Things to do in Sydney
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EDITOR'S PICK
Sydney Harbour
Sydney's stunning harbour has melded and shaped the local psyche since the first days of settlement, and today it's both a major working port and the city's sparkling playground. Its waters, beaches, islands and shorefront parks offer all the swimming, sailing, picnicking, walking and real-estate fantasies you could wish for.
The best way to view the harbour is by private yacht (yeah, right). Lacking this, just take a harbour cruise or catch any one of the many ferries that ply its waters. You can also fly above it via a scenic flight. The Manly ferry offers vistas of the harbour east of the bridge, while the Parramatta RiverCats cover the west. You can also visit some of…
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Sydney Opera House
Overcome with admiration for the Sydney Opera House, notable architect Louis Kahn said, ‘The sun did not know how beautiful its light was until it was reflected off this building.’ Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s competition-winning 1956 design is Australia’s most recognisable icon. It’s mused to have drawn inspiration from orange segments, palm fronds and Maya temples, and has been poetically likened to a typewriter stuffed with scallop shells and the sexual congress of turtles. While viewed from any angle it’s architecturally orgasmic, the ferry view approaching Circular Quay is hard to beat.
The predicted four-year construction started in 1959. After a…
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Sydney Harbour Bridge
Whether they’re driving over it, climbing up it, rollerblading across it or sailing under it, Sydneysiders adore their bridge and swarm around it like ants on ice cream. Dubbed the ‘old coathanger’, it’s a spookily big object – moving around town you’ll catch sight of it in the corner of your eye and get a fright! Perhaps Sydney poet Kenneth Slessor said it best: ‘Day and night, the bridge trembles and echoes like a living thing.’
Vital statistics: 134m high, 502m long, 49m wide and 53,000 tonnes. The massive bridge links the CBD with North Sydney, crossing the harbour at one of its narrowest points. The two halves of chief engineer JJC Bradfield’s mighty…
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Spice I Am
Once the preserve of expat Thais, this little red-hot chilli pepper now has queues out the door. No wonder, as everything we’ve tried from the 70-plus dishes on the menu is superfragrant and superspicy. It's been so successful that they've opened the upmarket Spice I Am – The Restaurant in Darlinghurst.
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Quay
Quay is shamelessly guilty of breaking the rule that good views make for bad food. Peter Gilmore may be one of Sydney’s younger celeb chefs, but Quay’s exquisite menu proves he’s at the top of his game. And the view? Like dining in a postcard – as long as there's not a cruise ship in the way. Bookings essential.
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Bodhi
Bodhi scores highly for its cool design and leafy position. Quick-fire waiters bounce off stainless-steel minimalism inside and slatted wooden tables and umbrellas outside. Swim at the pool next door before daily yum cha (10am to 4pm), a relaxed and value-for-money affair. The barbecue buns rule.
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Aquabumps Gallery
Photographer/surfer Eugene Tan has been snapping photos of Sydney’s sunrises, surf and sand for 10 years and his colourful prints hang in this cool space, a splash from Bondi Beach.
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Bills
Sydney adores Bill Granger (aka Mr Scrambled Egg) and his original sunny eatery with its newspaper-strewn communal table. Dishes such as sweet-corn fritters served with roast tomato, spinach and bacon are equally adorable. Can’t get a seat? Head for bills in Surry Hills or Woollahra.
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Aria
Aria is a star in Sydney’s fine-dining firmament, an award-winning combination of chef Matt Moran’s stellar dishes, awesome Opera House views and faultless service. Pre- and after-theatre supper menus are available.
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Chocolate By The Bald Man Max Brenner
The crazy bald guy has taken a leaf from Willy Wonka's book. Shiny copper pipes lead to big vats of liquid heaven, while shelves bulge with all sorts of tempting treats to takeaway. Try the warm chocolate fondue for two, served with fruit, banana bread and marshmallows (around A$16), or just sneak in for a coffee and brownie.
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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…
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Chinta Ria
Despite its Malaysian-hawker-inspired menu it's not really cheap food, but the atmosphere more than makes up for it. Perched on a leafy rooftop, an enormous Buddha greets you at the door of the giant pagoda dining room, while colourful place settings, clanging dishes and efficient service only add to your enjoyment of the spicy chicken laksa.
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Bungalow 8
Retreat to the far end of King St Wharf if the mayhem of Darling Harbour starts to melt your mind. Slink into a low leather booth on the cool slate floor, watch the harbour lights and slurp a lemongrass laksa stacked high with fresh mussels (all-you-can-eat bivalves on Tuesdays). The Loft bar upstairs has cool cocktails.
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Mohr Fish
Teutonic Iron Chef Hans Mohr started this fishy takeaway decades ago, plating up fancy fish and chips with Euro stylings. The interior is more East End London eel-and-mash shop than hip Sydney, but the food is brilliant: don’t miss the prawn-and-fish dumplings with chilli soy sauce.
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Opera House Guided Tours
One-hour guided tours depart half-hourly (you’ll save $5 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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Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
Built in 1841, this boutique sandstone pub has its own brewery (try a pint of Nelson’s Blood), and is just far enough from The Rocks’ tourist throng. Rooms are elegantly colonial, with stripy sheets, stone walls and dormer windows – the owners have resisted the urge to spew flowers and lace all over the place. Most of the nine rooms are spacious and have en suites; there are also cheaper, smaller rooms with shared facilities.
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Orbit
Shoot up to this murderously cool revolving Goldfinger-esque bar, offering killer cocktails and views to die for. Sink into an Eero Saarinen tulip chair and sip a kung fu mojito while all of Sydney is paraded before you.
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Doyles at the Quay
Here is another slick, well-placed branch of the Doyles empire, offering outstanding views of the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay in general. On a sunny day, snag a breezy promenade table under a white umbrella and enjoy the massive-portioned (and wallet-emptying) fish and chips - life doesn't get much better than this.
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Bar Reggio
Most of East Sydney’s celebrated Italian restaurants have closed or gone upmarket, but blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Bar Reggio has retained a beautiful budget atmosphere. The walls are plastered with Ferrari flags and Rome murals, and the pasta, pizza, meat and fish dishes have stood the test of time. Closed on Sundays (church!).
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Sydney Eco Whale Watching Small Group Cruise
4 hours (Departs Sydney, Australia)
by Viator
Want to see whales in Sydney? Experience the majestic whales close up when a large number of Humpback and Southern Right Whales start their migration north…Not LP reviewed
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Hugo’s Bar Pizza
This indoor-outdoor neighbourhood nook has long been seducing pizza fans with its delicious discs and home-style Italian fare; try the puttanesca pizza. The marble-fronted bar and sunken velvet lounge spell luxury, but the menu won’t break the bank. If you feel like a drink, head to Hugo’s Lounge Bar upstairs.
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Longrain
Inside a century-old, wedge-shaped printing-press building, diners slurp Longrain's signature modern Thai specialities, such as pork and prawn-filled eggnet or caramelised pork hock with chilli vinegar. Sip a Thai-inflected cocktail at the bar afterwards.
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Aki's
The first cab off the rank as you walk onto Woolloomooloo's wharf is Aki's. And you need walk no further: this is beautifully presented, intuitively constructed high-Indian cuisine, supplemented by a six-page wine list showcasing local and international drops by the glass or bottle. The Kerala chilli beef is a simmering sensation.
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Cafe Sydney
A roomy restaurant on the Customs House roof with harbour views, an outdoor terrace, a glass ceiling, a cocktail bar, friendly staff and Sunday-afternoon jazz. Seafood and wood-grilled dishes prevail.
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Marque
It's Mark Best's delicious, inventive, beautifully presented food that has won Marque various best-restaurant gongs in recent years; it's certainly not the somewhat stuffy ambience or insipid decor. There's an excellent-value, three-course set lunch on Fridays ($45).
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Mother Chu’s Vegetarian Kitchen
Shimmering in plastique splendour beneath the monorail, Mother Chu’s blends vegetarian Taiwanese, Japanese and Chinese influences to ensure the perfect tofu or claypot hit. There’s not much going on in terms of ambience, but the veg lovers don’t seem to mind.
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