Would appreciate recommendation for both iconic and offbeat things to do with our 11 and 14 year old boys - both sports & rock music fanatics. We have three days and will probably do the bridge climb, the wildlife park and a boat tour if not too cold, but would also love to go to a sports event, quirky museum, etc.

Can't help with sports or rock, but definitely take them to the Powerhouse Museum. If you don't live near an Imax cinema (not everybody does) I'm sure they'd appreciate that too - Imax is at Darling Harbour and the museum isn't far a way from there. I hope somebody else can weigh in with more offbeat activities. "Iconic", you'll find a lot of that by using the search facility on this board. A ferry or other boat trip won't be especially cold - brisk and breezy at worst, usually.

Not sure this is your speed, but Saint Mary Mac Killup Place, just across the Harbour Bridge, is one of the most unusual museum's I've been to. Half of it is a serious religious museum, the other half is an offbeat multimedia experience, and all of it features Australia's first saint. It was honestly designed by some of the Monty Python Crew...picture nun dolls in a rowboat being chased by a shark...Joan of Ark carrying on about "one century I'm a saint, the next century I'm not," the banjo playing nun was my favorite. It's a beautiful complex and a very strange combination of serenity and humor. www.marymackillopplace.org.au

Camperdown Cemetery just off the main drag in Newtown is an amazing old cemetery that is spooky even during the day. Newtown, by U of Sydney is an easy busride from city centre and is a great area for dinner or lunch.

Luna Park is an old-fashioned amusement park.

Taking the bus or ferry to Watson's Bay is great for ocean and city views. Include a walk along the ocean cliffs (the Gap is Sydney's favorite celeb suicide spot), a hike to the light house, and maybe a walk to Parsley Bay (to see the suspension bridge)...then down to the shore and up the inland rainforest path to see the lizards that are often out sunning themselves.

Chinatown can be fun, the Botanical Gardens are great (your boys will really like it if the huge fruit bats are out in full force).

great suggestions - many thanks! we go in august; will let you know what we do.

I entered the Mary McKillop museum a sceptic and exited in the same condition, but it's certainly out of the ordinary. However, whether it's worth the time for a visitor with limited time (and two kids) is problematic - on balance I think not.

Its eccentricity reminded me of the museum attached to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, although the Hanoi version was bigger, better and much more fun, and we had the added attraction of hearing an enthusiastic impromptu song by a happy group of Young Pioneers (or the Vietnamese equivalent). The McKillop museum doesn't have a Ford Edsel for a start, although that would certainly be a nice touch. Perhaps an FX Holden?

Sorry, I know this forum isn't designed to send visitors to SE Asia...

(Just for the record, Mother McKillop hasn't been canonised yet, so Australian remains saintless for the time being.)

Best sporting event option will be a football (rugby league) game at Aussie Stadium. Its only a short bus ride, or 20-min walk from the city centre, with cheap admission. Matches in August are:
sun 7th 3pm Roosters v Panthers
sat/sun 13/14th Roosters v Sharks
sat/sun 20th/21st Roosters v Rabbitohs (local derby)

They can also go to a footy game (AFL) and see the Sydney Swans. On 14/8 they are playing at Telstra Stadium which is great opportunity to see Sydney's Olympic Park. They could go for a swim before hand at the Aquatic Centre where Thorpie dominated and tour the other venues. Well worth an afternoon before the game. On the 21st they are playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground which is full of history. http://sydneyswans.com.au/default.asp?pg=fixture
If you aren't in Sydney on those dates - Sydney Olympic Park is still an option.
http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/

And to add....Hard Rock Cafe, is pretty good in Sydney too. Uual format but well worth a visit to listen to the live bands and eat some ok food.

Muck

Hopefully someone else can comment on this - for some reason I haven't been there, but I'm told that the National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour is excellent.

The Maritime Musuem at Darling Harbour IS excellent, but I'm not sure whether most teens would like it. (My teenage son who is a maritime and military aficianado loved it, but he's not like most teens.).

There's something to be said for getting kids out of their cultural comfort zone, but sometimes you can only go so far before they ruin your own experience.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Unfortunately we're not around for the cricket, but will try to check out olympic stadium. On another note, Does anyone know whether the improv group Scriptless is appropriate for preteens and young teens? The website says under 18s can attend with parents.