(Explored 12/12/24 TH @ 4:00pm, 12/26/24 TH @ 10:00am, and several times over a decade ago): This…read moreharbour neighbourhood will rock your socks off! The Rocks was a quintessential goodbye and welcoming point for those embarking or disembarking by cruise ship in Sydney Harbour and a focal historic neighbourhood where many came to dine, drink, shop, or just walk around in the fresh open air with a kiss of salt water sprinkled onto your skin. My first experience was very similar to this one, and it all started on a cruise with Princess Cruises. My travel companion and I arrived a couple of days early to settle in and roamed around before the cruise began. Then, at the end of the cruise, we stuck around for nearly a week to welcome in 2025. Would this return visit years later rock as it did my first time around!? PURCHASE We tried our best to support the local economy by visiting several pubs and restaurants as we surrounded ourselves with the locals and whatever came our way. Each of these experiences would be explored further with their own respective reviews. SERVICE There was no specific service to speak of that directly affected The Rocks as a whole. Rather, collectively all of the businesses we supported had wonderful service. The area was well-kept, and although there was a constant flow of slow traffic down the narrow streets, each was safe to cross. PARKING (FREE) I honestly had no idea nor took notice of the parking situation although I saw some vehicles parked here and there along the surrounding streets. We simply walked, took the train from/to the Circular Quay Station (it was right there!) or took an Uber - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE I couldn't say what streets bordered or determined the parameters of The Rocks area, but you had a collection of old buildings that housed pubs (Fortune Of War Hotel), breweries/restaurants (The Endeavour Tap Rooms), a breakfast spot (Shuk The Rocks), the Museum Of Contemporary Art Sydney https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=j_J8UYvByj8QDV_ZnbqrRQ for some culture, a slew of art galleries https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=YtAakzygb5ZdKBfVAJrJ_g and retail shops, Sydney Harbour with view of iconic Sydney Opera House https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=P1RzLfk-zcbziYGOeoTrhg and Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the cruise terminal https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=6i9FoQ8M7O0m8JnpyZQvwQ for some ocean voyages. It was Christmas time, so there were plenty of decorations https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=z3gi2JSNDyfjJ7aG6G0ZWg everywhere. Obviously, there was plenty of natural lighting with a plethora of street and business electric lights throughout when the sun went down. Even if you didn't partake in any of these options, simply people-watching was more than enough fun to pass the time as you lazed away - enjoy! ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL The Rocks was a fun place to spend the day and enjoy the local flavors around you. There was something for everyone (I personally loved the pubs, eateries, and cruise terminal), and you could spend as much or as little money and still have a good time. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience varied BEFORE any discounts/tip). And, many of the businesses accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Sydney's oldest neighborhood…read more Walk along the cobblestone paved streets and narrow laneways. Explore the markets, the museums and the galleries. This is where Sydney was born in 1788. The newly arrived convicts set up shops, pubs and homes. The Fortune of War pub opened almost 200 years ago in 1828. Imagine the hardships that those early settlers faced. Today, many of those original historic buildings have been restored. The renovations have turned what was once dilapidated into a popular tourist area.

The remit for Mosman market appears to be handmade and beautiful - we don't really care if it's…read moreorganic or not. It is definitely the place to head to if you're looking for a gift. Priority is given to hand crafted and home produced goods and this ensures that the goods on sale are unique and usually of a high quality. This arts and crafts market suits the affluent demographic of the area perfectly and there is always a lot of foot traffic; though how many are actually buying is another matte,r as the stall holders tend to remain constant, so once you've seen the offerings it can get a little tiresome. Many stalls focus on children's clothing, accessories and toys -think Cath Kidson/Penny Scanlan - lots of flowery bonnets, retro cowboy/spaceman designs and wooden toys. There's jewellery in a range of price brackets and styles: from dainty silver earrings to chunky resin necklaces. I once bought the most delightful butterfly wing earrings that had been 'frozen' in resin (not good for ones Karma though I'm pretty sure). Artists that display here tend to be pretty conservative or focus on photography of the local area. There's clothing, leather goods, soy candles as well as food stalls selling pretty cupcakes, chutneys and relishes, olive oils from the Hunter and organic honey. There are a small number of fast food outlets one selling Dutch Pancakes that are just sensational. Mosman Markets occur on the Mosman Square and Village Green on the first Saturday of every month, pretty much come rain hail or shine; they're a hardy bunch the Mosman Marketers though they didn't have it too touch today, in beautiful 26 degree autumn day. Nice to kick back and relax to the jazz band that play around mid-morning.

For me not much beats a sunny Saturday strolling a farmers market with an organic mocha and almond…read morecroissant in hand. This is one of the best farmers markets to do that. London and California have some pretty good ones but this is up there with the finest. I love the way the stall make a horse shoe shape around Civic park - you can meander past all the food and finish up in the grassy centre so that you can munch on all your new delights. Last market I bough a giant size broccoli that must have been cut at the roots because it was about the size of five supermarket broccoli attached together. Because they were attached to the main stem it lasted for a good week and a half and that wasn't because it went off but rather we ate all. Even better - it cost about $4 - bargain. Saying that, whilst much of the seasonal fruit and vegetables are reasonably prices many of the other products aren't so cheap. Organic meats, milk, wood fired breads, fresh pasta, bottled sauces, organic coffee beans, gluten free sweets, fresh muesli, tea tonics, natural skin care ranges, fresh flowers, organic cider and a stall with a banana bread stacked wall are some of the pricier items. Some of my favourite buys have been a cashew nut spread, beetroot hummus and edible zucchini flowers. There is usually a good busker strumming out some tunes too - I like to pop him my gold change from that indulgent mocha I bought! It happens on the third Saturday of every month from 8am - 12pm. Under cover parking is available in the Ridge St. car park behind Civic Park.

Cockatoo Island's vast abandoned factories, unused alleyways and shipping docks provides an…read moreexciting location for visitors to see a huge range of Street Art in one location. And because of its dynamic and live nature, the art will change and evolve, giving visitors something different to see throughout the course of the festival which runs from 4 November - 11 December, 2011. We are delighted one Sunday that the weather is perfect and that public transport for a Fun Day ticket is only $5 so we take advantage of this offer and catch the ferry over to Cockatoo Island for the street art display called Outpost. When we arrive we are met with a colourful cup wall and a huge expansive chalkboard floor which our toddler runs too and grabs chalk from the baskets to begin her own graffiti. On hot days because of the asphalt it can be incredibly hot so make sure young one are covered up and it wouldn't hurt to have cover for yourself. Children scoot and skate around us as this place is perfect for this kind of activity. We then choose to walk down the working tunnel which leads to the Turbine Hall. It makes for a wonderful experience to see art from Ben Frost, Everfresh and The Beastman. We exit and go into the Turbine Hall where the Kidzoom Home project shows a movie installation and three commodore pile up installation inside. On the other side we sit in one of the many cafes and have a refreshing drink and coffee. Our Toddler decides she is off and goes into the junk room with other kids to construct her own sculpture she loves it. Following this we go into a big room with hanging t-shirts and profiles on different graphic artists and then go over to the X Box room to do some dancing. This exhibition is progressive, dynamic and worth those who are keen to take the short trip from Circular Quay for the day. Relax with a cocktail in the Cockatoo Island Bar at the end of the day. Verdict: One in a million experience that you must go and see.

Not a difficult hike. I think it was about 2 miles. Accessible by bus or ferry. Taking the bus 342…read moremake sure it goes to the Watsons Bay as there's also a shorter round. Not a long walk from Robertsons Park. Maybe 2 miles? However, you can extend for a longer coastAl walk by combining it with the Bondi, which could go on for over 12 km. Much of the power has fencing for safety. Paved throughout.

Beautiful views of downtown Sydney from here. And the smell of fish and chips from Doyle's is…read moreincredible. We laughed hysterically watching a woman with a bag of fish & chips get chased screaming by about 25 large, loud & hungry seagulls. There were lots of beautiful sailboats and a quiet pristine beach. It appears that the indigenous tribes were here in the 1900s & lived around the giant fig tree. The first European settlement were here in 1790 as the bricklayers, carpenters & fishermen. Now Doyle's fish and chips and the Watson Bay boutique hotel are the places to stop here. The special forces the Australian military equivalent to the American navy seals are housed here with lots of equipment.

A secret tunnel in the cliff between Manly Beach and Freshwater!…read more This is full-on Goonies style action. Also known as the Queenscliff Tunnel, it was constructed in 1908 by local fishermen as a shortcut between Manly and Freshwater. To get here you go to the Queenscliff Headland at the very left edge of Manly beach as you're facing out to sea. Walk past the rock pool and keep going, clamber over the rocks. Just before the big pink graffiti heart painted on the cliff (a northern beaches icon in itself), you'll discover a dark arch. Behold, the Wormhole! What will happen inside? Will you be transported to another dimension? Or just to the other side of the headland where you can scramble all the way to Freshie? Who can say. Go. Find out for yourself.

The busiest point in Sydney (As determined by Dennis Bones in 2012)…read more Its the interconnect between the arcades under the QVB, The Galleries Victoria and town hall station. Go here between 8am and 930am to see everyone in Australia transit this one spot. Bonus points if you can count all the goldfish.

Duplicate Review 1 of 2…read more Quality/Quantity - Slightly disappointed... Expected way more. Especially since we just visited Melbourne, Chinatown (oldest Chinatown in Australia) which was more than 3 times larger, while the city is much smaller. Future review to follow. Minimum shops and/or eateries, most of which we had little to no interest in visiting. Atmosphere - First known or documented Chinese Australian was in 1818. The Chinese came here just like in America in the 1850 due to the gold rush. In 1973, after Australia dismantled their policy against the Chinese, they opened the doors to more Chinese coming to Australia, but mostly coming from Hong Kong as China did not open their doors to let people out until 1983. Sydney Chinatown started in "The Rocks" area, then moved to Market Street near Darling Harbour and now is finally in the Haymarket area. Service - N/A. Price - N/A. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since the 1800's. I know this is a community and not a tourist attraction.

Dixon is the heart of Chinatown, a narrow, shady pedestrian mall with restaurants & hawkers. The…read moreornate dragon gates at either end have bamboo tiles, golden calligraphy and ornamental lions to keep evil spirts away. This eating district extends for several blocks north & sound into Koreatown & Thaitown. Lots of Asian restaurants with everything from Japanese cheesecake, moochi, teas, seafood, fried chicken, ramen, rice, dumplings, noodles, sushi ...

When I booked my hotel adjacent to Kings Cross I was told that I am residing in the red light…read moredistrict. I did see a lot of 'massage' parlors and some sex shops. A few unsavory characters at night time, but really never felt unsafe. I heard it has calmed down a lot in recent years. I enjoyed the scenery and especially the many coffee shops and tiny restaurants everywhere. Plus the public transportation from here to just about anywhere in the city is fabulous. And if you like to walk a lot you can even hike to most of the famous tourist attractions.

Kings Cross is quite an interesting area that appears to be rapidly changing & gentrifying…read more On one hand, you have Darlinghurst road, full of cheap fast food joints, sex shops, and bars. There are definitely a good amount of junkies too but we were never hassled or panhandled. On the other hand, step off the main road to leafy quiet residential streets with people walking dogs and pushing strollers. There's a great small market on weekends and lots of good reasonably priced places to eat on small lanes. We found the area to be diverse, lovely and convenient to stay in .

No wonder this is one of the more exclusive suburbs in Sydney. It has everything you could want:…read moregreat parks, restaurants, cafes, exercise facilities, leafy back streets and a ferry terminal. If you come here early on weekday mornings, you see a steady stream of smart business men and women on their way to work. Surely this must be the best commute in the world...although still difficult to leave the serenity of aptly-named Rose Bay behind.