Shocking tourist reactions to 8 Aussie landmarks exposed by tour guide: 'False advertising'

Sydney might be riding high after being named Condé Nast Traveller’s best city in the world, but that does not mean all visitors fall in love with the Harbour City. In fact, some tourists aren’t backward in coming forward when expressing just how thoroughly underwhelming they find Sydney, and there are other Aussie icons they feel don’t cut it either.

Felicity, a veteran Aussie tour guide, who declined to share her last name for the sake of holding on to her job, told Yahoo Lifestyle there are always a few visitors on every tour who fail to see the appeal of what we have on offer. From the Blue Mountains to Sydney Harbour, you may be surprised at some of the attractions that invited the wrath of visitors.

“These people have come a long way and so their expectations are high, but their various disappointments are often so hilarious, I have to stifle my giggles!”

Felicity has shared eight of her wildest tales and some WhatsApp messages from unhappy travellers with Yahoo Lifestyle.

RELATED:

• The luxury hotel everyone should book on their next trip to Melbourne

• One thing you should never say to parents flying with children: 'Don't be that person'

• Major problem 81 per cent of Aussies are struggling with - and how to combat it

US tourist slams Sydney Harbour as 'false advertising'

An American visitor sailed in by luxury liner, but the sight of Sydney Harbour was simply not enough.

“How could anyone call this one of the world’s greatest harbours, when really, it’s just a very wide river,” the man complained by message.

Felicity recalls, “He later sent an email instructing our company to re-write our brochures as he felt we were engaged in ‘false advertising’ by using the word ‘spectacular’ to describe the harbour.”

World-famous harbour has 'too much water'

While providing commentary on a tour bus around the shores of Sydney Harbour, one British man quickly got tired of the views.

“He asked, ‘Has anyone ever suggested filling in much of the harbour and just linking up the two sides of the city?’” Felicity recalls. “He said the harbour had too much water and Sydney would be a far more interesting city if it was not divided.”

Sydney Opera House branded as 'nothing exciting'

“Is that it?” a bewildered passenger asked Felicity as a liner cruised around the Opera House on a sparkling morning. “It looks so much bigger in the pictures – it’s nothing exciting.”

And he was not the only one unimpressed by the building, with another on the tour messaging that it didn’t compare to what he had back home.

“Frankly, I think our St Louis City Hall is far more interesting. The Opera House is just shapes shoved together.”

Traveller 'spots New Zealand' from The Harbour Bridge

During a walking tour of Circular Quay, a German woman pointed at the northern shore of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and exclaimed, “Is that New Zealand on the other side?”

When Felicity explained the area was North Sydney and New Zealand was a separate country 4000km away, the woman was less than impressed.

“She insisted she had read online the Harbour Bridge links Australia and New Zealand and had planned to walk between the two countries in one day,” Felicity says.

A surprising gripe with the Blue Mountains

The World Heritage Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney earned its name from the distinct blue haze the eucalyptus forests create when seen from a distance.

But up close, there was too much green for one disgruntled passenger. “We were standing at the gorgeous Three Sisters lookout, but one woman was not happy about the view,” Felicity recalls.

A message arrived later stating, “I had my day ruined as the Blue Mountains were not blue. Can we see a real blue forest tomorrow please?”

Request to 'ride a kangaroo' at Taronga Zoo

On a tour through the harbourside zoo, one British visitor was incensed he could only look at the kangaroos and not take them for a ride.

“I tried to explain kangaroos can be pretty wild and it’s not possible to ride them, but this guy informed me he had seen pictures of people riding kangaroos and expected to do the same,” Felicity recalls.

To make his point, the man later sent by WhatsApp a range of screenshots from the beloved children’s animated movie, Dot and the Kangaroo.

Changing colours of Uluru 'too distracting'

It may be the jewel in the Red Centre crown, but the changing colours of Uluru got under the skin of one French visitor.

“We did the morning walk around Uluru and then returned to have dinner under the stars, but this man just kept rolling his eyes,” Felicity says.

Approaching the visitor to check if everything was ok, the man expressed how disappointed he was.

“He asked why the rock could not stay the one colour throughout the day instead of changing all the time,” Felicity recalls. “He later sent a message saying he would skip the tours on the next day as, ‘all those changing colours are too distracting.”

Melbourne 'needs more hills'

“One of the many things I love about Melbourne’s city centre is it’s flat, so it’s perfect for most walking groups to explore,” Felicity said.

Not so for one American who, despite the grand architecture and various landmarks, wanted to know why the city had not undergone massive re-structuring.

SHOP:

• The Aussie product sure to make your life easier just in time for summer: 'Sleek design'

• These pamper packs are the ultimate gift for the beauty queen in your life this Christmas

• Have your most relaxing summer yet with these chic essentials starting at $3.95

“Turns out the man was an engineer and asked why the original city planners had not constructed hills across Melbourne,” Felicity said.

“Despite everything we explored, he just kept muttering, ‘it needs some more hills.’ We were heading to Adelaide the next day, and I was not surprised when he sent a message beforehand asking if it had hills!”

Want the latest lifestyle and entertainment news? Make sure you are following us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.