (mostly) friendly rivalry ever since they were first conceived.
Today, Sydney has a population of 4.4million, is the largest in city Australia and is seen as the finance and media capital whereas Melbourne is trailing slightly with a population of 4 million and is seen as the arts, cultural and sports capital of Australia. Both cities continue to march side by side in terms of population however Sydney does remain the leading tourist destination.
For me it is about the cities as destinations rather than thinking about population or growth. On paper i am definitely a Melbourne girl, i love the arts and so gravitate to cities or settlements that seem to be nurturing the arts, have interesting buildings, theatres and of course a young, independent and creative population. I think Melbourne is this city. However, unfortunately as things worked out, i was only there for a few weeks and so i did not experience living and working in this city.
In practice i became a Sydney girl. This may have something do with the fact that whilst in Sydney, besides the fact my sister lives there, i lived and worked on a tall ship in Sydney harbour, a dream job for any backpacker. This job definitely shaped my view and my experience in Sydney. I see it as a city with two main sides to it; firstly there is the beach life where everyone has a suntan and enjoys the laid back way of life it provides; secondly it has its cbd which props up Australia's finance and media sectors. Together this creates a glossy city with monied inhabitants who have many a beach on which to pose at the weekend! I hope this doesn't sound too harsh because i loved my time there, i really did come to love Sydney (although HATED the suburbs).... who doesn't love the beach. And also, that harbour is a fantastic asset for a city; with the massive and imposing harbour bridge, the iconic opera house and then the many bays and islands which makeup the rest of the harbour. On the weekend the waters are so busy with yachts, its fantastic.
So for me, i don't feel like i can choose because i didn't spend the same amount of time in each city. But as they say, you have to chose one or the other and most people that i have had this conversation with have not spent the same amount of time in both cities, they just go with gut feeling. So anyway, i suppose the very fact that i still haven't chosen Sydney as a favourite despite spending so long in it means that i prefer Melbourne. Or perhaps I'm just not as cultural as i thought, perhaps i love the idea of Melbourne and nurturing the artist in me however in real life i fell for the glossy glamour of the beach in Sydney mixed with my historic, rustic and beautiful danish tall ship. The debate continues.......
Below: Federation Square in Melbourne is just one of the cities modern buildings
Today, Sydney has a population of 4.4million, is the largest in city Australia and is seen as the finance and media capital whereas Melbourne is trailing slightly with a population of 4 million and is seen as the arts, cultural and sports capital of Australia. Both cities continue to march side by side in terms of population however Sydney does remain the leading tourist destination.
For me it is about the cities as destinations rather than thinking about population or growth. On paper i am definitely a Melbourne girl, i love the arts and so gravitate to cities or settlements that seem to be nurturing the arts, have interesting buildings, theatres and of course a young, independent and creative population. I think Melbourne is this city. However, unfortunately as things worked out, i was only there for a few weeks and so i did not experience living and working in this city.
In practice i became a Sydney girl. This may have something do with the fact that whilst in Sydney, besides the fact my sister lives there, i lived and worked on a tall ship in Sydney harbour, a dream job for any backpacker. This job definitely shaped my view and my experience in Sydney. I see it as a city with two main sides to it; firstly there is the beach life where everyone has a suntan and enjoys the laid back way of life it provides; secondly it has its cbd which props up Australia's finance and media sectors. Together this creates a glossy city with monied inhabitants who have many a beach on which to pose at the weekend! I hope this doesn't sound too harsh because i loved my time there, i really did come to love Sydney (although HATED the suburbs).... who doesn't love the beach. And also, that harbour is a fantastic asset for a city; with the massive and imposing harbour bridge, the iconic opera house and then the many bays and islands which makeup the rest of the harbour. On the weekend the waters are so busy with yachts, its fantastic.
So for me, i don't feel like i can choose because i didn't spend the same amount of time in each city. But as they say, you have to chose one or the other and most people that i have had this conversation with have not spent the same amount of time in both cities, they just go with gut feeling. So anyway, i suppose the very fact that i still haven't chosen Sydney as a favourite despite spending so long in it means that i prefer Melbourne. Or perhaps I'm just not as cultural as i thought, perhaps i love the idea of Melbourne and nurturing the artist in me however in real life i fell for the glossy glamour of the beach in Sydney mixed with my historic, rustic and beautiful danish tall ship. The debate continues.......
Below: Federation Square in Melbourne is just one of the cities modern buildings
Below: Melbourne Street Art
Below: Melbourne is renowned for its creative inhabitants and is always hosting new arts festivals
Below: The wonderful beach huts on Brighton Beach, Melbourne
Below: The unforettable Sydney harbour
Below: Sydney CBD
...... and of course Bondi, reported to be the most photographed beach in the world
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