Top Ten Attractions
-
Sydney Harbour Bridge
It’s one of the greatest bridges in the world and an Australian icon. You can climb it, walk across it or ride a bike.
http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles... -
Sydney Opera House
The cultural centre of Sydney and one of the architectural wonders of the modern world. If you can’t get performance tickets, try a one- or two-hour tour.
-
Ferry cruise
See the Harbour, the Opera House and other sights from the water. http://www.sydneyferries.info
-
Bondi Beach
A bustling centre of sand, sun, surf and fun. Try a cliff/beach walking tour.
-
Darling Harbour
Has been transformed into a major tourist site, with a convention and exhibition centre, aquarium, maritime museum, Imax theatre and Chinese garden of friendship.
-
Royal Botanic Gardens
One million plant specimens in a quiet and beautiful setting; also great views of the Harbour from the hill.
-
The Rocks
Sydney’s oldest preserved colonial district, now a vibrant area of cafes, restaurants, tourist shops and stalls amid Old World charm and historic buildings.
-
Sydney Tower
Take an elevator to the observation deck for a glorious panoramic view of the city or register for the annual run/walk up the 1,504 steps, or (if you’re really brave) take the white-knuckle sky walk.
-
Seaplane tour
An adventurous way to get a bird’s-eye view of Sydney. http://www.seaplanes.com.au
-
Manly Beach
‘seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care.’ Take a ferry or a scenic drive to find a long sandy beach, art gallery, museum and unforgettable sunsets. http://www.manlyweb.com.au
-
Travel Tip:
The See Sydney and Beyond Smartcard is a 2, 3 or 7 day card that offers free admission at top attractions, as well as offers and savings at a selection of restaurants and shops. There’s also a 144-page guidebook. http://www.sydney.com.au/smartcard.htm
Eating and Drinking
Sydney has forged its way into the big league in dining. In the past twenty years the restaurant scene has gradually picked up momentum to the point where it is now one of the world's top cities for interesting, exciting, leading edge dining experiences.
Sydney has more than 3,000 restaurants, brigades of world-class chefs and a rich array of fresh local foods. These include some local delicacies which might be new to your taste buds, such as kangaroo, barramundi, emu and crocodile. As well as excellent food there are great national wines with which to wash it all down.
As a general rule you will find the most lauded of the fine dining establishments that specialize in ‘modern Australian cuisine’ in and around Circular Quay, The Rocks, the Central Business District and Darling Harbour. However, pockets of international speciality abound, from Chow Mien in Chinatown to pasta in Paddington. Sydney’s thriving café culture is centred on the suburbs of Darlinghurst, Glebe, Newtown and the eastern beaches of Bondi and Bronte, which are also perfect locations for a congenial Sunday brunch. Choose from seafood and views from Doyle’s on the beach in Watson’s Bay, a cruise of the menus one evening along Newton’s King Street (full of character), a night out overlooking Darling Harbour (very modern) or a leisurely breakfast at Bondi or Bronte.
The cheapest eateries in Circular Quays are to be found around the ferry terminals but unless you’re desperate or want to put your cholesterol levels off the scale, these are best avoided. Vegetarians should perhaps avoid Chinatown restaurants since they’re not shy about displaying various sea creatures in squalid tanks prior to being boiled alive for your gastronomic pleasure. Glebe is home to many laid-back cafés and good pubs and in many ways the same applies to Newtown, except that King Street also has no end of attractive little restaurants offering everything from curry to charred emu. If you have time, a night cruising the menus of King Street is an experience in itself. Kings Cross and Woolloomooloo offer eclectic choices, from the fast food outlets of Kings Cross to the chic and expensive options to be found along The Wharf at Woolloomooloo.
Shopping
Sydney’s citizens love to shop, with many locals seeing it as a recreational activity and in some cases as a competitive sport or a full-time job. The proliferation of weekend markets bears witness to this fact and the increased flexibility of opening hours has enabled Sydneysiders to hammer their credit cards every day of the week. Shopping in Sydney can be fun, frantic and frivolous and service is generally reasonable, although visitors from the US might find customer relations a lackadaisical concept. The cramped Central Business District is full to the brim with department stores, pedestrian shopping strips such as Pitt St Mall, shopping centres (many with food courts), chain stores, small boutiques and the lion’s share of the international luxury brands (at King Street, Castlereagh Street and Martin Place). Much more relaxed are the inner-city shopping strips like Paddington (although Saturday is crazy), Glebe and Newtown. If it’s Australian-specific goods you’re after, head for The Rocks. You can find everything there – Aboriginal art, opals, footwear and trinkets – and there’s a market held every Saturday and Sunday. Among the other markets are Paddy’s (there are two – open on Saturdays and Sundays), Balmain (Saturdays), Bondi (Sundays), Glebe (Saturdays), Kirribilli (monthly, 4th Saturday) and Paddington (Saturdays).
Night Life
There are great pubs, jazz haunts, rock venues and nightclubs in most quarters of the city - from Darling Harbour to Kings Cross, Oxford Street to The Rocks. Dance music is huge in Sydney and you’ll find beats of almost every description if you’re prepared to hunt them out. Sydney has some truly great local DJs as well as touring internationals from overseas. If it’s clubbing that’s drawn you to Sydney, then look no further than Oxford Street, where you’ll find plenty of people – gay and straight - parading up and down before entering one of a bewildering range of late-night venues. Darling Harbour and Kings Cross are also popular destinations for clubbers. Things keep going until about 0500 at weekends. Pubs and bars dominate Sydney’s social scene and music (both traditional pub rock and DJ-spun sounds) is often thrown into the bargain. One of the novel things you can do in Sydney is to have a drink at Minus 5°, the very cool new vodka ice lounge near the Opera House at East Circular Quay. Everything at Minus 5° is made completely from ice - the whole room, the bar itself, tables, chairs, stools - even the curtains. You’ll probably last only 30 minutes inside, even with the parkas, hats and gloves they lend you at the door, but it’s an experience. One of the best sources of ‘what’s on’ information is the Sydney Morning Herald’s Metro section. It’s published on Friday and lists happenings for the week ahead, including gallery listings, film reviews and music and theatre interviews.
