For almost everyone in world getting to Australia takes a long time. Sure, it’s no longer necessary to hang your head over the ship’s rail for a month or more, as visitors from the mother country (that’s England, for the history-challenged among you) routinely did until just 40 years ago. But a flight time that makes double-digits is really just too long. More than 20 hours from Western Europe! Ouch.

Beat jet lag on your next trip to Sydney

So when you arrive in Australia, your first inclination is likely to involve a long sip from your duty-free haul before hitting the hay – never mind that it’s 10 in the morning and the sun is shining on a classically beautiful antipodean day. But you’ve come so far, and it’s a big country. Time is precious.

For some, doses of melatonin at night for a few days after arrival does the trick. Melatonin is produced naturally by the body at night, and is one of the triggers for sleep. We’re not here to prescribe drugs, though.

Lucky for you, then, that Australia’s biggest cities are perfectly well set up to offer you natural reviving alternatives to surrender. Smash your body clock to bits with this guide to surviving jet lag, Aussie-style. Of course, if you think jet lag is all in your mind, just try this.

Conquer your jet lag in Sydney

If you’re one of the 32 million people to pass through Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, you needn’t worry. In terms of jet lag remedies, Sydney is one of the best destinations in the world.

According to medical experts, light and food are especially successful in warding off that 11am sleepy feeling, and Sydney is blessed with generous helpings of both.

Getting a good dose of sunlight is the best medicine, and – despite its big-city feel, Sydney has lots of opportunities to stay outside. Start your day with an energising run in the Botanical Gardens. Trust me: you’ll feel better!

Stay awake with a wander around Sydney’s star attractions surrounding Circular Quay. Start at the Sydney Opera House and walk around to the Harbour Bridge. A dose of sun-kissed vitamin D will give you the energy burst required to climb the bridge! Unforgettable. If you’re feeling the worse for wear, perhaps just a stroll around Hyde Park or – better yet – check out the open spaces and spectacular views around Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, not far from the Opera House.

If it’s morning when you arrive, the best thing you can do for your body is a good breakfast full of protein. Try bacon and eggs or a high-protein cereal with yoghurt. Head to bills in Darlinghurst for brekky at a Sydney institution.

Through the day, try to steer clear of coffee and alcohol. Oh, ok, just one won’t hurt, will it? In the afternoon you might feel the lethargy kick in. Crash through or crash! Jump on a harbour cruise or ferry and get a lungful of the fresh stuff on your way to, well, anywhere. Manly is a great trip and a fun destination, but shorter trips across to the lovely streets of Cremorne Point or the vibrant shopping and entertainment hub of Darling Harbour should do the trick too. If you’ve got a bit more time, take a wander through the Taronga zoo. Soak up the sun and tick those kooky native animals off your list at the same time.

In the evening, get your body into sleep mode with a good high-carb dinner. Tuck into a pizza at Pizza e Birra in Surry Hills. Yum. A couple of days on this Viator Jet Lag Buster Schedule, and – as the locals say – you’ll be apples.

-John Ryan

Browse Viator’s complete list of Sydney tours and things to do, from Sydney Opera House tours to day trips to the Blue Mountains.

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 28th, 2008 at 12:23 am and is filed under Australia & Pacific, Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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