Sydney Activities

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 Lookout. The ‘coathanger’ was built in 1924 and was once the world’s largest single-span bridge linking the north and south shores.

Arts and culture

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au) is the major gallery, but there are great exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art (www.mca.com.au), and smaller galleries around the city host up-and-coming artists. The Powerhouse Museum (www.powerhousemuseum.com) hosts extravagant shows that focus design, technology and Australian history. Call us philistines, but we loved the recent retrospective of Kylie’s costumes. To find out more about interesting arts and culture events, consult Friday’s Sydney Morning Herald.

Something for nothing

The Bondi to Bronte walk is an easy walk around the headlands and a beautiful way to see the beaches from a different perspective. From the 2–19 November the headlands come alive with Sculpture by the sea, a free outdoor exhibition of contemporary sculpture.

Shopping

Oxford Street is the main drag through Darlinghurst and Paddington; the Darlinghurst end is renowned for its nightlife and gay bars. Towards Paddington it becomes increasingly chic and you’ll find the best of the fashion boutiques, art-house cinemas, hip eateries and cool bars. Glenmore hosts the biggest designer boutiques such as Tsubi, Alannah Hill, Kirrily Johnston and Scanlan & Theodore. Queen St Woollahra is like an old-fashioned English high street lined with delis and antique shops. Crown Street is great for vintage shopping. Campbell Parade in Bondi has a lot of surf and bikini stores. The upscale Queen Victoria Building (QVB), a stunning example of 19th-century architecture, showcases Australian fashion alongside the work of international designers. Hit Hall Street for a mix of international catwalk designers, great fashion bargains and alluring vintage emporia. At the Paddington Markets on Oxford Street (Saturdays from 10am), you’ll find more than 200 stalls selling everything from clothing, jewellery and fragrances to ceramics, artworks and second-hand books. Ditto the Rocks Market down by Sydney Harbour (Saturdays and Sundays, 10am–5pm) and the Bondi Beach Market (Sundays). All are great places to pick up one-off pieces.

Daytripper

The Blue Mountains is a spectacular wilderness with breathtaking walks through beautiful hinterlands. Natural rock formation the Three Sisters is a particular highlight. The Hunter Valley, New South Wales’ main wine-growing region, is around three hours by car from Sydney. It’s more of a weekend destination, as you’ll want to do a few winery tours and tasting sessions while you’re there. Head for Tyrrell's Winery (Broke Road, Pokolbin; www.tyrrells.com.au), where a one-hour tour is followed by tasting in a heritage-listed building. While in Pokolbin, make sure you stop at the Hunter Valley Cheese Company (McDonalds Road, Pokolbin; www.huntervalleycheese.com.au) to pick up fabulous local fromage.

Best beach

The infamous Bondi Beach may not be the prettiest of Sydney’s beaches but it is definitely the one to be seen on. With its child-friendly park and surfeit of barbecues, Bronte Beach is the ideal place in which to immerse yourself in the local culture – have a leisurely lunch and a glass of wine in the upscale Swell (465 Bronte Road; www.swellrestaurant.com.au). Tamarama Beach – otherwise known as glamourama – is also one of the hippest beaches to take the sun. Palm Beach (where Home & Away is filmed), an hour from the city, is well worth the drive too. While there, either treat yourself to lunch at Jonah’s (69 Bynya Road; www.jonahs.com.au) or enjoy some of Australia’s finest fish and chips down on the sand.

And...

With a dangerously thin ozone layer, the sun is Sydney’s biggest natural hazard. Be sure to follow the slip, slop, slap rule. And it's a great place to ditch that smoking habit: it's banned in all inside areas.