The Opera house is situated at Bennelong Point. This building is home to Australia's world renowned opera, ballet, theatre companies and symphony orchestra.
Your first sighting of this magnificent building will undoubtedly take your
breath away. I couldn't get there quick enough. You are welcome to walk
inside and have a look around, although the auditorium is out of bounds
except on the guided tour. Have a coffee in the restaurant, look around
the gift shop, get tickets for a show at the box office or take a look at the
scale model of the Opera House which was presented to Sydney by the
architect's daughter. In the evenings, you can watch the performance
on monitors if you can't get tickets. I'm sure you'll want to keep coming
back. I did.
Round to the left hand side of the building at ground level is the entrance to the Opera House library. All past performances can be looked up here. I had a friend who sang here many years ago. It was nice to read up on the reviews in the news paper clippings that were filed away. You can also photocopy material you want to keep. Also, just inside the entrance is a scale model of the original design of the Opera House.
You can grab a guided tour which start at the lower forecourt level. They run daily from 9am to 4pm. They cost $A9 adult and $A6 children. They last approximately 1 hr, but be warned, there are over 200 steps to climb on the tour!!
I strongly suggest you try and see a performance whilst you're there. There is no dress code, so wear what you like. The building is air conditioned, so it's never too hot to wear a jacket and tie.
Book in advance if possible. TEL 250 7777
You can climb up the south pylon for magnificent views. The steps are very wide so again it is safe for children and older people. It's surprising how much room there is inside the pylon, it's not as claustrophobic as it may seem and it's easy to get out again if you change your mind. Get to the top and you will be well rewarded. The view from the top of the pylon is the best you will get of the harbour, so take your time up here and keep clicking that camera ;-) It's all to easy to rattle off a hole role of film and why not, each step you take round the tower gives you a different view.
There is also an exhibition and gift shop inside which shows how the bridge was constructed.
Please don't be tempted to throw anything off the the bridge as boats are constantly passing underneath, and the shear height means even the lightest object will land with great force. Plus, getting caught could end up spoiling your holiday!! It costs $A2 adult and $A1 children.
There are now walks over the top span of the bridge!! please go to my
links page for details.
There is nearly always something going on at Circular Quay, whether it be
morning, afternoon or evening. It could be a musician, a comedian,
magician or anything really. However, they always tend to be very good
acts and you can't help giving a tip when the act's finished.
At the west end of the quay, there's a chap building model boats using
only the most basic of hand tools.Next to him is the Tourist Information
desk and a little further round is the overseas passenger terminal. You can
go up to the top of this building for great views of the harbour and Opera
House.
Coming back to ground level, and walking further round, takes you to the
"Bounty" Gallion and finally to the base of the south pylon of the Bridge.
On the East side of Circular Quay are two cafes, both offering good views
of the bridge whilst you relax over a cuppa and give your feet a well earned
rest ;-) One cafe offers candle-lit tables, drinks are more expensive, but
very romantic at night.
Going further round brings you to the Opera House, and the entrance to the
Royal Botanic Gardens. Keeping to the path, following the wall round, will
bring you to Mrs Macquarie's Chair. It was carved out of the rock by convicts
in the early 1800s. Sitting here gives further views of the Opera House and
bridge as well as views of the north shore and the eastern part of the
harbour and Fort Denison.
Back at Circular Quay, hop on a ferry and enjoy a ride on the water. An
opportunity not to be missed. See Cruises & Ferries.
The train station is opposite the ferry quays, to take you back into the heart
of the city.
Between the Information desk and the passenger terminal at Circular
Quay, set back a little, is Cadman's Cottage. Built in 1816, it was originally
built as a barracks for the boat crew of the Governer Macquarie.
It's the oldest house in the city and has been fully restored. Now however,
it's an information centre for the National Parks & Wildlife.
106 George St., The Rocks. Free admission. Open Mon-Fri 9am to 4:30pm.
Sat & Sun 11am to 4pm TEL 9255 7788
The main Rocks area is behind the cottage. This is the old Sydney. There
is an undercover market here on a Sunday with plenty of unusual stalls.
They sell everything from puzzles to mounted insects, including
"Red Back" Spider key rings!!
There are plenty of good shops and arcades at The Rocks. It's a really
nice area to explore.
There are a number of entrances to the gardens, which were founded in 1816.
If you take the entrance next to the Opera House, you can hop on a
sightseeing 'train' for a guided tour. It's cheap and well worthwhile, and you
won't have to wait long to grab a ride.
The gardens should also be explored on foot to fully appreciate the beauty
of the foliage. Why not take a packed lunch and have a picnic? It's easy to
forget you're still in a large city. Look up in the trees and you'll find dozens of
Cockatoo's squawking their beaks off before finally taking flight.
The Sydney Tropical Centre is housed in two buildings, the Arc and the
Pyramid Glasshouse. There is also a visitor centre with a gift shop and
book shop. You can grab a free leaflet on self-guided walks or take a
walk with a tour guide, which is also free. These run at 10am on Wednesdays
and Fridays, and 1pm on Sundays.
Near the visitor centre is the Gardens Restaurant, which is open daily for
lunch and afternoon teas.
The park is open daily from 9am 'till 5pm. TEL 231 8125
This area forms the southern section of the city, extending along the
Botanic Gardens round to Mrs Macquarie's Point. This area is where
people come to picnic, or go for a jog. You'll always find someone,
somewhere, jogging!
Then there's Sydney's "Speakers Corner", where people come to
voice an opinion or discuss everyday issue's in public. Topics range
from political to gay issue's.
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