Sydney (Australia) > Reviews > Far far away in the distance.....

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	So much to do, great atmosphere
Disadvantages:	Expensive to get to, not so good if you dont like busy cities

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When i went to Australia last year i cant say i really thought much about which places i would like the most or what there was to do - i just wanted to go there!!

I went for a small visit of only a month but it was widely spread out as i started in perth and went across to the other side.

Eventually i got to Sydney. Not really knowing where to start and only being there for three days i was glad to have been on a escorted tour and therefore was shown and told what there was to do and see.

As soon as we arrived we went onto the Captain Cook river cruise down by the harbour. Now being Melbourne Cup day it was pretty busy and therefore maybe not as great as it could have been if there were less people. However, relativley inexpensive, the trip lasts about an hour and a half. During this time you are taken on a round trip down the river and back so you can see the sights, as well as having a buffet lunch (drinks are extra). There are a few decks which means that you can move around to try and get the best place you can in order to get that perfect picture of Sydney harbour bridge and the opera house - get to the left side of the boat in order to get the best view. This is all rather surreal as you realise that you are actually there and can take pictures just like the ones you see in magazines and on television. You have enough time to eat and take in the view without having to rush so enjoy it!

On day two it was up early to go to the harbour bridge with the intention of climbing it. Now it is pretty expensive at around £80 an adult, even more at night, but i would say it was worth it - some wouldnt. I guess it all depends on what you like to do. I will say though that this is where you will get the best views of sydney other than from the air. You should book in advance though as at certain times of the day and year they sell very quickly and as they only take up ten at a time you could be waiting a while....

The climb itself takes around three hours, but this includes preperation time and a pretty thorough practice session before you go up. During this time they show you how to walk and give you all the equpiment you will need, including a rather fetching jumpsuit! If you are worried about heights then dont be - im terrified of heights but stupidly decided to do it. Thankfully i was pleasantly suprised to find that although high up you are not too close to the edge and are VERY safely attached to the bridge!
The scariest bit is when you first set off but after that its just breathtaking.

Now unfortunatly you are not allowed to take anything up there with you, this includes cameras. But as you would expect for the price, you do get one free photo to take home. You can of course purchase more at an extra cost.

Overall its a pretty great experience, and being tied to a group of around nine other people means you also get to meet some other people.

Shopping is great here and there are many places to go in order to buy pretty much anything. As in most places there are both affordable shops and the kind that would make your credit card scream.

Hotels are quite affordable too. I stayed at the Corus hotel in the centre which was brilliant - everything you could want whilst you were there. For around £55 a night you get a room in a hotel of 22 floors with all the usual imenities. The view is not too great, unless you like roads, but in a way its quite good as you get to see the busy hustle of Sydney life in the morning without having to hear it. The hotel is very well kept, clean and tidy with a small bar near the lobby. There is also a singer at the piano a few times a week. The reception are very helpful and provide maps if needed - and if your anything like me you will need one, not that its hard to find your way around. The hotel is slap bang in the midle of everything you could want to be near to.

So on that note, after coming back from the bridge climb, which was suprisingly easy to do (and im the most unfit person ever!) we decided that it was time to visit the most famous opera house in the world. Maybe due to the time of day (around 1o clock ish) or maybe the time of year it wasnt too busy and so after paying around £8 we got straight onto the Opera house tour. This leaves every half an hour and is supposed to take about an hour but ours went over to nearly an hour and a half.

During this time you are taken to many of the opera halls and the rooms in which the plays are shown. The concert halls are quite spectacular but were a lot smaller than i expected. One downfall is that you are not allowed to take photos in most of the rooms! So lets hope you have a good memory or all will be forgotten. You can buy pictures in the shop but there are not many pictures of the inside. You are told lots of commentary about the place and all the details such as how many people each one holds and who has played there. Overall its quite worth the money and is the best way to view it other than actually going to see a play or opera.

The outside is pretty spectacular and you can take as many photos as you want here.

Alog the harbour next to the opera house, there are many places to eat which are relatively well priced. These include sandwich bars and also restaurants. Alongside there are also shops such as FCUK and also many australian shops.

Talking of shops there is one thing you will see many off - souvenier shops! Yes they are everywhere and generally sell the same things at the same prices, so i would suggest you save your souvenier buying till your last stop in Australia. Airports do sell the same but are more expensive!

Nightlife in the city bit was not as lively as i expected it to be, infact we walked for about 20 minutes or so before finding even one bar. When you do though, we found that they were very well priced and therefore a few drinks will cost you very little.

One place that is worth going to for dinner is the Sydney Tower. Here you can eat in either th buffet floor or the restaurant one. The buffet floor is more relaxed and is self serv,ice whilst the restaurant is more sophisticated and requires more of a smart attire. The buffet is cheaper to visit and i would probably recommend this unless you enjoy fancy dinners. Either way the view is pretty great and the tower revolves as you eat meaning you get to see everything. Its best to get a window table or you may not see too much. Be warned that if the weather is not too good you may not see very much. When first going up the view was perfect but as it got darker and cloudier it became hard to see and photos did not come out too good.
It is a nice night out though and worth doing for the view. From the hotel it was a cheap taxi ride there but it is possible to walk in about 35 minutes, depending on your pace and sense of direction.

Unfortunatly one place worth the miss is the well known Bondi Beach. Much smaller than i expected it was not the gorgeous array of golden sand and wide ocean that you would expect. Instead its more like an average beach with not many people and no spectacular view. It even has its own 'hollywood' sign - obviously saying Bondi Beach though! Not as interesting as it sounds..... avoid!

All in all Sydney is a pretty great place to visit. Whether you would have lots to do after visiting a few times is another question but for those who have never been its a great experience and very worth the long journey (qantas fly there for pretty reasonable prices - see my other review). Great city to visit!!