Hi Ozbargainers
Going to Sydney for 6 days with family next week. I haven’t been to Sydney in many years and was looking for top 5-10 things to do and see in Sydney.
We will be staying near Darling Harbour and keen to see the NYE fireworks at Circular Quay.
Any advice you have about securing a good spot to see the Circular Quay fireworks as well making a list of top 10 things to do and see in Sydney will be great.
Thanks in advance.
Go to an OzBargain meetup?
More exciting would be to see a pack of Brodens deplete a shop of bargains in minutes.
Things to do/see;
walk across the Harbour Bridge (footpath) it is better than the bridge climb, and free!
Take the Manly Ferry to Manly.
Take the Manly Ferry to Manly.
On a Sunday because an Opal card is capped at $2.50 for the whole day.
Or, fall off the bridge, hurt yourself and get on a disability pension.
Then it's $2.50 every day.
Or get old enough to be a senior.
A must do is the coast walk from Bondi to Coogee
http://www.bonditocoogeewalk.com.au
You can start at either end and finish with brunch or lunch.
I can recommend the Coogee Pavilion in Coogee or the bar menu at Icebergs Dining Room in Bondi.
The other fun place to visit for breakfast or brunch on a Sunday when the Opal card is capped all day is Anvil Coffee on the Kirribilli wharf. Take the ferry over and enjoy the view of the bridge and Opera House, have brunch and take the ferry back.
dont listen to the guy that said avoid circular quay for the fireworks
its a must see, despite the crowds. heck, its new years eve, people are out
It is sheer 'hell' for adults, and so would be worse for a family.
Listen to this guy. At least he's thinking rationally about the safety of others.
Listen to the other guy if you want to stand around in a "moshpit" like crowd for a few hours and then attempt to push yourself through a million drunks trying to reach public transport or home. There's plenty of better vantage points than Circular Quay.
Avoid the suburbs surrounding the Sydney Harbour Bridge, because they'll be closed to the public for security reasons.
You can get a pretty good view from the main roads leading into these suburbs or settle down by the harbour next to the water. It's very crowded, though.
I remember a few years ago trying to get a ferry out from Circular Quay. They had already closed off the area so you couldn't get to it through the station before 3pm!! Then guards at doors would scream at people trying to get through with ferry tickets, or just trying to get to near the Opera House. It was a total nightmare and then you'd have to kill hours and hours until midnight… Had to eventually get a train and a bus to get to a ferry to take us to Shark Island, luckily we left super early! Maybe there's another way to get in but I would say get there ridiculously early or avoid!
Thanks alot for the advice guys!
Places to avoid would definitely be Circular Quay and Darling Harbour on NYE. Would not recommend unless you want to navigate through a massive crowd and a crapload of drunks.
Botanic Gardens is a good choice. It's free entry IIRC. Although it gets crowded, there is food on site, but at ripoff prices.
Otherwise, go up north of the harbour bridge. Balls point reserve, Blue point reserve and Milson's point are pretty good. It does get crowded but not packed to the extent that you can't move around. By 7-8PM, there'll be people standing everywhere.
You could try Simmons Reserve in Balmain or Ballest Point in Birchgrove. Pretty good view, decent amount of people. You need to do your homework about public transport from there after the fireworks or you'll be walking home. You'd be extremely lucky if you could find parking in Balmain so best not drive.
If you're going to any of these places, get there before 6PM or all the good spots will be taken. I'd just stay indoors if you have a good view of the fireworks from your accommodation near Darling Harbour. Buy a couple bottles of bubbly and watch it from a window or balcony.
EDIT: Barangaroo Reserve and Miller's point? I anticipate that it'll get very crowded early in the evening.