Activities in New South Wales
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Bondi Beach
Definitively Sydney, Bondi is one of the world’s great beaches: ocean and land collide, the Pacific arrives in great foaming swells and all people are equal, as democratic as sand. It’s the closest ocean beach to the city centre (8km away), has consistently good (though crowded) waves, and is great for a rough-and-tumble swim (the average water temperature is a considerate 21°C). If the sea’s angry, try the salt-water sea baths at either end of the beach; these are perfect for kids.
The two surf clubs – Bondi and North Bondi – patrol the beach between sets of red and yellow flags, positioned to avoid the worst rips and holes. Thousands of unfortunates have to be re…
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Opera House Guided Tours
One-hour guided tours depart half-hourly (you’ll save a few bucks if you book online). Tours employ archival video footage to help tell the story of the iconic building’s construction. A highlight is the Utzon Room, the only part of the house to have an interior designed by the great man himself. For a more in-depth nosy around, the two-hour early-morning backstage tour includes the Green Room and stars’ dressing rooms.
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Manly Scenic Walkway
This epic 10km, four-hour walk tracks west from Manly through rugged Sydney Harbour National Park – wear sturdy shoes. It’s easy to forget you’re right in the middle of Sydney! Check the surf at Manly Beach then cruise down The Corso to Oceanworld on West Esplanade. Scan the view through The Heads from Fairlight Beach, and the yachts tugging on their moorings near Forty Baskets Beach. Kookaburras cackle as you enter the National Park and approach Reef Beach. The track becomes steep, sandy and rocky further into the park – keep an eye out for wildflowers, spiders in bottlebrush trees and fat goannas sunning themselves. The views from Dobroyd Head are unforgettable.…
reviewed
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Blue Mountains Nature and Wildlife Day Tour from Sydney
9 hours (Departs Sydney, Australia)
by Viator
Explore the beautiful bushland on Sydney's doorstep by taking a full-day nature and wildlife day trip to the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains. Leaving the c…Not LP reviewed
from USD$111.24 -
Sydney and Bondi Hop-on Hop-off Tour
24 or 48 hours (Departs Sydney, Australia)
by Viator
Explore Sydney and Bondi with this 24 or 48 hour ticket aboard an open-top double-decker bus. See all the main sights as you hop on and hop off 34 conveniently …
Not LP reviewed
from USD$39.03 -
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BridgeClimb
Once only painters and daredevils (including your author!) scaled the Harbour Bridge –now anyone can do it (Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Will Smith…). Make your way through the departure lounge and the extensive training session, don your headset, an umbilical safety cord and a dandy grey jumpsuit (Elvis would be so proud) and up you go. Even if you’re afraid of heights, the scariest part is crossing over the grates while under the bridge; on the curved span itself the track is wide enough that you never see straight down. Tours last 3½ hours – go to the toilet before you start the climb.
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Sydney Architecture Walks
These bright young archi-buffs run four themed walking tours, focusing on art, place and landscape; Utzon and the Sydney Opera House; harbour-edge architecture; and Sydney’s urban patterns. The two-hour tours depart the Museum of Sydney on the corner of Bridge and Phillip Sts, rain or shine. Call for bookings and departure times.
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Riverboat Postman
Departing Brooklyn, the Riverboat Postman is Australia’s last operating mail boat and a decidedly old-school way to get a feel for the river. It chugs 40km up the Hawkesbury from Brooklyn to as far as Marlow, near Spencer, with additional ‘coffee cruises’ in summer.
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Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club
With supreme views of Bondi Beach, this place is an institution (with hard-to-get membership). It’s also the only Sydney beach rock pool you have to pay to use! Gym ($20 including pool entry), cafe and brilliant restaurant on site. Closed on Thursday.
reviewed
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Whale Watching Sydney
Humpback and southern right whales habitually shunt up and down the Sydney coastline, sometimes venturing into the harbour. Between May and December, WWS runs two- to four-hour tours (adult/child $85/50) beyond the Heads.
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Palm Beach
Capped by Barrenjoey lighthouse, Palm Beach is a meniscus of bliss. Nudists nude-up to the north, million-dollar real estate booms in the south, and cheesy TV soap Home & Away is filmed somewhere in between.
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Manly Kayaks
As long as you can swim, you can hire a kayak from this stand near Oceanworld. You’ll be provided with a life jacket, paddling instruction and tips on secluded beaches to visit. Three-hour kayak tours $70.
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Natural Wanders
Offers exhilarating morning tours around the Harbour Bridge, Lavender Bay, Balmain and Birchgrove.
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Whale Beach
Sleepy Whale Beach is underrated – a paradisiacal slice of deep, orange sand flanked by steep cliffs; good for surfers and families.
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Bellrowan Valley Horse Riding
Bellrowan Valley Horse Riding is in the hinterland, 30 minutes’ drive from Port Macquarie.
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Alpine Way
This spectacular route runs through dense forest, around the southern end of Kosciuszko National Park to Thredbo and on to Jindabyne. All vehicles have to carry chains. The fine for not carrying them is steep (about A$300). Motorbikes are not permitted along the Alpine Way from June to October. In winter, check conditions at Khancoban or Jindabyne. There's no fuel available between Khancoban and Thredbo (71km).
If you're driving between Khancoban and Jindabyne, you can get a free transit pass, but if you stop en route you must have a day pass.
South of Khancoban, Murray 1 Power Station has an informative visitors centre explaining the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme …
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Sydney Tower Restaurant Buffet
90 minutes (Departs Sydney, Australia)
by Viator
If you'd like bird's-eye views with your meal out in Sydney, dine at the Sydney Tower Restaurant. Boasting panoramic views from Sydney Harbour Bridge all the wa…
Not LP reviewed
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Skiing Perisher
Skiing or snowboarding in Australia is oft derided for its short season and unpredictable snowfalls. But don't be put off. Perisher has upgraded its facilities to enable more reliable connections between major chairlifts. When there is snow on the ground there's plenty of fun to be had, with long meandering runs to keep beginner and intermediate skiers happy and enough short sharp black runs for the more experienced.
The scenery is also worth getting excited about, making Nordic (cross-country or langlauf) skiing popular too. Some of the best trails run along old cattle-herders' huts.
For snow and road reports contact the visitor centre or try www.ski.com.au. Also tune i…
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Sydney Taronga Zoo General Entry Ticket and Wild Australia Experience
by Viator
Go behind-the-scenes at Sydney Taronga Zoo for an in-depth, interactive and close up encounter with Australian wildlife. Feed a wallaby and take photos with a k…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$121.00 -
Werribee Trail Rides
Unless you walk in or take Katoomba’s Scenic Railway, the only way you’ll see a Blue Mountains gorge from the inside is in the Megalong Valley. A well-surfaced 9km road snakes down from Blackheath through pockets of rainforest. En route, the 600m Coachwood Glen Nature Trail features dripping fern dells, stands of mountain ash and sun-stained sandstone cliffs. A couple of kilometres further on, Werribee Trail Rides offers horse-riding packages to suit everyone. See the area pioneer-style and consider a two-day/one-night ‘Pub Crawl’ ride!
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Opera Performance at the Sydney Opera House
by Viator
Catch one the many amazing performances by Opera Australia at the World-Heritage listed Sydney Opera House. With your choice of seating, the 2012 season include…Not LP reviewed
from USD$77.09 -
Sydney Harbour Sunset Dinner Cruise
90 minutes (Departs Sydney, Australia)
by Viator
Cruise Sydney Harbour and watch Sydney light up on an early-dinner sunset cruise aboard the luxurious MV Sydney 2000, the most prestigious cruising restaurant o…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$82.94
