Sydney is blessed with stunning ocean beaches, magnificent national parks and a wonderful subtropical climate that makes the great outdoors irresistible to its four million inhabitants. The Eora people, the Aborigines who settled around Sydney Harbour, arrived approximately 50,000 years ago, while the white settlers arrived just over 200 years ago. Free settlers soon followed in the wake of the First Fleet of transported convicts, and after them several waves of migrants seeking a new life. Now, two centuries later, the once far-flung penal colony has matured into a culturally diverse, tolerant and mesmerizing city. Ideally located on the world’s most beautiful harbour, Sydney is as exciting and bustling as it is laid back and relaxing.
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Home to ten commercial galleries displaying a wide range of art, this converted warehouse is a forerunner of the new arty precinct southeast of the CBD. German Conny Dietzschold shows exciting international art, Utopia exhibits Aboriginal art and Gow Langsford presents a range of international art.
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Morning
Catch a ferry from Circular Quay to the quaint Darling Street Wharf. Enter Illoura Reserve and walk south beneath she-oaks and other native trees to Peacock Point ’s views across to Darling Harbour (see Darling Harbour & Chinatown). Johnston Street has great views of Anzac Bridge . Head back to Darling Street and admire some of Balmain’s finest residences. Turn into Killeen Street and wander down through Ewenton Park. Around the corner is grand Hampton Villa overlooking the docklands, home of Sir Henry Parkes. Back at Darling Street, get a drink at the pleasant London Hotel. Then, window-shop all the way to the Town Hall. Finally, backtrack to Go Bungai at 333 Darling Street for the best Japanese lunch in town.
Afternoon
After lunch, continue back down Darling Street to Mort Street and turn left. At the end is Mort Bay Park, site of the former Mort’s Dock shipyards, named for Thomas Mort (see St Andrew’s Cathedral), which is now open harbourside parkland. Follow the shoreline around to the steps leading up to Wharf Road via Ronald Street. This lovely street leads to Snails Bay and the historic Birchgrove Park. A path traces the shoreline to Louisa Road, which has some seriously expensive real estate. Turn right and head towards Yurulbin Park for some spectacular harbour views before catching the ferry back to Circular Quay.
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Morning
Pack the bare essentials and catch the ferry to Manly Wharf. Cross The Esplanade and follow The Corso down to Manly Beach . After paying homage to William Gocher (see Manly Beach), head south and follow the path around to Cabbage Tree Bay, where you’ll find the delightful Fairy Bower rockpool and Shelly Beach (see Manly), both of which are perfect for children. Then extract your credit card and enjoy lunch at the classy Le Kiosk , voted the most romantic restaurant on the East Coast by the New York Times.
Afternoon
Leave the beach via Bower Street and follow this around to College Street, past the million-dollar mansions overlooking Manly Beach. Turn right into Reddall Street, left into Addison Road, and left again into Darley Road. Head uphill and take a peek over the stone walls at the Former St Patrick’s Seminary . Continue past the hospital and take the right fork leading into Sydney Harbour National Park . Pass beneath the sandstone arch and take Collins Beach Road on your right. This wends down through a lovely shaded gully to the Police College. A small path on your right leads to the secluded Collins Beach , one of Sydney’s hidden secrets. A path at the end of the beach leads to Stuart Street, which takes you back to Manly.
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Get a feast from this upmarket fish and chip shop.
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From the Darlinghurst Court House (see Darlinghurst Court House & Old Darlinghurst Gaol) follow Oxford Street as far as the imposing sandstone walls of Victoria Barracks. Turn left into Glenmore Road, which has a cluster of small but classy boutiques. Gipps Street leads to Liverpool Street, which is a winding road of elegant double-storey terraces reminiscent of some of London’s wealthier Victorian districts. Hogarth Galleries , is down Walker Lane. Rejoin Glenmore Road and follow this winding and busy thoroughfare to Five Ways, a quaint little intersection with several good cafés, including Gusto.
After coffee and a snack, head up Broughton Street to the narrow laneway and steps on your left. At the bottom of the lane turn right and walk down to steep Cascade Street. Turn right and walk uphill past Windsor Street’s incredibly narrow terraces to Paddington Street. Follow this elegant fig tree-lined avenue up to Jersey Road, passing Tim Olsen Gallery and several of Sydney’s premier addresses en route. Turn right into Jersey Road, then into narrow Caledonia Street, which leads back to McGarvie Street where several eccentric balconies overhang the narrow pavement. Turn into Underwood Street and you’ll find the Grand National Hotel and the London Tavern, both happy to serve you a well-earned drink. The latter is on William Street, which also has several boutiques.
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Morning
Head north across the Harbour Bridge and follow the signs to Windsor . After a pit stop at the 1815 Macquarie Arms Hotel on George Street, backtrack to Pitt Town Road and follow this northwards. It becomes Cattai Road and then the Wisemans Ferry Road, passing through farmland and bush before dropping down to Wisemans Ferry on the Hawkesbury River . Take the southern ferry across the Hawkes-bury and follow the incredibly scenic road that tracks the Macdonald River as far as St Albans , where you can enjoy lunch at the 1848 Settlers Arms Inn.
Afternoon
Head back towards Wisemans Ferry along the other side of the Macdonald River until it meets the Hawkesbury River. Follow the river beneath its sandstone escarpments and through the isolated riverside townships of Gunderman and Spencer before climbing up through the forest to Central Mangrove. Drop down to Calga via Peats Ridge and take the Old Pacific Highway south to the Hawkesbury again. Cross the river and take the turnoff to the small fishing and boating township of Brooklyn. Enjoy an ale at the Anglers Rest Hotel or take a 5-minute ferry trip across to Dangar Island’s idyllic Island Shop for a coffee or light meal overlooking the water.
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This novel by Eleanor Dark includes several historical Sydney characters.
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Morning
From Circular Quay follow Loftus Street to Macquarie Park, exhibiting the anchor from the First Fleet HMS Sirius. Across the road is the 1876 Lands Department Building, seat of early European land ownership. Its façade features statues of explorers, including Ludwig Leichhardt and Major Thomas Mitchell. Head to Martin Place via George Street and check out the GPO ’s Pitt Street colonnade with characters representing trades, professions and industries, then sneak a peek through the windows of Martin Place’s grand banks. Turn right into Macquarie Street (see Macqurie Street Precinct), taking care not to bump into one of the city’s “wigs”, for this is Sydney’s legal district. At Hyde Park , note the lovely Art Deco Archibald Fountain and wander down the glorious avenue of fig trees to Park Street. Turn right and take a seat outside the classy Bambini Trust Café at 185 Elizabeth Street. Sample an antipasto while you peruse the Specials menu and the passers-by.
Afternoon
Head to Market Street and turn left: Sydney Tower is one block down on your right and the Pitt Street Mall (see Pitt Street Mall) two blocks down. Turn into the mall and left into the Strand Arcade and it’s time for a caffeine fix at Luxe Espresso. Exit at George Street and turn left. On the next corner is the QVB where you can spend the rest of the afternoon happily splurging.
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Several locations around Sydney contain Aboriginal rock art, including Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, the Royal National Park, and the Brisbane Waters National Park. One of the most accessible sites is the North Bondi Golf Course, where you’ll find rock carvings just below the tower on Military Road.
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The original settlers of Sydney Harbour, the Aboriginal Eora people, arrived almost 50,000 years ago. They fished in the summer months, and during winter they sought food inland and north towards the Hawkesbury River. At the time of white settlement, 1,500 Eora were estimated to live around the Sydney Harbour area.
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Flickerfest International Short Film FestivalFlickerfest, Australia's premier short film festival, presents an impressive programme of screenings under the stars at the Bondi Beach Pavilion in Sydney, before moving on to other major cities. Read more
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Sydney's Big Day OutAustralasia's iconic touring music festival, Big Day Out hits Sydney in its time-honoured position at Homebush Bay's RAS Showgrounds every January. Numerous international artists appear alongside... Read more
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Monet & The ImpressionistsMonet & The Impressionists at Sydney's Art Gallery of New South Wales features works that have never been seen in Australia. Expect the masterpieces by Renoir, Pissarro, Cézanne and the... Read more
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