Will be heading to Sydney for about 10 days on business travel - which means I'll be spanning a weekend. Any suggestions from the Oz contingent? Would be helpful to know: 1) Must see/do 2) Must eat 3) Must drink Will be staying in downtown not far from Hyde Park. Much appreciated
It's a big city, so perhaps some pointers on your interests might be handy. Irrespective, Sydney, in the first instance, is a harbour city, so definitely do something related to that, like a harbour cruise, ferry ride or even a walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Another must do is a visit to see the Sydney Opera House, which is also on the harbour. Along with that, there are great places to eat, drink and be merry, if that's your thing. Are you a member on WUS? Not to direct you away from this forum, but there is a specific Aussie WIS thread over there where visitors often post questions similar to yours.
Sydney aint cheap for a day out (though it can be done cheaply). The coathanger, the opera house, the Rocks for a few cold ones and a meal. ferry out to Manly for lunch. do the Bondi Beach thing. there are a few watch related things (Sydney Watch Guy) who does appointments (don't know about weekends though). try and catch a game of Rugby League or AFL while you're here if you haven't seen one live before. that would take up a weekend.
Sydneysider here, and I believe @Dre is too. If you're into watches, plenty of ADs in Pitt St Mall, as well as a few shops in the Queen Victoria Building. If you can get here just before the end of June, there's a montly collector's markets held every first Sunday of July with a few watch dealers amongst the antiques. Do take a gander on the many beaches on offer - Bondi obviously, and Manly too. If you're keen to go a little further than Dee Why is quite big and quiet and has a nearby golf course too. As far as eating...plenty of cafes and restaurants to fill you up. Coffee here is second to none, and the Rocks has plenty of classic areas. Chophouse is damn good for steaks and you can never beat Pancakes on the Rocks. Must see? Opera House, Bridge, Luna Park, Centrepoint Tower, and as mentioned earlier, some local sport too St Marys Cathedreal is right next to the Botanical Gardens and is a sight to behold. You're also pretty close to the Art Gallery and Museums.
If you get time and the weather is good, take a cab to Coogee and then walk to Bondi for breakfast / coffee. It'll take you just over an hour at an easy pace, you walk past a few of the beaches and it's a really enjoyable walk.
I live in the Blue Mtns (to us they are) and these are worth a trip (100km 60miles from Sydney). Some further ideas for Sydney follow. The ferry to Manly is a must but an alternative would be to see the other side of the Harbour with a ferry ride to Watsons Bay and have fish and chips at Doyles. If you are into seafood, the a visit to the Sydney Fish Markets would be the go. As for a good drop may I suggest a red from the Clare Valley or Coonawarra (both from South Australia) or an Aged red from the Hunter Valley (NSW). There are plenty of craft beers available and some places have tasting boards. Lively pubs can be found at the Rocks. If you take public transport you will need to buy an Opal card, these work on train, bus and ferry with a daily limit on cost. Sunday is the cheapest day. Whatever you do enjoy! Cheers
Lots to do and see in Sydney, as suggested above, plently of exceptional restaurants, zoo worth a look, must ride on a ferry, check out the horbour bridge, check out the rocks, Tour the Opera house and see a show there, visit AHW studio in the rocks... PM me if you'd like more suggestions. Btw Canberra really is amazing too Matt
@Matty01 @bdp @base615 @SeanO @CanberraOmega @timjohn @GuiltyBoomerang @gemini4 @arcadelt Thank you for the advice - exactly what I was looking for. There was too much info to boil down on my own and I really appreciate a local's perspective on these matters. Excited for the trip!
Agree @Matty01. Previous comments are from Sydneysiders who I suspect haven't been there in a long while, if ever!
Really depends on what you want to see. Lots of history to look at, and relatively close to the Snowy River dam and snowfields, which should be busy this year...
Take a ferry or boat tour to Doyle's On The Beach. You won't be sorry! Great sea food and awesome views plus the boat tour. Walk the bridge. Opera House. Go to Bondi and do the cliff walk. The Rocks.
If you can spare time to go to Dee Why, SeaChange is an excellent cafe with very fresh food and breakfast options