“Don’t tell them you’re from Melbourne,” my uncle warned me before I headed off to Sydney.
If you’re from Australia most of you are well aware of the great debate between Melbourne and Sydney; the two biggest cities in Australia. I’ve just come back from a short trip in Sydney and it’s the first time that I’ve really explored the city despite this being my third time to the oldest city in Australia.
I just thought it would be interesting to write about this from a more local point of view – so judging it as a place to live rather than a tourist destination – and it would be a good way to reflect on my little holiday.
I’m born and raised in Melbourne but I will try my best to not be bias, but keep in mind that I’ve spent almost 20 years in Melbourne compared to the 5 days I had in Sydney – so don’t take what I say too seriously because I may or may not be wrong and really it’s just an opinion.
Whether you are looking to travel, move or work in either of these cities, here’s how I rate them.
Beaches
So I’ll start of with some positive points of Sydney which undeniable is better than Melbourne, and that is it’s abundant beautiful beaches and bays which are very close and easy to get to. Of course there is the famous Bondi Beach (but I didn’t visit it) and Manly Beach, as well as smaller beaches like Coogee beach and secluded and extremely serene places such as Parsley Bay.
Unfortunately for Melburnians we have to travel a lot further away for nice beaches (yes there’s St. Kilda Beach which is only a 4km from the CBD but I personally don’t like it) – my favourite beach is about 180km away and I haven’t been there for years!
Weather
Along with the great beaches is the weather; Melbourne is definitely not as blessed as Sydney when it comes to weather.
Winters in Melbourne are generally wetter and colder (a few weeks ago it was about 2 degrees when I was in the city at 7am), and during summers both cities can pass the 40 degree mark but in Melbourne you will experience a dry heat where as Sydney will have a humid heat, so I guess this depends on which one you prefer to suffer through.
When you think of Australia, I hate to say it being a Melburnian, but you immediately think of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House as being Australian icons and representing the country on the international scale. But they really are a site to look at it, I can’t deny that.
So when it comes to international tourists I can definitely see why people are more attracted to Sydney and perhaps Melburnians may be secretly jealous of that? Haha I’m not too sure about this one, but I generally feel that Melbourne is underrated as a global city because it’s just as capable as Sydney yet Melbourne doesn’t get as much recognition globally and hence the jealousy? (Just a theory!)
Transport
Moving on, I couldn’t help but notice the lack of trams that Sydney had, in fact I only saw one tram near Chinatown – nothing wrong with this of course it’s just something I’m not used to as I catch the tram everyday when I go to uni (we have the largest tram network in the world).
Instead there are a lot more buses (a bit like London, minus the double decker and the red) and well…apparently ferries is a common way to travel and once again I just found this very odd haha & kind of cool 🙂 Note that there are concession prices (e.g. $7.20 for return for Manly) if you have the appropriate ID (they are very specific) but otherwise you will have to buy a full fare (e.g. $14.40 for return for Manly).
Melbourne ferries are a lot more expensive as you wouldn’t catch them on a daily basis. Also in my opinion, I don’t like the winding, curvy and the narrower roads of Sydney – not an important detail, but I’m just pointing it out…
Sports
Another difference I noticed is that I did not recognise any of the sporting teams and it’s not because I don’t know any Sydney teams but it’s because all the teams were from the Rugby league.
In Melbourne, AFL is a lot bigger and popular than Rugby which I’ve known but still, it did come as a bit of a surprise. But speaking of sport, I think it’s pretty clear that Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia. It is the home of three very big international sporting events: the Australian Open (one of four tennis grand slams), the F1 Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup (horse racing).
As mentioned previously, AFL is very popular in Melbourne which is not surprising at all as it was invented in Victoria and hence is also the host of the AFL Grand Final every year. On the other hand, Sydney hosts the Rugby grand final and is also home to many international events, however they are of a lesser pedigree than the ones in Melbourne, such as the Apia Sydney International (tennis) and the Golden Slipper (horse racing).
Fashion
Okay when it comes to fashion I really don’t think either is better than the other, even though a small part of me would love to support the claim that Melbourne is the fashion capital of Australia. Generally I think both cities are at a similar calibre, but I definitely did notice a difference with what I was wearing compared to the Sydneysiders.
I found that the Sydney street fashion was more lighter, casual and quirkier, where as in Melbourne it is a bit more sophisticated and formal in comparison. Back at home there is a lot more black and darker shades going on, lots of accessories and a few pops of colour here and there. I also find that Melbourne street fashion is a bit more edgy, especially with the younger population and overall people seem to dress up a lot more.
But when it comes to high-end fashion and and couture…I will happily throw in the gloves and concede because I know nothing of that area :p And what about shopping? I say both are equally as good as each other despite Chadstone (in Melbourne) being the biggest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere, you can pretty much still get the same things in both cities.
Cafes
So one thing that clearly bothered me whilst I was in Sydney was the lack of cafes, more specifically sit down cafes. I don’t think this is actually a big deal in many people’s eyes but coffee is generally a daily routine for me and although I do have my usual places back at home, I know I can always rely on a good coffee just around the corner wherever I go.
Yes, I know it’s a typical Melbourne characteristic as the cafe scene is much bigger, but I couldn’t help but be the slightest bit agitated as I walked around in the Sydney CBD and actually struggled to find a sit down cafe. My friend did tell me that there were more sit down cafes out of the city but still, it felt very odd to me – perhaps it’s something to do with the fact that I go to university in the city and I’ve always linked the two things together.
Also another minute detail is the quality of the coffee; I do believe that both cities can produce quality coffee but I definitely think that Melbourne has the edge on this as I flashback to the coffee I had yesterday which had curdled milk (don’t worry I didn’t drink it). Another reason why I find cafes important in my life is the social aspect it brings.
Personally, most of the time I prefer to socialise with my friends at a restaurant, cafe or any place where you can hear the person talk, unlike a nightclub or a loud bar – overall cafes is a standard that I have in my normal daily life and I didn’t really realise this until I came to Sydney and wasn’t quite used to it. But to make up for it (but only a little bit), I really did enjoy the bakehouses which appears to be more popular in Sydney than Melbourne.
Overall
Just only spending 5 days in Sydney I think it’s a great city and although it may seem like I’ve pointed out a lot of differences, I think their similarities are greater.
They are both cities which need to be added to any east coast Australia itinerary. Both cities are very capable in many aspects; they have both hosted the Olympic games and Commonwealth games, both have really good produce and food, and have thriving populations and services which provide almost everything you need.
I think the differences is something to enjoy, and look at it as a symbiotic relationship rather than a rivalry. Of course for some people one city will be more well suited to them than the other but at the end of the day what makes a place is your family and friends, I don’t think I would have enjoyed my trip to Sydney if I didn’t get to see my relatives and spend time with my friends, which is why Melbourne will always be my home.
If you live overseas, plan a gap year in Australia and experience these two amazing cities for yourself.