Australia Day in Sydney
 

Sydneysiders, please share what you love about Australia Day in Sydney. We are having French friends here for Australia Day and are wondering what to do with them. We generally just chill at home on Australia Day but are wondering about getting down to the Harbour to see some of the activity during the day, or perhaps somewhere with a view for the 9pm fireworks. As we don't generally get into the festivities, we are a bit at a loss of what works well. Also we are aware that it is already late to try and book a restaurant somewhere.

French friends are a couple in their 50s (as we are) with a 17 year old daughter. They love good food (as I suspect most French do) ...... father particularly takes with Australian seafood.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Anything on or around the Harbour is good. Get tickets for the Great Ferry Race. Have a look at the Sydney website to see what else piques your interest.

What about checking what happens in your local area? Most councils do some great activities. Save the harbour trip for another time when it's less insane.
If the harbour still appeals, take them to Barangaroo.

http://www.australiaday.com.au/event...at-barangaroo/

I definitely second a trip to anywhere on the harbour. This is a once only opportunity for your visitors. If you can use public transport to get there then do that. You will get a birds eye view from the harbour bridge if that appeals. There is a walkway on the opera house side of the bridge. Get off the train at Milsons Point and look out for the stairs on the eastern side of the bridge. After viewing the activities on the harbour you could continue the walk into the city to circular quay and eat at one of the places on the outside of the opera house.

Barangaroo is also a good suggestion if the opera house is too congested.

Make sure you all have hats and sunscreen.

Thanks for the suggestions. Sydney Harbour is certainly unbeatable on a nice day. As we have our friends for 3 full days, we are thinking of doing something with them either side of Australia day (eg. trip to Blue Mountains, a route through the Eastern suburbs taking in Bondi Beach etc., or lunch at Berowra Waters and then into Ku ring gai National Park.) On Australia Day we may put them on the train to Milsons Point for the walk over the bridge and let them do their own thing in the city. Back home we will beaver away on preparing a nice Aussie Day dinner - either a seafood BBQ or traditional Roast Lamb (which I think in somewhat foreign to the French).

What about the Riverboat Postman ferry trip from Brooklyn? If you're close to the CBD, you can take the train from Central (8:45 am, I think), to meet the ferry. I haven't done it yet but several friends have & said it was a great day out.

Google Riverboat Postman.

Or a drive down the South Coast to Berry, back via Kangaroo Valley & the Southern Highlands.

Walks: Manly Dam; Narrabeen Lagoon; Rose Bay to Watsons Bay; North Head & the old gun emplacements & artillery tunnels, Quarantine Station.

Don't drive anywhere near the South Coast on Australia Day - it is the end of the school holidays and the traffic will be a nightmare.

The Riverboat Postman is a postal service and doesn't run on public holidays.