Sydney Opera House,Hbr Bridge,Taronga Zoo,Harbour Cruise,Powerhouse Museum, Pad'ton/Hay Markets,RBGdn .......will it worth it to add on my itinerary, Fox Studios and Unseensydney tour(Ghost Tour in Rocks area)?

Hi, Leniram!<BR>The harbour cruise is a waste of money. Not that you should miss sailing on Sydney Harbour... no way! But don't pay the Captain Cook Cruise people all that money for their cruise-with-buffet-and commentary; just buy a Daytripper Pass for $13.40 and hop on any of the ferries (as many as you like, all day) that are going from Circular Quay every few minutes. The food at Manly, Watson's Bay, Balmain and Mosman is infinitely better than on the cruise boat, you can stay as long as you like at different stops to explore (even return by bus, if you like, as there are city buses waiting for the ferries at places like Balmain and Woolwich -- the pass gets you on trains and buses, too), and you will have a great day for a fraction of the price that the cruise passengers are paying.<BR>The Fox Studios are probably still offering their backlot tours (but they've been much quieter about these in recent months), but you should know that things are not going too well for this venue. They had to close their theme park a few months ago because the Sydney people quickly saw it for what it was -- a scandalously-expensive Universal-studios copycat -- and stayed away in droves. Right now their big hall is being used for a sale of bras and men's undies... it all helps to recoup some of the costs, I guess. I don't think I'd be bothered with them.<BR>Can't tell you anything about the &quot;unseensydney&quot; tour of the Rocks, except that this is such a small and easily-explored area that I can't imagine that the tour would take you to anywhere you couldn't see in an hour of self-guided exploration. Might be fun, however, to listen to the spooky stories as you walk... but, once again, this is, essentially, a copy-cat idea stolen from cities like London and New Orleans. It'll probably be a rip-off, but if it's only about $AUD10, what's the difference? Just don't miss out on a night at the Opera because of it!<BR>By the way, Paddington Markets is good, but the Haymarket (quite different!) has now been taken over by surrounding Chinatown, and is the usual complex of fast-food outlets, a cinema centre, and souvenir shops. If you are going to the Powerhouse (recommended), you might find a worthwhile addition in the Maritime Museum (just across Darling Harbour) and the Aquarium.... both certainly a better idea than Fox Studios! Finally, you really should plan on a day to do the Spit Bridge - Manly walk; I can post again and give you explicit directions, and I assure you this will be one of the best days you will have in Sydney, it involves a minimal cost, and (regrettably) hardly any tourists bother to do it. Those who have will support me that it's an unforgettable day (come on, Adrienne, Michael, Patti!)

Alan<BR><BR>Hello again. I would love to hear of this &quot; explicit directions, and I assure you this will be one of the best days you will have in Sydney&quot;<BR>Your advice is very much appreciated.<BR>This trip might be the only Sydney trip in my entire lifetime so I want to make the most out of it.<BR>

Hi, again, leniram!<BR>It's done! I cheated just a bit.... I found an old post where I had given directions and topped it for you. It should be just below this... check the heading &quot;Where to Find Rock Art&quot;.<BR>Prices have gone up a bit since I wrote the earlier reply for Angela, however.... the ferry is now about $5 and the bus about $3, so the day will be a little more costly than I said back then. Make sure you go on a day when no rain is predicted, as the second half of the walk has quite a stretch where you can't get to shelter. Leave EARLY on that bus.... say around 7:30 a.m., as the beaches you will pass are at their best in the early morning... and on one occasion when I followed my own advice and got up early, the first beach I walked across was swarming with crabs. If you get to Manly in early afternoon, head through the shopping centre to the ocean beach.... it's the equal of the more-famous Bondi Beach, and a great place to swim. If you want a quieter and less-crowded spot, ask someone to point you to the Fairy Bower Rock Pool, a five-minute walk from the eastern end of Manly Beach.<BR>Have a great day!

note for Alan:<BR>Hi Alan, I am fairly pleased to hear about Fox studios misfortunes, when we visited they selected me to get up on stage in the middle of a show, they made me sing..lol so I sang the &quot;Green Green Grass of Home&quot; and my children disapeared under their chairs with embarrassment !! So revenge is sweet !!<BR>Seriously though; we found it quite a good visit, the children were interested and kept amused and it really was not any more expensive than any theme park here in the UK.<BR>In fact we bought loads of gifts there and they were really quite cheap by comparison. So we had a fairly good couple of hours there, the most astonishing thing about the place was , as you said it was really quiet, perhaps only about 400 or so people in the whole place, and most of those watched me on stage.Some even congratulated me on my performance ( the deaf ones I think!!)<BR><BR>Cheers<BR><BR>Rich

Rich, maybe you could repeat your performance on those Sydney Harbour Cruise boats and close them down, too, so visitors would start taking the commuter ferries instead! Or maybe sneak down to the Rocks and start warbling during Leniram's ghost tour -- that should add a touch of genuine horror to the proceedings!

Hi, I have to agree with Alan on the Spit to Manly walk. On my last visit to Sydney I decided to have a go at this walk and it was fantastic. The views around the coast line were stunning, it didnt cost anything, and the reward of reaching Manly was great. Fully recommend you do this.