Exploring Sydney

After ten days in Sydney (plus two at the beginning of December), I think I've started to get a feel of the city. If nothing else, I certainly know which attractions and places I liked and which I'd avoid. So here's my take on being a tourist in the beautiful city by the sea and my recommendations for anyone visiting:

1) Allow for plenty of beach time

For me, the greatest attraction in Sydney is the beaches. I know there are lots of nice beaches all over Oz and there are plenty of major cities in the world that are based by the sea - we've been to a fair few on this trip - but having such beautiful beaches in such close proximity to a thriving city centre seems pretty rare. From Manly to Bondi, Bronte to Coogee, even Cronulla further south, you're spoilt for choice and they're all only a short distance from the Central Business District (CBD) by public transport. My favourite was Coogee and the coastal walk up to Bondi with its spectacular shoreline is a must do.

2) Don't waste your money on the open top tour bus

Between the three of us, we've done open top tour buses in a fair few cities - London, Paris, Florence, Barcelona, San Francisco, LA - and unfortunately the Sydney buses are by far the worst. We were really looking forward to being proper tourists and learning about the history of Sydney and to put it nicely were left feeling disappointed. The two buses (city and Bondi) not only overlap one other, the city bus retraces part of its route so you end up hearing the same uninspiring recorded description a multitude of times; the buses stop for some time at each stop so it takes longer than the advertised 90 minutes; the Bondi bus doesn't stop at Bondi Junction - one of our favourite places in Sydney; plus we found the speakers on the buses tended to be either too loud or too quiet; then to top it all off the driver of our last bus was clearly on a mission to get home as he sped through the streets like a maniac - so much for the photo opportunities! At $40 it's not cheap either, so I'd suggest spending your hard earned cash on a good map and guide book and taking to the city by foot instead. You'll learn much more, trust me.

3) Check out The Rocks

Where the city began, The Rocks is one of the few places in Sydney with some real history. It has also been developed beautifully and now has a plethora of quirky shops, nice restaurants and fancy hotels to offer. One of the most expensive parts of the city, it's worth a visit regardless. And if you are feeling plush head to the nearby Park Hyatt hotel for afternoon tea. With views to die for, spectacular champagne and a good selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones, it comes highly recommended.

4) Visit Bondi

These days a lot of people write Bondi off as 'too touristy', and there is definitely a lack of Sydney residents there of a weekend, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. If you don't fancy the busy beach and sea - which does somewhat resemble the remnants of a shipwreck as everyone crams in to the small space between the flags - there's still the cafe's, quirky shops, the crafts market, even a nice green grass verge for you to 'chillax' on. And that's all before I've even mentioned Bondi Junction.

5) Shop 'til you drop

You're not short of choices of where to shop in Sydney, from the Pitt Street mall to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) Sydney has some good stores, including some personal favourites such as Topshop and Zara. If you do like to shop make sure Westfield at Bondi Junction is on your hit list.

6) Dine up the Sydney Tower

I had a lovely meal in the 360 restaurant at the top of the Sydney tower. Fabulous food, great wine and an amazing view. And whilst it won't be the cheapest meal you've ever had at $95 for three courses (not including drinks) I think it stacks up well, especially compared to London prices.

7) Take a day out to visit the Blue Mountains

Lack of time and transport meant I wasn't planning on really leaving Sydney, but after a trip to Scenic World in the Blue Mountains I'm glad I let my friend convince me to go. If you like picturesque views, it's definitely the place for you. And the three different modes of transport around the mountain range, especially the steepest railway line in the world (I'm not sure if that's strictly true, but it certainly felt like it) add a little excitement to the day.

8) The Opera House and Harbour Bridge are expensive

Before I came to Australia, the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb was on my to-do list, but once I found out it was over $200 my mindset changed. Yes, it may be a major landmark in not just Sydney but the whole of Australia, possibly even the world, but boy do they want a lot of money to climb it. The Opera House is another landmark demanding a considerable sum to enter it. I'll let you make up your own mind, but in my view it's not worth it. Especially if like us you happen to stumble upon an open door and get to see the concert hall for yourselves.

9) Visit the Olympic Park when an event is on

I love the Olympics and still remember Sydney 2000 remarkably well, so jumped at the chance to take a drive round the park. It was worth a visit as we were passing by, but in reality there's not a massive amount to see. What I hadn't realised is our stay in Sydney coincided with a warm up tournament for the Australian Open at the park; if I'd have known I would definitely have booked tickets. And there's other events that occur in the park, from gigs to 20-20 cricket matches (we saw the team warming up), so if you're planning a visit just to the park check in advance if there's anything going on.

10) Bring a cardigan

My vision of Sydney - in fact the whole of Australia - was that it's always sunny. Now I know that's not going to be strictly true, but 22 degrees, cloudy and windy in the middle of summer came as a surprise. Albeit only a couple of days we were there, make sure you pack a cardigan just in case. Don't expect the humidity of places like Miami, Cancun and Cairns, however hot it is during the day, it cools down of an evening.