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

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CHAPTER 3 . SYDNEY
another option is the Opera Afloat Dinner (including opera singers, of course).
This costs A$99 for adults and A$55 (US$36) for children.
Matilda Cruises (& 02/9264 7377; www.matilda.com.au) offers a 1-hour
Matilda Rocket sightseeing tour leaving the pontoon at the far end of Sydney
Aquarium at Darling Harbour eight times daily beginning at 9:30am (6 times
daily in winter, Apr 1–Sept 30, beginning at 10:30am). You can stay on for the
full hour, or get off and on again at Circular Quay, the Opera House, Watsons
Bay, and Taronga Zoo. The last boat leaves Taronga Zoo at 5:10pm in summer
(4:10pm in winter). There’s commentary and tea and coffee on board. The
cruise costs A$21 (US$13) for adults, A$11 (US$7.15) for children 5 to 12, and
A$50 (US$33) for a family. The company also runs morning and afternoon
cruises, and lunch and dinner cruises with good food.
WALKING TOURS
The center of Sydney is compact, and you can see a lot in a day on foot. If you
want to learn more about Sydney’s early history, then book a guided tour with
The Rocks Walking Tour (& 02/9247 6678), based at the Shop K4, Kendall
Lane (off Argyle St., The Rocks). Excellent walking tours leave Monday through
Friday at 10:30am, 12:30pm, and 2:30pm, and Saturday and Sunday at
11:30am and 2pm (in Jan only 10:30am and 2:30pm on weekdays). The 1 1 ⁄2-
hour tour costs A$16 (US$10) for adults, A$11 (US$7.15) for children 10 to
16, and A$41 (US$27) for families. Free for accompanied children under 10.
For other historical walks contact Sydney Guided Tours (& 02/9660 7157).
The company’s owner, Maureen Fry, has been in the business for over 12 years
and employs trained guides qualified in disciplines such as history, architecture,
and botany. She offers a range of tours including an introductory tour of Sydney,
a tour of Macquarie Street, and many others. Walking tours cost A$17 (US$11)
for 2 hours as part of a group. (Call in advance to find out what’s available.)
A journey with a difference is Weird Sydney Ghost and History Tours (& 02/
9555 2700; www.destinytours.com.au). The tour—in a hearse—is fascinating
and fun, and explores a section of historic Sydney (and more modern additions)
including a former VD Clinic, the Sydney Opera House, and some buildings
along Macquarie Street. It costs A$149 (US$97) for the 1 1 ⁄2- to 2-hour trip.
MOTORCYCLE TOURS
Blue Thunder Motorcycle Tours (& 1800/800 184 in Australia, or 0414/278
983; www.bluethunder.com.au) runs Harley-Davidson tours of Sydney, the Blue
Mountains, and places around New South Wales. A 1-hour ride (you sit on the
back of the bike) around the city costs A$90 (US$59). Half- and full-day trips
are also available.
If you love motorbikes and want to take one out on your own on a self-guided
or guided tour, then you should consider Bikescape (& 02/9356 2453;
www.bikescape.com.au). You can hire a bike to go around Sydney, or as far afield
as Byron Bay, or the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
7 Staying Active
BIKING The best place to cycle in Sydney is in Centennial Park. Rent bikes
from Centennial Park Cycles, 50 Clovelly Rd., Randwick (& 02/9398 5027),
which is 200m (656 ft.) from the Musgrave Avenue entrance. (The park has five
main entrances.) Mountain bikes cost A$9 (US$5.85) for the first hour, A$13
(US$8.45) for 2 hours, and A$20 (US$13) for 4 hours.