Things to do in Sydney
April 23rd 2007 04:49
Category: Top Ten Things to Do in Sydney
Theres nothing worse than traveling to a new country, seeing the sights youve highlighted in your travel guide, returning home only to find that you missed something extraordinary or incredible. How? Ah, pages 29 and 30 were stuck together with marmalade, so you forgot to see the most important sight of all.
Fear not. Weve come up with a handy list of the must-see/must-do attractions in Sydney that should get you through most conversations about your time in the capital of New South Wales.
1. Surf at Bondi Beach
Its unavoidable. You came to Australia, and you came to Sydney, known for having some of the most popular beaches in the world, and youre bound to at least try to learn how to surf. Several companies offer classes and lessons in surfing, and entice potential customers with the sunbathing models and coolest beachside vibe pitch.
Bondi is, objectively, a beautiful beach, and the community around the beach is trendy and active, with a busy commercial street filled with shops, restaurants and cafes. Most Australians would agree that Bondi is not a great surfing beach, but for a beginner, it embodies most of the Aussie lifestyle that travelers are so desperate to be a part of.
2. Visit the Sydney Aquarium
With over 6 million litres of water holding 11 500 marine animals, the Sydney aquarium is an excellent place to spend a dark, rainy day. The aquarium is sure to brighten your mood with its gigantic Great Barrier Reef display, infested with hundreds of tropical fish. Australian fauna is on display here visit the Platypus and the Saltwater Crocodile in the Rivers of Australia exhibit, and many of the fish are native to waters around the country. The aquarium even has one of those highly photogenic walkways that allow visitors to gaze upwards at the eternally swimming sharks.
The Sydney Aquarium is definitely kid-friendly, with many of the exhibits and demonstrations at a young level, but that doesnt mean that adults wont experience the same kind of fascination. You can arrange shark dives and crocodile feeds, bringing a whole new sense of immersion to this attraction.
3. Climb the Harbour Bridge
Yeah, its the largest single-arch bridge in the world, and the widest, and it is quite impressive to see. Certainly, while its in view, you really cant get lost. So
. Climb it. Thats right, buy a ticket with BridgeClimb, and take a 3 1/2 hour trip to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Im sure it might seem like a good idea to get sloshingly drunk and then climb to the top, screaming Im the King of the World, but the safety-oriented BridgeClimb company will make you pass a mandatory breath alcohol test. Sorry, no inebriated tourists at the top of the Harbour Bridge.
In fact, in order to proceed with the climb, youll have to put all your personal belongings in a locker, wear a BridgeSuit and pass a BridgeClimb simulation. After all, this is a serious endevour, and the company does not want to be liable for a pudding spoon accidentally falling from the top into the eye of a captain of a passing sailboat.
4. Visit the Taronga Zoo
After the aquarium, why would you want to go to a zoo? To be honest, the Taronga Zoo experience is an amazing day that allows you to see exotic animals and the incredible scenery of the Sydney Harbour at the same time.
The best way to go to Taronga Zoo is to get to Circular Quay and buy a Zoopass. Reasonably priced, this pass includes the cost of the ferry and the entry admission, and saves you the hassle of waiting in line at the zoo. The ferry ride to the zoo is spectacular, crossing the Harbour and affording unforgettable views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
The zoo is laid out on a hill, so as you start off, from the top, you wind your way down the hill. Its a rare, picturesque zoo, and while the animals may seem cramped, the zoo is undergoing renovations to give the animals more natural habitats. Sometime in 2006 the zoo is expecting three Asian elephants, making this an excellent year to visit the zoo.
5. Take a ferry to Manly Beach
Even better than the ferry to Taronga Zoo is the ferry to Manly, one of the northern beaches, and regarded as one of the best beaches in the Sydney area. The ferry is an extremely cheap way to take a cruise around the natural harbour, and its easily worth its weight in gold. The ticket, that is, not the ferry.
Once youre at Manly, enjoy the beach community. The sand is soft, the waves are just big enough to play in, and the main street is filled with great shops and eateries. During hot summer days in the city, youll find that the ocean breeze makes Manly an entirely comfortably environment.
6. Eat a pie
Its hard for non-Australians to see the appeal of a pie, but the natives here love them with a passion, and carry an almost-religious fervor towards their pie of preference. In Sydney, that pie of preference may well be Harrys Café de Wheels, a van selling greasy snacks late into the morning, and a favourite with the post-bar snack crowd. Many patrons prefer to have their pie as a pie floater, which is a pie, upside down, in pea soup and topped with tomato sauce (ketchup) and gravy. A meal to inject new levels of cholesterol into your arteries, to be sure, but in Sydney, its as iconic in some ways as the Harbour.
7. Visit the Three Sisters
The Three Sisters are not a famous set of Australian triplets, but, rather, are an unusual rock formation found in the Blue Mountains, to the west of Sydney. Considered sacred by local Aboriginal tribes, the Sisters are now one of the Blue Mountains most popular sights, and flocks of tourists make the voyage out to the sleep town of Katoomba to see them.
The Sisters are not spectacular in a photographic way, but are a symbol of the rugged land that extends from the Blue Mountains into the outback. The legend of the rock formation is that three sisters fell in love with three men from an opposing tribe, and were thus forbidden to marry them. As the tribes went to war, one of the holy men in the tribe turned the sisters into stone to protect them from the battle, but, as he was killed in the war, he was unable to turn them back.
A trip to the Blue Mountains is simple and a great day or weekend voyage; a train leaves from Central Station and stops right in Katoomba, the entry town to the Blue Mountain Range. After taking the obligatory picture of the Sisters, you are free to hike along the ridge, or climb down into the Jamison Valley. The combination of fresh air and rough terrain will reinvigorate you, and the trip is an excellent way to get away from the bustle of the busy Sydney streets.
8. Have lunch in Newtown
Situated directly southwest of the University of Sydney, Newtown is Sydneys bohemian valley, full of artists, struggling musicians and colourful, interesting characters. Its a fascinating place to peoplewatch, and the relaxed, open atmosphere is perfect for this cosmopolitan suburb.
The best part about Newtown is that it is, relatively speaking, cheap eats. The main street, King Street, is loaded with Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, most of which offer a lunch special for under $8. Eight dollars for lunch may seem like questionable quality, but when you raise that first spoon of Green Curry to your lips, overloaded with coconut and basil, youll be forced to go Mmmmmmmmm....
After lunch, walk down King Street and browse in the strange but compelling shops: buy a used book, have a cup of gelato, or watch a street corner musician. I've never felt bored in Newtown, even when I've had nothing to do, which is precisely the best time to be in Newtown.
9. Visit the Art Galley of New South Wales
The second largest gallery in Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is a public exhibition of Australian and Asian art. The gallery is free to the public, with admissions being charged for special and traveling exhibits, which makes the art gallery an affordable cultural experience.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales also screen films for free, on Wednesdays and Sundays, usually in conjunction with exhibits. Located in the Domain, next to the Royal Botanic Gardens, a full day can be spent in the gallery and the surrounding park.
10. Have some Hunter Valley wine
Yes, you could go to a wine shop, buy a bottle of Hunter Valleys finest and drink it out of a paper bag on the steps of the post office. Instead, why not join with a vineyard tour group and go to the source? The Hunter Valley is just two hours drive north of Sydney, and is known for producing some of the best Australian wines.
There are several tour groups that offer impressive tours of the region, including lunch and wine-tasting for under $100. Depending on which tour you join with, the excursion may be an elegant wine-tasting event with thoughtful discussions on grapes and soil conditions, or it may be a rocking party bus that goes from vineyard to vineyard, slamming glass after glass of vino. The choice is yours.
The Hunter Valley is a gorgeous wine-producing region, with over 70 vinyards in the area, and is also a popular place for other activities, like cycling and horseback tours. Given the time, its definitely a place worth staying overnight for, in order to get the full experience.
Fear not. Weve come up with a handy list of the must-see/must-do attractions in Sydney that should get you through most conversations about your time in the capital of New South Wales.
1. Surf at Bondi Beach
Bondi is, objectively, a beautiful beach, and the community around the beach is trendy and active, with a busy commercial street filled with shops, restaurants and cafes. Most Australians would agree that Bondi is not a great surfing beach, but for a beginner, it embodies most of the Aussie lifestyle that travelers are so desperate to be a part of.
2. Visit the Sydney Aquarium
The Sydney Aquarium is definitely kid-friendly, with many of the exhibits and demonstrations at a young level, but that doesnt mean that adults wont experience the same kind of fascination. You can arrange shark dives and crocodile feeds, bringing a whole new sense of immersion to this attraction.
3. Climb the Harbour Bridge
Im sure it might seem like a good idea to get sloshingly drunk and then climb to the top, screaming Im the King of the World, but the safety-oriented BridgeClimb company will make you pass a mandatory breath alcohol test. Sorry, no inebriated tourists at the top of the Harbour Bridge.
In fact, in order to proceed with the climb, youll have to put all your personal belongings in a locker, wear a BridgeSuit and pass a BridgeClimb simulation. After all, this is a serious endevour, and the company does not want to be liable for a pudding spoon accidentally falling from the top into the eye of a captain of a passing sailboat.
4. Visit the Taronga Zoo
The best way to go to Taronga Zoo is to get to Circular Quay and buy a Zoopass. Reasonably priced, this pass includes the cost of the ferry and the entry admission, and saves you the hassle of waiting in line at the zoo. The ferry ride to the zoo is spectacular, crossing the Harbour and affording unforgettable views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
The zoo is laid out on a hill, so as you start off, from the top, you wind your way down the hill. Its a rare, picturesque zoo, and while the animals may seem cramped, the zoo is undergoing renovations to give the animals more natural habitats. Sometime in 2006 the zoo is expecting three Asian elephants, making this an excellent year to visit the zoo.
5. Take a ferry to Manly Beach
Once youre at Manly, enjoy the beach community. The sand is soft, the waves are just big enough to play in, and the main street is filled with great shops and eateries. During hot summer days in the city, youll find that the ocean breeze makes Manly an entirely comfortably environment.
6. Eat a pie
7. Visit the Three Sisters
The Sisters are not spectacular in a photographic way, but are a symbol of the rugged land that extends from the Blue Mountains into the outback. The legend of the rock formation is that three sisters fell in love with three men from an opposing tribe, and were thus forbidden to marry them. As the tribes went to war, one of the holy men in the tribe turned the sisters into stone to protect them from the battle, but, as he was killed in the war, he was unable to turn them back.
A trip to the Blue Mountains is simple and a great day or weekend voyage; a train leaves from Central Station and stops right in Katoomba, the entry town to the Blue Mountain Range. After taking the obligatory picture of the Sisters, you are free to hike along the ridge, or climb down into the Jamison Valley. The combination of fresh air and rough terrain will reinvigorate you, and the trip is an excellent way to get away from the bustle of the busy Sydney streets.
8. Have lunch in Newtown
The best part about Newtown is that it is, relatively speaking, cheap eats. The main street, King Street, is loaded with Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, most of which offer a lunch special for under $8. Eight dollars for lunch may seem like questionable quality, but when you raise that first spoon of Green Curry to your lips, overloaded with coconut and basil, youll be forced to go Mmmmmmmmm....
After lunch, walk down King Street and browse in the strange but compelling shops: buy a used book, have a cup of gelato, or watch a street corner musician. I've never felt bored in Newtown, even when I've had nothing to do, which is precisely the best time to be in Newtown.
9. Visit the Art Galley of New South Wales
The Art Gallery of New South Wales also screen films for free, on Wednesdays and Sundays, usually in conjunction with exhibits. Located in the Domain, next to the Royal Botanic Gardens, a full day can be spent in the gallery and the surrounding park.
10. Have some Hunter Valley wine
There are several tour groups that offer impressive tours of the region, including lunch and wine-tasting for under $100. Depending on which tour you join with, the excursion may be an elegant wine-tasting event with thoughtful discussions on grapes and soil conditions, or it may be a rocking party bus that goes from vineyard to vineyard, slamming glass after glass of vino. The choice is yours.
The Hunter Valley is a gorgeous wine-producing region, with over 70 vinyards in the area, and is also a popular place for other activities, like cycling and horseback tours. Given the time, its definitely a place worth staying overnight for, in order to get the full experience.
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