Sydney or Melbourne? Blake and Zoë Foster-Blake weigh in
Between Australia’s two biggest cities exists a healthy rivalry that will never die. Having just moved between the two, we ask Hamish and Zoë Foster-Blake to weigh in.
Tourism Australia launches its new campaign on Thursday, City Escapes, urging Australians to see all our capital cities have to offer without international travellers.
While regional tourism booms, our international gateways and central business districts have taken a hit.
Fronted by Australian media personalities Hamish and Zoë Foster-Blake, it is the latest iteration of Tourism Australia’s Holiday Here This Year campaign.
According to the tourism board, City Escapes will shine a spotlight on the incredible dining, entertainment, retail and cultural offerings that make up our cities.
The flight to our cities is bound to reignite some old rivalries, as explored in some banter with a pair of Tourism Australia ambassadors, Hamish and Zoë Foster-Blake.
But before we begin, the Blakes would like to make one thing very clear: they love Sydney and Melbourne equally.
Having shifted from the culture capital to the harbour city last year, Hamish (radio and TV presenter of comedy duo Hamish and Andy fame) and Zoë (author and founder of cult Australian skincare brand Go-To) have noticed a few quirky differences between the two, which go beyond usual clichés like the weather. Everyone knows the answer to that, anyway.
On the eve of the premiere of Tourism Australia’s new campaign, The Australian caught up with with the couple to see how they’re finding things in their new hood.
Brunch
“We spent 10 years becoming elite at eating Melbourne brekkies,” says Hamish, “so I feel like I’m pretty well-trained there. I’m still learning the sport of Sydney brekkie. But there is one thing I’ve noticed: Sydney cares a lot more about its egg and bacon rolls.”
Now you say it, the humble B&E roll does seem to cameo more on brunch menus in Sydney than it does in Melbourne.
“I think it’s because it’s mobile,” reasons Zoë. “In Melbourne, the weather’s often terrible, so you sit down and you have a big Instagram-friendly meal. But Sydney’s a bit more grab and go.”
Cost of coffee
This leads us to a slightly contentious topic: coffee. To avoid conflict (everyone knows how protective Melburnians are of their coffee culture) we skirt around the issue of quality and go to something more arbitrary: cost. Have the Blake’s, self-proclaimed coffee aficionados, noticed a price difference between Sydney and Melbourne brews?
Diplomatically, Zoë observes that “because of the huge effort Melbourne cafes put into their breakfast and dining experience, they tend to have more overheads. I was actually reading somewhere that they bump up the price of coffee to cover all those extra things, like the flowers and the Persian fairy floss that go on your pancakes.”
“So when you pay for your coffee, you’re actually paying for the pancakes the person next to you is eating,” adds Hamish.
Outdoor activities
With two young children, the Blake’s are always on the lookout for quality playgrounds and outdoor experiences when they travel.
“Because we’re brand new to Sydney, I literally Googled, ‘best playgrounds in Sydney’ the other day,” admits Hamish. “We’ve been touring them, me and the kids. I went on the longest slide the other day.”
Is that a point for Sydney, then?
“Look, there weren’t a lot of times when we lived in Richmond where we’d go to the beach after dinner. There were very few times where I’d pick Sonny up from school and we’d go wade in the Yarra. But we do go swimming after in school here.”
“I think all Melburnians – and as a Melburnian myself – I will admit that yes, geographically, Sydney has done well.”
Cyclist friendly
When it comes to public transport, the Blake’s find themselves split between the charm of Melbourne’s trams (“I love the rattle and the ding of the tram,” says Hamish) and the beauty of Sydney’s ferries. But Hamish is what Zoë calls a “Lycra-lover” (a cyclist), and he’s definitely found the harbour city more precarious to navigate on two wheels.
“I mean, I get it. They started building the city in the 1700s so they weren’t really thinking about bike lanes,” acknowledges Hamish. “But yeah, Melbourne definitely has more bike paths. Sydney, I’m not asking for much. Just a big, floating bike path from Circular Quay to Manly, really …”
Instagrammable opportunities
For better or worse, the Instagrammability of a place can play a hand in where we choose to take our holidays. So it would be remiss not to ask the Blake’s about which destination has been ranking better on the ’Gram. (Lord Howe Island, where they’ve just spent a few days, doesn’t count).
“The coastal walks in Sydney are incredible. In some places you can feel like you’re in the Med, looking down at the crystal clear waters with boats everywhere,” muses Zoë. “If I’m honest, Sydney is a very pretty city, with the harbour interweaving through it, and all of the bush.”
Judging by the ‘likes’ on Hamish’s artful montages of some iconic Sydney photographs and Zoë’s (slightly more artful) snaps of the harbour skyline, their new home is providing them with plenty of visual fodder for the fans.
The Blake Family’s tips to exploring your own city (or visiting another)
1. Try not to go somewhere you’ve been before
“During out last months in Melbourne we had a family rule, that we couldn’t go anywhere we’d already been,” explains Hamish. “Then the longer you’ve lived in a city, the harder the game is to play, because you’ve really got to seek things out.”
“But there’s always more to find,” says Zoë. “Sometimes you’ve just got to travel to the other side.”
2. Ask a friend (or a friendly stranger) who’s local
If your research is failing to yield the results you desire, why not phone a mate? “Ask a friend that lives in that area. Say ‘hey, I’m coming your way, where should I go?’” advises Zoë. If you don’t have a friend in the area, it’s also okay to ask a nice-looking local. Or slide into the DMs of someone you follow who knows the area well. Because no amount of Googling will uncover the pop-up bar that’s tucked down a laneway and open really obscure hours.
3. Seek out the best of everything and go there
When they lived in Melbourne, the Blake’s new exactly where to go to source the best of the best. “You know where the best croissant is. You know where the best pizza is,” says Zoë. “It’s like a rite of passage down there, to know where to find things.”
“That’s another family rule of ours,” Hamish chimes in. “It’s always worth going wherever you have to go to get the best. Whatever you’re into. Even if it’s the best chicken soup. Look it up, find it and go.” What are you waiting for?
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