Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

WHAT TO SEE & DO IN SYDNEY 131
Value
Great Deals on Sightseeing
The Privileges Card is a great way to save money if you plan to visit
Sydney’s biggest attractions. The card costs A$25 (US$16), is good for
up to 1 month, and can be used in Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne.
In Sydney, all the major attractions offer some sort of discount if you
show a Privileges Card, such as two-for-one admission or reduced-price
admission if you’re traveling alone, and buy-one-get-one-free reductions.
With the card you’ll also get discounts on harbor cruises (typically
20%), as well as discounts at certain restaurants (sometimes a free
main course if two of you are dining, or a 20% rebate off the total bill
for the cardholder and three others). To get a card, you’ll need to fill
out an application form, available on the Internet (www.privileges
card.com) or at tourist information centers in Sydney; you’ll receive a
booklet with details on where you can save. Call Privileges at & 1800/
675 500, or fax at 02/6254 8788. If you book in advance, the company
can arrange to have the card sent to your hotel.
The See Sydney & Beyond card is a cashless smart card packaging
more than 40 of the city’s main attractions and tours. It’s valuable for
avoiding queues, and as many attractions are free, using the card you
could save money too—though you’ll have to plan well to really get
the most out of it. The card can be purchased for either a 1-, 2-, 3-, or
7-day period. One day passes cost A$59 (US$38) for adults and A$39
(US$25) for children. You can also purchase it with an option to get
you around town on public transport. With this, the 1-day card costs
A$75 (US$49) for adults and A$46.50 (US$30) for children. There are
also discounts on Blue Mountains’ attractions, but you’ll need a multiday
card to take advantage of this as well as Sydney. For more information,
call & 02/9247 6611; www.seesydneycard.com.
I also recommend a quick trip out of town. Go bushwalking in the Blue
Mountains, wine tasting in the Hunter Valley, or dolphin spotting at Port
Stephens (see chapter 4 for details on all three).
Whatever you decide to do, you won’t have enough time. Don’t be surprised
if you start planning ahead for your next visit before your first is even finished.
THE OPERA HOUSE & SYDNEY HARBOUR
Officially called Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour is the focal point of Sydney and
one of the features—along with the beaches and easy access to surrounding
national parks—that makes this city so special. It’s entered through the Heads,
two bush-topped outcrops (you’ll see them if you take a ferry or JetCat to
Manly), beyond which the harbor laps at some 240km (149 miles) of shoreline
before stretching out into the Parramatta River. Visitors are often awestruck by
the harbor’s beauty, especially at night when the sails of the Opera House and
the girders of the Harbour Bridge are lit up, and the waters are swirling with the
reflection of lights from the abutting high-rises—reds, greens, blues, yellows,
and oranges. During the day, it buzzes with green-and-yellow ferries pulling in
and out of busy Circular Quay, sleek tourist craft, fully rigged tall ships, giant