Sydney

Overview

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby. Sydney Tower’s outdoor platform, the Skywalk, offers 360-degree views of the city and suburbs.

Sydney, capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's largest cities, is best known for its harbourfront Sydney Opera House, with a distinctive sail-like design. Massive Darling Harbour and the smaller Circular Quay port are hubs of waterside life, with the arched Harbour Bridge and esteemed Royal Botanic Garden nearby. Sydney Tower’s outdoor platform, the Skywalk, offers 360-degree views of the city and suburbs.

Sydney Aquarium, Taronga Zoo and Wildlife Sydney Zoo shelter animals like koalas, kangaroos, sharks and snakes. Pyrmont’s Sydney Fish Market has a working seafood auction and restaurants serving the day’s catch. There are multicultural dining opportunities all over the city, including in Haymarket’s Chinatown and the restaurants serving the Italian community in Leichhardt. A ferry ride through the harbour is part of the experience in visiting outer Sydney destinations such as Bondi and Manly Beaches – both popular for surfing.

Special Dishes

Queen Chow: Typhoon Shelter Crab

It’s origins are self-explanatory enough. A dish from the fishing ports of Wanchi in Hong Kong, the ‘Typhoon Shelter Crab’ emerged when fisherman were forced to shelter during — yep — typhoons and decided to kill time by coming up with new and inventive ways to cook their catch.Queen Chow head chef Patrick Friesen says there are only two places in HK to taste the best versions of this dish. And now you can add a third to the list in Queen Chow which is along way from any Chinese fishing port, located in the newly-refurbed Merivale super pub the Queen Victoria Hotel on Enmore Road.“We sell about 40 of these a week which is a lot really because it’s not a cheap dish,” says Friesen, who uses a whopping 5 heads — or around 50 clov`es — of garlic per crab.

Bistro Guillaume: Whiting Colbert, Pomme Pont Neuf

Trust Guillaume Brahimi to turn one of the most technical French dishes ands turn it into a spin on a simple Aussie fish and chips.The Whiting Colbert, at his new CBD brasserie Bistro Guillaume, is painstakingly deponed from the tail (which gives is that striking, curled-up shape), crumbed, cooked and served with twice cooked doorstop ‘Pomem Pont Neuf’ chips and topped with a disc of beurre maitre d’hotel; aka a compound butter of parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.“We get 30 whole whiting in every day and when they’re sold out, that’s it they’re gone,” says Brahimi, who says he uses the dish to ‘break in’ young apprentice chefs.“It is a simple dish in terms of ingredients but technically it is one of the hardest to prepare because there’s so much that can go wrong.

Rosewater meringue with watermelon and pistachio

You can thanks Sydney’s record temperatures for this smash-hit dessert which Mercado head chef Nathan Sasi hatched over the Christmas break.Looking for something lighter to cut through a dessert menu that leans to the heavy side, Sasi threw together a few of his favourite fruity ingredients and voila; the perfect summer dessert.“It’s definitely a dish that is getting amazing traction for us at the moment,” says Sasi, who starts with a meringue base which is crouched in the middle and filled with marscapone.He then scoops out a watermelon with a melon baller which is then vacuum packed with rosewater and sugar syrup. They’re poured over the top of the meringue, sprinkled with roasted pistachios and the whole thing is served with rosewater and strawberry sorbet.

Tour Locations

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge

9am

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge for unrivaled views from a height of 440 feet (134 meters) on this Australian landmark. Select a 3.5-hour BridgeClimb with a guide in the morning or afternoon, or climb at dawn, twilight or night. Choose from several other options, including a 1.5-hour Sampler Climb that takes you halfway up, or a 2.25-hour BridgeClimb Express for a rigorous ascent at a faster pace. Climbs to the summit are limited to 14 participants to ensure personalized attention in a small group. Highlights Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge with an experienced guide Admire spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House, the Blue Mountains and more Follow a professional guide who ensures a safe, fun and informative climb Choose from a number of departure times for the 3.5-hour tour Have the option to take a more rigorous 2.25-hour Express Climb Try a 1.5-hour BridgeClimb Sampler if you have limited time or concerns about heights Each climb includes a maximum of to 12-14 people, providing a more personalized experience

Cableway

10am

Escape Sydney’s urban bustle for a day to explore the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Blue Mountains. Soak up panoramic views of eucalyptus forests, and learn the Aboriginal legends behind ancient rock formations. Explore the charming mountain town of Leura, and catch sight of koalas and kangaroos at Featherdale Wildlife Park. Plus, you can upgrade to include a ride on a cableway or railway at Scenic World. Highlights Blue Mountains day trip from Sydney Take a scenic drive along the winding Cliff Drive into the Blue Mountains National Park Enjoy panoramic views over the Megalong Valley Visit the quaint mountain villages of Leura and Katoomba See Australia's native animals at Featherdale Wildlife Park.

Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour

12pm

Join a hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour by double-decker bus to discover the highlights of Sydney and Bondi Beach. Enjoy unobstructed views and recorded onboard commentary as you travel between 34 stops, including top destinations like Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Darling Harbour and Bondi Beach. Go in-depth at any given place by simply hopping off the bus to explore. You can experience Sydney and Bondi's most noteworthy attractions at your own pace with your choice of ticket, valid for either 24 or 48 hours. Highlights Hop-on hop-off bus tour of Sydney and Bondi Beach Enjoy great views of Sydney's highlights from the open-top, double-decker bus Visit the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House among 34 convenient stops Dip your toes in the waters at Bondi Beach Learn about Sydney's sights and history from onboard pre-recorded commentary Sightsee at your own pace with your ticket that is valid for 24 or 48 hours

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Cremorne Point Manor Hotel

Cremorne Point located on the picturesque North Shore of Sydney Harbour is one of the city's most prestigious and convenient locations. Renowned for its stunning views across the world's most beautiful harbour and it's leafy quiet walks the Point is a mere 8 minute scenic ferry ride to the city.