In the Hulu drama “Nine Perfect Strangers,” now in its second season, Nicole Kidman plays Masha, the unorthodox director of an unorthodox wellness retreat. Alpine trekking, dangerously cold ice plunges, hallucinogens — they’re all on the menu. Her approach might be unexpected, some might even say illegal, but Masha insists her motives are pure.
“It’s a cleansing of the mind,” Ms. Kidman’s character tells her clients, “to recharge, to rediscover inspiration.”
It’s a rare moment in the series when Ms. Kidman and her character seem to overlap: They both need the occasional recharge.
To the moviegoing, Hulu-subscribing public, Ms. Kidman is everywhere; she has been working almost at a superhuman level, starring in four series and four movies just in the last 18 months. Her most recent projects have taken the actress from Austria to Michigan to New York to Cape Cod to Majorca and on and on. But one place always holds special status on Ms. Kidman’s itinerary.
“Every time I return to Sydney, there’s a feeling of comfort and ease,” she said via email. “This city is where I grew up, where my sister and her family live, where my children love to spend their holidays.”
Although born in the United States, Ms. Kidman, 57, was raised in Australia and began her acting career there when she was 16. Her Sydney is a city packed with natural beauty, endless vistas and a deep appreciation for art. And like anyone who loves their hometown, she had a hard time picking favorites.
“These are some places we love to visit and share with guests,” she said. “But we also love the zoo, Luna Park, and if you want to get out of town, the Blue Mountains! And the list goes on.”
Here are Ms. Kidman’s five favorite places in Sydney.
1. Royal Botanic Garden
“It’s a must-see,” said Ms. Kidman. “It’s Sydney at its finest,” she added, noting that she loved to walk among the Moreton Bay figs and exquisite Australian flora, “right up to and around Mrs. Macquarie’s chair.” The “chair” is really more of a stone bench carved into a giant sandstone boulder by convicts in 1810. It was named for the former governor’s wife, who had a particular affinity for the spot. “From here, you have a stunning view of Sydney Harbor and Opera House,” said Ms. Kidman.
2. The Art Gallery of New South Wales
Ms. Kidman’s connection to Sydney’s most prestigious art institution is more than cultural — it’s a link to her mother, who died last year. “My mother would always take me to see every exhibition,” she said. “My sister and I also loved to take my mum to the gallery. She was a great patron of the arts and loved to walk its halls and support the work of local artists.” In 2022, the gallery expanded, adding the Sydney Modern Project, a wing of open-air pavilions and contemporary installations overlooking the harbor. Her mother “loved both the old and the new galleries and was particularly interested in the masters,” Ms. Kidman said.
3. Venustus
If you’re arriving from the United States, Australia is one thing above all: far. Ms. Kidman’s antidote is an abundance of self-care. The holistic day spa Venustus, in the Paddington neighborhood, offers treatments including energy healing, lymphatic facials and something called a Six Hand Body Massage. “They just know how to take care of people, and their treatments are amazing, especially after a long flight,” Ms. Kidman said. “A massage at Venustus will have you ready to go to take on the city.”
4. Harry’s Café de Wheels
“Who doesn’t love an Aussie meat pie?” said Ms. Kidman. What started as a food cart almost a century ago not far from the harbor in Woolloomooloo has turned into an institution with branches across the city, though Ms. Kidman prefers the original. “I recommend trying a Tiger Pie,” she said of the signature dish — a flaky crust full of minced beef and topped with mashed potatoes, mashed peas and gravy. “It’s Harry’s way,” she said. “Especially when you’re hungry late at night.”
5. The Harbor Pools
From above, Sydney’s coastline looks like something scribbled by a restless child — jagged, confusing and impossibly detailed, as if the land couldn’t figure out where to stop. To locals like Ms. Kidman, that’s the charm. “The harbor pools — we have some of the most beautiful,” she said. There are dozens of pools and baths in the Sydney harbor, both public and private, and they vary. Some are more like giant bathtubs; others are enclosed by natural rock formations; others just section off a piece of the sea and call it a pool. Though they all have their own personality, the message is the same: Enjoy this small, salty piece of the harbor without wrestling the whole ocean. “Bondi is just one of them,” said Ms. Kidman. “There’s also Balmoral, the Greenwich Baths, Redleaf, Fairy Bower — all right off the beach.”
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