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

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CHAPTER 3 . SYDNEY
Tips A Stroll on The Rocks
Sydney is a wonderful city for exploring on foot. I particularly recommend
a wander through The Rocks, site of the oldest settlement in Australia, a
rough-and-tumble place where prostitutes, gang members, and other
shady characters loitered more than a century ago. The Rocks Walking
Tour (& 02/9247 6678) has an organized stroll (see “Walking Tours”
below). For my own take on the neighborhood, consult the self-guided
walk that appears in Frommer’s Portable Sydney.
no water along the route, and the walk back up is steep, so only attempt this trek
if you’re reasonably fit. Trains to the area are irregular, and the last one departs
around 4pm, so give yourself at least 2 1 ⁄2 hours for the return trip to the train station
to make sure you don’t get stranded. It’s possible to walk the memorable
26km (16 miles) from Otford to Bundeena, or vice versa, in 2 days. (Take all your
food, water, and camping gear.) The track sticks to the coast, crosses several
beaches, and is relatively easy to follow.
ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS
There are plenty of places kids can have fun in Sydney, but my choices below are
particularly suitable for youngsters. (All of the places are reviewed in full above.).
Taronga Zoo (p. 140), where the barnyard animals, surprisingly, get as much
attention as the koalas, is an all-time favorite with kids. If your kids want handson
contact with the animals, though, then you’d better head to Featherdale
Wildlife Park (p. 139), where they can get their photo taken next to a koala,
and hand feed and stroke kangaroos and wallabies. (You can’t stroke koalas in
New South Wales.) Even more interactive are the exhibits just crying out to be
touched and bashed at the Powerhouse Museum (p. 137).
The sharks at Oceanworld (p. 140) in Manly and at the Sydney Aquarium
(p. 137) in Darling Harbour are big lures for kids, too, and the thrill of walking
through a long plexiglass tunnel as giant manta rays perch over their heads will
lead to more squeals of excitement.
Another outing for both adults and children is to crawl around inside boats
and submarines at the Australian National Maritime Museum (p. 136).
And, of course, what kid wouldn’t enjoy a day at the beach, and Sydney’s got
plenty to choose from, like Bondi or Manly.
6 Harbor Cruises & Organized Tours
For details on the Sydney Explorer bus, see “Getting Around” earlier in this
chapter.
HARBOR CRUISES
The best thing about Sydney is the harbor, so you shouldn’t leave without taking
a cruise. Sydney Ferries (& 13 15 00 or 02/9245 5600; www.sta.nsw.gov.au)
offers a 1-hour morning harbor cruise with commentary departing Circular Quay,
Wharf 4, daily at 10 and 11:15am. It costs A$15 (US$9.75) for adults, A$7.50
(US$4.90) for children under 16, and A$38 (US$24) for families (any number of
children under 16). A 2 1 ⁄2-hour afternoon cruise explores more of the harbor and
leaves from Wharf 4 at 1pm on weekdays and 1:30pm on weekends and public
holidays. This tour costs A$22 (US$14) for adults, A$11 (US$7.15) for children,