Things To Do In Sydney 101

Astonished by the many things to do in Sydney? Can't wait to see, try and do it all? Relax... Sydney after all is fun and leisure. Sydneysiders work hard...they also know how to have fun. With a little planning and imagination, you can do it as the locals do.Join the throngs of visitors who have been captivated by this exciting city.

On a very limited time? Then this is the best way to see and get around Sydney in a flash. You will be hopping on and off red Sydney Explorer sightseing buses as often as you like at any stops along the way of the 27 locations of Sydney famous attractions. There is no need to book, just hop on board and buy your ticket from the Explorer driver.

The first departure is at 8:40 AM at Circular Quay and the last is at 5:20 PM. The service runs at 20 minutes interval and you can hop on and hop off along the route. The duration of the whole circuit without hopping off the bus is around 2 hours. You can hop on and hop off as you please as the ticket is valid until 4:00 AM of the next day.

If you are in Sydney for longer time, why not buy a 3, 5 or 7 day Sydney Pass. Being State government owned, your pass is good value for money as it includes unlimited travel on regular bus, ferry, train and Airport Link services as well as the Sydney and Bondi Explorer buses.

As a bonus, the ticket entitles you to fantastic discount offers at a variety of attractions and venues along the route. Now, that is another one of the things to do in Sydney.

As an alternative to Sydney Explorer buses, you can book on the Sydney and Bondi Hop on Hop off Tour. They operate a 24 and 48 hour ticket aboard an open-top double-decker buses. It is much like the Sydney Explorer pass without the benefit of using other Sydney's public transport.

"Shop 'til you drop" is how you will describe shopping in Sydney. It is one of my wife's most favourite things to do in Sydney (Don't tell her that..she doesn't know I will put it here.)

Sydney is a great and easy place to shop. Walkways and pedestrian malls join the different shopping centres for easy access and getting around. From high-end botiques to enormous department stores, shopping centres and arcades, to colourful open markets and art galleries, Sydney is a shopper's paradise.

The City Centre is a good place to start especially along Pitt Street. Here you will find top quality fashions from leading Australian designers, to international luxury labels and fine jewelry especially Australian opals and pearls. Here also are some beautiful shopping area worth visiting, whether you are buying or not. One of them is The Strand. It is a Victorian shopping boulevard between George St. and Pitt St. The other is the Queen Victoria Building on George St.

A short walk from the City Centre is the Harbourside, a modern shopping complex in Darling Harbour. This well positioned waterfront complex includes some alfresco eateries and stylish a-la-carte restaurants - all with magnificent views of the city skyline and Cockle and Kings wharves.

Down south of Darling Harbour is Market City for some bargains and factory outlet shopping. Level 2 is where you will find the factory outlets while Level 3 is dedicated to food and entertainment. Now for some real hard bargains on fresh food, fashion and souvenirs, you can't beat Paddy's Market on the ground floor.

Most stores are open from 9:00AM to 5:30PM with late night shopping on Thursday until 9:00PM. All major credit cards are accepted on all stores.

Tip for overseas visitors: Goods and Services Tax(GST) of 10 percent applies to most items. If you spend more than $300 at any one shop within 28 days of leaving Australia, you are entitled for a refund of the GST. Now, one of the things to do in Sydney Airport is show your receipts to the booth on your departure to reclaim your refund.

You have done your Sydney attractions walkabout...and your shopping for folks back home, what is the next of the fun things to do in Sydney?

Your trip to Sydney will not be complete if you haven't been out on Sydney Harbour. It is arguably the most beautiful natural harbour in the world. This bustling waterway is well-served by wide range of excellent harbour cruises, jet boats and ferry services. From relaxing to exhilarating cruises, the choice is yours. Most cruises leave from Circular Quay or from the eastern side of Darling Harbour near Sydney Aquarium.

For a relaxing day on the harbour, you can't go past Captain Cook Cruises. There are over 20 harbour trips on offer everyday...from 2 hour Middle Harbour coffee cruise, to sumptous seafood buffet or a-la-carte top deck dining lunch cruise, and elegant romantic dinner cruises. Night entertainment on 3 dining decks includes dancing to opera with the sparkling city lights as a backdrop.

You can also step aboard the Sydney Showboat for a spectacular evening of fine a-la-carte dining with world class act of cabaret entertainment.

From May to December, be among the giant whales as they migrate up and down the coast of Sydney. You will be on board vessels purposely built for whale watching. This cruise takes passengers past the Sydney Opera House and all the grand and beatiful homes along the foreshore of Sydney Harbour and then out through the heads to the open waters of the Pacific ocean.

If the above is too boring for you and you feel a need for speed, jet boat ride is then for you. Nothing beats the 80km/hour wave-riding speed while your driver performs acrobatic 270 degrees spins, extreme turns and and heart-stopping brakes. No wonder they call it Shark Attack thrill ride. There is no other things to do in Sydney harbour like this!

What is the cheapest way to cruise the harbour to see the million dollar view around this waterway?...Take a ride in one of the Sydney ferries!

We toured the city, cruised the harbour and did our shopping, what is the next fun thing to do in Sydney?

I know there are still a lot of other fun things to do in Sydney like bridgeclimb, surfing, and even studying!

Studying...fun?(Who says studying is fun?...not- as far as my daughter is concerned.)Yes you hear me right...studying! Just ask the thousands of happily enrolled internationalstudents in Sydney schools, colleges and universities.(Which reminds me again of my daughter who does not like school but ended up working in aSydney university department dealing with international students. It really drives the point that studying and working in university are miles apart.)

I will not talk about those here for you will discover them as you do your hop on hop off city tour of Sydney...I'd rather talk about bushwalking. I want to introduce you the "other" part of Sydney...the bush.

Sydney was built from the bush...it was rugged and harsh. The early settlers had to conquer the bush to build Sydney . But now Sydney is doing the reverse...protecting and preserving the bush for us and the future generation to enjoy and marvel. You will enjoy the sceneries alongthe bushwalking trails. They are spectacular and virtually unspoilt.

About two hours to the west of the city is the Blue Mountains, a World Heritage-listed wildernes. A lot of visitors to Sydney regard a side trip to the Blue Mountains a "must" for very good reasons. With breathtaking sceneries and crisp mountain air, lush forest and colourful and astonishing wildlife make this wilderness a "must-see" and a bushwalker paradise. There are bushwalks to suit different fitness levels and time period.

Stay overnight in Katoomba and explore the the stunning limestone Jenolan Caves and its wandering underground river the following day. Hop on the Blue Mountains Trolley Tours which departs at 9:45 AM daily from Katoomba, the main town.

Another favourite for serious bushwwalkers is the Royal National Park, which is about 35kms from the city. This park is consists mostly of rugged plateau, rough cliffs, patches of rainforest, blue gums and coastal heathland (hardy low growing shrubs with spectucular show of flowers in spring.

Get ready for a swim as some of the bushwalks leads to stunning secluded beaches.The park is also a popular place for weekend outing.

If you want to bushwalk and explore historic towns and villages, then the Southern Highlands is the place to go.

Take a walk around the historic town of Berrima, wander and browse in the weekend markets for some antiques and tasty homemade cakes, cookies, jams and condiments.

This is one of those fun things to do in Sydney where you will enjoy stunning view of tumbling waterfalls, and rugged sandstone cliffs and amazing wildlife as as you walk through the woodlands.

Just recently, on a glorious autumm day, our friends Dex and Ruth invited us for a weekend getaway in this picturesque enclave an hours drive from Sydney. It was our first time to visit and we had a great time. Thanks Dex and Ruth ! ( I have also asked Dex and Ruth to share our great weekend. )

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