After the first top 10 things to do in Sydney, what comes next? Don’t worry there are
so many things to do in and around Sydney that you will still have plenty left to do for
your next trip. By, the first top 10, I mean the things everyone talks about when they
go to Sydney like;
1. The Sydney Opera House,
2. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, climb it if you are game, I prefer to look at it
from on the ground,
3. The Sydney Tower Eye,
4. Taronga Zoo,
5. Darling Harbour Cruise,
6. Sea Life Aquarium,
7. The Royal Botanic Garden,
8. The Street art of Newtown,
9. Bondi Beach and
10. The art Gallery of New south Wales
However, I also like to have an experience that makes my holiday a little different
from the norm. I find that my children get sick of looking at stuff and eating (well
perhaps not eating) and want to do something energetic.
I’ve tried to include mainly family friendly attractions that you can enjoy with your
children here. So, even though it intrigued me, I left Maniax off the list. I sure as heck
wouldn’t let my children anywhere near an axe throwing venue.
We will be heading South from the Central Railway Station so if you want to catch
the train it’s easy, or you can drive. No 1 on my list is the Railway station itself.
1. Central Railway Station, also known as the Sydney Terminal, was
opened 4 th August1906. The building is heritage listed and is located in the
centre of Sydney occupying the block separating Surry hills and
Haymarket. It is the main transport interchange centre for bus and all rail
services of NSW. It is also the largest and busiest Railway station in
Australia.
2. From the Central Railway Station head out to Kendrick Park (Near Tempe train station)which is located at the intersection of Princes Highway and View Street, Tempe.
Although not a large park it has scenic views, a children’s playground, toilet facilities, BBQs and sheltered picnic areas. It also boasts an aboriginal midden site and you can hire canoes and Kayaks at Sydney Rivers Canoe Hire. You can hire a canoe or kayak for an hour or a day and investigate two of Sydney’s River systems that have great historical value. There are plenty of canoes for the whole family, the children are sure to have a memorable time.
3. You can paddle a canoe up the Wolli Creek (pronounced Woll-eye)
with its overhanging mangroves. Along this watercourse there are
numerous Parks and you can still see the remains of old Middens on the
banks of the creek, near its junction with Cook’s River. The sandstone
outcrops along the creek provided many rock shelters for the first
Australians.
4. Paddling up the Cook’s River, yes, it’s named after Captain Cook,
you can see Tempe House across the river. The Tempe seating area
remembers the aboriginal people of the river and overlooks a midden
protected by local community members. There is an aboriginal fire place
discovered during an archaeologist dig next to Tempe House. The conical
furnace of the Tempe Lime Kiln sits near to Tempe House.
There are handprints in a rock shelter in Earlwood. The old dam on the Tempe House
estate used sandstone carved out of the banks of the river. Tanneries
were built at Shea Creek in 1849, this branch of the river later became
Alexandra Canal.
5. Fatima Island is a low-lying sand bar in the Cook River that isn’t visible
at high tide. It is home to Australian Pelicans, Egrets and Silver gulls.
While you should keep off the island, you can take a canoe up the river
to get great views of these birds. The aboriginal people used this
island and several other islands that used to be here, to cross the river.
6. In June 2008 the Two Valley Walk Trail was opened. This 13km walk
trail traverses both Wolli Creek Valley and Cook’s River Valley. You will
walk through bushland, parkland and alongside the river. There is a great
diversity of flora and fauna in both river valleys.
7. Part of this walk is now the Wolli Creek Walking Trail which covers a
distance of 2 kilometres. This walk trail can be reached by paddling a
canoe up the Wolli Creek and is an easy walk along the river. Take a
picnic, available from Sydney Rivers Canoe Hire and enjoy some down
time.
8. After canoeing and bushwalking, grab a coffee and a meal at one of the many Wolli Creek eateries. From Bubble Tea to Brazilian BBQ the choice is wide.
Then and take the train from Wolli Creek station or drive back to Sydney to the
Capitol Theatre. This theatre first opened in 7 th April 1928 to provide
the public with the experience of an Italian interior garden, a piazza. It is
the only one surviving in Sydney. Moulin Rouge will be playing during the
school holidays.13 Campbell Street, Haymarket.
9. If you are still hungry for more, Chinatown, on Dixon St, has a lively vibe
especially at its night markets and late-night Karaoke. It also hosts
exhibitions, festivals, workshops and restaurants. You can get everything
from fine dining experiences to Noodle bars.
10. The Chinese Garden of Friendship is near Chinatown at 1
Harbour St, Sydney. It has a tranquil atmosphere with exotic ornamental
plants, waterfalls, Koi ponds and the Tea Rooms. Art and History exhibits
are regularly displayed at the Tea Rooms, and at 11.30 every day the fish
are fed at the Jade Pavilion.
This is my list of the 10 things I think you should do when you get to Sydney. But I’m
sure there are plenty of other must dos that I left off. I would love to hear of your
favourite family friendly activities in Sydney. Send me a message or photos and let
me know what I need to add to my list.
Laureen is a freelance writer for hire who does blog posts, editing and content writing. She is interested in writing about lifestyle matters, personal budgeting and Health and Well-being topics.
Laureen loves being with her family and friends and loves bushwalking, reading and swimming.
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