Bondi is one of the world's most famous beaches, a crescent of sand strung between two rocky headlands, just 15 minutes from the city centre. During the summer, visitors jostle for towel space on the beach while the promenade bustles with activity. Campbell Parade serves up a mixture of busy bars, seaside cafes, and the ever-popular Sunday market. Topless sunbathing is tolerated and swimmers should always swim within the patrolled areas marked by the red and yellow flags. The coastal walk, which starts at Bondi's southern end and runs along the coast to Coogee, is a must for any visitor, especially in October and November when the annual “Sculptures by the Sea” is on.
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Things to see in Sydney
Tourist offices
Sydney Visitor Centre
Address: Corner Argyle and Playfair Streets, The Rocks, Sydney, Australia
Tel: +61 2 8273 0000.
Opening Hours:
Daily 0930-1730 (except Good Friday and Christmas Day).
www.australianvisitorcentres.com.auThere is another visitor centre at Palm Grove between Cockle Bay Wharf and Harbourside, Darling Harbour.
Combine up to five of Sydney’s best attractions - SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Sydney Tower Eye, Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary or Madame Tussauds Sydney with a Sydney Attraction Combo Pass, available from www.experienceoz.com.au or the Sydney Aquarium.
Sydney and Bondi Explorer Hop On-Hop Off Buses operate all day, every day. A 24- or 48-hour pass allows you to check out all the Sydney Harbour sights and take in Sydney’s most famous beach, Bondi, with guided commentary in up to seven languages.
Combined ferry and attraction admission passes are available from the Sydney Ferries ticket office at Circular Quay. For example, the Zoo Pass includes return ferry and bus transport to Taronga Zoo, entry to the zoo and an aerial cable car ride.
Bondi Beach
Opening Times: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No.
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Bondi Beach, Bondi, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9083 8000.
Website:
www.waverley.nsw.gov.au
Darling Harbour
A former dockside area, this small harbour has been transformed into a major tourist site. The vast, paved and landscaped precinct is packed with restaurants and shops, as well as a number of tourist attractions. These include the Powerhouse Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium, IMAX Theatre and the Chinese Garden of Friendship, a gift to Sydney from its sister city of Guangdong in China. Harbour Cruises leave the King Street Wharf area and there are weekend festivals and events aplenty.
Opening Times: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 8273 0000.
Website:
www.darlingharbour.com
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Affectionately known as ‘the Coathanger', the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a feat of engineering genius. Opening in 1932, it took 1,400 workers (16 of whom died in the process), eight years, and $20 million to complete. The best way to experience the bridge is to climb it, and Bridge Climb gives thrill-seekers the chance to walk to the top of the 50-story-high bridge (over the cars and trains rumbling across the deck below) and down the other side. If you’re afraid of heights or on a budget, you can walk or cycle across the bridge free of charge. Use the aptly named “Bridge Stairs” on Cumberland Street in the Rocks for an hour-long, round-trip stroll.
Opening Times: Daily 0800-2100.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: No
UNESCO: No
Address:
3 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 8274 7777.
Website:
www.bridgeclimb.com
Sydney Opera House
Opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House is the most recognisable symbol of both Sydney and Australia. It’s also considered one of the 20th century's greatest buildings. Designed to resemble a ship at sea with its roof appearing as a billowing white sail, Sydney Opera House is one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world. Housing a large complex of theatres and halls that play host to a wide range of performing arts. The Opera House also offers fascinating ‘behind the scenes’ tours and spectacular views of Sydney Harbour. Enjoy a pre-show beverage or bite at one of the many restaurants and bars along the Opera House’s western side.
Opening Times: Daily 0900-1700 (tours).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: Yes
Address:
Bennelong Point, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9250 7111 (general); +61 2 9250 7250 (tours).
Website:
www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Sydney Tower
Standing 309m (1,014ft) above Market Street, Sydney Tower is the city's tallest building and offers views over the city, the harbour, the Olympic Park and as far as Terrigal Beach, 100km (62 miles) to the north. Entry to the 250m-high (820ft) observation deck includes the Skytour, a 35-minute virtual tour/ride on the podium level. Thrill-seekers can go one better and take a Skywalk, an outdoor tour on two glass-floored platforms. Dine in the rotating restaurant for a unique and spectacular Sydney experience.
Opening Times: Daily 0900-2200 (03 Oct–25 April); 0900-2130 (26 April—02 Oct).
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Corner of Pitt and Market Street, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9333 9222.
Website:
www.sydneytowereye.com.au
The Rocks
Nestled at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks (Sydney's historical birthplace) is a neighbourhood of winding streets, sandstone cottages and some of Sydney's oldest pubs. The site of the first landing from Plymouth, England in 1788, the area is now a busy tourist enclave with cafes, restaurants, galleries, museums, weekend markets and countless souvenir shops. Among the district's historic buildings are the Hero of Waterloo inn (built over a tunnel that was originally used for smuggling), the Sydney Observatory (on the site of the colony's first windmill) and Cadman's Cottage (Sydney's oldest building, built in 1816).
Opening Times: Daily.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
The Rocks, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 8273 0000.
Website:
www.therocks.com
Art Gallery Of New South Wales
Featuring the Yiribana Gallery, the world's largest permanent exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia's foremost art museums. Among its most impressive exhibitions is its Australian art collection, extending from the early colonial period to the mid 20th century. The Asian Galleries showcase the gallery's significant Asian collection and touring exhibitions. Shortlisted portraits in the Archibald Prize (Australia's most prestigious and controversial art award) are exhibited here annually.
Opening Times: Thurs-Tues 1000-1700, Wed 1000-2100.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Art Gallery Road, Sydney, 2000, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9225 1700.
Website:
www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Centennial Parklands
A grand park in the European tradition, the Centennial Parklands features landscaped gardens, statues, historic monuments and houses, ponds, formal gardens, wildlife habitat areas and grand avenues. There is a restaurant, cafe and facilities for every active pursuit under the sun.
Opening Times: Daily 24 hours.
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Grand Drive, Bondi, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9339 6699.
Website:
www.centennialparklands.com.au
Royal Botanic Gardens
A short walk from Sydney Opera House and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Royal Botanic Gardens sits on a slope overlooking the harbour and covers 30 hectares (74 acres) in the heart of the city. Established in 1816, it is Australia's oldest scientific institution and home to over one million specimens. Highlights include the Sydney Tropical Centre and the Rose Garden; there is a hop-on, hop-off trackless train to get around them all.
Opening Times: Daily 0700-1930 (Oct); daily 0700-2000 (Nov-Feb); daily 0700- 1830 (March); daily 0700-1800 (Apr and Sep); daily 0700-1730 (May and Aug); daily 0700-1700 (Jun-Jul).
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Mrs. Macquaries Road, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9231 8111.
Website:
www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo boasts the largest variety of Australian flora and fauna under one roof, including Koala Encounter and Kangaroo Walk-About, providing a complete all-Australian wildlife experience in the heart of Darling Harbour. Visitors can watch over 6,000 animals including wallabies and wombats, sugar gliders and scrub pythons, living in their natural habitats and ecosystems.
Opening Times: Daily 0930-1700 (last entry 1600).
Admission Fees: Yes.
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
Aquarium Pier, 1-5 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour, Sydney, 2000, Australia
Telephone: +61 1800 206 158.
Website:
www.wildlifesydney.com.au
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