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From Sydney Around Australia
As Sydney prepared for her 2000 Olympic Games debut, our family traveled Down Under for a month-long visit. Despite the mild winter weather, my 4-year-old daughter, mother-in-law and I explored as much of New South Wales as possible while my husband spent his time assisting in the preparation for The Game's broadcast operation. The many attractions we enjoyed then remain for the next wave of family visitors to see together. Here's an update of what's happening in Australia's gateway to the world.
With our "Sydney for Kids" (sold locally) and "Sydney Eyewitness Travel Guide" books in hand, we set out for our Aussie adventure. As the world would soon witness, Sydney is a vibrant city with beautiful surrounding landscapes and wonderfully friendly people.
Start at the Opera
We began our exploration with the city of Sydney, her wonderful sites and magnificent harbor. First stop, the impressive Opera House (+61 2 9250 7777). We skipped the hour-long tour with Anna, but enjoyed climbing the many stairs, reading the unique history and even sneaking a peak inside one of the auditoriums as a matinee show exited. If you want to see a live production, there's a multitude of performances to choose from (operas, plays, music, etc.) with several children's programs taking place throughout the year.
Right next to the Opera House is the Royal Botanic Gardens. We picked up a picnic lunch and spent a beautiful afternoon overlooking the expansive harbor and taking in the park's well marked gardens and duck ponds (that also hold piranhas that sneak in from the harbor.) There is even a small trolley car that will take you around the park, plenty of clean rest rooms and lots of space to run!
Family Day Trips from Downtown Sydney
We took several other trips into the city from our suburban rental home using every means of public transportation including the trains, buses and ferries. Each one is simple and easy to navigate and provides a nice variety to keep kids interested in the journey. Children under age 4 ride for free.
Darling Harbour is always a favorite spot in Sydney with its IMAX theater, cool playground, Maritime Museum, Aquarium, Chinese Gardens, Aboriginal Art and Cultural Education Center, Wildlife World, Powerhouse Museum, trolley ride, People Mover, paddleboats, restaurants and shopping! There is something for everyone here.
We also visited the Rocks area, which sits underneath the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and across from the Opera House. As the first area settled in Sydney, the Rocks has been gentrified. It is now a top tourist spot with a wonderful weekend crafts market, free puppet theater and lots of places to eat.
We all laughed through a ride on the Aussie Duck (+61 2 9251 6101), an amphibious bus that tours the city and then goes straight into Sydney Harbor! With duck quackers in mouth, we were a silly sight! Anna even had a chance to sit up front with the driver for part of the journey, a special treat just for the little ones on board.
The Centrepoint Tower, once the tallest building in town, is another landmark that is not to be missed. A wild, yet educational multi-media experience can be viewed first and then the elevator climbs 76 floors to the most enchanting 360 degree view of Sydney. There are two revolving restaurants near the top for savoring the surroundings. Within a short walk of the tower is the Australian Museum (+61 2 9320 6000) with its many hands-on exhibits that Anna found very enticing. There is a special play area for toddlers, an interesting Aboriginal Australia section and Australian bird exhibition. The birdlife in Australia is so amazing! Staff is on hand around the museum to answer questions and offer interesting details.
We found our trip to the Taronga Zoo (+61 2 9969 2777) less than impressive, although the views, both from the ferry as we crossed the harbor from Circular Quay, and from the cable car ride to the top of the zoo, were worth the trip.
A visit via the ferry to Manly, a seaside town where the harbor meets the ocean, made for a nice and relaxing afternoon. We took a beautiful walk along the Pacific Ocean coastline and enjoyed a nice lunch by the beach.
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