12 hr. layover in Sydney....would we have time to see a few things?
 

Any ideas on what to see in a 12 hr. time period....?
Maybe a harbour tour or???

sorry....I thought I had forgotten to hit the submit button on this posted and posted again by accident....

Yes, lots - what time do you arrive?

One suggestion might be to leave your luggage at the airport and take the train from the airport to Circular Quay, have a look around that area ( Opera House, Harbour bridge, maybe Rocks area ) then take the ferry across the harbour to Manly and back.Leave plenty of time to check back in.Lots of other suggestions will come from others.

As Bokara said, what time do you arrive? Do you have a full 12 hrs in daytime?

12 hours is plenty to have a look at several sights around the harbour areas as Peter mentioned.

Also on a clear day you could take a trip up the centerpoint (AMP) tower and see the whole of Sydney and NSW for miles around.

Transport is good and the airport is quite close to the city.

If you highlight your interests, several people here will probably be able to tailor some more ideas for you.

good luck

Muck

Thanks for your replies....we arrive in Sydney at 9:00 a.m. and leave at 9:00 p.m.
Do you kow if they check our bags straight through to Los Angeles when we board in Aukland?

our interests are just to see a little bit of the city...scenery, views, the harbour, history, maybe a nice lunch somewhere with a view?

So you're flying Auckland-LAX with a layover in SYD? If you're ticketed AKL-LAX the airline should check your bags straight through (unless security issues have somehow intervened since I last travelled). Just make sure that anything you'll need while in Sydney is in your carry-on luggage.

Check with your airline/s regarding your luggage. If it's the same carrier, I imagine it would be checked through to LAX, but always worth checking. If not, there are luggage storage areas at the airport.http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/SACL/T1-Baggage.html

Peterallan's tip of the Manly Ferry is a good one. There are some good restaurants right near the ferry terminal, and others along the beach front, which is just a few minutes walk through The Corso.Here's just one http://www.manlywharfhotel.com.au/
The ferry takes 30 minutes each way and is a lovely way to see the city skyline, bridge & opera house, and one of our favourite beach suburbs.

Other suggestions: Take the train http://www.airportlink.com.au to St James. Hyde Park is behind you as you come up to the street level, David Jones (premier department store) in front. From here, you might:

(1)walk down Market Street to the Queen Victoria Building(QVB) and then to Circular Quay via George or Pitt Streets to see something of the retail & CBD.
Or (2) Walk through part of Hyde Park, turn left into Macquarie Street and stroll down to the Opera House. Lots of beautiful sandstone buildings of contemporary & historical interest.

Myriad choices for lunch along Circular Quay and the Opera House area, from the multi awarded Quay to casual, all with views.

Alternatively, you could take a ferry to Watsons Bay and have a casual lunch on the upstairs Terrace at the Watsons Bay Hotel (NOT Doyles Restaurant), with gunbarrel views down the Harbour. If you're feeling energetic, you could take a bus from Watsons Bay to Bondi Beach and do the cliff walk to Tamarama or Bronte. It's only 2.5km to Bronte, or you might just go to Tamarama & back. Take a bus back to the city, wander around The Rocks and perhaps finish your Sydney day with a drink/coffee at one of the pubs in the Rocks, or cafes along the colonaded walkway near the Opera House. http://www.visitnsw.com/Bondi_to_Bronte_p677.aspx

you guys are great!! thanks so much........

I had responded on your other, similar, post.