Everybody knows about Sydney's Royal Opera House and Harbour Bridge, but what is it actually like to live here. We are travellers who have lived here for a few months talking about our experiences. If you are thinking of staying in Sydney for a while, you may find this information useful.
If you are visiting Sydney then you are without doubt going to want see the iconic Harbour Bridge, you may even catch a glimpse of it before landing. This 503 metre long bridge (1149 metres including the approach) offers magnificent views of the Opera House and the Central Business District (CBD) and also includes a museum dedicated to the bridge. The museum, called Pylon Lookout, also contains a lookout point which offers impressive views over Sydney Harbour.
www.pylonlookout.com.au
If you are looking for something more daring, ‘Bridge Climb’ offers tours where they take a small group of people up, through and on top (I mean the very top) of the Harbour Bridge.
www.bridgeclimb.com
Just as iconic as the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable structures in the world, thanks in-part to its unique architecture. Situated between the Harbour Bridge and the Botanic Gardens, the Opera House is surrounded by cafés, restaurants and bars which make it a good place to spend the day, even if you don’t have a ticket for a performance. The Opera House is actually a performing arts centre (contrary to its name) and as such, hosts everything from comedy to jazz to theatre.
Even if you are not attending a performance, you can still see the inner workings of the Opera House through one (or more!) of the guided tours.
www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Sitting adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is a great way to spend the afternoon. It houses three permanent collections, the Australian (including Aboriginal), Western (European) and Asian Galleries as well as other exhibitions and is truly a world-class museum. You may spend more time here than you think!
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Established just 40 years after the first fleet dropped anchor, Australia’s oldest museum is essentially a natural history museum with exhibits which also focus on Aboriginal history and culture. Check out their latest exhibitions on their website.
www.austmus.gov.au
You can’t fail to notice this museum once you enter Darling Harbour, with the destroyer HMAS Vampire (among other vessels) moored in its wharf. Guided tours are available for all vessels which include HMAS Onslow (An Oberon class submarine) and HMAS Advance (An Attack class patrol boat). The museum contains various exhibitions ranging from surf culture to Aboriginal fishing to the Navy.
www.anmm.gov.au
Haven is a word that has been used to describe the gardens on more than one occasion. Although located in Darling Harbour, very close to the CBD, you feel a million miles away in this serene oasis which embodies the principles of the Taoist philosophy of yin (calmness) and yang (activity).
www.chinesegarden.com.au
The IMAX Cinema located in Darling Harbour claims to have the world’s largest cinema screen (eight storeys high) and shows mostly specially made, 3D animated films. If a Hollywood film is made in 3D, it too may be shown here. Sometimes 2D (normal) films are also show but to get the true IMAX experience, try to see a film in 3D (otherwise you just end up watching a film on a really big screen, which can still be really impressive).
www.imax.com.au
Open every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. With over 1000 stalls, Sydney’s oldest maket has something for everyone from fresh fruit and vegetables to T-shirts, make-up and African statues! It is very easy to get lost once inside and you will always stumble upon new stalls. A great place to buy cheap souvenirs in bulk!
www.paddysmarkets.com.au
The Powerhouse Museum, located in an old power station close to Darling Harbour, claims to be Australia’s largest and most popular museum. It contains exhibitions regarding history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport and space exploration. The museum is known for its interactive demonstrations and well worth a look.
www.powerhousemuseum.com
If you want to escape the noise of the city, the Royal Botanic Gardens are an ideal place to spend an afternoon. With free guided tours, the glass pyramid shaped Tropical Centre, Government House and some of the best views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge (go to ‘Mrs Macquaries Point’, near ‘Mrs Macquaries Chair’ and see for yourself!) there is no reason not to visit the gardens at least once during your stay. Keep an eye out for the bats near the Palm House!
www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
From underwater tunnels that let you get up close to gigantic sharks, stingrays, turtles and seals to a massive Barrier Reef area which includes a complete floor to ceiling glass tunnel, florescent coral and hundreds of beautiful fish of all kinds, this is one attraction that should not be missed. Keep an eye out for the illuminated jellyfish, they are just mesmerising!
www.sydneyaquarium.com.au
The observatory contains a couple of exhibitions, telescopes which allow you to view the Sun, Moon and distant stars and a 3-D Space Theatre. Both day and night tours are offered which give a different perspective to the experience but don’t feel you should only go on a night tour, there is plenty to do (and see) during the day and there is no need to book ahead (night tours require advance booking).
www.sydneyobservatory.com.au
Sydney Tower is the tallest building in the Sydney skyline and contains the highest observation deck in the southern hemisphere. The tower contains two revolving restaurants (whose steep prices are due more to the view than the quality of the food, at least thats what we've heard) and offers three main activities, the Observation Deck, OzTrek and Skywalk.
www.sydneytowerrestaurant.com.au
The Observation Deck stands at 250m high and on a clear day you may even see the Blue Mountains 100km away! OzTrek is a “virtual reality ride across Australia”, however I have heard it is in need of some repair and is average at best. The bad news is you can only buy tickets that include both the Observation Deck and OzTrek, they are not sold separately.
www.sydneytoweroztrek.com.au
Skywalk takes you for a walk on the outside of the tower. There are two glass-floored viewing platforms which are not for the weak-bowelled! Tickets for Skywalk include admission to the Observation Deck and OzTrek.
www.sydneyskywalk.com.au
Located next door to Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World allows you to get up close to a whole host of Australian mammals, marsupials and reptiles. There is lots to see with over nine habitats ranging from rainforest to nocturnal. A great way to see Australian wildlife, especially if you don’t have the time to go to Taronga Zoo.
www.sydneywildlifeworld.com.au
Taronga Zoo is only 12 minutes away from Circular Quay by ferry. It contains native and non-native animals from kangaroos, kookaburras and koalas to giraffes, elephants and rhinoceros. The best way to see the park is to start from the upper entrance, this way you catch glimpses of the harbour views as you zig-zag your way downhill to the lower entrance. If you travel to the zoo by ferry from Circular Quay you will arrive at the lower entrance. From here you can take the Sky Safari cable car to the upper entrance and then begin your descent through the zoo. The Sky Safari cable car operates between the upper and lower entrances and can be taken as may time as you wish.
www.zoo.nsw.gov.au