Discussion
Manly is indeed nice, but you want Palm Beach, about 30km up the road, for Home and Away thrills.
What sort of thing do you want to do? Bridge Climb is expensive but worth it if you like that sort of thing. Lots of beaches nearby. Blue Mountains for a drive and for a walk. Lots of micro breweries. Botanical Gardens and surrounds. Opera House tour. Indoor skydiving. Outdoor skydiving. Helicopter ride over the city. Snorkelling, scuba and surfing are all big. Mountain biking. Sydney Zoo or Western Zoo or Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo. Reptile Park.
Need a few clues. And what time of year, as most of Sydney stuff is outdoor.
What sort of thing do you want to do? Bridge Climb is expensive but worth it if you like that sort of thing. Lots of beaches nearby. Blue Mountains for a drive and for a walk. Lots of micro breweries. Botanical Gardens and surrounds. Opera House tour. Indoor skydiving. Outdoor skydiving. Helicopter ride over the city. Snorkelling, scuba and surfing are all big. Mountain biking. Sydney Zoo or Western Zoo or Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo. Reptile Park.
Need a few clues. And what time of year, as most of Sydney stuff is outdoor.
Going in October, we (both female) enjoy outdoor things. Will definetly visit the beaches but want to do other things too. Quite happy to wander/ walk or hire a bike. We've only got 4 days there at the end of there weeks in townsville visiting my friend. Would be good to do the bridge climb depending on how expensive it is.
Weather in Oct can be a bit changeable but should be getting warmer. Keep an eye on bom.com.au when you’re in the country - watch for rain, we’ve had a bit this year…
Bondi-Coogee is a nice little stroll, and you can add more to go to South Head/Watson’s Bay. Start at Coogee and then lunch in Bondi.
Spit to Manly walk is good - start at Spit Bridge though as all the cafes/pubs are at the Manly end. Can then add on Freshwater, Curl Curl and Dee Why for a longer walk. Pilu at Freshwater is a nice spot for evening meal.
Whilst in Manly, walk up to North Head and do Q Station tour.
Walk over the Harbour Bridge, not just the Bridge Climb, and go up the southern pylon for a view.
Free tour of the Governor’s House and wander around Botanic Gardens.
Palm Beach is a lovely spot and a walk up to the lighthouse is a good stroll. Bus ride from the city is a pain so ferry to Manly and bus from there. Can stop at some of the other beaches on the way.
Bush walking areas at Royal National Park, Manly Warringah Memorial Park, and Ku Ring Gai National Park.
Art Gallery NSW, Australian Museum, Museum of Sydney, and National Maritime Museum are all in the CBD area.
Getting around is pretty easy by public transport to most of the areas you might go to in four days.
Hope that helps
Bondi-Coogee is a nice little stroll, and you can add more to go to South Head/Watson’s Bay. Start at Coogee and then lunch in Bondi.
Spit to Manly walk is good - start at Spit Bridge though as all the cafes/pubs are at the Manly end. Can then add on Freshwater, Curl Curl and Dee Why for a longer walk. Pilu at Freshwater is a nice spot for evening meal.
Whilst in Manly, walk up to North Head and do Q Station tour.
Walk over the Harbour Bridge, not just the Bridge Climb, and go up the southern pylon for a view.
Free tour of the Governor’s House and wander around Botanic Gardens.
Palm Beach is a lovely spot and a walk up to the lighthouse is a good stroll. Bus ride from the city is a pain so ferry to Manly and bus from there. Can stop at some of the other beaches on the way.
Bush walking areas at Royal National Park, Manly Warringah Memorial Park, and Ku Ring Gai National Park.
Art Gallery NSW, Australian Museum, Museum of Sydney, and National Maritime Museum are all in the CBD area.
Getting around is pretty easy by public transport to most of the areas you might go to in four days.
Hope that helps
I'd agree with all of the above. A nice morning is a walk about the opera house and follow the peninsula around to the gardens. Also a walk across the bridge etc, but nicer when traffic isn't rush hour.
I wouldn't bother too much with walking around the city centre that much though. Litter, graffiti and alot of homeless people, just like most large global city centres.
Harbour is great. Boat terminal for tours etc is just between the bridge and the opera house, all easy to get to. Plenty of places to eat and drink along as you walk harbourside.
I wouldn't bother too much with walking around the city centre that much though. Litter, graffiti and alot of homeless people, just like most large global city centres.
Harbour is great. Boat terminal for tours etc is just between the bridge and the opera house, all easy to get to. Plenty of places to eat and drink along as you walk harbourside.
K77 CTR said:
Thank you for all the great advice so far, some really good suggestions.
We stayed four seasons overlooking the most ugly bridge ! Of course had to do bondi, try and get a nice cocktail !Manly so much classier. Went the other way to Melbourne, my goodness boring, great coast road ! Saw a few trees that was it !
Having done NZ , Australia had to be done.
Booked the oyster bar in Sydney some 6 months in advance, paid but really awful.
Now we are not prudes, but the Language from the ‘ladies’. !!’
Not a fan of hop and off buses, but in Sydney, really good.
We went over Xmas for four weeks, via Singapore. Now that is nice.
I guess budget for hotels would dictate where to stay.
Blue Mountains is definitely a whole day, we took a guided tour which was actually so much better than we anticipated as the guide was very amusing and had a lot of great knowledge.
Bridge climb is great, but a little on the pricey side. I have done both day time and night time, both were amazing (especially as when we did the night time one, Crowded House were doing their retirement gig at the Opera House).
The Taronga Zoo is a good afternoon excursion, you can go by boat from Circular Quay.
The beer was very pleasant here https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Australian+H...
Bridge climb is great, but a little on the pricey side. I have done both day time and night time, both were amazing (especially as when we did the night time one, Crowded House were doing their retirement gig at the Opera House).
The Taronga Zoo is a good afternoon excursion, you can go by boat from Circular Quay.
The beer was very pleasant here https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Australian+H...
Traffic said:
The beer was very pleasant here https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Australian+H...
Beers and pizza at the Australian in The Rocks is a great afternoon/evening 
Spent an entire NYE there many years ago leaving only to see the fireworks at around 11.45pm…I mentioned weather earlier - one of the great secrets of travel is that it gets cold in Australia - currently it’s about 5C here in Sydney whilst it’s 21C in Townsville.
Www.bom.gov.au is your friend
That’s to do with Townsville being about 2000km/3-hr flight north - it’s a big place.
It can also be an expensive place, so be prepared for a few surprises though having just been to the UK the difference doesn’t feel quite as marked as it did a few years ago.
Thank you for all the suggestions. Have just returned and really enjoyed it. Apart from the 12 hour delay flying out and missing all my connecting flights and then the 12 hour delay coming home. Both due to technical issues with the plane.
Did the coogee to bondi walk which was the best advice to do it in reverse. Taronga zoo, botanical Gardens, Manly beach, walked many miles around the city. Spent a morning at cockatoo Island, took the ferry to parramatta and saw fireworks at the opera house.
Weather wasn't great and ran out of time to do the blue mountains when the sun was shining which is my biggest regret.
Did the coogee to bondi walk which was the best advice to do it in reverse. Taronga zoo, botanical Gardens, Manly beach, walked many miles around the city. Spent a morning at cockatoo Island, took the ferry to parramatta and saw fireworks at the opera house.
Weather wasn't great and ran out of time to do the blue mountains when the sun was shining which is my biggest regret.
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