Sydney Travel Guide

Sydney Travel Guide, climate:

Best: Jan-Feb for heat, swimming and excellent partying/festivals, or March, April, Oct, Nov for less crowded sight-seeing, though clouds and rain are not unusual any time. Expect Nov-Jan temperatures to head into the 40s occasionally.
Worst: June-July. Even in winter [June, July] nights are rarely below 10C but it may be damp, cool and non-beachy, plus crowded with holidaymakers who don't know better.
Skiing July-Sept. in the mountains.

Tour operators offering tours to Australia can be found in our listings here: Australia Tours

Sydney was ranked the number one city in the world for a record ninth time in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards in New York.
The magazine asked its readers to score cities on a variety of criteria, including ambience, friendliness, culture/sights, restaurants, lodging and shopping; 2004.

Festivals guide:
Jan 8-30, Sydney Festival, a solid arts event though lacking the mad, bad Fringe that makes Edinburgh so bizarre. Very little street action, regular theatres mainly.
Jan 26, Australia Day, nationwide but especially lively in Darling Harbour, with free outdoor shows, regattas and a lively night spectacle.
1st Fri of Feb-early March, Mardi Gras. A huge and deservedly famous celebration of gaiety in all artistic spheres. Fun for straights too!
June, 1st Sat/Sun, Manly Food & Wine Festival.
Oct, 1st Sat, Sleaze Ball. An unbelievably queer event.
November, 1-14, Sculpture by the Sea, Sydney. An extensive display on Bondi's gorgeous coastal path.
Dec 26, Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a great harbour spectacle.
Dec 31, New Year's Eve Fireworks. A spectacular blow-out.
Dec 31, Sydney Pride, New Year's Eve Party.

Short Trips guide:
- Beach lovers who wonder if there is life after Bondi should travel walk a while south on the delightful coastal path to Tamarama, Clovelly, Bronte and Coogee where they'll find the answer is 'yes'.
- The Blue Mountains and its weird rock formations, caves and waterfalls are an hour or two away by train/car, though don't expect many kangaroos to come bouncing up to you. Possible activities include hiking, climbing, white-water rafting, and canyoning.
Mountainous Katoomba is one of the Mountains' primo tourist targets, offering views and activities galore. 2 hours from Sydney.
A paddle boat runs through the Nepean Gorge of the Blue Mountains from Penrith.
The Blue Mountains are difficult to see properly on a day trip.
- About thirty premium beaches are within the metropolitan area, including Manly, a lovely ferry-ride across Sydney Harbour.
- The Royal National Park [30kms/19mls] is a massive old park offering varied activities from bird-watching to surfing.
- Botany Bay National Park [50 mins drive] is much smaller than the Royal [above] but provides excellent walks, beaches and sea views.
- Gosford, 65km [40mls] north has an 'Old Sydney Town' with actors and street theatre, wildlife parks including the elusive platypus at Brisbane Water Park, 200 year old Aboriginal engravings at Bulgandry and some superb surf and schools a mere 15kms away.
Skiing in the Snowy Mountains and Mount Kosciusko National Park from July-Sept and hiking, fishing, golfing in the summer. Roughly equidistant between Melbourne and Sydney, about 5 hours drive.
Australia wine buffs will enjoy visiting Hunter Valley's 50 wineries and their free tastings, about 2 hours travel north of Sydney. Don't drive back!
Coffs Harbour is good for markets, beaches and rainforest; close by Oz standards but at 640kms [400mls] is not exactly a morning's drive away.

Why Travel to Sydney?

Australia's favourite city, with one of the most pleasant year round climates. The sight of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge impresses even the most jaded traveller, especially when viewed from the lovely, sqwawking Botanical Gardens.
The city is vibrant and dynamic yet still laid back with shops and restaurants galore, old men in tight shorts and a booming nightlife.
On the north coast are some pretty vacant coastal sunspots up to Palm Beach as well as trendy beaches such as Bondi and Manly with their surfers, swimmers and bustling promenades to complete the Australian ideal.

Downside:
- it is not cheap; expect to pay as much as in some European cities.
- Sydney beach waters are not warm, even in mid summer.
- the suburbs are a bungalow and barbie burntopia stretching forever...well, until the Blue Mountains get in the way.
- truly cultural offerings, like opera and theatre, are good but not in big supply.

Where to go:
The Opera House is a must [free music recitals on Sunday afternoons]. Try an opera if you can get a ticket, or just walk around it and savour the views.
Walk or climb the Harbour Bridge. The climb of 1.5kms [1mile] along the arched span - 134 metres above the water - uses safety lines and will scare the bejesus out of most but costs silly money; only over 12s. Some visitors think the climb is a 2.5 hour waste of time.
The Domain and Royal Botanical Gardens are for plant and bird lovers [is the cockatoo the noisiest bird on the planet?] or just people escaping from crowds, concrete and action overload.
Catch a ferry to Manly for great views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Sydney's regular water environment and on to funky beach life and great surfing on the big beach.
Visit the cool bars and live bands in Paddington and the funky markets in the 'alternative' areas such as Newtown and Glebe for a taste of Sidney's subculture.
Stroll Darling Harbour for post modern family oriented shopping and entertainment - touristy but well done, especially the Aquarium.
The Rocks, at the south end of the Harbour Bridge is not only a over-restored historic area but also arguably Sydney's best market, great for souvenirs.
Oxford Street is Sydney's top entertainment area and perhaps prime target for a wild night out, whatever your preferences might be.
And if you can make it in February, well, it's the wackiest time of all, the Gay Mardi Gras.
Macquarie St is good for lovers of historical buildings and stories.
Woolahra's Queen Street has some stunning terraced houses, art galleries and antiques shops.
Bondi [picture top right] is a must-see beach, not far by bus or train, offering surfing, stylish off-beach services and a wonderful coastal walk, especially 1-14 November during Sculpture by the Sea, or September during the kite festival. Everything necessary is rentable.
There is no shortage of spectacular helicopter trips, at a staggeringly high price of course.

Accommodation:
There's masses of choice generally, though best to book ahead for the Christmas - February premium season. Backpackers and Flashpackers are especially well catered for, though space is not cheap.

Cuisine guide:
The city resident's eating habits have altered recently, going for less posh, more value and more often - but still quality grub.
Asian restaurants have been particularly good at supplying these 'ModOz' needs.
The good news is that tasty, healthy Pacific Rim cuisine - especially seafood dishes - is diverse, reasonable value and easily accessible; the bad is that stylish creativity can be in short supply.
Bondi and Manly are great for breakfast on the beach.

Arts/Culture guide:
Classical Music: at the Opera House
Dance/Opera: Sydney Opera Company and Ballet at the Opera House.
Live Music & Clubs: All over the place but especially Manly for Jazz Festivals, Oxford St and Paddington for the popular clubs and pubs and gays.
Check The Metro section of Sydney Morning Herald and free weeklies for info on live music.
The Maritime Museum and Powerhouse Museum in Darling Harbour are worth a visit.

Shopping information:
Classy: Double Bay and Castlereagh St by ferry from Circular Quay for designer boutiques.
Wacky: Oxford St and the Paddington Bazaar. The Rocks Market, picturesque and diverse, especially good for Australia travel souvenirs.

And while you're in the area you might want to meet the neighbours...

Sydney Guide

Sydney Travel Guide, climate:

Why Travel to Sydney?