Sydney at last....NOW What/where???
 

25th wedding anniversary coming this fall and we say it's SYDNEY for us! Looking for suggestions of what section of the city....probably will look at vrbo.com (vacation rentals by owner.com) for accommodations unless someone has a better plan. Probably late September or October for 10-14 days.

But like any large city...so much to see! ACK!! We are coming from our home in Hawaii...hence no Cairns as our visitors from Australia say Hawaii is just like it.

60 and 56 we are but think 26 and 22!! haha! We are tattooers in Waikiki, retired from our studio in Chicago 5 years ago and now just have lots of fun at it!

I'm doing lots of reading here but the truth comes from those who either live there or have been there. Good, bad, ugly....please let me hear from you!

I've read a bit about a section called Rocks?? Love historical sites, ghost tours, funky things and mom and pop eateries. Not ones for fancy dress up kinda things. Not big on shopping...spent 20 years in retail managment and refuse to pay full price for anything! and besides, what more do I need?? Gold Coast seems too glitzy for us???

I do know that our Australian visitors are our ABSOLUTE favorites and we just can't wait to be in the midst of you all! (yes, I have a hillbilly background....mamma grew up in Kentucky!)

Thank you for any, and I mean ANY, thoughts!!

Aloha a hui hou!

Aloha and welcome, Maili Lady! Congrats on your 25th anniversary! We celebrated a Big Anniversary on Big Island and loved it!

For similar accommodation here in Oz to the vbro site, try stayz.com.au

And look honestly, I would NEVER compare Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef to Hawai'i - it's a totally different experience.

You only have 10 to 14 days, so what are the things you really enjoy? There is a smorgasbord of options in Sydney, and the Rocks are certainly a historical and intriguing part; check out some of the Trip Reports on 'search' on the many Sydney options available.

Aloha and welcome, Maili Lady! Congrats on your 25th anniversary! We celebrated a Big Anniversary on Big Island and loved it!

For similar accommodation here in Oz to the vbro site, try stayz.com.au

Keep in mind that we have school holidays from 3 to 18 October, so accommodation rates tend to increase and be more in demand.

And look honestly, I would NEVER compare Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef to Hawai'i - it's a totally different experience.

You only have 10 to 14 days, so what are the things you really enjoy? There is a smorgasbord of options in Sydney, and the Rocks are certainly a historical and intriguing part; check out some of the Trip Reports on 'search the forums' on the top right of the screen, for the many 'exploring Sydney' options available.

ML
The Rocks is more or less tourist central for Sydney or at least in the central touristry area but also an interesting area full of history, being where the Sydney settlement commenced, there being a freshwater stream there and you'll find a plaque to that effect along the main entry road George Street, about somewhere opposite the ferry terminal [Circular Quay]

It is a relatively small area about the southern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and an alternative to the bridge climb for about $200 is taking to the south east pylon where there is historical information and a fee for about $15 and you can walk across the bridge for free!
Also in the Rocks is Sydney Visitor Information Centre and all sorts of helpful maps and brochures available there.

Sydney is one of those places you can easily spend a fortnight in seeking interesting places, http://www.therocks.com/sydney-Educa...s_Pub_Tour.htm being one tour that might suit and yes there are a few ghostly like tours available, the North Head old Quarantine station being one.

http://www.sydney100.com/ will give you plenty of info and it's good to see that the ferry trip down the harbour and over to Manly is up near the top - a great way to see Sydney from a Harbour perspective and Manly is where you access North Head from.

Quite a few great older style pubs about the Rocks and older nearby suburbs of Balmain and Wooloomooloo where you'll be able to find some locals willing to have a yarn about Aussie icons like Dawn Fraser [triple Olympic Gold Medallist] or Jeff Fenech [World Champion Boxer] while having a few beers and/or a cheap counter lunch or tea.

If you can forego the need for an ensuite, you will be more than pleased with http://www.australianheritagehotel.com/ right in the rocks and superb traditional huge and comfortable rooms - that side street in pic is typical of rocks neighbourhood and if you like the idea of somewhere like that, just ask for a room away from the bridge size [intermittent thumping noise in early hours of lighter traffic].

If you want to get out of the city for some "hillbilly" country, think valleys about Blue Mountains and also the southern tablelands/south coast - beautiful less oft visited Gods country.

Weather in September/October may not be glorious but will not be too bad and if you like football you haven't seen a game until you see www.afl.com.au and coming in September you might be able to get a ticket to finals in Melbourne depending on who'll be playing or if in Sydney the Rugby League finals will be on - www.arl.com.au

Hi There!!! Congratulations.
By sheer coincidence me and Mrs Muck celebrate our 25th this August and will be celebrating with a trip to Sydney too in Sept !!!

So this thread will also be good info for me.
Our plan is to spend a couple of days in Sydney,then hire a car and head out, taking B&B on the route. We really want to take in some of the wine regions, mountains and some smaller towns and countryside along the way.

Muck

Jeez!

That Mrs Muck must be a saint! :P

Great start folks! Thank you so much!

I would love to grab a car and take off for adventures but we drive on the wrong side up here....my husband is just not jumping at that thought! Tours?? the Blue mts. sound great...is the Outback worth the journey? I've been through our Death Valley too many times and one can get enough of 'nothing' pretty quick!

I should have added that we do like to see what God made rather than what man has done.

I've also always wanted to see kangaroos in the wild...I just can't fathom the sight. (oh, them tourists, eh?)

And Australian football....wow! Seen it on TV and it's a real MAN sport! Not like our spoiled, overpaid whiners.

Thank you so much for the sites to check out! I restate....we LOVE the Australians! You folks are grand!

Peggy

The outback is a long way to get to via a tour but you could look at taking a train trip on the Indian Pacific, say as far as Adelaide and with a couple of days stop at Broken Hill, and be a few tours from there you could do and see some outback type country. Check out some vineyard country around Aelaide, maybe some hillbillies too and Dad could enjoy the Birdeood National Motor Museum - http://www.history.sa.gov.au/motor/motor.htm

Alternately you would probably need to look at flying to Alice Springs and plenty of tours from there for Ayers Rock [Uluru] - www.waywardbus.com.au as an example.

While I think of it http://www.paranormalaustralia.com/t...scanberra.html could be an interesting tour too.

See you mention Surfers Paradise in your OP, Peggy (agree, perhaps not for you) but does that indicate you’d like to fly to another destination during your Sydney stay?

Guess recommendations would depend on whether your visit is for 10 or 14 days

If just 10 days, then your idea of renting a car to do some touring outside the Sydney area would give you a great contrast between all the wonders of the man-made and the natural. Driving on the left-hand side is not all that difficult, if the driver remembers that, whether left or right-hand driving, the driver is always in the centre of the road, and passenger always towards the curb. Windscreen wipers usually get a good workout, lol.

Renting a car would give you the independence of exploring, for example, the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley vineyards, the natural beauty of the Barrington Tops, beaches of Port Stephens etc. plus extending accommodation options to cottages and small villages. I don’t have much personal experience of destinations south of Sydney, but there are lovely areas there too with which other posters might be more familiar. Canberra could be something for you to look at, as well.

If it’s 14 days, then a lot more possibilities open up with flights to our other iconic destinations such as the GBR, Uluru etc.

Spent a wonderful Christmas week in the Blue Mountains – haven’t posted a TR yet waiting for the forum changes to stabilise; things seem to have calmed down after the initial ‘shock’ so I’ll give it a whirl.

Oh and just a heads up, school spring holidays are from 3 to 18 October, usually a busier time with 'locals' also flying around 'n going on hols.

Aloha and Congrats Maili!

I'm coming up on 25 years myself, so a big YEAH to all those have made it this far!

Despite what people have told you, there's no way that the Great Barrier Reef is comparable to say..Hanumuna Bay. Having snorkelled both, I can tell you that the fish are bigger, more brilliant, and the coral's amazing.

You mentioned ghost tours and Sydney has a great one that's very theatrical and takes you behind the scenes into alleyways you'd never have access to without being on the tour.

Funky, laid back food - lots of food courts with stuff we never see in the US (and I'm from California too). A great inexpensive way to sample food, especially Asian.

Hope this is helpful!

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

You asked about the Rocks...this is where the first fleet landed and the cobblestones in the street were the "ballast" from those ships, so lots of history. I always recommend that my client visit the Rocks Museum, which is a great interactive museum, which in my opinion, gives you a better insight of what you'll be seeing as you wander about Sydney. It's a free museum (but please leave a donation).

Sydney is a GREAT walking city as well as having wonderful public transportation with buses, trains and ferries.

There are a number of different ghostly tours you can go on, the paranormal at it again: http://www.paranormalaustralia.com/t...rtherocks.html
www.ghosttours.com.au , http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...013413,00.html , some more here - http://www.bcl.com.au/sydney/tours/ghost_tours.htm and of course you wouldn't want to forget your destiny tour in a hearse! - http://www.bcl.com.au/sydney/tours/ghost_tours.htm

I agree, taking a hire car for driving on the other side of the road is not for everyone and particularly for just about cities and you'll find that with limited time you'll be far better off with tours and flights if wanting to get between cities.

Certainly avoid the driver missing a bit of what is to seen, the stress aside.

I love Sydney. I try to stop there on every visit and agree the Rocks is the best location. But do not rule out Tropical North Queensland. And if you get up north, rent a car and drive out into the bush. Or get an Aboriginal guide to take you out into the bush. Up north is where you will find the Aboriginal culture. Its a shame to miss that.