Hi everyone,
I have a tentative itinary for our December stay in Sydney, there are some days that we cannot change so I won't discuss these. However I would like to know if this is feasible,taking into account the Holiday season.
28/Dec Sun
Hire car...Bowral, Kangaroo Valley Wollongong areas. (anywhere else ?)
(Is car Hire from Outside central Sydney; possible on Sunday?
Will there be things open on a Sunday in the smaller places south of Sydney?)

Mon 29
Bridge Climb am (should we pre book Climb before we leave UK as this is a busy period?)
Taronga Zoo pm
Tue 30th
Blue Mts by train/bus or car hire etc

These few days are not cast in stone and we have some flexibility in these days.
We leave Sydney on 2nd Jan however as I said the rest of the days are fixed.
Any suggestions or observations greatly appreciated.
Thanks again

Muck

Muck..
Why would anyone waste precious hours on a day trip to Bowral???

Wouldn't have something to do with the Bradman Museum would it?

Do you play the game at all?

Sydney will be as dead as a doornail early am on that sunday..try Bayswater car rental for a good rate.

Come back via the coast north of the Gong. Have a drink at the Thirroul or Coalcliff pub.

A couple of things:

1) Muck - when's the naked singing of the Welsh national anthem on the Harbour Bridge scheduled?

2) The coast road south is closed at Coledale (I think) and will remain closed for some time, after some rock falls. Finally someone believed that sigh "Falling rocks don't stop"! You can only travel so far, then you have to backtrack via the freeway

3)Mucky is going to Bowral to punish his wife, who forced him to leave Sydney just as the Indian tests are starting! or the old road.

Hi,
Yes your spot on Margo..
I told my wife and daughter that Bowral has a small museum about cricket and a fabulous shopping center for them to visit ...lol
I actually stopped playing cricket when I was about 23 due to knee problems gained from too much swimming and football.
So I just like to watch these days.

Looks like I will be naked on the bridge 29th Dec providing Wales make the finals of course.
I will check out Bayswater car rentals cheers for that.
Not sure about the routes and pubs you mention but will get my map out tonight and check them out.
Margo have you learn't the words to the anthem yet?

Muck

Hi, Mucky!

Only one small change that I would recommend.... do the Zoo in the morning, not the afternoon, and then finish the day with the Bridge climb. Taronga can get really hot by mid-afternoon.... and the Bridge at sunset, so that you see the daylight going up and the lights of Sydney coming down, must surely be the best way to do this (if there's a thunderstorm, which is quite common at this time of year, you get "held off" till it passes. If it hits when you are on top, you will have an interesting experience to talk about when you get home!). Then when you come down you will enjoy a meal at one of the restaurants around the Rocks.
Should you book in advance? Well, there's always the danger that you'll book on a non-refundable day of constant rain, I suppose, but I think that if you CAN book, do it; you wouldn't want to arrive and find out that the only vacancy was at an hour which effectively cut your day in half!

Is car hire possible from outside central Sydney? I should imagine so, but, of course, you are coming in the most "atypical" week of the year, and hiring on a Sunday, to boot! Many of the small places might actually have closed down for THEIR holidays, but surely the bigger places like Hertz, Budget and Avis in Wollongong would still be operating. Maybe best to email them to make sure, however!

Mucky says: Margo have you learn't the words to the anthem yet?

Where's the pronunciation guide - sheeesh!
Alan's comment on the timing of the zoo and Bridge Climb is fair. I think it'd be hellish hot in the middle of the day on the Bridge in that suit. I'd go for early morning myself, but dusk would be good.

Hey Margo....what suit??...lol

muck

I'm afraid, Your Muckiness, they won't let you do the Bridge Climb in your birthday suit!

You'll have to wear one of their particularly attractive grey ones, like everyone else, and look a right dork, like everyone else!
Worth it, though - although the photos are a bit tragic

Oh well margo, the world will be worse off and saddened by that news I am sure !! lol
But I will sing the National Anthem they can't stop me doing that can they.
Looks like its booking up fast for the 29th Dec, waiting confirmation of my booking now !

Muck

Hi Muck - one of my favourite things in Sydney is Sydney Fish Markets - if you like seafood it's a must. Not far from Harbour Bridge - you might be able to do it on the day of your bridge climb.

Hi Pat,
Thanks for that, I saw something on a tv travel show about it some time back.
Do you know if its an early morning only place or is it on going all day?

Muck

Hi Muck - am not sure when Fish Markets close (I come from Sydney but now far away in Cairns) - I used to shop there and it was definitely open until late afternoon - you can eat there too -- it's amazing. It's one of the things I miss most about Sydney!

the fish markets are a good experience and if you can and want to experience them properly then you ought to be there when all the noise and crowdiness is happening and s be there before midday but earlier the better

Sydney doesn't know what sunday is...meaning that all the major outlets will be open, even out of the city centre.

I am a bit concerned about you blue mountains day in attemtpting it in only a day trip, but then it depends on what you are wanting to see. If you got the guts then hire the car and rive there although trains are wuite reliable.

If you have time, you could check out one of Sydney's beaches as well, maybe Bondi or Manly.