36 hours in Sydney

If you haven't yet looked into booking for the Bridge Climb Kristina, you could find you're limited to certain times if available and the weather will also no doubt want to be taken into account.

An far cheaper alternative is to just take to the South East Pylon, about $15, there being a display and you get to a reasonable height and of course you can walk across the bridge for free.
A number of buildings [Centrepoint tower for a fee] and hotels have restaurants/bars that offer good views too, Boulevarde Hotel on William Street being one but that's an oldie and probably plenty more about.

Sounds like you may have already done the Rocks, Opera House and Botanical Gardens area or maybe you'll have time within the conference sessions, but get a ferry across to Manly and head on down the Corso to the Pacific and then there's a walk up onto North Head and a Quarantine Station tour up there if interested.

South Head has the best views back up the harbour and you can either get a bus around to Watson Bay, or a ferry to there [a Doyles Seafood restaurant complex adjacent to wharf and pub bit right at end of street is best value if wanting a feed before or after walking around the headland, there being two separate areas, higher headland and lower walk that takes you right out to point of headland [past Lady Jane nudists beach].

If you want a wilder ride about the Harbour/out through the heads, there's various fast boats that leave from pontoons alongside the quay as you head out to the Opera House - and maybe you might want to see what shows are on there at the moment.

Wednesday night if it suits you is a Rugby League State of Origin Match in Sydney - some of the best football [one of the Aussie styles] around if you're into big fellas bashing oneanother up a bit, little padding, no hard helmets for our toughies.

Have a look in Queen Vic Building, Cnr.George and Market - can't miss it [splendid building] and just down George Street, opposite side, a bit towards harbour is The Strand and between those two or anywhere about that neck of the woods you could find some shops flogging Opals.

Just beware however that some places do laminated Opal [It'll be far cheaper] where you have just a sliver of opal glued on some sort of a bed and our Opal industry could be doomed for synthetic ones are about too.

Another very Sydney experience would be to have a Pie or whatever from the famous Harry's Cart de Wheels which is immobile these days and stands at the entry to the Wooloomooloo finger wharf, supposedly longest finger wharf for southern hemi or wherever and home these days to dining venues, apartments and the boats of some apartment residents - some of our more affluent people.

If the weather stays fine (it is right at the moment), take a ferry across to Manly. Nice trip and an interesting place for a stroll. For a bite, try the hotel on the wharf (on the right as you disembark the ferry).

The beach (end of the concourse) is lovely and there is a good selection of restaurants along the esplanade also.

If you like walking (again, weather permitting), the Bondi to Bronte walk is gorgeous - along the cliff faces. http://www.sydney.com.au/bondi-to-bronte-self-guided-walking-tour.htm
Lunch tip: Bondi Icebergs CLUB (below the very upmarket Icebergs Bar & Dining Room). Wonderful views, good food and you don't need to be a member.

Sydney "must sees"? The Opera House up close - even better if you can go to a performance (preferably in the Concert Hall so you are nice and close to the back bar at the interval from where there is a view to die for imho!). Walk across the Harbour Bridge and/or visit the museum in the Pylon. The Botanical Gardens and the AGNSW. Take a ferry to Manly as already suggested, but for my money a ferry trip not to miss is to Mosman Bay and back - no need to get off even, though if you do there is a splendid walk round Cremorne Point.
What else? Yes, Bondi is worth seeing and the clifftop walk can be wonderful as long as the weather is reasonable.
I love both the Museum of Sydney and the State Library (where the exhibitions are free) but whether they are MSs I don't know. There are also some fun markets to visit at the weekends - post again if you are interested - a couple of them (Balmain & Rozelle) can be combined with a ferry trip via Darling Harbour and a visit to Sydney Fish Market if that appeals.

Cheers,

All,

Thanks so much for the great suggestions. I ended up doing the Bridge Climb on Friday afternoon with 8 friends. Great fun (and I wasn't scared once we actually started)! Too wiped out to do much afterwards other than to grab a lite dinner and some great local beer. On Saturday, I took the ferry to Manly and walked around for a few hours, came back and did the Opera House tour (fabulous!), hit the Queen Victoria Building for some souvenirs (love the shop on the top floor), shopped for - but didn't buy - opals and pearls, had dinner at Darlington Harbor and then hit the aquarium. The aquarium was a great surprise. It was virtually empty at 8 PM on Saturday night and we had a good 2 hours to see everything. The sign above the crocodile exhibit ("Don't Climb Over The Fence. If the Fall Does Not Kill You, the Crocodile Will.") is now my #1 all time favorite sign (pushing the "Airplanes Have Right of Way" sign at Washington Dulles airport out of the #1 spot). After all that, I slept most of the way from Sydney to San Francisco the next day.

Way to go! kristina.

You packed a lot in! Well done. It's great to take advantage of those extra bits of time after conferences.

<<shopped for - but didn't buy - opals and pearls,>>

Sticker shock?

You certainly made good use of your limited time. You're inspiring.