Opera Bar

The Opera Bar is Sydney’s best open-air bar. It has excellent views of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. You can smell the salt of the harbour and watch ferries sail past. It’s an absolute pleasure drinking at the Opera Bar!

The drinks are not that cheap here, but the stupendous view and the excellent live bands more than make up for this. If I could only see one or two Sydney bars, I would put the Opera Bar on my list. Address: Sydney Opera House (Lower Concourse) Circular Quay.

The Opera Bar at the Sydney Opera House. Photo: Aschaf

Bondi Icebergs

Life is beautiful when you’re watching a Bondi sunset from the balcony at the Icebergs.

There are two bars within the Bondi Icebergs – a more expensive bar upstairs and a cheaper RSL (veterans club) downstairs. The two bars have very similar views. I wouldn’t say it’s worth paying the higher drink prices for the view from the upstairs bar. In its favour, the upstairs bar does have a few hanging chairs suspended from the ceiling by cables. These are a lot of fun to sit in and watch the sun go down, pina colada in hand. Whichever of the two Bondi Icebergs bars you choose, you will have a superb evening. The view really is that good. Address: 1 Notts Ave Bondi Beach.

Slip Inn

This is the bar where an Aussie real estate agent met the Prince of Denmark (no, not Hamlet) during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She later married him and is now the Princess of Denmark. So I guess you could say this is the bar where fairytales come true.

The Slip Inn (love the name) itself is actually a fantastic summer bar. It has a large open-air courtyard which is perfect for enjoying balmy Sydney summer nights. Address: 111 Sussex St Sydney.

Beach Road Hotel

The Beach Road Hotel in Bondi Beach is one of the most fun and energetic of all the Sydney bars. There is a different style of music for each night of the week, much of it with live DJs.

If you’re a sports fan, the Beach Road is an exciting place to watch the bigger sporting events on a massive projector screen. For the bigger sporting events, such as the Cricket World Cup or the Rugby World Cup, there are free beers on offer until the first wicket is taken or the first try is scored. Try it out – you’ll like it. Address: Corner of Beach Road and Glen Ayr Ave Bondi Beach

Jet boating on Sydney Harbour is an adrenalin rush in a picture postcard setting.

There’s nothing like doing a 360 degree spin in a boat right in front of the Sydney Opera House.

360s, Powerslides & Wake Jumping

Lucky we were given long raincoats to wear. Our driver put our boat through 360 degree turns, long powerslides and a lot of wake jumping. To his credit, our driver gave us a hand signal each time he was about to pull a move!

Jet Boating on Sydney Harbour. Photo: Curtis Foreman.

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and more

Our driver threw our boat around Sydney Harbour for 30 minutes (75 minute tours are also available), taking us near the Sydney Harbour Bridge and past the Sydney Opera House.

We also saw the navy base at Garden Island and some of Sydney’s more exclusive harbourside suburbs. Every time you stopped to admire the view, you would be drenched with water from one of our driver’s latest tricks.

Great Sound System

I also enjoyed the fact that the boat was fully kitted out with an expensive-looking sound system that pumped out the radio at full blast.

All Ages

There were people of all ages on our boat, ranging from those in their twenties to those in their fifties and sixties. Our boat did tend to predominantly feature those in their twenties though.

Next Steps

3 companies offer jet boating on Sydney Harbour:

• Harbour Jet at Darling Harbour (downtown west)
• Sydney Jet at Cockle Bay (opposite Darling Harbour)
• Oz Jet Boating at Circular Quay (downtown north)

All 3 companies charge a similar amount: $50 AUD for a 30 minute ride and around $100 AUD for a 75 minute ride.

Sydney Harbour explorer cruises generally have six stops: Taronga Zoo, Shark Island, Watson’s Bay, Luna Park, Darling Harbour and Circular Quay. There are great things to do at each stop.

Taronga Zoo

Taronga Zoo has the best views in the world. It’s also an excellent zoo in its own right. Taronga Zoo is pretty high up, so you can see a lot of Sydney Harbour. You can also see a wide range of Australian and other animals in semi-natural enclosures. Look out for Taronga’s newest addition – a baby gorilla. Tickets are an extra $16 AUD on top of your Sydney Harbour explorer cruise ticket ($29 AUD).

Giraffe at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. Photo: Shayan.

Shark Island

It’s not very well known on the tourist trail, but Shark Island will certainly be a highlight of your Sydney visit.

It’s smack bang in the middle of Sydney Harbour and you can have a picnic (BYO food and drink), a swim and have a wonderful few hours. There is a national park entrance fee for Shark Island, but it’s only $6 AUD when purchased with your cruise ticket. Well worth it.

If you’d prefer to see just Shark Island, you can ditch the harbour explorer cruise and buy a Circular Quay – Shark Island – Circular Quay ticket ($16 AUD which includes the $6 AUD national park entrance fee).

Watson’s Bay

Watson’s Bay is another great place to get off the cruise. You can drink a beer and scoff fish and chips in the sunshine at the world famous Doyle’s Seafood Restaurant. If you feel like a swim then Camp Cove (a harbour beach with no waves) is just around the corner. There are also beautiful harbourside walks that start at Watson’s Bay.

Luna Park

I don’t recommend getting off the cruise at Luna Park because the other attractions are so much better. Luna Park is an historic (in the Australian scheme of things) amusement park with sublime harbour views. Entrance is free – you pay per ride. The rides are nothing to write home about.

Sydney Wildlife World / Darling Harbour

A good place to get off the cruise is Sydney Wildlife World at Darling Harbour. Here you can see real koalas, wallabies (similar to kangaroos) and hundreds of other Australian animals.

The entrance fee to Sydney Wildlife World is $14 AUD on top of your cruise ticket. If you got your fix of animals at Taronga Zoo, you can head across to Sydney Tower (formerly Centrepoint Tower). Here you can see 360 degree views of Sydney from 260 m (850 ft) up. The entrance fee to Sydney Tower is $24 AUD.

Circular Quay

Finally, you can get off at Circular Quay for the short walk across to the gorgeous outdoor Opera Bar. You can also stroll to the Botanical Gardens (a great spot for a picnic) or climb the south pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for less than ten bucks.

Next Steps

There are two major companies who offer Sydney harbour explorer cruises: Captain Cook Cruises and Matilda. Tickets for either are $29 AUD. The two companies operate to the same timetable, so whichever one you choose will be fine.

This article will cover the following points:

• Is climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge worth the asking price of around $200 AUD?
• What are the alternatives if you’re on a budget?

This article will also explore the option of “skywalking” at the top of Sydney Tower.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb at sunset. Photo: Niels.

Is Climbing The Sydney Harbour Bridge Worth $200 AUD?

Let’s look at all the facts.

Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is done with a company called BridgeClimb. A three and a half hour climb will cost you between $160-$250 AUD (the higher prices apply on weekends and at twilight).

You will get to climb to the very top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (134 m / 439 ft), and see 360 degree views of Sydney Harbour (including the Sydney Opera House). It is a stunning experience that you will treasure for a lifetime.

A caveat: You are not allowed to take your camera with you on BridgeClimb. Repeat: you are not allowed to take your camera on BridgeClimb. This is because any unsecured objects may fall onto the passing cars and trains below. However, the guides will take photos for you and you will have the ability to purchase these photos at the end of the climb. You will be given one group photo of your climb for free.

Let’s explore some alternative options before we decide if climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb is worth it.

The $10 AUD Alternative

Most visitors to Sydney don’t know that there is an alternative way to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

You can climb the south pylon of the bridge for less than $10 AUD. This option involves climbing 200 stairs inside the south pylon (directions below) of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. You will arrive at a viewing platform 87 m (285 ft.) above the harbour.

You will get stunning views of Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Opera House and the bridge itself. You will get 360 degree views as you walk around to each side of the viewing platform, although you will only ever get slightly more than a 180 degree view at any one point in time. (The pylon itself blocks the view behind you).

Best of all, you will be able to use your own camera to take your own photos on top of the viewing platform.

There are also historical exhibits, displays and movies inside the pylon which show how the Sydney Harbour Bridge was constructed.

Let’s move on now to the third option, Skywalk at Sydney Tower.

Skywalk At Sydney Tower

Skywalk at Sydney Tower does not involve any actual climbing of steps. Rather, you ascend the famous Sydney Tower in an elevator. After a 50 minute briefing and suiting-up period, you then step outside onto a glass platform with amazing views of Sydney city and harbour. The glass platform is 260 m (850 ft) above the city, which means you are twice as high as you would be on BridgeClimb.

You are fully harnessed at all times, and like with BridgeClimb, you are not allowed to bring cameras or other unsecured objects on the actual climb.

As Sydney Tower is a revolving tower, the glass platform will slowly rotate through 360 degrees for the 40 minutes that you are outside. Whilst this is substantially shorter than the time you are on the Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb, Skywalk’s prices are also substantially lower. A Skywalk is $109 AUD.

Let’s now discuss which of the three options is the best for your needs.

Which One Is Best?

If you want an unparalleled experience of Sydney and Sydney Harbour, I would recommend a dawn or sunset climb on the Harbour Bridge with BridgeClimb. Although this is the most expensive option, it will give you moments that will last a lifetime.

If you’re looking for a cheaper entry fee and want to see more of Sydney as a whole, I would recommend Skywalk as it is cheaper and you are higher up. Finally, if you want to take your own photos
or if you are on a budget, I would rnrecommend climbing the South Pylon as it is practically free and you can take your own photos to your heart’s content.

How To Book BridgeClimb:

Bookings can be made through BridgeClimb directly.

How To Book The South Pylon Staircase

No bookings necessary. To get there, head for the Rocks district in the city centre. Find Cumberland St and then the “Bridge Stairs”. Climb these stairs and walk along the pedestrian walkway until you see the Pylon Lookout.

Opening hours: 10 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week, 364 days a year (closed Christmas Day).

How To Book Sydney Skywalk:

Bookings can be made through Skywalk directly.

Things To Do In Manly

Once you are in Manly itself, there are plenty of things to do. You can stroll along the beach with its wonderful Norfolk Pine trees, or lay your towel down for a sunbake and a dip in the ocean.

Sydney's Manly Ferry arriving at Manly Beach. Photo: CogDogBlog.

Make sure you don’t spend too long in the sun between 10 am and 2 pm – you may get sunburnt!

You can also grab an icecream from Copenhagen or New Zealand Natural Icecream – it’s a bit of a tradition of mine whenever I go to Manly.

Shopping In Manly

You’ll find all the big surf brands (Mambo, RipCurl, Quiksilver and Billabong) in the Corso (Manly’s outdoor shopping mall) if you’re up for a spot of shopping or you need to get out of the sun for a bit.

Manly Food & Wine Festival – June

The Manly Food And Wine Festival is held in June each year. It’s a “good food” festival where you get to sample a large range of gourmet cheese, wine, dips and entire meals. There are foods and wines from Australia, France, India, New Zealand, Chile and a whole lot of other countries.

Manly International Jazz Festival – October

The second major festival in Manly is held in October of each year – the Manly International Jazz Festival. If you love jazz or even just music in general, think jazz with a backdrop of Pacific ocean waves, Norfolk pines and a big blue sky. The festival itself is free of charge and has some very famous Australian and international jazz artists.

How To Buy Tickets For Sydney Ferries

Access to the ferry to Manly is from Circular Quay, at the northern edge of downtown Sydney. Tickets are available from ticket machines or from the ticket counters. The journey takes about 25 very enjoyable minutes each way.

I’ve never heard of a concept quite like this – the headline act for a music festival gets to choose the other acts in the festival.

The only festival I can think of in this vein is Lollapalooza in the US. All the acts there are of course chosen by Perry Farrell (of Jane’s Addiction and Porno For Pyros fame).

Anyway, the Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbour music festival is called “All Tomorrow’s Parties” (after the Velvet Underground song of the same name).

Cockatoo Island should be a drop-dead gorgeous setting, especially when the sun starts to go down over the staggeringly (there’s a Nick Cave word for you) gorgeous Sydney Harbour.

What’s The Lineup At “All Tomorrow’s Parties”?

The headline act at All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival are Aussie legends Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. The group are currently receiving rave reviews for their album Dig Lazarus, Dig!

The other acts they have chosen include:

• Spiritualized (UK)
• James “Blood” Ulmer (US)
• The Saints (featuring legend Ed Kuepper) (AUS)
• Laughing Clowns (also featuring Ed Kuepper) (AUS)
• The Necks (brilliantly improvised “trance jazz”) (AUS)
• Michael Gira (US)
• Bridezilla (AUS)
• Harmonia (GER)

How Much Are “All Tomorrow’s Parties” Tickets?

Tickets are $150 / $140 concession. Tickets include return boat access to Cockatoo Island.

How Do You Get To The Festival?

Ferries (free for festival-goers) will depart from King St Wharf (Cockle Bay), Circular Quay (City) or Birkenhead Point.

What Should You Bring / Can You Bring Alcohol?

Apart from the obvious things (ticket, phone, sunscreen), bring a warm jacket for the night session (it can get cold but it probably won’t).

There will be food and alcohol available on Cockatoo Island. Bringing alcohol is banned.

What Is A “Spiegeltent”?

The word “spiegeltent” is Dutch for “mirror tent”.

Wikipedia defines a spiegeltent as a “large travelling tent, constructed in wood and canvas and decorated with mirrors and stained glass, intended as an entertainment venue”.

The Sydney Spiegeltent is a combo “festival club, cabaret salon, dance hall and intimate concert venue” according to the website of the Sydney Opera House.

By way of background, the Spiegeltent is huge in Melbourne, where it’s hosted at the top of St Kilda Road near the Melbourne CBD as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival.

Sydney’s Spiegeltent

In Sydney, 2008 is a special year for the Spiegeltent in that this is the first and only year that it will reside in front of the Sydney Opera House, right on Sydney Harbour.

Australian musicians slated to play at the Spiegeltent include Old Man River (I saw them at the Apollo Bay Music Festival in Victoria this year and they were very good), Lior (who started off doing weddings – including my friend’s), Tex Perkins (of The Cruel Sea fame), Dave Graney (of Coral Snakes fame) and Jimmy Barnes (of Cold Chisel fame). Oh and er, Vanessa Amorosi (who sang that annoying song Absolutely Everybody).

In her first ever Sydney performance, NY singer Gretchen Parlato will perform her unique brand of Brazilian-African jazz. Parlato has been lauded by jazz great Herbie Hancock and music critics alike, so I’m looking forward to seeing her.

There will also be comedy and other variety acts on offer at the Sydney Spiegeltent in 2008.

Spiegeltent Tickets

All Spiegeltent tickets are under $50 and available from the Sydney Opera House box office.

Cafe Sydney has one of the most stunning views from a restaurant that I’ve ever seen. You will love the sight of the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House framing the magnificent Sydney Harbour.

“No Bad Tables”

In fact, it’s one of the great touches about this restaurant is that there are no “bad” tables. Tables close to the windows are lower down, while tables further inside the restaurant are higher up to compensate.

The view from Cafe Sydney.

Similarly, any diner facing away from the view instead faces a large mirror with a stunning presentation of the view. This sounds like it is inferior to facing the view itself, but in actual fact it does the trick very well. All diners can therefore enjoy the view they came to see whilst dining in comfort.

Decent Food

As far as the menu goes, there is a nice selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes ranging in price from $30 – 60 AUD. The food is nothing special but it is decent. In short, the view is what you come for.

Booking Cafe Sydney

You’ll need to book ahead (Tel: 9251 8683) as Cafe Sydney does tend to get booked out.

Address: Level 5, Customs House, 31 Alfred St, Circular Quay.