Sydney Travellers' Guide: Attractions; Things To See And Do

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Must See Attractions

Sydney Harbour: With 240 kilometres of shoreline that encompasses approximately 54 square kilometres of water, Port Jackson, or Sydney Harbour as it is more widely known, is often described as the most beautiful natural harbour in the world. Surrounded by a mix of former military bases, million dollars homes and extensive tracts of natural bushland, the harbour can be easily explored from the water itself (by ferry or a cruise) or on land (driving or on foot).
Most of Sydney's iconic landmarks - the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Taronga Zoo - are on Sydney Harbour and are best viewed from it. There are a number of islands in the harbour, some are open to explore, all many played an important role in Sydney's colonial past. Lookouts at various points up and down the harbour shores give different perspectives of both the harbour and the city.

The Rocks/Millers Point precinct: Sydney's historic maritime village. Of all the locations around Sydney Harbour, few have as fascinating a past as The Rocks, a small district near the heart of Sydney on the hillside above the western shore of Sydney Cove and Circular Quay. It is here that Sydney's first permanent dwellings were built, a cluster of humble wattle and daub huts perched precariously amid the rocky inclines that gave the location its name. The Rocks became Sydney's port and maritime village, a position it held well into the 20th century. After decades of decay, tightly controlled re-development and conservation in the 1970s saw The Rocks emerge as a unique and popular tourist precinct which retains much of the character and charm of its colourful past.

Sydney Tower: spectacular views of Sydney from the city's iconic tower. Standing at 305 meters, Sydney Tower was for many years the tallest man made building in Australia. The turret contains two revolving restaurants and a coffee lounge/function room on levels one to three that are all operated by Sydney Tower Restaurants, the Observation Deck is situated on level four, and two telecommunications and three main plant levels above. The Centrepoint development as it was then known, was conceived in 1968 (completed 1977) and comprises over 140 shops, extensive commercial office space, overhead and underground pedestrian promenades and the high-rise tourist and telecommunications tower. 56 cables stabilise the Tower and the strands of these cables, if laid end to end, would stretch from Sydney to Alice Springs or from Sydney to New Zealand. The 3,019 tonne turret is serviced by three high-speed double-decker lifts that can move 2,000 persons per hour at a travelling sped of 426 metres per minute. | Sydney Tower Restaurant

The Blue Mountains: Though not in Sydney itself, The Blue Mountains is considered by most people who come to Sydney as a "must see" while visiting the harbour city, so we have included it here. This vast heritage-listed area is one of rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs, deep, inaccessible valleys and rivers and lakes teeming with life. The unique plants and animals that live in this natural place relate an extraordinary story of Australia's antiquity, and its diversity of life.
Situated 60 to 180 kilometres west of Sydney, the Blue Mountains are accessible by road or train and can be visited in a single day. Stay longer and enjoy exploring the scenic bushland, waterfalls and many walks throughtout the Blue Mountains National Park.
See Australia For Everyone Guide To The Blue Mountains for more information.

Bondi Beach: Bondi Beach is Sydney's, and perhaps Australia's, most famous beach. About one kilometre long, it remains one of the best beaches in the world. There is an underwater shark net shared, during the summer months, with other beaches along the southern part of the coast. Pods of whales and dolphins have been sighted in the bay during the months of migration. Fairy penguins, while uncommon, are sometimes also seen swimming close to shore. Bondi Beach features many popular cafes, restaurants and hotels, with spectacular views of the beach. Bondi Pavilion is a community cultural centre, located right on Bondi Beach, which features a theatre, gallery, rehearsal, meeting and function rooms, art workshop, studios. Bondi Pavilion is the centre for major festivals performances throughout the year.

General Interest Attractions

Hawkesbury River: a vast tranquil waterway on Sydney's northern doorstep, the river winds its way from the highlands at the foot of the Blue Mountains, through a fertile valley and then and then a giant estuary before discharging into the Pacific Ocean at Broken Bay. Between the Hawkesbury River Bridge Brooklyn and the Hawkesbury River Bridge Windsor there is 110 kilometres of navigable river, not to mention the bays, coves and tributaries, many of which are also accessible by boat. In total the Hawkesbury River system has over 1,100 kms of foreshore fringe. The Hawkesbury is a recreational paradise, offering bushwalks, secluded bays to explore, great boating and fishing, ferry trips and cruises, houseboats, Aboriginal rock art, islands, historic villages, waterside apartments and more picnic spots than you could visit in a lifetime.

Darling Harbour: a large recreational and pedestrian precinct on the western outskirts of the Sydney central business district. It was created around the pylons of a freeway interchange on the site of an abandoned railway goods yard and wharf area. The area contains an odd mix of shops, restaurants and attractions that includes the Sydney Aquarium and Sydney Wildlife World; Sydney Conference and Exhibition Centre; National Maritime Museum; LG Imax Theatre; Sydney's Chinese Gardens. On its boundaries are the Sydney Entertainment Centre; Sydney's Chinatown district; Paddy's Markets; Powerhouse Museum; Sky City Casino. Darling Harbour is in walking distance of the city or can be reached by monorail or lightrail.

Barrenjoey Peninsula: situated in Sydney's coastal north, the peninsula is largely residential these days, with wonderful surf beaches on its ocean side, and the expanse of Pittwater and its many bays, inlets and beaches on the other. Home to a colony of koalas, it is a corner of Sydney that few visitors see, yet those who do come here, either to stay a while or for a day trip, leave the richer for the experience. Boating, fishing, surfing, walking up to the lighthouse on Barrenjoey Head, dining at one of the many waterside cafes or restaurants, watching the TV soap "Home & Away" being filmed early in the morning and taking a ferry across Pittwater to Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park (bushwalking, swimming, Aboriginal rock art, coastal scenery) are some of things to do to occupy your time here.

Paddys Markets: Sydney's main market since early last century. A traditional permanent markets with over 1,000 stalls selling clothes, cosmetics, CDs, sheepskins, food, crafts, and T-shirts. It is also a great place to by souvenirs. Located on the fringes of Darling Harbour, Paddy's Markets is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Contact: 1300 361 589. Location: Hay St, Haymarket near Central Station.

Mrs. Macquarie's Chair: The classic photograph of the Sydney Opera House alongside the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is taken from the eastern shore of Farm Cove at Mrs. Macquaries Point. Many visitors drive there and park, but the place is very popular, especially with tourist coaches that arrive in a seemingly endless stream on most days, so we suggest you walk there from the Royal Botanical Gardens. When you've finished photographing Sydney's two most famous icons, check out Mrs. Macquaries Chair (a seat carved out of the rock for use by the wife of a colonial governor) before walking back to the city via the path alongside Woolloomooloo Bay and The Domain.

Sydney Olympic Park: Located on the shores of Homebush Bay and the Parramatta River, this recreational precinct was built for and was the home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. With nine major sporting, event and entertainment venues and parks, Sydney Olympic Park is an important and diverse urban precinct surrounded by one of the largest urban parklands in the world. Each year more than 8.2 million visitors come to Sydney Olympic Park to enjoy the wide range of leisure, entertainment, cultural, sporting and educational activities.

Bundeena: Located in the far south of Sydney, Bundeena is a laid-back harbourside village on the southern shores of Port Hacking. A pleasant ferry ride from the southern Sydney beachside suburb of Cronulla (or drive there via Sutherland and Royal National Park), Bundeena is the perfect day-trip destination for Sydney visitors and residents alike who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. wWith four beaches on the doorstep – Bonnie Vale, Horderns, Gunyah and Jibbon – Bundeena is a beach-lover’s paradise. Spend a morning or afternoon on some of the finest beaches Sydney has to offer. Each of Bundeena’s beaches has its own distinctive character, from cute, rocky little Gunyah to the wide expanses of Jibbon. The broad sandflats of Maianbar are also a children’s paradise at low tide.
Royal National Park, with 150km of walking tracks and 16,000 hectares of bushland to explore, is right next door to Bundeena. The magnificent and much-loved Sydney Coastal Walking track begins at Bundeena and follows the eastern coast of the park, hugging the coast all the way. The 27-km track is the perfect length for a two-day hike, or shorter sections can be walked in a day or half day.
Fine examples of Aboriginal rock art can be found at Gibbon Head, a short walk from the Bundeena village at the end of Hordens Beach.

Special Interest Attractions

Aboriginal Art Sites: the whole of the Sydney Basin is a huge art gallery containing some of the oldest works of art by mankind in the world today. It is believed that over 6,000 drawings, most of which are carved into sandstone rock faces, once existed throughout what is now the Sydney metropolitan area, but many have been destroyed, bulldozed or blasted out of existence to make way for farms, bridges and later, suburbs. Many sites have survived, however, but though they have been given legislative protection, there is little known about the best way to manage Aboriginal sites,, so they are not widely publicised. Many are easily accessible and not hard to find by anyone interested in exploring these priceless remnants of a lost culture.
See separate section for more information on the local Aboriginal tries, where the art sites are and what the art means.

Nucote: this residence was the home of children's author and illustrator, May Gibbs. She wrote the wildly popular book Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (right) in addition to illustrating notecards, comics, and calendars. The books chronicle the adventures of the eponymous Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. The central story arc concerns Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (who are essentially homunculi) and their adventures along with troubles with the villains of the story, the “Banksia Men”. The first book of the series, Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie: Their Wonderful Adventures was published in 1918. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, the gumnut babies, are the protagonists of the story and are modelled on the appearance of young Eucalyptus (gum tree) nuts. Ms. Gibbs based some of the characters and scenery on the plants found in the bushland of Bunbury, Western Australia, where she played as a child. Nucote is preserved as a museum and gift shop. | More information
Location: 5 Wallaringa Avenue, Neutral Bay.

Zig Zag Railway: a heritage railway at Lithgow in the Blue Mountains operates on the lines of the famous but long abandoned Lithgow Zig Zag, which operated between 1869 and 1910. As built, the line formed part of the Main West line from Sydney across the Blue Mountains and served to lower the line from its summit into the Lithgow valley on the western flank of the mountains. The Zig Zag Steam and Diesel Tourist Railway runs a weekend tourist railway here, which passes through tunnels and over majestic stone viaducts built in the 19th century. It is a great destination to incorporate into a trip to The Blue Mountains.

Sydney Cricket Ground: Sydney's iconic cricket ground, it is the home of the NSW Cricket team. NSW played Victoria at the ground in an Australian Rules football match in August 1881, which was the first inter-colonial (State of Origin) football match ever played there. Since that time it has hosted the 1938 Empire (Commonwealth) Games; it saw the debut of famous NSW batsman, Victor Trumper, in 1895; Don Bradman batted for the first time on the SCG in a first-class cricket game in January 1928 - he was batting at number 8, and was bowled by the first ball he faced. Organised tours of the ground are available on non-playing days. Location: Moore Park Road, Moore Park

Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW: library documenting the history of New South Wales
The iconic Mitchell Library Wing of the State Library of NSW was the original State Library building in which the state's book collection was stored for over 70 years. The Mitchell Library Wing is the first in a row of buildings which form the majestic streetscape of Macquarie Street. An impressive sandstone building, it's striking Ionic columns support the huge vaulted ceiling of the vestibule and look down upon a giant mosaic replica of an old map documenting the voyage of Dutch seaman Abel Tasman in the 1640s which forms the vestibule floor.