Most individuals partaking within the Sydney vs Melbourne debate usually are not international vacationers to Australia, however Aussies themselves. Though the rivalry may be pleasant or not, relying on who you ask, most with any stake in it are both Melburnians or Sydneysiders.
As a journey blogger and longtime fan of Australia, I carry a barely totally different perspective to this challenge. I take a look at the cities not as locations to dwell, however locations to go to. Which metropolis appeals most to individuals who gained’t have lengthy there, and who might need solely likelihood of their life to get to realize it?
I gained’t spoil something simply but concerning my opinion on this subject, aside from to start out with a twist. My present emotions RE: Sydney and Melbourne are inverted from what I believed once I first visited each cities greater than 10 years in the past!
How I Got here to Know Australia’s Cities
Should you had requested me 10 years in the past whether or not I most well-liked Sydney or Melbourne, I might’ve answered the latter with out query. I spent per week in every on my first journey to Australia; whereas I had liked Sydney’s seashores and iconic websites, one thing concerning the sprawling metropolis had left me a lot colder than the balmy air. Fashionable Melbourne, alternatively, was exactly the type of place I craved once I was youthful.
Subsequent journeys have made me notice that simply as Sydney is way more than its fairly face, Melbourne’s coolness is extra superficial than I initially thought. Many elements of Sydney I’d written off for being too apparent or too good to be true had been truly exactly what I wanted in a metropolis as I approached center age. Conversely, the older I get, the much less I really feel that Melbourne fits me (and vice-versa).
Methods to Examine Sydney and Melbourne
Cityscape
Sydney is among the most lovely cities on this planet, bar-none. If the CDB, Opera Home and Harbour Bridge organized round Sydney Harbour don’t do it for you, the proximity of a few of the world’s finest city seashores will. Whereas Melbourne’s skyscrapers are spectacular (particularly when seen from the Shrine of Remembrance) and lower-rise neighborhoods are colourful and eclectic, they merely aren’t as impactful as Sydney’s when taken collectively.
Transport
The primary time I visited each cities, I initially felt that this facet of Melbourne vs Sydney was a transparent win for Melbourne and its trams. Whereas I nonetheless really feel these are a particularly handy approach to get round, I really feel like Sydney’s below and concrete rail networks (in addition to its personal tram system) very a lot get the job performed, even when walks from stations are generally longer or hillier.
Motels and hospitality
I’ll begin by saying that I don’t typically journey in Australia for its eating or nightlife; the standard of meals and ambiance are usually good, however regardless of how a lot cash I make, they at all times appear excessively priced. For resorts, I’d say these cities are a draw. In Sydney, large field resorts like Pullman Grand Quay Sydney Harbour and Park Hyatt Sydney supply beautiful views to those that pay, whereas I are inclined to desire boutique-style lodging like The Quest St. Kilda and The Cullen (and even Airbnbs) in Melbourne.
Pure environment
For me, this isn’t even a query of Melbourne or Sydney—Sydney is the winner all the way in which. The Yarra River is sweet, after all, however there’s simply nothing in Melbourne akin to look again throughout the water to the Sydney CBD from Watson’s Bay, or with the ability to swim at beautiful Bondi Seaside in the course of the day, solely to have drinks the The Opera Bar in time for sundown.
Day journeys and excursions
That is one space the place I’d positively give Melbourne the nod. Whereas Sydney mainly has solely The Blue Mountains as a sensible day journey, Melbourne has many extra choices. Many vacationers will spend a day or longer on The Nice Ocean Highway, nevertheless it’s not the one recreation on the town. My private favourite of the others is Phillip Island, value visiting (amongst different causes) for a penguin inhabitants, though you too can go to numerous wineries in Victoria (the state to which Melbourne belongs) as day excursions.
Each of Australia’s giant cities are fabulous locations, and are completely value a go to in case you have time in your itinerary. I truly consider Melbourne and Sydney as excellent foils to at least one one other, particularly for those who can time your journey excellent. For instance, for those who land in Sydney and depart Australia from Melbourne, your journey experiences between the 2 cities actually heightens their contrasts.
There’s additionally the ingredient on when in your life you go to Sydney or Melbourne. As I defined earlier on this piece, the youthful me vastly most well-liked Melbourne; growing older made me extra weak to Sydney’s charms. These cities are each important locations and are legendary in their very own proper, however enchantment to various kinds of folks, and signify various things therein.
Different FAQ About Sydney and Melbourne
Is Sydney higher than Melbourne?
Sydney has higher climate than Melbourne, and is a greater vacation spot for individuals who wish to mix seashore and out of doors time with metropolis sightseeing, eating and nightlife, and who don’t thoughts strolling a well-trodden vacationer path. Melbourne, in the meantime, is all about its neighborhoods: Should you aren’t concerned with digging deep into their tradition or delicacies, you won’t get pleasure from this metropolis as a lot.
What’s the primary distinction between Melbourne and Sydney?
Superficially, the primary distinction between Melbourne and Sydney is that Sydney is hotter and sunnier for way more of the time than Melbourne, which is usually chilly and/or wet. Past that, I’d say that Sydney feels extra cosmopolitan and worldwide. Melbourne embodies each these qualities too, however I’d say greater than that it’s eclectic and even various, albeit not essentially in a means that at all times appears common or world.
Why is Melbourne so a lot better than Sydney?
Individuals who desire Melbourne usually complain that Sydney’s sights are too mainstream, that its eating and nightlife are too tame and atypical and that the great thing about its seashores and climate aren’t sufficient to counteract how comparatively boring a few of its neighborhoods are. Melbourne, by their estimation, is so fascinating as a result of it’s a number of cities, from hipster-filled Fitzroy to upmarket, coastal St. Kilda.
The Backside Line
The easiest way to resolve the Sydney vs Melbourne debate is to go to each cities for your self. In fact, for those who’re studying this submit, chances are high good that you simply both don’t have time to do this, or just don’t have the inclination. Personally, if I had to decide on, I’d in all probability give Sydney the sting on this battle. Melbourne has the cultural higher hand, and definitely wowed me throughout visits to town once I was a lot youthful. Sydney, nevertheless, merely gives the higher whole bundle, notably when you think about the beautiful panorama that surrounds it.
Robert Schrader is a journey author and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications corresponding to “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the way in which. His weblog, Depart Your Each day Hell, supplies a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays protecting the extra esoteric elements of life as a traveler.
