Yo Sydney cats, my wife and I will be in Sydney for a full day and a bit next week (Wednesday and Thursday). We’ve never properly been to Sydney, short of flight stop overs. We’re going to see a band on Wednesday night (Superchunk!), but we’ll want to be doing stuff during the days. Shopping / sightseeing / etc. Not sure where we’re staying yet.
Post your recommendations here.
Come and have a coffee with me.
Name a time and a place.
Go for walk through cockle bay/darling harbour.
Din Tai Fung at World Square for eats.
Hit The Cross for some fun times!
hire some dorky tourist bikes. ride across the bridge.
Tightarse Sydney Tips:
1: Harbour Bridge Pylon Museum. Nearly as good a view as walking over the monster, fraction of the price. And walking across the bridge is not too bad either.
2: Orbit Bar, Australia Square. Nearly as good a view as Centerpoint (or whoever sponsors it now days) and all you have to do is buy an overpriced cocktail. Better than an overpriced lift ticket.
3: Ferry to Manly and back. cheapest 1/2 hour (each way) harbour cruise.
4: Ferry to Parramatta. As above, and you get to see the river. See Old Government House and all that when you get there.
5: Free Museums/galleries: Rocks Discovery Museum, Museum of Australian Bank Notes (not as dull as it sounds, and funded by the Reserve Bank, ‘chased up bogans’ of the intelligentsia), Government House (but check ahead as it closes for official functions), NSW Art Gallery and Museum of Contemporary Art.
6: Walking: Cahill expressway, Writers Walk from Circular Quay to the Oprah House, Hickson Road and the finger wharves (The rocks to darling Harbor under the Sydney Harbor Bridge), Farm Cove - Botanic Gardens (then watch the sun set from Admiralty Steps), Observatory Hill (sweet views up the harbour).
7: Miscellaneous stuff: There are two scale models of Sydney: one in the City of Sydney planning department, the other in the foyer of Customs House. You can see the Customs house one for free. Go into the foyer of the Museum of Sydney and you can see the foundations of the First Government House (if you want to see the museum ask about the city properties ticket). Go to the Rocks YHA and you can see some of the archaeological work below the building, then have a beer at the Australian Hotel, followed by the Lord Nelson, maybe the Hero of Waterloo, and the Red Oak microbrewery. See the third floor of the Queen Victoria Building. Walk up the steps into Town Hall and gawk at the interior. Walk through the Strand arcade.
That’s all for now
I would suggest against this. If you want second rate , hastily planned 90’s architecture/urban renewal, then do this. It’s like a more expensive, more boring and more crowded docklands from a decade previous.
Take a walk from the CBD/Chinatown all the way down Liverpool/Oxford St to Paddington as a good cross section, then cut back and head down Crown St through Surry Hills. End the long walk (probably a day long, many bars, pubs, cafes and noteworthy stores along the way). End for an evening in Redfern or Newtown. Get the best of the inner city that way.
If you do go to Bondi, take the walk from Bondi all the way to Coogee along the coastline and a bus back to the city. Read up on some small bar reviews, theres som shockers and some pearlers. PM me if you want my bar hints.
Do lots of walking, this city is good for it. (and our other transport means suck).
If you have a spare evening/night holla and we can have a beer on my CBD workshop rooftop, FOA’ers welcome.
7: Miscellaneous stuff: There are two scale models of Sydney: one in the City of Sydney planning department, the other in the foyer of Customs House. You can see the Customs house one for free.
The one at Town Hall House is free normally too. However due to reno’s its moved upstairs. The THH one is better than the customs house one as it shows newer, in progress developments. I can probably let you in if the timing is right.
Harrys Cafe De Wheels Woolloomooloo - get yourself a works pie or hot dog with cheese sauce, i miss it baadly.
Into ribs? Hurricanes Bondi Beach, or the one in Darling Harbour is good too
China Town, Yum Cha anywhere around there is good, i like East Ocean personally.
Shop through Pitt St Mall, as Droz says, walk walk walk
This. Excellent way to see quite a lot … like a mini-holiday.
+1 to Harry’s CdWheels.
Oh yeah … JLN: bring a 27.2 seatpost, saddle & pedals of your choice and I’ll hook you up with a very sweet fixie. I can also join you for a ride around if that suits but will know closer to the day if I have time.
Let us know where you’re staying 
If the weather is good I think Sculpture by the Sea is on at the moment. While you’re there get a snorkel and goggles and go for a swim in Gordons Bay, or Clovelly
One night only? Too fast!
I think Carlin is on the money re: places to check out.
Is the gig still at the Annandale or have they moved it? If so, there’s no decent bars etc in Annandale - the nearest good stuff is in Newtown.
I have wednesdays off have a coffee with me AND Jono! It’ll be cool.
Glendale (I’d that what it’s called?) in the the rocks for good views.
Glenmore, i think.
Fuck yeh this.
And yeh, the glenmore in the rocks has a rooftop bar with million dollar views.
…I believe the gig has moved to Marrickville.
Wait what? As of yesterday the show was at the Annandale…
EDIT: The Neutral Milk Hotel / Superchunk / M Ward show is at Marrickville. I think. The Wednesday night Superchunk headline show is at the Annandale.