Things to do
What: Climb the Harbour Bridge.
Where: 5 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, Sydney.
Why: Everyone who comes to Sydney says it; you just have to climb the bridge – if only for the less than attractive photo you get of yourself, in a depressing grey jumpsuit, once you reach the top. The views are amazing, and the climb can be done either in the morning, afternoon or at twilight, which is undoubtedly the best time. The vertical trek takes about three and a half hours so that should speak volumes about the size of this thing. Staff prepare you for the journey to the top but just make sure you prepare your body for it.
Who with: Bridgeclimb (www.bridgeclimb.com / 02 8274 7777)
COST: Adult: $179-199, child: $109/129
What: Walk along the cliffs.
Where: Bondi to Coogee, Sydney.
Why: The Bondi to Coogee clifftop walk is now something of an institution. The 8km stretch takes in some of the most famous beaches in the world. It’s quite easy to make a day of the hardly arduous hike, stopping off for a swim, sunbathe and a bit to eat on the way. Whilst scrupulously dodging all the joggers and the ludicrously small ratdogs, you get stunning views of the headlands, plenty of rockpools to scramble amongst if you elect to veer off the track, and the opportunity to thoroughly soak up the sun.
Highlights include trying to bodysurf at Bondi or Bronte beach, going for a snorkel in the calmer waters of Clovelly and having a well-earned beer at the end when you reach Coogee.
How: If you’re starting from Bondi, get the 380 bus from Elizabeth Street in the city. If you’re heading to Coogee, take the 374 from Railway Square by Central Station.
What: Get a snap of the Big Banana.
Where: Coffs Harbour.
Why: Australia has this bizarre obsession with big things made out of fibreglass. If you go to the right country towns you can find giant lobsters, pineapples, worms, sheep… you name it, someone has built it, and tried to shape a tourist trade around it.
Most famous of the lot is the Big Banana at Coffs, and it’s practically obligatory to gurn into the camera outside it.
Once you’ve got that necessary task out of the way, there’s no need to bomb straight back up the highway. Coffs Harbour is a gorgeous little coastal town. About 570km north of Sydney, it’s a chilled out places, with corking beaches and a good reputation for watersports. Whether you want to try kayaking, whitewater rafting or diving, you’ll find something that will get you nice and wet.
How: From Sydney, drive north and keep going until you see the giant banana, on the Pacific Highway as you get into town.
What: Kayak around Jervis Bay.
Where: Jervis Bay, South Coast, NSW.
Why: This is a great place to go to escape the city for a short break, or longer even, depending on what time you have on your hands, and money in your bank account. It’s a quiet stretch of beautiful coastline, with a whole host of white sandy beaches contrasting with bush and forests. Since it’s a popular place for most people to come to indulge in water sports then it’s obviously going to be a great place to go kayaking. The scenery is fantastic, and you can just take things at your own pace as you paddle around in your long plastic boat. Once you’ve done that and are back on dry land, have a duke around Huskisson, one the oldest towns on the bay.
Who with: Jervis Bay Kayaks (02 4441 7157).
Cost: About $50 for three hours.
What: Go ballooning at sunrise over the vineyards.
Where: Hunter Valley, NSW.
Why: There’s probably no other way to see the Hunter Valley that rivals an aerial view from a hot air balloon, especially at sunrise. The views of the valley are superb, and you’ll see the wineries nestled in amongst the vineyards. Of course, if you get a good day, it will make the whole experience even better. Wine lovers will have an absolute blast here. In fact just about anyone with a penchant for alcohol. Funnily enough, the wine just keeps coming in droves, and as you tour all the different wineries available you’ll be drunk faster than you can say plonk. Do remember that if you decided to drive to Hunter Valley, it might be best to leave the car at your accommodation, and either jump on a bus or tour to get you to the hordes of 20ml wine cups that await your wet lips. We don’t want any nasty accidents since that would just put a dampner on the whole trip and spoil everybody’s fun, including your own. Five of these an hour will put a woman over the limit, and about ten or so will for the lads.
Who with: Balloon Aloft (1800 028 568) (www.balloonaloft.com), Lot 1 Main Road, North Rothbury.
cost: $295-320.
How: There’s not a hell of a lot of public transport around the vineyards so it would be wise to hire a car or take a tour to the region. When there, you can jump on the Vineyard Shuttle Service (02 4991 3655) that will pick you up from your accommodation to take you anywhere in the area and back. And all for about $10.
What: Sandboard down a 30m dune.
Where: Stockton Bight, near Newcastle, NSW.
Why: As anyone who has attempted to run on a beach will know, plodding through sand can be extremely hard work. The deeper and softer it is, the more you’ll be sweating like Shane Warne when his wife picks up his mobile phone and has a flick through the inbox.
Trudging uphill on a large sand dune with a steep gradient, therefore, is absolutely murderous. More so when you have just face-planted into the bottom of that dune and are spitting sand out like a hyperactive llama, nursing a seriously bruised ego.
If it all goes horribly wrong, or you get a bit cocky, that is the fate that awaits you sandboarding. It’s not rocket science, to be fair. Climb to the top of the dune, put wax on the board, tuck your knees up, trail a finger behind you and down you go.
Who With: Port Stephens 4WD Tours (02 4984 4760 / www.portstephens4wd.com).
Cost: $20.
What: Visit the Home and Away set on Palm Beach.
Where: Palm Beach, Pittwater Road, North Sydney.
Why: Why would anyone want to miss out on the opportunity to have your picture taken outside the surf shack or with everyone’s favourite fat Aussie, Alf Stewart? Home and Away, along with Neighbours is the height of Australian culture so head to Palm Beach (Summer Bay) and lap it up. You might get to see a bit of filming and meet the characters. And even if you don’t, you will certainly get to step foot on that infamous beach where lots of the action takes place. “Palmy” as the locals call it is located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and is not only a prime filming location but it’s a good surfing spot. You can also usually find dolphins meandering about – and in winter you’ll find whales and seals migrating north.
How: Palm Beach is a scenic couple of hours away from the centre of Sydney. You can catch the L90 bus from Railway Square which will take you all the way there.
cost: Pick up a $15 daytripper pass from CityRail for an all day train, bus and ferry pass.
What: Slide down a snowy mountain on skis, a snowboard… or your bum.
Where: Thredbo or Perisher Blue Mountains, Snowy Mountains, Jindabyne, NSW.
Why: Because it’s fun. And what’s a broken leg or two between friends? Plus it is pretty amazing that a country that is renowned for hot weather and surf dudes also has a ski season, albeit short. A small redemption for the fact that nobody told us that it gets bleeding cold over here. Whether you’re after downhill skiing or snowboarding the Snowies are a fantastic winter playground during the season, which runs from early June to early October. Most years, snow is guaranteed in July, August and September but don’t worry because all of the resorts now have snow-making equipment if there’s a dearth of the white stuff.
Who With: Oz Snow Adventures (1800 851 101) www.ozsnowadventures.com.au
Cost: This company does a number of good packages: weekend trip - $229,
3 day midweek - $279, 6 day snow fix - $499.
plus: All packages include accommodation at the Snow Valley Resort, transport from either Sydney or Canberra to the Snowy Valley, shuttle up and down mountain each day, National Park fees, three-course dinner, party night and daily hot breakfasts.
What: Get your camera out and get that pic of the Three Sisters instead of buying the postcard.
Where: Blue Mountains, Katoomba, North of Sydney, NSW.
Why: Now when you have three sisters, all grouped together in a similar age group, what’s the chance of them being equally breathtaking? Not much, I hear you yell. Take The Corrs for example, two stunners and one scraggly one that doesn’t quite come up to scratch. On her own she’d be alright but not when constantly surrounded by the other two. Well, to cut a long story short the Three Sisters are a triple whammy of mountain yumminess and are best viewed from Echo Point near the southern end of Katoomba Street.
More: There are Blue Mountains information centres open daily on the Great Western Highway at Glenbrook (1300 653 408) or log onto www.bluemountainstourism.org.au
What: Take photos of giraffes with the harbour and city skyline in the background at Taronga Zoo.
Where: Bradleys Head Road, Mosman Bay, North Sydney, NSW.
Why: Get some random pictures to send home to your friends that look like you have superimposed a giraffe infront of the Harbour Bridge – but guess what? You haven’t. Because just hop on a ferry across the harbour and you will get to Taronga Zoo where more than 2000 critters reside. You can gawp at anything from seals to tigers, koalas, giraffes, gorillas and platypuses.
Cost: A ZooPass is available from Circular Quay and includes the return ferry ride for $44.
How: Ferries depart from Circular Quay, Wharf 2, half-hourly from 7.15am on weekdays, 8.45am Saturday and 9am Sunday.
What: Get close to dolphins.
Where: Nelson Bay, Port Stephens, NSW.
Why: Everyone loves dolphins. In fact some fishermen love them so much that they scoop them up in their tuna nets for a cuddle. The rest of us prefer to watch them gaily frolic about in the sea, leaping up for our general pleasure and riding along in the wake of the boat.
They are genuinely playful creatures, and they’re as fascinated with us as we are with them. They’re a lot smaller than you think, but because they’re always breaching the water you can get some really great photos of them, and get really close.
Who With: Spirit Of The Bay II (02 4984 1004/ www.spiritofthebay.com.au).
Cost: A two hour dolphin cruise costs $20. The boat also has a diving board and a water slide for the more childish amongst you.
What: Walk To Australia’s most easterly point, the Cape Byron lighthouse.
Where: Byron Bay, North Coast.
Why: So you can go to the lookout, cock a hand to your brow and shout “Ships Ahoy!” Alternatively, you can refrain from looking like a total fool and just enjoy the beautiful view from Australia’s most easterly point. You’re more likely to see surfers gliding past you in this surfing hot-spot, along with dolphins and maybe even a humpback whale or two. If you’re feeling lazy then you can drive right up to the 1901 picturesque lighthouse, or there is a 3.5 km walking track that winds along the coast up to the lookout.
Cost: Completely free.
More Info: Tourist information is handled by the Byron Environment Centre (6680 9279).
What: Watch the sea fly 60m into the air at the Kiama Blowhole.
Where: Kiama, NSW.
Why: Kiama is a pretty little seaside town, most famous for its spectacular blowhole, so be sure to take your camera with you and get a few good snaps to send home. A whopping 600,000 people a year go there just to see this dramatic hole, so that tells you something. It’s even floodlit at night for extra effect. Kiama also hosts a number of good surf beaches, which are worth checking out.
Cost: Free
More: Contact the Kiama Visitors centre (02 4232 3322)
How: It’s best to get the train, which takes two hours from Sydney.
Where to stay: Kiama Backpackers Hostel (02 4233 1881).
What: Explore the Jenolan caves
Where: Southwest of Katoomba on the west of Kanangra Boyd National Park.
Why: They are simply amazing. And because of that, they are also the best known limestone caves in Australia. One of the caves has been open since 1867, and they are so vast that some parts of the system have yet to be investigated. They have an eerie but magical sense about them and shouldn’t be missed. There are nine caves you can visit by guided tour. About 11 tours take place between 10am and 4.30pm during the week and from 9.30am to 5pm on weekends. If you want to really frighten the wits out of you and your mates though, go on a ghost tour of the caves at 7.30pm on Saturdays. Tours last approximately one-and-a-half hours.
Cost: $23. Call 1300 7633 11 for bookings or log onto www.jenolancaves.org.au for more info.
How: Take a train from Central station to Katoomba. From there they are a 45 minute drive along Jenolan Caves Road. If you have three days to spare walking, you could trek the Six foot Track from Katoomba to reach them.
What: Visit the Hunter Valley and go on a wine-tasting tour.
Where: Hunter Valley, NSW
Why: If your beer belly and man breasts are starting to resemble Homer Simpson then it may be an idea to skip this weekend’s AA session and get yourself up to the Hunter Valley for a few days of wine-detoxing. There’s limitless amounts of the stuff up there, so much that you could probably bathe in it, should you wish. It might be advisable to leave the car at home and pick up one of the hostel’s package deals so you can have a wine orgy with your new pals and not worry about how you’re going to stumble home.
Who With: Hunter VAlley YHA, 100 Wine Country Drive, Hunter Valley, NSW (02 4991 3278) www.yha.com.au
Cost: $169 for a 3 day package or $149 for two days.
When: All year round, buses depart from Central Station.
What: Buy some souvenirs at The Rocks weekend market.
Where: George Street, The Rocks – at the top of the street, under the bridge.
Why: It’s a great market to browse around on a lazy Saturday or Sunday, particularly if you are looking for some souvenirs to send or take home to your folks. There is a more touristy feel to this market, unlike some of the other markets Sydney has to offer. You can expect to find things like jewellery, books, gems, food, art work, postcards and stamps, bedclothes, and a load of other stuff.
A word of warning though – be very wary of the Thai masseuses, located at the top of the main marquee. They ask you to “come sit” for a one minute trial. DON’T! You’ll be hooked. If not then they will somehow cajole you into handing over $20 whilst delightfully rubbing your back. Whilst you’re at the market, be sure to grab a bite to eat in one of a whole host of cafés and restaurants, or get a pint in one of the area’s many pubs.
How: All you need to do is head in the direction of the Harbour Bridge, and you will find yourself at the top end of The Rocks. Keep walking straight ahead, past the Mercantile Bar, and you will see the market and plenty of revellers.
What: Have lunch in Chinatown.
Where: Dixon Street, CBD, Sydney
Why: Venture just a couple of streets back from George Street, in Sydney’s main CBD, and you would be forgiven for thinking you had been teleported to somewhere in Shanghai. Through the Chinese gates at Dixon Street Mall is the main drag where hordes of people crowd into numerous restaurants, pubs, cafes, food stalls and Asian grocery stores. You can spend a small fortune eating at a plush Chinese restaurant or next to nothing in the lower budget eateries. Friday nights are a good time to visit when a night market selling all sorts of fried food takes over Dixon Street. Or go for yum cha (traditional Chinese-style lunch) at Marigold City. This is an 800-seat yum cha palace where you might catch sight of a mammoth wedding banquet.
Cost: Anywhere from $4 to $40.
How: Dixon Street is located behind George Street, between Town Hall and Central station.
What: Go for a surf on Bondi Beach.
Where: The beach, Bondi, Sydney, NSW
Why: So you can tell all your mates back home that you are a certified “surf dude.” What better way to impress the scantily clad chicks hanging around on the beach after a heavy night of boozing than by whizzing past them on a wave? A word of advice though, if you’re a learner, it’s probably a wise idea to test your skills a good distance away from the professionals. You don’t want to end up looking an arse as you inevitably get munched by the rollers on your foam raft while toned, tanned surfers ride past you on their tiny boards. Maybe hang about in the white wash with the kiddies.
Alternatively, you can chill out on the beach, drink some beer and save your energy for another night out on the town.
cost: From $85.
Who With: Let’s Go Surfing, www.letsgosurfing.com.au (02 9365 1800)
What: Have a gay old time.
Where: Oxford Street, Sydney
Why: With the possible exceptions of San Fransisco and Llandewi Brefi, Sydney is probably the gayest place on the planet. Gay and Lesbian culture has long been accepted in Australia’s largest city, and every February and March it is royally celebrated with the annual Mardi Gras festival and parade. The latter sees massive ostentatiously decorated floats chug down Oxford Street, interspersed with revellers in all sorts of eye-opening clothing.
For the rest of the year, Oxford Street is hardly a sleepy little back road. It is still home to Sydney’s gay community, and if you fancy a bit of a dance, then you could do a lot worse than heading to one of the numerous gay bars (gay bars, gay bars) on the strip.
How: Oxford Street is sandwiched by Darlinghurst and Surry Hills, and turns into Liverpool St in the Sydney CBD.
What: Check out the Royal Botanical Gardens.
Where: Mrs Macquaries Rd, City, Sydney
Why: Escape from the hectic city and go for a picnic, stroll or jog in these enchanting gardens, which border the Opera House. The gardens were established in 1816 and feature plant life from the south pacific. There is a Tropical Centre to visit with monsoonal, woodland and tropical rainforest plants and other attractions include the Fernery, the Succulent Garden and the Rose Garden.
Cost: The Botanical Gardens are free, but it costs $2.20 to visit the Tropical Centre.
When: 7am until sunset.
More: Free guided tours depart at 10am daily from the information booth at the Gardens Shop.
