Hey; I have just planned a trip that will have us in Sydney (From Canada) in early February. Kind of last minute for half-way across the globe, but winter here is winter and OZ sure looks like a better way to escape it in February!

We are a mature but active couple (we can walk 7- 10km a day) and would like to stay (6 nights) in a nice area, fairly central. We are not looking for any party nightlife but don't want someplace where there is nothing to walk to, and do, after 6 pm either.

The "CBD" (I a doing my research) is maybe not our first choice but would stay there in the right place. I know the transport options would be better in the CBD. We would like a fairly central neighbourhood with a commercial activity nice streetscapes, character, and lots of places to hang about and eat. Being close to transit to get to the CBD, Manly, and other areas is a definite plus.

I have been doing some research on Glebe, Potts Point, Surry Hills, the Rocks, Woolloomooloo, etc., but getting enough information to make an informed decision with less than 2 weeks to go is a little overwhelming.

I would appreciate any recommendations for neighbourhoods, sites, restaurants, etc., and even specific accommodation possibilities.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

The Rocks is in the city-its an area with hotels and just near the cruise terminal . We stayed at the Marriott which is on the edge of the Rocks and just near the tram, feries and trains -easy accees to bridge, opera house, historic rocks area

What about Radisson Blu Hotel?

Sydneysider here, would be willing to answer any questions you have. Surry Hills and The Rocks are great, The Rocks offers better access to most of Sydney's sights and it's more of a buzzy area so this would probably be my recommendation for a new visitor. I'd also like to recommend the neighbourhoods close to North Sydney - Kirribilli and McMahons Point for example offer great harbour views and are full of character. They're perhaps a bit sleepy, but there are many transport options offering access to the CBD, Manly and so on from there. I'd offer some restaurant recommendations, but I live in the south and wouldn't consider most of what I eat to be particularly representative of "Sydney food" anyway so I'll probably refrain from offering up some of my own haunts.

Regarding sites, if you're at all into history and nature I recommend the walks in and around the harbour, specifically those in and around Middle Head. There's some fascinating WW2-era historical buildings there, such as Georges Head Battery and the Middle Head fortifications. The views of the harbour are stunning, and you could probably pair a walk from Bradley Head to Middle Head with a visit to Taronga Zoo. North Head is good for this too - recommend it if you're visiting Manly, it offers some great views of the Pacific and a handful of neat WW2 gun emplacements.

Oh, also, this is on virtually everyone's Sydney travel list but I want to add that you should make sure to visit the Queen Victoria building, it's a fine example of a Victorian shopping arcade. Saint Mary's Cathedral, St James' Church, and so on are also beautiful and historic pieces of architecture in the city.

There are some wildlife sighting opportunities in Sydney too. If you want to see wild kangaroos, the Australian Botanic Gardens in Camden are where you have the best shot of seeing them. There's a large grassy entranceway where you're most likely to catch sightings, but for the best chances visit in the early morning or dusk. It helps that the Botanic Gardens are worth visiting in and of themselves, though it is a bit far out.

For a bit of a unique experience that's closer to the city centre, travel to Centennial Park and walk through Lachlan Swamp. That swamp is home to Sydney's largest colony of grey-headed flying foxes and when you visit you'll see these creatures hanging everywhere from the trees. The colony is massive, and it's genuinely cool to see. Centennial Park itself is also very nice, I visit every now and then whenever I want to clear my head.

Nice, Travelling Flaneur. You might enjoy this:
Secret lives of Urban Birds: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/secret...ur-urban-birds

I lived in McMahons Point for a few years. Little old block of flats just near the ferry steps. Lovely spot!

Scotia #3. Here's a map of Sydney.

Sydney map: https://goo.gl/maps/PFmeA45BAKXruh4F8

You're welcome.

To, Bokhara2
Thank you! It really helped.
Scotia

Thanks very much for this and your first post. Great information!

p.s. I just learned what "flaneur" meant last week. Hey, that's me, too!

The Rocks is a very accessible area for public transport and Sydney harbour. I’d recommend a ferry trip to Taronga Zoo. Animals here are all housed outdoors, apart from nocturnals. Much more pleasant to see than being kept indoors in the way that I’ve come across in the northern hemisphere!
There are great walks around the harbour foreshore, and for the more adventurous the Bondi to Manly walk is spectacular for scenery and occasional Aboriginal rock carvings. You can use transport for some of the length if you’d rather.
I have no recent experience with accommodation in The Rocks, but there’s plenty of choice.
Happy travels, Di

I can recommend Rydges Central Sydney having just stayed there in January. It was part of our package deal with a cruise so we did not chose it but it was great. Spacious rooms, free buffet breakfast (maybe part of our package) and a nice craft beer restaurant where we had dinner.
The best part was the access to Sydney Light Rail just a few minutes from the hotel. Tap on and off with a pay wave card and you are down at the harbour in minutes.
Last time we were in Sydney we stayed in Darling Harbour at Oaks Goldsbrough. They have now demolished the shopping centre/restaurant cafe area just near there so it's not the same. Next Sydney visit I'd love to stay in the Rocks are. Very historic and close to everything.