Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

Take a walk through Sydney’s Botanical Gardens overlooking the Opera House and Harbour Bridge or get up close and personal at the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Pylon Look-out (www.pylonlookout.com.au). The ‘Coathanger’ was built in 1924 and was at the time the world’s largest single-span bridge.

Arts and culture

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au) commands a grand classical building in the Domain housing a permanent collection of Australian, European and Asian pieces. In Surry Hills, the Brett Whiteley Studio (www.brettwhiteley.org) is a showcase for the late artist’s work. There are hot shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art (www.mca.com.au), on the waterside at West Circular Quay (the café is perfect for people watching). The Powerhouse Museum (www.powerhousemuseum.com), located in the inner-city suburb of Ultimo, hosts extravagant and unexpected exhibitions dedicated to design, technology and history. To find out more about arts and culture events, consult Friday’s Sydney Morning Herald.

Something for nothing

The Bondi to Bronte walk is an easy stroll around the headlands and a beautiful way to see Sydney’s Eastern Beaches (if you’re feeling energetic, keep going down to Coogee, four kilometres from Bondi). In November the trail comes alive with Sculpture by the Sea (www.sculpturebythesea.com), a free outdoor exhibition.

Shopping

Venture to Paddington where you’ll find the best of the fashion boutiques, arthouse cinemas, hip eateries and cool bars. Glenmore Road hosts the biggest designer boutiques such as Ksubi, Alannah Hill, Kirrily Johnston and Scanlan & Theodore. Queen Street in Woollahra is like an old-fashioned English high street lined with delis and antique shops. Crown Street in Surry Hills is great for vintage finds, while Campbell Parade and Hall Street in Bondi are fun for second-hand, surf and bikini stores. The upscale 19th-century Queen Victoria Building (QVB) in the CBD showcases Australian fashion alongside international designers. Interiors fans should check out Dinosaur Designs on Oxford Street for rainbow-bright tableware and jewellery, and the Donna Hay General Store in Woollahra for pretty food, books and homewares.

Daytripper

The Blue Mountains, just two hours’ drive west of Sydney, is a spectacular wilderness with breathtaking walks through bush, hills and river gorges. Don’t miss natural rock formation the Three Sisters, at Katoomba. The Hunter Valley, the state’s main wine-growing region, is around three hours by car from Sydney. Head for Tyrrell’s Winery in Pokolbin (www.tyrrells.com.au), where a one-hour tour is followed by a tasting.

Best beach

The (in)famous Bondi Beach may not be Sydney’s prettiest, but it’s definitely the one to be seen on. Bronte Beach, with its child-friendly park and surfeit of barbecues, is ideal for chilling out – have a leisurely lunch at upscale Swell (www.swellrestaurant.com.au), or just grab some fish and chips. Tamarama Beach – ‘Glamarama’ to locals – is one of the hippest beaches around, with good surf. Palm Beach (where Home and Away is filmed) is well worth the hour’s drive north.

Perfect picnic

For wide-open spaces head to Centennial Park (www.centennialparklands.com.au), Sydney’s biggest park, with a gourmet hamper from Sydney Picnic Co. (www.sydneypicnic.com.au). For a nocturnal picnic in summer check out the Moonlight Cinema (www.moonlight.com.au) and munch away to a movie.

Walks

Take in some classic Sydney sights with a leisurely ramble from Jørn Utzon’s masterpiece the Sydney Opera House (www.sydneyoperahouse.com), through the Royal Botanical Gardens flanking the CBD to the Domain, home to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Stroll on past St Mary’s Cathedral to pretty Hyde Park and the moving ANZAC Memorial, an art deco edifice where the Pool of Reflection provides pause for thought.

Children

Amuse the kids at Taronga Zoo (www.taronga.org.au) on Sydney’s scenic North Shore. If the ferry ride from Circular Quay isn’t exciting enough, they’ll be met by an array of cool Australian animals, including koalas and kangaroos (adults, AU$45; kids aged 4–15, AU$22; under fours go free; get 10 per cent off with a ZooPass, which includes the return ferry trip). Children over five can even sleep over in safari tents at one of the zoo’s popular Roar & Snore slumber parties.

Activities

For a taste of Sydney street style, head for the Paddington Markets on Oxford Street (Saturdays 10am–4pm; www.paddingtonmarkets.com.au), where you’ll find more than 200 stalls selling everything from clothing, jewellery and fragrances to ceramics, artworks and second-hand books. Ditto the Bondi Markets (Sundays 10am–4pm; www.bondimarkets.com.au), and the Rocks Market down by Sydney Harbour (Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–5pm; www.therocks.com).

And

With a dangerously thin ozone layer, the sun is Sydney’s biggest natural hazard – be sure to cover up.