Nosy

I'm posting for my husband who is taking an unexpected business trip to Darwin, Australia. He'll arrive at Sydney (flying from LAX) at 7 am and not depart for Darwin until the next day. He's not sure how tired he'll be and will be staying at the Airport Holiday Inn. If you had a day in Sydney (with no car), what would you do? Sights? Restaurants? Quintessential (sp?) Sydney? Anything accessible by public transportation?

I apologize for what might be some basic questions, but it's a spur of the moment trip. Neither of us have been to Australia before (Europe is more our area of expertise), and we don't have as much time as we would usually have for research (leaving this weekend). Usually I spend months and months lurking here and reading in order to plan on a trip, so I'm relying on your Fodorite experts for some quick help.

Thanks for any suggestion!

Nosy

I should add that my husband is amenable to all things- loves nature, loves museums, loves good food, loves the water, loves wandering an interesting neighborhood. Not so much on the shopping, though.

Alan

I don't know about your husband, but when I arrive in a new city I always feel full of vim no matter how long the flight has been, so if this were me I would dump my bags at the desk of the Holiday Inn, grab my room key, and continue on my merry way until that night, which is when I start to feel the jet lag (on my first morning in New York I slept until 10:30 a.m.! New York!)

Everything in Sydney is accessible by public transport, so you could ask the Holiday Inn to point you to the nearest bus stop, or call you a taxi... it's only fifteen minutes into the city. Nearly all buses go to Circular Quay, and that's as good a place as any to begin a walk through this delightful city.

You'll be looking, when you alight from the bus, at the Harbour Bridge on your left and the Opera House on your right. You can do a walk which starts at one and ends at the other, via the best of Sydney.

Start by walking around to the Opera House, from where you can take great morning shots of the Bridge (and, if you're interested, a tour of the centre). Behind the Opera House is the entrance to the Botanical Gardens, which will take you up past the Conservatorium of Music to Macquarie Street, which contains a horde of fine old civic buildings: Parliament House, the main library, the Convict Barracks, the old Mint. Some of these are open for inspection.

At the head of Macquarie Street you are at Hyde Park, which you should go into for at least a few steps, as far as the Archibald Fountain (St Mary's Cathedral on your left). The you can head right, down through the shops in Market Street until you come to the Queen Victoria Building, the closest thing Sydney has to a "belle epoque" building (and, in truth, it wouldn't look out of place on the Champs Elysee). Walk through this, and on the other side is the Town Hall. Go straight past this building and down the cinema strip (tatty George St, where thr spruikers assure you that "you'll never see prices like this again&quot until you get to Chinatown. Then turn right (follow the tram tracks) and you're in Darling Harbour, with the Chinese Gardens. There are several museums in this area -- the Maritime and the Powerhouse -- and also the Aquarium, from which you can catch a ferry back under the Harbour Bridge to Circular Quay, where you started. If you then walk down towards the Harbour Bridge you can take some great afternoon shots of the Opera House, looking across the bay -- plus, you are in the Rocks, which will be a good place to sit and relax and maybe have a meal.

The main hotel in the Rocks is the Old Sydney Holiday Inn.... I would imagine that if you went in there and told them that you were booked into their branch at the airport, they would be thrilled to organise transport back there for you. And so to bed.....

joeatiyah

If he just wants one place to go - try the aquarium, its the best Ive ever been to - and the free maritime museum nearby if he gets bored with fish. Or if its a lovely day, walk the botanic gardens from the Opera House.

Bokhara

Following Alan's great suggestions ... your husband could continue through the Botanic Gardens to the Art Gallery of NSW to see one of our great galleries. There's also a red "hop on hop off" bus that takes in lots of intersting sights. You can catch it on most of the major streets, (George, Pitt, Castlereagh, Elizabeth).
Another interesting diversion is to take a ferry to Watsons Bay (Eastern Suburbs) and have a "refreshing glass" and a meal at the Watsons Bay hotel.
The view up the harbour towards the Bridge is stunning.
Other excellent restaurants with harbour views along the walkway to the Opera House at Circular Quay. He might try Aria (Tel 9252 2555) at 1 Macquarie Street - superb modern Australian food. 16/20 in the Sydney good food guide and a personal favourite (I'm not associated with it - just a fan!)Equally good - Aqua Luna, (9251 0311) just a few doors away. Both of these have wonderful harbour views. I'm a Sydney local, so feel free to ask anything you think I may be able to assist with. The weather is sensational at the moment and I'm sure your husband will enjoy his time in "our town".

mjs

I would stay at the Circular Quay instead of the airport and use my hotel there as a base to explore that area and downtown plus Darling harbor.

Neil_Oz

Strongly agree with mjs. The airport is not far from the city, and it would be far better to have recourse to a conveniently situated hotel away from the semi-industrial airport area. An early check-in would be a good idea, of course.

Nosy

Thanks for the terrific suggestions. My husband has printed them out and will definitely try some of the suggestions depending on how he feels. He especially liked Alan's walking tour. I wish he could change his hotel, but his employer is rather restrictive in that regard, so he'll just have to deal with the airport. Thanks again!

someotherguy

The airport Holiday Inn is a decent hotel. It's only 5 minutes walk from Mascot train station (walk along the main road beside the hotel, cross an intersection, and it's on your right).

Take the train to Circular Quay. Do as much as you wish there, then take
the ferry to Manly. Walk to the beach and have lunch or dinner as appropriate. The ferry provides great views (particularly on the way back).

AndrewDavid

I'd buy a day pass for the excellent Public Transportation system and spend the day on the water riding the harbour ferries.
A/D

Tassietwister

Andrew

There is nothing excellent about Sydney public transport system. LOL

You must have experienced it on a good day!!!

There is plenty to keep you occupied while you wait for the late train though, a sniffer dog may check you out for drugs, a transit police officer may fine you for looking guilty of something and you may catch the latest installment on how homeless people in Sydney find a three course meal from litter bins at suburban stations.

If real action excites better then train rage episodes take the cake. A guy banging on the driver window threatening them with a punch in the nose for being late yet again, an aggro passenger being hysterical at getting fined for smoking in open air after waiting for a delayed train for 23 hours or an old lady of 95 hitting out at tranist officers with her umbrella after being caught without buying their $1 ticket.

All good fun ... NOT

Tassietwister

Back to orginal question.

Take a ferry ride if it is a nice day with blue sky. To Manly, to Watsons Bay or to anywhere that involves Sydney Harbour.

AndrewDavid

TT, I am sorry I missed all the excitement on Sydney PT. We really got value for our 1 week pass: ferries trains and bus, including one almost all the way back from Scotland IS.

A/D

mjs

If your husband's employer likes Holiday Inns perhaps he can stay at the one in the Rocks which looks quite nice.

Bokhara

The Holiday Inn at the Rocks is fine and SO well located. You're just near the Quay, the Opera House,Botanic Gardens and the CBD, as well as some of Sydney's best restaurants & bars are literally on your doorstep. Personally, I wouldn't stay anywhere near the airport. It's only 20 mins (maximum) to town from the airport and the area around the airport hasn't anything to recommend it. If he stays in The Rocks area, he probably can do anything he wants to either by walking or public transport (eg. ferry trips as recommended by other posters). Or take taxis. (a) With the rate of exchange, they're "cheap as chips" for Americans, and (b) if it's business travel, he can almost certainly claim it anyway (lol)