MY SYDNEY ITINERARY - Jean H. (USA) Accommodation Sun 15 Dec at 2:00pm THE SEBEL PIER ONE SYDNEY 11 HICKSON ROAD WALSH BAY SYDNEY AUSTRALIA 2000 Status : Confirmed Payment method : Prepaid (CCCF's Accepted) Number of rooms : 1 Number of nights: 5 Room type : KING BRIDGE ROOM Room rate : AUD 318.60 Nightly per room Cancellation : NON-REFUNDABLE Changes before dep. : CHANGES PERMITTED WITH FEE Changes after dep. : CHANGES PERMITTED WITH FEE Check in : Sun 15 Dec at 2:00pm Check out : Fri 20 Dec at 10:00am Remarks Superbly located adjacent to Sydney’s famous Harbour Bridge, the historic Rocks area and overlooking Walsh Bay. A unique blend of Federation building and contemporary chic architecture, right on and over the water - this is a truly unique hotel and the essence of Sydney! My Comments Arrived early morning on Sunday—left Friday evening. We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, since we were tired. It is more economical to take an airbus, if you want to try to save some money. They upgraded our room so we looked out on the water. Neat hotel—close to everything! Sydney strikes you as being a very exciting city, modern architecture, skyscrapers, and the opera house which is truly unique. Much of the city was built during the last forty years. The city is surrounded by water, six miles to the ocean entry, and both freighters and cruise ships dock there. We spent the day, although tired, getting the “lay of the land”—Rocks area (crafts show every Sunday), Circular Harbor with all the ferries(great, convenient form of transport, they run frequently—generally every half hour), Opera House, Botanical Gardens, Governors House. Tour Mon 16 Dec Operator : SMARTVISIT SOLUTIONS Name : 3 DAY SEESYDNEY CARD WITH TRAN Start location : Finish location : Status : Confirmed No of passengers: 2 Rate : AUD 138.00 per person Remarks The SeeSydneyCard, Your Passport to Sydney! The SeeSydneyCard is the smart visitors' pass offering inclusive FREE entry to over 35 of Sydney's top attractions as well as optional inclusive public transport on ferries, buses and trains all for a single price. With SeeSydneyCard you see more and pay less. Buy a 2, 3, or 7 day card for adults and children and "Feel Free" to experience all that Sydney has to offer. Valid from the first time it is used, it will then be active for the number of consecutive days shown on the card. Every SeeSydneyCard comes with a FREE 100 page guidebook with maps, transport and attraction information to help plan and get the most out of your day. It's a great value way to see all the sights - and there's no queuing for tickets when you get there. To pick up your SeeSydneyCard simply present your Great Aussie Holidays voucher to the SeeSydneyCard Customer Service Desk located at the Sydney Opera House Guided Tours Office - Lower Concourse. SeeSydneyCard combines value for money with convenience of use. There is something for everyone with free entry to: Sydney Aquarium Taronga Zoo Sydney Opera House guided tour The Rocks Walking Tour Oz Jet Boating Wonderland Sydney Sydney Olympic Park including Stadium Australia Sydney Aquatic Centre Sydney Observation Tower Powerhouse Museum National Maritime Museum Museum of Sydney Magestic Cruises Movies You Ride Sportspace Tour Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout National Trust and Historic Houses properties Mary McKillop Place Museum Koala Park Featherdake Wildlife Park Gledswood Homestead Art Galleries Also included: Shopping discounts Restaurant discounts and special offers Sydney buses, ferries and rail services My Comments There are free tours of the Gardens and Governors House if you have the energy on your first day of arrival. There were lots of restaurants in the Rocks area. Had lunch outside the first day, and everyday we looked forward to breakfast outside in the Rocks area. Ate dinner at a casual restaurant in the Rocks called Cambinettos (okay, not exceptional). Be sure to go to the lower concourse by the opera house to pick up your “See Sydney Card” on the first day of arrival. It was great, because we were able to review all the sites on the card and plan our next day— which was full of activity and a lot of fun— especially since we had our first full night of sleep on a bed. That night we took a walk after dinner toward the Darling Harbor area, and we saw the harbor where the cruise ships dock from high up, and we walked around the old lighthouse that overlooks the city. Active Day 2: City tour by bus. This tour is a half-day tour, free on the See Sydney Card, goes all the way to Bondi Beach, giving you time to walk on the beach. Then we took an Oz jet boat ride around the harbor (more or a thrill ride for kids, but we enjoyed it), then a harbor tour. We took the Majestic Cruise because the boat (catamaran) is much newer than that used on the Captain Cook cruise. We enjoyed it, but the Captain Cook cruise (which we rode for a short time the next day) had a better commentary on the history of the city. Then after our harbor tour (several hours--and, of course, all is included for free on See Sydney Pass), we spent several hours at the Aquarium (which is excellent) in Darling Harbor. We enjoyed our dinner at the Malaysian restaurant, Chinta Ria, which was close to the aquarium. Day 3: Another very active day! We took a ferry to Taronga Zoo, and we spent the morning there. We spent the afternoon at Manley. Again, you get there by ferry, and all ferry rides are free with the See Sydney Card. We concluded the day with a tour of the Opera House, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The history of this architectural wonder of the world was fascinating. The architect who designed it didn’t stay to see it finished because there were so many challenges. There continue to be acoustical problems in the opera house. The tiles are of different colors, some beige, even though it all appears white. The views of the harbor are amazing, the lovely light wood seats and dramatic use of space are awesome. We ate at a restaurant in the Rocks called Sailor Thai (very casual, everyone eats at a long table connected. This restaurant was okay (recommended in the tour book), but it is one you could miss! Day 4: Spent the morning @ Darling Harbor area. We saw the Hyde Street Barracks in the morning, and we found this very interesting— first used by convicts, then by women who were brought over, then it was used used as a law court. I took a walking tour of the Rocks area. This is the area near our hotel, and it was an area that was early settled by convicts. The streets were originally made of timber, but they had to be covered in stone because the people used the timber when it got cold and they needed firewood. We visited the Sydney Museum of Modern Art. There was an amazing exhibit of sculpture by Ron Mueck. Mueck is an Australian sculptor who sculpts in a style of “extreme realism”. His pieces are either larger or smaller than life— and this adds to their emotional and psychological force and impact. Subjects are rather controversial: mother with child on stomach, moments after the birth of the child (still attached by cord), pregnant woman— both the aforementioned are completely nude, veins, hair, everything looks startlingly real, another one was of a nude man in a boat with a haunting expression in his eyes, then a head which is a self portrait of Mueck. There are no more than one or two pieces in a room! Favorite restaurant— not to miss: Machievelli’s— GREAT ITALIAN FOOD, ESPECIALLY THE ANTIPASTO! We walked there which was not a problem. If you get there after 7:00 pm, you will need reservations. There were lots of pictures of movie stars and celebrities who had dined there. Great service as well. Tour Tue 17 Dec Operator : BRIDGE CLIMB Name : WEEKDAY BRIDGE CLIMB Start location : Finish location : Status : On Request No of passengers: 2 Rate : AUD 130.00 per person Remarks Experience the 3 hour BridgeClimb adventure that will take you to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 134 metres above sea level. The BridgeClimb experience is moderately exerting, highly exhilerating and operates in all weather conditions. My Comments Day 5: Bridge Climb: Don’t miss this experience! We did it at @10:00 am, which gave us time to eat breakfast. I was a little nervous, because I do not like heights. However, this is very well organized, very safe adventure, and it is not too arduous! There were pictures of famous people who had experienced the climb—these included Nicole Kidman, Pierce Brosnan, and a 100-year old woman! You get there (it is close to our hotel), and they do it all in groups of 12—every 10 or 15 minutes. You are given a video introduction, a breathalyzer test, you sign papers, get dressed in the jump suits provided, get all your equipment which includes harnesses, hats that are attached, a handkerchief that is attached, an audio system(so you can hear the commentary and directions of the group leader). The young tour guides explain the rules, and you do a practice climb indoors. Then you are ready to go! There is a constant commentary that is interesting about historical facts concerning the bridge and the city. They do not allow you to take a camera, so there are several stops when your picture is taken. When you finish this exhilarating activity, your picture, taken on a digital camera, is on a TV screen, and you cannot resist. The uniforms protect your clothing from grease on the bridge, but also are of a gray color that does not serve to detract drivers on the bridge! They told us that the founders of this bridge climb are negotiating in NYC and San Francisco to see if this concept can work in the United States. We were lucky because it was @ 75 degrees, and a very clear day. Dinner at another restaurant that we highly recommend: Fish on the Rocks (again walking distance from our hotel). This was another one of our “finds” that was not in the guidebooks. It was busy, mostly locals, excellent fish! You might want to make a reservation. This was a restaurant where many people brought their own bottle of wine. We left early the next morning for Cairns! Took the airbus, which worked well for us. It picked us up at our hotel, right on time; then stopped at several other hotels before arriving at the airport. It was less expensive than a taxi.

testimonials & travel tips - Overview - Sydney - Cairns - Melbourne