Sure it is months away, but this will be our first trip to Sydney. Suggestions?
 

We are booked for late November to fly to Sydney for business. But prior to the meetings, we will have 4 or 5 days to explore Sydney. This is our first time and we would like suggestions. We enjoy art,
History, culture, architecture and natural beauty.
Thanks much.

Sydney is awesome and has a special feel to it, so plan some time to just walk around. Do the Mrs. McQuarie's Chair walk though the botanical garden. Tour the Opera House. Do not miss the aquarium (go at around 6 pm, they are open late--check first-- and there won't be any crowds). The art museum is great and the natural museum, ditto. The zoo is a must-see. Walk around the Rocks--but do not take the "ghost tour" at night, it is terrible (unless you like tasteless jokes). I am sure some of the other posters will help you out, too. There is a lot to do! Manly Beach and the walks around there is great and should be quite full of people to watch in Nov.
Sally in Seattle, sunny and hot today

Hi there,

I live in Sydney. Best city in the world - not that I am biased or anything!!

Great suggestions to take walk through Botanic Gardens to Opera House, go to zoo, catch Manly ferry and spend a day there. If you want to go out of the city you might like to visit the Blue Mountains.

But if you like art and are here in November then I suggest you visit the sculpture by the sea exhibition. http://www.sculpturebythesea.com/
You get to combine a great coastl walk with art and visit some of the most famous and beautiful beaches. You could finish with lunch at any one of the many restaurants in Bondi or something casual at one of the beachside cafes along the way in Bronte or Tamarama.

We were in Sydney for 10 days in March and loved it - did most of the suggestions here. One other thing is Sydney has some spectacular restaurants - following is a link to a brief review I posted on Chowhound

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/389363

Hi Liz and Richard:
Your site is amazing. Thanks for sharing. Can you tell us a little about yourselves?
Nanabee

Hi Nanabee - we have so much left to post of Australia - much more on Sydney and diving the GBR, and Tasmania and the GOR - yikes - better get on it!

My husband and I (I always sound like Queen Eliz when I say that) live in Toronto but for the last 3 winters we have gotten out of town! First year was 2 months in Rome, 2006 was South America and this year SE Asia, NZ and OZ (next year is Barcelona and Egypt).

We're self employed (semi retired truth be told) telecommunications consultants - 50 and 61 respectively.........big kids though!

Happy to help - keep checking the blog for updates - the garden is in now so we should be turning back to it to finish it up!

For art viewing there are the two museums Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) and Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) as well as publicly funded experimental places Artspace (Wooloomooloo) and Performance Space (Redfern) and lots of commercial galleries. There's the district now jokingly referred to as SOCO (South of Cleveland St) which encompasses a few galleries in Redfern, one in Waterloo as well as a complex called Danks St Depot (also has two good cafes). Paddington is another area where there's quite a few galleries in one place.

In terms of Sculpture and walks there's the Sydney Sculpture Walk (much neglected by Sydney City Council) but still worth visiting for seeing the work of established Australian artists. You used to be able to get brochures at the AGNSW, it indicates on the website they are still available.
http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/A...lities/CBD.asp

In terms of Sydney architecture, each year there's an event called Sydney Open when you get to go inside various public and private builidngs, I think it's October/November but you can sign up for an alert about the date at Historic Houses Trust. They also do heritage walks and run Rose Seidler House (if you are interested in modernist architecture):
http://www.hht.net.au/whats_on/events/sydneyopen

Adored your blog. Makes me want to run to the phone to dial Qantas for a ticket for another trip to the wonders down under.

Thanks for sharing about your travels.

Another Elizabeth