A Completely Biased Comparison :)

Here's an opinionated, biased analysis of where each area beats the other. Even if Hawaii may be my home, I hold these opinions to be my current truth and preferences. Both regions have their merits and I am not definitively declaring one better than the other.

Transportation:

The biggest difference between Hawaii and Sydney to me is public transportation. Getting around Sydney is much easier and safer. Light rails, ferries, trains, metros and buses all come on-time and frequently. The amount of freedom that I felt living there is unlike I have ever felt before. Transportation is clean, efficient, convenient, comfortable, and safe. Travel notices are available immediately or, when scheduled, told well in advance. The fact that you can tap with any accepted card means that transportation is easy to figure out right as you arrive, which made my sister's visit hassle-free. Additionally, Transport NSW (the state's transportation department) takes part in community events, such as Pride and the Royal Easter Show, really showcasing how much they are a core part of the community rather than just a government entity. If they had merch, I might've even purchased something to take back home.

Here in Hawaii, you practically require a car to get anywhere. Buses are constantly laid and often drop you off in an extremely inconvenient place, like a street construction site. For a tourism-based state, it sort of baffles me that we don't have something better to accommodate for our many, many tourists. And yes, the Skyline is being constructed and there is public support for better public transportation options. But while the Skyline is a step in the right direction, it's execution is what people are most enraged by, leaving resentment for the wrong things. Even for someone like me who heavily relies on these systems, the Skyline only leaves me questioning how much convenience it will provide in the end, if that time truly comes.

Events:

Sydney also hosts a much stronger events scene. From pop-ups and businesses opening to theatre and concerts, there is always something to look forward to living in Sydney. In fact, events are such a big part of Australia that many colleges have some type of Sports and Events Management degree. I often took part in the musical theatre scene, knowing that back in Hawaii, my opportunities are heavily limited. There are also plentiful of art exhibitions occurring all the time, such as Vivid Sydney, a free month-long, city-wide event filled with light-based exhibitions, fireworks, and fire. You could also take a very short flight over to another city, like Melbourne, and have a completely different set of exhibitions and events occurring.

Nature:

With open parks and gorgeous trails, Sydney completely beats Hawaii in what I am classifying as maintained nature. For example, the Coogee to Bondi beach walk has beautiful views with maintained, clean paths to make the entire experience comfortable. There's hardly any trash on the streets and on trails. That being said, the types of tourists that each destination attracts could be the reason that explains this. I posit that there might be more tourists visiting Honolulu and their respective cultures often choose to disrespect our island. This is further aggravated by the sheer density of tourists as well.

After visiting Sydney's most popular beaches, I can confidently say that they do not compare to Hawaii's beaches. With soft sands and calmer waters, families would feel far more comfortable here in Hawaii. However, to be transparent, I did travel during Autumn/Winter, meaning that the wave intensity may differ from the ideal beach day. One benefit that Hawaii has to combat this is how we are an island. Being surrounded by tropical waters, our weather is relatively stable across seasons, making the ideal beach weather easier to achieve.

Food:

In my personal opinion, Honolulu has better food in general, but it is highly possible that my familiarity bias heavily influences this. While Sydney has a wider variety of Asian cuisines, Honolulu has better quality Japanese, Korean, and Chinese foods. Not only that, but our cultural influence lends restaurants to blend flavors and techniques to truly level things up. However, Sydney has much better bread and pastries available, especially considering bakeries such as A.P. Bakery, Lode Pies, and Enze. This is most likely due to how much closer Australian culture is to European culture, which is famously known for their baked goods.

Similarities:

While Sydney is similarly expensive to Hawaii, one major difference is that we have to pay tip in Hawaii. This adds at least a 15-20% increase to restaurant bills. Sydney has something similar where weekends are typically +10% and Sundays and public holidays are +15%, but compared to everyday, you will end up paying more for tip in Hawaii.

Despite everything, one major similarity is the people. Hawaiian citizens and Australian citizens are still known for their welcoming nature and I have experienced this to be true. Both Sydney and Honolulu have heavily Asian-oriented, though with slight differences in variety and ratios. However, the overall cultures left me feeling more included and welcomed as a part of Sydney, such as having two Pride-related periods (Mardi Gras and Pride Month).

Similarly, both the Native Hawaiians and Indigenous people have experienced systematic issues that still impact them to this day. However, it felt like Australia has been doing a much better job of including the Indigenous culture in everything they do, such as acknowledging them as the original protectors and keepers of the land at the start of every performance, speeches, websites, and even lectures. In my experience, Hawaiian culture has been knocked down and degraded to just a tourism marketing tool. Though, it is important to acknowledge my perspective as an outsider, meaning I do not possess the full experience of either cultures, but I believe it's safe to say that we still have much more distance to travel.

Conclusion:

Should I have to pick one place to return to, I wonder what I would pick...

...it's Melbourne.

With all the benefits of Sydney's cultures, but with better food, nature, cheaper (but still reliable) transportation, and more emphasis on the arts rather than the beach culture, Melbourne is a better match for my interests. Oops!