Sydney Harbour — Centre of Activity

The end of the year is wintertime for folks living in the Northern Hemisphere. For those of you who looking to extend this summer’s heat wave a little longer, take a look at what Sydney (right) has to offer.

Outdoors in Sydney

Being the middle of summer, you will have a wide choice of outdoor things to do when you arrive. Rainfall is at its lowest between September and January, and peak temperatures last from November until February. You can get by with light clothing, but do take note of the public campaign of “slip, slop, slap” — slip on a long sleeved shirt to cover your arms, slop on sunblock cream and slap on a hat to shade your neck. The sun can be fierce in summer.

If you are bringing kids along, you can make a visit to Taronga Zoo. The zoo is located on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour. It is 12 minutes by ferry from Circular Quay in the heart of Sydney city. Alternatively, you can choose to take a bus or rent a car to get here. The best exhibits of this zoo are the indigenous wildlife of the Australian subcontinent — duck-billed Platypus, Wombats, Kangaroos and Koalas. There are some exhibits that allow you to get close to the animals, such as a Giraffe feeding station.  You can also take in an overview of the zoo from the sky with the Sky Safari cable car.

The Bridge, Opera House and Harbourside Parks

The most prominent architectural landmarks of Sydney are the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Harbour Bridge has come into its own in recent years with the BridgeClimb, where you get to experience a climb to the top of the Bridge over traffic and the harbour waters. The tour takes about 3 ½ hours and starts at ten minute intervals.  For a limited time from November this year until January next year, dawn climbs will also be offered, starting at around 3.45 am and enabling visitors to view the break of dawn from the most impressive vantage point in Sydney.

The Opera House, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon in 1957, remains a landmark which set new standards in modern architecture. The building pushed the envelope of structural engineering with its all-roof, no-wall design. You can visit the Opera House for a guided tour everyday between 8.30 am to 5.00 pm, except Christmas and Good Friday.  The actual performances are held on one of six stages, ranging from the grand Concert Hall and Opera Theatre to the outdoor Forecourt, where performances are held with the Harbour as a backdrop.

Sydney’s parks are located in the area around the Opera House. Here, you can walk, jog or cycle on the same paths used for the triathlon competition during the 2000 Olympics, circling the Royal Botanic Gardens on the seafront and skirting Hyde Park further inland. 

Out to sea around Sydney

You are likely to get acquainted with the ferry terminal in Circular Quay, as that will be the launchpad for many of your excursions to the various seafront attractions around Sydney, such as Manly Beach and the Zoo, which can be reached by ferry. Or you could just take a sightseeing tour of the harbour from the water itself, with completely different perspectives on the Bridge, Opera House and views of the famous beaches around of Sydney.

The beach is virtually a symbol of Sydney. With famous beaches Bondi to the South and Manly to the North, you are never more than half an hour away from the beach here in Sydney. The Australian Surf Lifesaver is an institution known around the world, with their red and yellow caps. Many of the modern lifesaving techniques, including those that you see on Baywatch, were pioneered and perfected on the beaches here. The lifesavers put on a show with Carnivals that run from November to May. Here you can watch them practice their craft in competitions with each other, dressed in colourful uniforms and performing heroic drills with their heavy boats and reel and line equipment.

Further Information:

Taronga Zoo is open every day with entrance fees at AUS$ 25 for adults, AUS$ 13.50 for children 13-15 years old, and free for children under 4.  Discounts for senior citizens and pensioners available.

Tickets for the Harbour Bridge climb can be booked at www.bridgeclimb.com/booktickets_frs.htm.  You need to specify whether you will be climbing at dawn (limited period only), daytime, twilight or night.

Opera House tours need to be arranged by booking through this e-mail address: tourism@sydneyoperahouse.com.  They run from 8.30 am to 5 pm daily, except Christmas and Good Friday.

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Article Information

Published in the HolidayCity Flash Issue of 5 November 2003. This article is free for personal and commercial reproduction, with the following terms and conditions.