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Art Gallery of New South Wales
Enjoy collections of Australian, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and
Asian art among other works at this world-class fine arts museum, also
serving as a venue for chamber music concerts.
Art Gallery Road. 61 (02) 9225-1700
Australian Museum
Established in 1827, Australia's first museum has a remarkable reputation
in the field of natural history and indigenous studies. Here you can check
out spiders and other creepy crawlies, dinosaurs, fascinating studies on
Aboriginal life, art and more. Trace 4 million years of human history with
the Tracks Through Time and Skeletons exhibit.
6 College Street. 61 (02) 9320-6000
Australian National Maritime Museum
Displaying all things maritime for the world’s largest island and
surrounding seas, this museum’s wharfs allow some exhibits to be seen from a
floating vantage point. Among scene-stealers is a cannon jettisoned by
Captain Cook’s Endeavor on his 1770 voyage along Australia’s east coast.
2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour. 61 (02) 9298-3777
Blue Mountains
 Rising from the coastal plain about 50 miles from Sydney are the famed
Blue Mountains, creating a backdrop almost as spectacular as the harbor.
Eucalyptus trees by the thousands constantly release fine droplets of oil
into the atmosphere, reflecting blue light rays to create the azure haze.
Blue Mountains National Park is surrounded by resort villages for longer
stays, yet mere day-trips from Sydney can be rewarding. Trains for the
mountains leave several times daily from Sydney’s Central Railway Station.
Tan, swim or surf along famed Bondi Beach, renowned for bronzed skimpily
clad bathers, and only minutes from Sydney’s center. To the north are more
calming beaches with names like Dee Why, Manly and Curl Curl.
 Bondi Beach Surfing Lessons
What better place to learn to surf than the world-famous Bondi Beach?
You'll find fantastic waves, sunbathing models, year-round sun and the
coolest beachside vibe anywhere. The dedicated, fully-qualified staff
can help you catch the wave of your dreams, whether it's your first time
setting foot in the ocean or you're a surf fanatic looking for the big
one!
Click here for more information and Booking Details » |
Click here for Bondi Beach & More
Chinese Garden of Friendship
This horticultural and architectural masterpiece, designed by specialists
from Guangdong Province, is the largest and most elaborate outside China. A
two-story pavilion serves a hub for lakes, waterfalls, tranquil walkways and
bridges. A dragon wall symbolizes the bond between New South Wales and
Guangdong, and a tea house is open daily serving traditional Chinese tea,
cakes and other refreshments.
Viewed as the greatest urban redevelopment project in Australian history,
Darling Harbour, on the western dockside region, is a scenic entertainment
complex filled with shops, restaurants, museums, gardens, promenades, and
more, all connecting to downtown via monorail.
Flight & Lunch to Cottage Point Inn
About 20 minute’s flying time from Sydney Harbour lies the Cottage Point
Inn within Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. After arrival at this secluded
tranquil site, flight-lunch package participants enjoy a three-course a la
carte meal in the restaurant before reboarding the aircraft for a journey
back to Sydney that includes a circuit of the Harbour near the famed bridge
and Opera House.
Art Gallery Road. 61 (02) 9371 7605
Government House
Constructed between 1837 and 1845, Government House is the most
sophisticated example of a Gothic Revival building in New South Wales. State
rooms house an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century furnishings.
Macquarie Street. 61 (02) 9931-5222
Hyde Park Barracks Museum
Constructed between 1817-1819 by convict labor, the barracks is among the
finest works by colonial architect Francis Greenway. This landmark, once a
government-run mental asylum, also was from 1848 to 1886 an Immigration
Depot for single females seeking work as domestic servants, and has housed
convicts and Irish orphans, as well as ill, impoverished women.
Queens Square, Macquarie Street. 61 (02) 9223-8922
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Sydney
Airport Arrival Transfer
Travel from Sydney International or Domestic Airport to your Sydney
hotel. Transfer operates 7 days a week, 365 days a year for your
convenience and call in at major hotels and backpackers in downtown
Sydney and surrounding suburbs. Simply submit a booking online and the
transfer will be confirmed instantly. You will be provided with a travel
voucher to present to the driver upon arrival. It's easy. |
Justice & Police Museum
Originally the Water Police Court (1856), Water Police Station (1858),
and Police Court (1886), this museum charting Sydney’s criminal history has
been restored to 1890s character with spiked gates, winding steps and a
corridor of cells to reinforce themes of law and order Aussie-style. Inside
are a gallery of mug shots, spine-chilling weapons, and relics from
notorious crimes including the Shark Arm Murder, the Pyjama Girl Case, and
the Graeme Thorne Kidnapping. Mock trials in an authentically restored
Magistrate’s Court allow booked groups to participate. Guided tours also are
available.
Albert and Phillip Streets, Circular Quay. 61 (02) 9252-1144
The Mint
The mint was constructed between 1811-1816 as the southern wing of the
Sydney Hospital, known as Rum Hospital since it was built by private
contractors in exchange for exclusive license to import rum. This first
branch of the Royal Mint outside England opened after gold surfaced in New
South Wales. The wing was converted to quarters for the Deputy Mint Master
and a coining factory was built at the rear using prefabricated cast iron
columns, girders and roofing components imported from England. The Mint
operated until 1926, when the new Commonwealth Mint opened in Canberra, and
now the coining factory is being redeveloped as a public library and
resource center.
10 Macquari Street
Paddington Street Market
The Paddington Street Market, unfolding on Saturdays around Paddington
Church, typically yields more than 250 stalls with a notable array of flea
market finds from bowls made of Australian timber or labels from emerging
designers to chemical-free fruit, veggies, and nuts from organic farms.
395 Oxford Street. 61 (02) 9331-2923
Powerhouse Museum
Displays in this converted power station, including a half-dozen aircraft
suspended from the ceiling along with trains and autos, represent a
combination of arts, science, technology and social history. The museum is
regarded as the continent’s largest, most exciting complex.
50 Harris Street. 61 (02) 9217-0100
The Rocks
With grim origins as a penal colony, The Rocks today serves as nirvana
for anyone appreciating cobbled streets and waterfront warehousing
transformed into shops and galleries. The Rocks Market, with more than 170
stalls, unfolds weekends at the northern end of George Street. The Rocks is
within easy walking distance to hotels such as the Regent Sydney and
Circular Quay, the city’s major transport hub for bus, train and ferry
services.
George Street. The Rocks Visitors Centre, 61 (0)2 9255 1700
Southern Cross Seaplanes
Taking off from Rose Bay at Sydney Harbour, Southern Cross Seaplanes head
to the world famous Bondi Beach, then back in the Harbour for a circuit in
front of the famed bridge and Opera House. On descent to Rose Bay, the
skilled pilot points out homes of the rich and famous before a gentle
splashdown.
Art Gallery Road. 61 (02) 9371 7605
State Library of New South Wales
Collections valued in excess of $1.5 billion include manuscripts, art,
photography, oral histories, rare books and more at this free resource
providing a an excellent springboard for planning a stay and gaining insight
into evolution of the harbour city. Major subject strengths are Australian
history, culture and literature including Aboriginal studies, Antarctic
exploration, family history and genealogy, applied science, biography,
health and law. Maps date from the 15th century. The library building,
dating to 1826, was designed by Walter Bunning.
Macquarie Street. 61 (02) 9273-1414
Sydney Cricket Ground
Spiked boots echoing with hallowed action spring to life during Coca-Cola
Sportspace Tours, where participants prepare for the big game in dressing
rooms, run down the Aussie Stadium Players Tunnel, monitor crowds from the
Security Control Room and experience the panorama from an Aussie Stadium
Private Suite. After the action, take in refreshment at the Pump Café.
Driver Avenue, Moore Park. 61 (02) 9380-0383
Sydney Fish Market
Count on seeing huge quantities of fresh fish and more in mind-boggling
variety, from John Dory (a bottom-dweller caught on the southern continental
shelf) to barramundi, pink-fleshed Tasmanian salmon, Coffin Bay scallops,
Australian black lip abalone, and that’s only for openers. Locals buy here,
so it’s a great place to browse and feel like a Sydneysider. If you don’t
mind cleaning and gutting, the Sydney Seafood School, at the market, has
hands-on classes in specialties such as Seafood Barbecue and Chili Crab.
Corner of Pyrmont Bridge Road and Bank Street.
Sydney Harbour & Bridge
Secluded beaches, quiet coves and soaring headlands predominate this
harbor, one of the world's most beautiful. The world’s largest (but not
longest) steel arch bridge spanning the harbour hosts eight vehicle lanes,
two train lines, a footway and a cycleway. Reserve 3.5 hours for the climb
of your life to the top of this engineering achievement with BridgeClimb.
5 Cumberland Street, The Rocks. 61 (02) 8274-7777
Sydney Jewish Museum
Considered among the best of its type worldwide, exhibits relate to the
Holocaust and Jewish culture (particularly as it pertains to Australia),
accompanied by a resource center, theater, museum shop and a kosher café.
148 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst. 61 (02) 9360-7999
Sydney Observatory
On a hill next to Harbour Bridge, this magnet for star gazers, dating
from 1858, is an ideal place for visitors from the northern hemisphere to
expose themselves to wonders of the southern sky. The Observatory also has a
state-of-the-stars 3-D Space Theatre where viewers with 3-D specs go on a
virtually-there tour of our solar system, planets and galaxy.
Watson Road, Observatory Hill. 61 (02) 9217-0485
Sydney Opera House
Opened in 1973 after taking 17 years and $102 million to build, the
city's signature landmark with its famous shells has become the most
frequented performing arts center in the world and quite possibly the most
photographed as well. Companies performing regularly at four venues within
include Opera Australia, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney Theater
Company.
Bennelong Point and Macquarie Street. 61 (02) 9250-7777
Sydney Tower & Skytour
In the center of Sydney, the AMP Centerpoint Tower stretches 1,000 feet
skyward and has the city’s highest observation deck offering 360-degree
views. Free tours start on the hour, with the Dalai Lama among nearly 25
million visitors in the past two decades. Two restaurants revolve around the
axis.
Corner of Market and Pitt streets 61 (02) 9231-9300
Taronga Zoo
Apart from koalas and meerkats to dingos and more on some 75 acres of
bushland park, the hillside Taronga Zoo (a short ferry ride from Circular
Quay) has a spectacular view of Sydney Harbour. Check out the platypus house
or the rainforest aviary. The underground building turns day into night for
observing Australia’s nocturnal creatures in action. Try taking the Sky
Funicular to the top and working your way down to the pier.
Bradleys Head and Military roads. 61 (02) 9969-2777
Vaucluse House
Surviving as one of Sydney’s only 19th century harbourside estates with
house, kitchen wing, stables and outbuildings, the elegant sandstone
Vaucluse House was built in 1803 and was once owned by William Charles
Wentworth, father of the Australian constitution. He lived here with his
wife Sarah and their 10 children from 1827 to 1853 and again in 1861 to
1862.
Wentworth Road. 61 (02) 9388-7922
Woolloomooloo
Once a waterfront district slum north of King’s Cross, urban renewal has
transformed Woolloomooloo’s terraced dwellings into chic studios for
artisans and others. Among favored watering holes in the ‘Loo is the pub at
The Old Fitzroy Hotel (129 Dowling Street), where décor leans toward
mismatched vintage furnishings against a backdrop of brick walls with inset
bottles, and clientele (a mixed bag of locals and tourists) thirsts for
draft on tap by the middie, schooner, pint and half-pint.
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A
sojourn Down Under to Sydney and its myriad attractions can make visitors
feel all is right-side-up with the world. As the gateway to Australia, hilly
Sydney is the country's largest, oldest and liveliest city, historically
textured by a somewhat scarlet past. In 1800, nearly half of Sydney's scant
5,000 population was composed of convicts and women transported in for
prostitution. Convict labor created some of the sprawling city's finest
buildings. Red-light King's Cross remains a magnet with trendy clubs and
cafes along with colorful sleaze for ogling. To jump start the day, head
toward Victoria Street and its coffee houses. For shopping, especially for
quality Australiana, Sydney brims with malls, arcades, department stores,
gift shops and boutiques yielding opals and other stones, leather goods,
paintings and Aboriginal artifacts. Sydney dining can be an adventure, with
options ranging from fine, contemporary fare to bush cuisine including emu,
kangaroo, wallaby and more. Crab lovers can sample Blue Swimmers from the
eastern seaboard or Queensland Mud Crabs, and while Australian crayfish are
missing claws of northern hemisphere lobsters, nothing is amiss on flavor.
As a multicultural haven, Sydney has ambrosia for kosher or vegetarian
preferences as well, and heritage pubs serve award-winning wines and
boutique beers, some of the latter brewed on premises. 
Pacific
International Hotel - Sydney
Sydney Opera House Walking Tour