Most folks participating within the Sydney vs Melbourne debate usually are not international vacationers to Australia, however Aussies themselves. Although the rivalry will 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 convey a barely totally different perspective to this challenge. I have a look at the cities not as locations to stay, however locations to go to. Which metropolis appeals most to individuals who gained’t have lengthy there, and who might need solely probability of their life to get to understand it?
I gained’t spoil something simply but relating to my opinion on this matter, apart from to start out with a twist. My present emotions RE: Sydney and Melbourne are inverted from what I believed after I first visited each cities greater than 10 years in the past!
How I Came to Know Australia’s Cities
If you had requested me 10 years in the past whether or not I most well-liked Sydney or Melbourne, I’d’ve answered the latter with out query. I spent per week in every on my first journey to Australia; whereas I had beloved Sydney’s seashores and iconic websites, one thing in regards to the sprawling metropolis had left me a lot colder than the balmy air. Trendy Melbourne, alternatively, was exactly the type of place I craved after I was youthful.
Subsequent journeys have made me notice that simply as Sydney is rather more than its fairly face, Melbourne’s coolness is extra superficial than I initially thought. Many features of Sydney I’d written off for being too apparent or too good to be true have been really 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).
Ways to Compare Sydney and Melbourne
Cityscape
Sydney is without doubt one of the most stunning cities on the earth, bar-none. If the CDB, Opera House and Harbour Bridge organized round Sydney Harbour don’t do it for you, the proximity of among the world’s finest city seashores will. While 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 first time I visited each cities, I initially felt that this facet of Melbourne vs Sydney was a transparent win for Melbourne and its trams. While I nonetheless really feel these are an especially handy solution to get round, I really feel like Sydney’s underneath and concrete rail networks (in addition to its personal tram system) very a lot get the job completed, even when walks from stations are generally longer or hillier.
Hotels and hospitality
I’ll begin by saying that I don’t usually 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 lodges, I’d say these cities are a draw. In Sydney, large field lodges like Pullman Grand Quay Sydney Harbour and Park Hyatt Sydney supply gorgeous views to those that pay, whereas I are likely to favor boutique-style lodging like The Quest St. Kilda and The Cullen (and even Airbnbs) in Melbourne.
Natural 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 similar to look again throughout the water to the Sydney CBD from Watson’s Bay, or having the ability to swim at gorgeous Bondi Beach through the day, solely to have drinks the The Opera Bar in time for sundown.
Day journeys and excursions
This is one space the place I’d undoubtedly give Melbourne the nod. While Sydney principally has solely The Blue Mountains as a practical day journey, Melbourne has many extra choices. Many vacationers will spend a day or longer on The Great Ocean Road, however it’s not the one sport on the town. My private favourite of the others is Phillip Island, value visiting (amongst different causes) for a penguin inhabitants, though you may as well go to numerous wineries in Victoria (the state to which Melbourne belongs) as day excursions.
Both of Australia’s giant cities are fabulous locations, and are completely value a go to in case you have time in your itinerary. I really consider Melbourne and Sydney as excellent foils to at least one one other, particularly when you can time your journey good. For instance, when you 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 old made me extra susceptible to Sydney’s charms. These cities are each important locations and are legendary in their very own proper, however attraction to several types of folks, and signify various things therein.
Other 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 seaside and outside 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: If you aren’t interested by digging deep into their tradition or delicacies, you won’t get pleasure from this metropolis as a lot.
What is the primary distinction between Melbourne and Sydney?
Superficially, the primary distinction between Melbourne and Sydney is that Sydney is hotter and sunnier for rather more of the time than Melbourne, which is commonly chilly and/or wet. Beyond 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 method that at all times appears common or international.
Why is Melbourne so significantly better than Sydney?
People preferring Melbourne typically complain that Sydney’s points of interest are too mainstream, that its eating and nightlife are too tame and strange 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 attention-grabbing as a result of it’s a number of cities, from hipster-filled Fitzroy to upmarket, coastal St. Kilda.
The Bottom Line
The finest solution to resolve the Sydney vs Melbourne debate is to go to each cities for your self. Of course, when you’re studying this publish, chances are high good that you just both don’t have time to try 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 positively wowed me throughout visits to town after I was a lot youthful. Sydney, nonetheless, merely gives the higher whole package deal, significantly when you think about the gorgeous panorama that surrounds it.
Robert Schrader is a journey author and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications similar to “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the way in which. His weblog, Leave Your Daily Hell, supplies a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays overlaying the extra esoteric features of life as a traveler.