Ben Barnett's Best of Sydney Guide

Ben Barnett left the University of Canberra knowing the kind of person he wanted to be, armed with a good education and friends for life. Graduating with a degree in Communications, majoring in Journalism and Advertising/Marketing in 2000.

Moving to Sydney, Ben landed a role as an Account Assistant with Clemenger BBDO, before working his way into various positions across advertising agencies including M&C Saatchi, Oddfellows and Frost*collective. There he worked with clients such as Vodafone, Toyota, Sydney Airport, Tourism Northern Territory and Jumeirah Hotels Dubai.

Ben began working in his current role as the Senior Marketing and Community Manager at Yelp in 2011; he describes as a 'catch-all' marketing position with a big emphasis on cross-discipline communications. He didn't know it at the time, but his degree at UC was the best possible grounding for this role, covering everything from writing and planning to advertising and presenting to peers.

There's no such thing as a typical day in the office for Ben; constantly buzzing between meetings with potential media partners and local businesses, writing newsletters showcasing the best of Sydney, speaking to groups of business owners and industry, connecting with online users or organising parties at bars, restaurants, art galleries and secret laneways.

When 5pm rolls around I'm headed to restaurant openings or drinks with fellow Yelpers. There's a constant connection with the Yelp community, which keeps me energized and ready to explore just about anything.

Despite missing the kangaroos around campus, bar nights and epic Stone Day parties at the end of each year at UC, Ben has made Sydney his home. We asked him to give us his personal list of the best things to do in Sydney.

What comes to mind when you think of Sydney? Iconic landmarks like the Opera House or the Harbour Bridge? They're both great, but there's so much more to the Emerald City. So I've put together a list of the 'other' best things to do around town. You won't find the Grounds of Alexandria here and there's no Gelato Messina. You may have not heard of the following places, but that's exactly why they are worth checking out!

Eat Spaghetti from a Wheel of Cheese

It's called Cacio Pepe, and it's one of the greatest things you will ever try. Get it at Buffalo Dining Club (Darlinghurst). Take home a jar of their house-made chilli sauce too. It used to be available as a side but was so good they started selling it!

Play with a Grumble of Puppacino-Swilling Pugs

Spend a sunny Saturday morning at Café Bones on Hawthorne Canal (Leichhardt) and get your coffee on at the 'world's first dog-friendly café'. You can watch the weekly meetup of the Inner West Pug Grumble, where dozens slurp up bowls of (patented) Puppacinos and dash about with frothy chins. You don't even need a dog – just go!

Road Trip to the Edge of the World

At Wattamolla Beach (Royal National Park, south of Sydney) you'll find the bona fide best kept natural secret to end all secrets. This breathtaking beach has a soft sandbar separating the ocean and an emerald lagoon complete with cliff jump. Park in the top carpark and follow the bush trail to the 'Edge of the World'; home to the immense solitude and raging technicolour sunsets.

Enjoy Home-Made Italian

Sure, it's not technically in Sydney, but if (when) you head out to the Blue Mountains plan a meal at Papadino's (Katoomba). It's unassuming, budget-friendly and a traditional family-run Italian at its very finest. Head Chef, Paul, has a recipe for chilli sauce that will blow your mind! He won't share the recipe, but has promised to leave it in his will. (Which is just about the coolest thing I've heard.)

Take Breakfast at the Boatshed

Enjoy a delicious breakfast at this popular haunt; The Boathouse Balmoral Beach. You will have to stalk a table to get seated and your order may take a while to come, but on a sunny morning surrounded by sparkling ocean and salt-bleached wood, it's a peach of a spot.

Go Indoor Skydiving

Zip on an orange jumpsuit and soar out over a giant fan at IFLY Downunder (Penrith). Indoor skydiving is new and it's almost as fun as the real thing, just without all that bothersome jump-out-of-a-plane malarkey. Once you've got your bearings you can pull all kinds of bad-ass moves then make up cool names for them, like, The Flying Squirrel. Only use something else because I already invented that one.

Drink a G&T from a Snow Globe

Craft your own made-to-order Gin and Tonic at The Powder Keg (Potts Point). There's 110 gins on the menu so good luck choosing the first one. Or just go for broke and order a pressurised G&T infused with rose petals and served in a snow globe that you sip with a glass straw.

Kill your Hangover with another Hangover

Feeling a little dusty from the night before? Then dance on the corpse with a Bloody Hell at Bloody Mary's (Darlinghurst). House-made tomato juice and chilli-infused vodka is served with a shrimp, a slider and a buffalo wing - because sometimes a drink is also a meal. Or just order a shot and go freestyle at their walk-up Bloody Mary bar.

Cruise a Clifftop Cemetery

Do your best Edgar Allen Poe impression at Waverley Cemetery (Bronte), where cracked paths wind through a vast, anachronistic kingdom adorned with spurts of rust and ivy and the odd raven as they meander down to the ocean. Bleak and spectacular.

Rediscover Fish & Chips

Tucked away behind the busting Corso, Fishmongers Manly will change the way you look at fish and chips. Choose your fresh seafood, how you want it cooked and then gasp in delight at a plate of art arrives with crispy sweet potato chips and juicy sweetcorn.

Take the Family to Curl Curl Rock Pools

Although not the best in winter, it's still nice to take the family down to explore the beautiful beach. Come summer-time you can take the kids for a splash at the ocean-fed water park at the south end of Curl Curl Beach. There's a lap pool for the adults and a sandy-bottomed splash pool with ramp entry for the kids.

Drink Beer in a Wax-Walled Wine Cellar

The newest players in the brewing Renaissance sweeping Sydney, Wayward Brewing Company (Annandale) have set up the closest thing you'll find to a beer-flavoured theme park, with rotating taps, re-purposed wine cellars, rock music, floor-to-ceiling vats and a secret back-alley entrance.

Words by Stephanie Cossetto and Ben Barnett, images courtesy of yelp.com.au

Benjamin Barnett Bachelor of Communication in Journalism, University of Canberra (2000) Benjamin Barnett graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Communication in Journalism in 2000. He has worked in various advertising roles for Clemenger BBDO, M&C Saatchi, Oddfellows and Frost*collective. Benjamin has been working for Yelp since 2011 and is now the Senior Marketing and Community Manager. You can connect with Ben via LinkedIn.

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