natson

My wife and myself will be going to Sydney from Nov2 to Nov7 then we board the Raddison and cruse to Auckland NZ We have never been to Australia and would like any suggestion where to go what to see We are young seniors celebrating our 50th anniversary we play golf tennis and like to see new things etc. Our kids booked us into the four seasons Any suggestions would be welcome Thanks Marvin

Bokhara

Hello Marvin,
Welcome in advance - you'll have a wonderful time here and you're coming at a lovely time. I'm just new to this Forum, but have noticed there are some particularly helpful people who will see your message & come back with some great ideas for you.

In the meantime, assuming you're at the Four Seasons at the Quay, you're in a fabulous location !

There are great things to see & do around that area - circular Quay, Opera House, the Rocks, Botanic Gardens, Art Gallery of NSW. You could arrange a game of golf, take ferry trips, a day up to the mountains.

As you have 5 days, you will be able to take a really good look around Sydney & environs.

May I ask for some ideas of your interests - theatre, dance, art galleries, restaurants, history, rural/mountain/city etc?

Do you like walking? Will you hire a car here?

Where are you coming from? I just re-read your message & realized you're not necessarily an International (LOL).
( I don't want to set you up to cuddle a koala if you have a zillion of 'em in your backyard! )

Hope I'm not sounding overly inquisitive, just that if we have a goodish idea of your interests (and disinterests) it will make it easier for people to make recommendations for you.

natson

Hi Bokhara
We are Canadians We come from Toronto, Ontario. When we go away we like to see and do as much as possable.We have as much golf here at home that we would want and I figure it would take up to much time for our short stay. We would like to see all the stuff that we read about that you have in Australia, museums, art galleries, food, shows, kangaroos, sheep, people, shops etc. Is it best to rent a car or hire one?
Marvin

fuzzylogic

Hi,
Two things - first, do you have five full days or only four? Second, what, please is the difference between "rent" and "hire" a car!

If it were me, with four days, I would find plenty to do just in Sydney for three of them. Loads to see and do pretty much in the centre - then a day out to Manley or combine Watsons Bay/Bondi - take that amazing cliff top walk from Bondi heading south - it goes for a fair way - 2 hours maybe, but you can duck out before the end.

Then if you are not going anywhere else in Oz, the best trip out of the city must be to the Blue Mts. This is easily done by train but if you don't mind driving, hiring a car would be better.

A personal must do - a performance at the Opera House - there will be plenty on early Nov. www.sydneyoperahouse.com.

Have fun.

natson

Hi fuzzylogic
We call it here to rent means you drive to hire means somebody else drives. We have a full five days before the cruse. The performance at the Opera House sounds terrific. Thanks
Marvin

longhorn55

As far as seeing Australian animals, I have two suggestions--Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney or Featherdale Wildlife Park if you are up for a 45-minute drive out of town. If you go to Taronga, take the ferry from Circular Quay and then take the bus or skytram up to the top of the park. Then you can walk down all the way to the bottom. In addition to all the great animals, the views of Sydney from the zoo are lovely. If you have the chance to get out of town, Featherdale is nice because you can see the Australian animals in a more open environment. Also, don't forget the Sydney Aquarium for sealife. It's got an incredible walk-through aquarium where you can see stingrays and sharks swimming around you. It does get quite crowded, however, so plan to go early.

Neil_Oz

As a rule, a car in Sydney isn't an advantage, unless you want to overnight in say the Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley or Canberra (which is a 3-hour drive and would certainly give you your museum/gallery fix, although there's plenty of that in Sydney too). Sydney traffic is pretty grim, and the public transport system will get you anywhere you want to go in the greater Sydney area.

If you use the search box on this forum you'll find plenty of threads dealing with what to do/see/eat in Sydney. As you have 5 days, a guide book would be worth buying too.

yesiree100

I found Sydney very easy to get around in without a car. a train or tourbus trip to the Blue Mountains would be high on my list.

Loved walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and then wandering around Luna Park then to the restaurants and pubs nearby in Kiribilli.

Taking the bus to Newtown for lunch or dinner was a treat...loads of restaurants. While you're there take a walk through Camperdown Cemetery (http://www.ssdec.nsw.edu.au/history/camperdown/ it's north on Church St)

natson

Thanks longhom55 sounds like a good place to try

simpsonc510

Folks of all ages can do the bridge climb in Sydney. I just did that last fall and loved it. (I'm 59 and married 40 years this Aug). The climb is safe and exhilerating, if you like heights.

A standard for my many trips to OZ is to take the Manly ferry and have a nice seafood lunch along the beach. I also love Taronga Zoo (the zoo with a view).

If you go to the Opera House for a performance, try to make it on an evening after you've had time to get over your jet lag. I went to an opera the evening of my second day in Sydney and had to leave during intermission. I absolutely could NOT stay awake. I didn't want to embarrass myself by snoring.... so I left. I'm sure my seatmates wondered what happend to me.
LOL

I also like riding the Sydney Explorer bus, hopping on and off, all day. It is a nice way to see a lot of the city. I've not done this for a few years, but I assume it is still an option.

I also like a harbor tour by boat. One time I took a sailing ship rather than the usual tour boat. It was nice. I don't think the Solway Lass is still there though. Anyone know its where abouts now?

Enjoy your trip!

Carol

AndrewDavid

Simpsonc510

Last April the Solway Lass was cruising the Whitsundays. We went out for 3 days and 3 nights of bliss.
I don't think Natson can squeeze that in unfortunately. But I'd highly recommend for future consideration.

A/D

Bokhara

Hi Marvin,

I've been giving some thought to what might be interesting for you and have listed a few sites which you might find useful.

Basically, the Opera House, Sydney Theatre Co., Sydney Dance Co., Ensemble Theatre and a couple of other sites which give galleries, museums etc.

And, because it's my favourite way to get acquainted with a new city - a link to guided walks around the city centre.

The last link looked interesting as it had a day trip to the Hunter vallley (wine area).

You asked about renting / hiring a car. I'm not sure about the costs of hiring a car & guide, but think it would be quite $$$. Besides, you wouldn't meet any locals that way (LOL). I think you could well occupy a few days around the city on public transport. Despite what we local Sydneysiders growl about it, it's actually pretty good if you're not relying on it as a commuter. There's a very good red bus "hop on - hop off" service around the CBD and nearby suburbs of interest. (Free or v.inexpensive).

Thoroughly endorse everyone else's comments about taking the ferry across to Taronga Zoo - or Rose Bay, Watsons Bay, Manly if Zoos aren't your thing. You can also do a charming Postman's Run from Palm Beach (northern Beaches) through to Brooklyn & back. Takes about 2 hours and is a super trip. (And, off the usual "tourist" route)

Then, if you felt like a "spin" out of town, hire a car then & perhaps head up to the Blue Mountains (You can also go there by train), or down to the South Coast, which is quite lovely and only a couple of hours. There's a very nice "loop" which you could do in 1-2 days - going south to, say, Kiama and then back through some lovely "English" type towns, Berrima, Moss Vale, Bowral to Sydney.

Bokhara

Oops ! Sorry ... here are the links:

http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/sect...;ss=1&pg=1

http://sydneydancecompany.com/

http://www.ensemble.com.au/

http://www.sydney.com.au/walking.htm

http://au.travel.yahoo.com/oceania__..._wales/sydney/

http://www.music.usyd.edu.au/history.html

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~touri...y/museums.html

http://www.activitytours.com.au/index.html