I’ve just returned from a weeklong holiday in New Zealand. On the return trip back home, there was a seven hour layover in Sydney, Australia. I decided to take full advantage of that wonderful stop!

I purchased my Australian visa online for $20, only a couple of days before my trip. It took barely 5 minutes to complete the form and my visa was granted immediately! Planning my itinerary for the several hour layover was quite easy. I decided to visit an animal center in Sydney then dine at a popular, vegan restaurant chain. Sydney is very vegan-friendly. Many Asian restaurants reside there, as well as the popular, local, vegan restaurant chain “Iku Whole Food”.

After my flight landed, I got on the train from the airport to Darling Harbour in Sydney. It cost a mere $24 roundtrip. After my 20 minute train ride, I landed at Darling Harbour. The scenic waterfront was a pleasant area to go for a quick stroll, noticing the cafes and shops, and soaking in the warm temps that day. Walking around the downtown, showcased both the contemporary skyscrapers in this large metropolis and its classical, older architecture.

I quickly found the Wildlife Sydney attraction and proceeded to go inside. It was such a delightful place! I viewed Australian animals and sea life in their local habitats. Among the residents there were kangaroos, wallabys, butterflies, colorful birds, emus, just about the largest crocodile in the world, and cute koala bears! I watched a koala show where they were fed eucalyptus leaves. So precious!

After my visit to the wildlife center, I made a stop at Iku Whole Food(Iku Whole Food) cafe for lunch. This all-vegan restaurant chain is quite popular and had many locations across Sydney. For my lunch time meal, I decided on a mushroom and veggie tart with a green salad side and a coconut juice to wash it all down. My dessert consisted of a small friand muffin and a chocolate tart with rice cream. I purchased a local Christmas cake slice to take with me. Everything I ate was incredibly delicious! I highly recommend that all visitors to Sydney eat at this cafe!

My time in Sydney had come to an end. Fortunately, my return flight on V Australia provided two vegan meals(dinner and breakfast) labeled as “VGML”. I dined on mixed vegetables, baked potato slices, chickpeas in a sauce, dried fruit slices, a fruit cup, rice, and salad. My other meal was an Indian meal consisting of veggie curry, lentils in a sauce, and roti bread.

Mission accomplished during my layover! Strolled around Sydney’s vibrant Darling Harbour, viewed the precious wildlife at Wildlife Sydney, and dined on incredible vegan food!