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

WHAT TO SEE & DO IN SYDNEY 145
Sydney Observatory The city’s only major museum of astronomy offers visitors
a chance to see the southern skies through modern and historic telescopes.
The best time to visit is during the night on a guided tour, when you can take a
close-up look at some of the planets. Night tours are offered at 8:15pm from the
end of May to the end of August and at 6:15 and 8:15pm the rest of the year;
be sure to double-check the times when you book your tour. The planetarium
and hands-on exhibits are also interesting.
Observatory Hill, Watson Rd., Millers Point.& 02/9217 0485. Free admission in daytime; guided night tours
(reservations essential) A$10 (US$6.50) adults, A$5 (US$3.25) children, A$25 (US$16) families. Daily
10am–5pm. CityRail, bus, or ferry: Circular Quay.
Vaucluse House Looking over Sydney Harbour, this house includes lavish
entertainment rooms and impressive stables and out-buildings. It was built in
1803 and was the home of Charles Wentworth, the architect of the Australian
Constitution. It’s set in 11 hectares (27 acres) of gardens, bushland, and beach
frontage—perfect for picnics. Allow 1 hour.
Wentworth Rd., Vaucluse. & 02/9337 1957. www.hht.nsw.gov.au. Admission A$7 (US$4.55) adults, A$3
(US$1.95) children. House Tues–Sun 10am–4:30pm; grounds daily 7am–5pm. Free guided tours. Closed Good
Friday and Christmas. Bus: 325 from Circular Quay, or Bondi & Bay Explorer.
PARKS & GARDENS
IN SYDNEY
HYDE PARK In the center of the city is Hyde Park, a favorite with lunching
businesspeople. Of note here are the Anzac Memorial to Australian and New
Zealand troops killed in the wars, and the Archibald Fountain, complete with
spitting turtles and sculptures of Diana and Apollo. At night, avenues of trees
are lit up with twinkling lights giving the place a magical appearance.
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS If you are going to spend time in just one
of Sydney’s green spaces, then make it the Royal Botanic Gardens (& 02/9231
8111), next to Sydney Opera House. The gardens were laid out in 1816 on the
site of a farm dedicated to supplying food for the colony. They’re informal in
appearance with a scattering of duck ponds and open spaces, though there are several
areas dedicated to particular plant species, such as the rose garden, the cacti
and succulent display, and the central palm and the rainforest groves (watch out
for the thousands of large fruit bats, which chatter and argue amongst the rainforest
trees). Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair, a spot carved out in rock along the coast
path, offers superb views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. (It’s a
favorite stop for tour buses.) The sandstone building dominating the gardens nearest
to the Opera House is the Government House, once the official residence of
the Governor of New South Wales. (He moved out in 1996 in the spirit of republicanism.)
The pleasant gardens are open to the public daily from 10am to 4pm,
and the house is open Friday through Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Entrance to
both is free. If you plan to park around here, it’s well to note that parking meters
cost upwards of A$3 (US$1.95) per hour, and you need A$1 coins.
A popular walk takes you through the Royal Botanic Gardens to the Art
Gallery of New South Wales. The gardens are open daily from 7am to dusk.
Admission is free.
MORE CITY PARKS Another Sydney favorite is giant Centennial Park
(& 02/9339 6699), usually accessed from the top of Oxford Street. It opened in
1888 to celebrate the centenary of European settlement, and today encompasses
huge areas of lawn, several lakes, picnic areas with outdoor grills, cycling and