Surrounding Sydney

Bondi Beach, Sydney, NSW. Photo credit: Hamilton Lund; Destination NSW

Surrounding Sydney

Drag yourself away from central Sydney and you’ll find the attractions stretch far beyond the harbour bridge…

Like most major cities, Sydney has more than a little ‘sprawl’ going on – although few cities sprawl to quite such sun-kissed places. Miss the chance to explore Sydney’s suburbs and you can’t say you’ve really explored Sydney at all.

Things to do around Sydney

Bondi Beach

The most famous beach in the world? Quite possibly, and you’ll find Sydneysiders and tourists soaking up the sun here all summer long. 4 miles to the east of the Sydney CBD, and part of the surrounding suburb of Bondi, the beach plays host to events throughout the year.

‘Flickerfest’, Australia’s premier international short film festival, takes place every January and gives you the chance to enjoy cinema under the stars. The Miss Bondi beauty pageant takes place every November.

Manly Beach

A 30 min ferry ride from Circular Quay in the CBD, Manly is considered by many to be the finest seaside resort in Sydney. High-speed boating, whale watching, water sports, festivals, and a Sea Life Centre ensure that, however high or low octane your ambitions, there’s always plenty to do.

Sydney Fish Market

Go behind the scenes of the world’s second-largest seafood market for a close-up view of the daily wholesale auctions. Tour the market (available on certain days only, booking is essential) and buy some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever taste.

Luna Park

Sydney’s famous funfair is built on the site where the harbour bridge construction workshops were once based. Today, rides such as the iconic Ferris wheel and dodgems jostle for space with live shows (such as the MTV Australia Video Music Awards and Australia’s Next Top Model) in the park’s Big Top tent.

The park has had a turbulent past. It’s been shut down on numerous occasions, once after the ghost train caught fire, killing seven people. But it is a part of Sydney’s history, which is why locals have worked so hard to protect it. I

t’s now one of only two amusement parks in the world to be protected by government legislation.

Taronga Zoo

Sydney’s zoo is in the suburb of Mosman. You’ll find over 340 different species of animals spread across the 52 acres.

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New South Wales

Finding Australia

It’s difficult to imagine now, but Australia took a long time to officially ‘find’.

Before Captain Cook landed at Botany Bay in 1770, Luis Vaez de Torres had managed to sail the narrow Torres Strait between New Guinea and Australia without ever spotting the enormous land mass on his starboard side.

Then Abel Tasman sailed the length of Australia’s southern coast without spotting it. Although he did find Tasmania and New Zealand.