I thought that DH and I would be in NZ for Christmas and Boxing Day, but now it appears that it will be Sydney! I know enough that I need to get going on accommodations soon but would like your thoughts on whether we should be in Sydney proper or would it be better to be at a resort area near Sydney? We like cities, but not if everything is closed up for the holidays. We are now thinking that we will have 4-6 days in the Sydney/Blue Mountain area before flying to Honolulu on Dec 27 or 28. We are retired folks from a ski town in Colorado and could have a car, if that is necessary.
Thank you for your suggestions!

The Sydney to Hobart yacht race starts on Boxing Day, and it is spectacular!

You can take a ferry ride on the harbour to see it up close, but you would need to book it in advance.

Christmas Day will be very quiet.

Thanks, Peter. A yacht race...what a great idea for a landlubber like me!

On Christmas, will the beaches be busy? I can imagine taking a ferry from the center of Sydney and then riding bikes around. How about Bondi or Manley for that? Are the ferries running on Christmas day?

Bondi will be crowded on Christmas Day with young-ish Europeans enjoying a hot Christmas, possibly involving the imbibing of adult and/or fermented beverages, maybe even to excess!

Manly I'm not so sure.

some ferries run on Christmas Day, but not all.

http://www.sydneyferries.info/explor...tineraries.htm

Here's the link you need

Thanks everyone for all for your help. I have not found just the right website to reserve a spot on a charter boat to watch the start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, but we really like that idea for Boxing Day.

Manley sounds like more of our speed. Perhaps there is a bike or walking trail that we can explore on Christmas day. Mostly, we don't want to sit around a hotel room on Christmas in one of the world's most exciting cities!

Christmas day is a good time to go to Chinatown, everything is open.

There are lots of walks around Manly. Manly to Spit Bridge is a favourite:

http://www.manlyaustralia.com.au/inf...ks/walkway.asp

The Art Gallery of NSW and the Museum of Contemporary Art are both open on Boxing Day. They only close on Christmas day.

And the Taronga zoo and Royal Botanical Gardens are open on Christmas day. The more research I do on Sydney and things to see, it seems like many of them are in the great out of doors rather than just museums, so will be fine for Christmas and Boxing Day.

If you don't go on a ferry / charter boat to see the start of the Sydney to Hobart, you might like to take a ferry to Watsons Bay & watch from there.

This link will be updated with times etc., closer to the date, and may be a guide for you in the meantime.

http://www.sydneyferries.info/upload...tsonsBayTT.pdf

Someone from the US had almost identical questions late last year and there were some good suggestions posted. If I remember who it was, I'll have a look & post the thread.

Thank you Bokhara...you are always so generous with your time and knowledge. I am rarely successful using the search function on Fodors, so I appreciate you identifying the similar thread.

I have decided on 3 nights in the Sydney area and 6 nights in Sydney proper. DH doesn't want to do wine country, so we will do a combination of Blue mountains and ??? before heading into Sydney. Suggestions appreciated.

Also, getting ready to pull the trigger on the Meriton Serviced Apartments on Pitt and Bathhurst Streets. What do you Sydney experts think of this location?

How kind, steamboatsista, thank you - it's my pleasure.

You're playing into my hands with, " .. a combination of the Blue Mountains and???"
One of my very favourite areas is the NSW Central West, just an hour or two west from the Blue Mountains. If you click on my name, there's a trip I did a few months ago "NSW Central West, an old brown dog & a grapefruit".

I'd suggest you head for Orange & have a night there.
Can thoroughly recommend Cotehele. It's on Anson Street, just off the main street and right next to Bistro Ceelo (formerly Selkirks restaurant). http://www.cotehele.com.au/index.htm
http://www.bistroceello.com.au/

Take it slowly, go through Millthorpe, Carcoar. Beautiful countryside, lovely towns & villages. It's old gold mining country and very rich grazing and farming areas. And (don't tell your husband) some wonderful wineries, too.

I'm off out there again tomorrow for a few days of Orange Food Week. www.orangefoodweek.com.au

Or there's my favourite, the south coast - Kiama, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay.

Depends a bit on what you like to do.

Well, being from the Rocky Mountains, we love to hike but should spend more time at the beach as we never get the chance at home. Thanks for these beach ideas, margo.