Lady Red Travel

An adventure to Australia has been on the top of my bucket list since I started watching “The Crocodile Hunter” when I was seven. With the exotic wildlife, the beaches and surfing culture, and iconic Sydney, the country has a lot to offer for any type of tourist. That’s why I could not resist when I found a two week Groupon deal with Down Under Answers to both Australia and New Zealand for the month of May! This is a transition month from the end of autumn into their winter season. However, I found that visiting Australia, and particularly Sydney during the start of their winter season had a few surprising perks!

Experience Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney is an annual, 23 day festival of lights, music, and ideas, starting during the end of May throughout mid-June. The festival includes a free public exhibition of outdoor lighting sculptures and displays throughout Sydney, including the Harbor, The Rocks, the Botanic Gardens, and the Taronga Zoo.

The festival also includes various music performances, food trucks, and entertainment. One of the best ways to experience the festival (if you are not too afraid of heights) is to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge and get an aerial view of the city’s lights. Climbers  participate in the lights display with headlamps and light-up harnesses. And this special climb also includes a dance party at the top of the bridge!

More Affordable

I typically plan my holidays around the shoulder or low seasons of the country I am interested in traveling to. Whether it’s Groupon Travel or searching for flight deals on Kayak, I tend to be flexible on when I plan to visit a country in order to get a better deal. It’s no surprise that a trip to Australia can be very expensive, especially for Americans (living on the East Coast, it took me a total of 21 hours of flight time just to get to Australia!). However, if you do not mind what time of year you travel, you will find more affordable accommodation, whether you prefer hotels, hostels, or AirBNBs. I was able to stay at a hotel located at The Rocks, close to the Harbor, downtown, and the historic district.

Mild Weather

Coming from New England, I am “use” to freezing temperatures and three feet of snow. However, I found Sydney to be very mild during the beginning of their winter season. Average weather was in the 60’s Fahrenheit and was very comfortable to spend time at Manly and Bondi beaches! I personally found the weather to be very comfortable, especially for wandering throughout the city!