Small little pathway along the Rocks, nestling upward toward more modern looking buildings…read more Named the Suez because it used to be a Sewer of sorts; frequented by gangs of thugs out to trip you up, with prostitutes waiting to let-you-in whilst reaching for your purse strings. A little walk of history, leading to an archeological type dig at the top of a (rather impish) little climb, replete with information on the walls of this narrow lane about the history of the surrounding little bit of sydney. Blink and you'll miss it, but don't. This is a nice and lovely little path back into yesteryear

You know, for an old sewage canal this place doesn't smell half that bad…read more There's a history about this small canal, it's worth hearing. Just keep an eye out for sand filled socks and promises of knee tremblers! Avoid those and you'll be swept up by the various uses of this canal over the times... It's well worth a walk up here to where it opens up into a bigger area. Could just be that I love getting into nooks and crannies and feel like I'm getting a behind the scenes look at my own city!

Took the walk from the opera house to the royal botanic garden and we stopped to see the ruins…read more Cool spot.

Walking past I thought it looked like a strange art project. Love walking around all the different…read morepieces of the old architectural pieces from the city. This is just outside our hotel (Sir Stamford) on our way into the botanical garden

Customs House is a lovely building just across from the wharf. It is a fantastic place for…read moretourists, as it has lots of history about the city, but it had FREE wifi, which is rare in Sydney! They welcome everyone in. You can read the many newspapers they have available, sit in a comfy spot and surf the web, or enjoy the full scale model of the city underneath the glass floor. They have a cafe on the top floor that was too pricey for us to try and friendly staff at the information desk to answer your questions. I recommend that anyone visiting the city check it out.

You guys! You can pretend you're godzilla stomping all over a giant mini model of Sydney!…read more Okay so there's actually strong glass protecting the model city, but it's still heaps fun to walk all over it, the model itself is huge. And there's always tons of stuff happening inside, from functions to galas to the library on the First Floor (pro tip: there's tons of kids books if you're lugging the little ones around Circular Quay and they get tired). Oh and it's made of sandstone, my favourite of all building materials. And there's pretty pictures projected onto it when Vivid is on. And Cafe Sydney is on the top floor. It's a triple threat.

This is the large harbor area around the opera house…read more There is plenty of sightseeing and shopping in the area. There's a tram that drops off in the area, so navigating the city is pretty easy. There is a shopping center around this area, and plenty of shops/street market around the corner. I also went upstairs to the bike trail and got lost in a beautiful garden area around some sort of government building. Definitely a great day trip!

Circular Quay is a bustling, iconic waterfront precinct located on Sydney Cove between the Sydney…read moreOpera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It serves as a major transport hub--offering ferry, train, and light rail services--and is a primary tourist destination for dining, culture, and harbor views. A cruise ship terminal is also here. During our recent several days visiting Sydney, Gayle and I caught a Tram here (twice), took the Ferry to Manly (and back), and took Ferry in from Watson Bay. It was also the jumping off point to our tour of the Opera House and the Rocks. The other cool thing we did was reading the brass plaques recognizing 60 important characters of Australian literature featured in the Sydney writers walk.

My first thought?? What the heck are all those bird cages doing up there??!!…read moreI thought I was taking a short cut and found a place of interest and creativity. Daylight hours present well lit pics but the evening presents the soft lighting and nuanced pics that are quite beautiful. The area has hidden cafes, restaurants and bars. Really giving this place the life it needs to be a good find. Sort of like that alleyway in Harry Potter. Lol

Pinterest/Instagram paradise! This alleyway is a bit of a challenge to find, but it's surprisingly…read moreclean and well lit. What's not to love about fun adventures like this?

Love this spot! I stumbled upon it purely by accident, wasn't looking for it or knew it was here. I…read morewas just taking a stroll around the Rocks with the folks. I was wondering why it was so clean and immaculate. I didn't realize it was an official State Heritages Site. The Battery looks like it is still functional and ready to go...no rust, the paint is clean and smooth, doesn't look like a historical artifact. The Dawes Point Battery remains and site are of State heritage significance for their historical and scientific cultural values. The site and building are also of State heritage significance for their contribution to The Rocks area which is of State Heritage significance in its own right. [1] Dawes Point maintains vestiges of all periods of its occupation. The Point has been terraced and filled with each successive land use. All of these land uses have been closely linked with the site's unique position, occupying as it does a prominent headland with vistas up and down the harbour. Dawes Point Park still encompasses more than 90% of the area set aside for military purposes in the 18th century. Very little of this area has been alienated from public use, allowing the potential for interpretation of this period of the site's history in particular. The layers of history at Dawes Point have great potential to be used as a rich educational, cultural and tourism resource. [2] [1][2] totally stolen from the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage site. Self explanatory, and a brilliant explanation of the significance of the Dawes Point Battery. Another thing I love about the Dawes Point Battery is the lack of tourists and crowds...at least when I went there...

This many century old beauty in itself is worth visiting. Located right in the heart of Sydney,…read moreAustralia, it offers stained glasses, high ceiling and 4 stories of fancy shops and lots of cafes and restaurants. Sitting on the ground floor, I got myself a pot of hot tea and a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie and soaked in the atmosphere. The shops are more on the high-end side but some can be fun to walk through.

The Queen Victoria Building (QVB) was built in 1898 and designed by 28-year old architect, George…read moreMcRae, replacing the original Sydney markets on the site. Built as a monument to the long reigning monarch, construction took place during a severe recession. How? The elaborate Romanesque architecture was specially planned for the grand building so the Government could employ many out-of-work craftsmen - stonemasons, plasterers, and stained window artists - in a worthwhile project. The Stained Glass The visual message of Sydney's coat of arms on the cartwheel stained glass window, is that the beehive depicts business, the sailing ship - trade, and the dolphins - the harbor. Panel 1 (on the left-hand side) represents the Council of the City of Sydney and symbols of architecture, while the letters I.G.B., on panel 3 (on the right), represent Ipoh Gardens Berhad, the Malaysian company who restored the QVB in 2009. The symbols are of property developers - the builders. The bottom central panel represents the heraldic symbol of a finished building, and the joining of two hands denotes the fusing of two cultures. The Queen's Secret Letter There is a letter from Queen Elizabeth II to the Citizens of Sydney, to be opened and read by the Lord Mayor of Sydney in the year 2085. The Queen Victoria Statue Outside the QVB, on Town Hall Place, facing The Town Hall are the Royal Wishing Well and Queen Victoria's statue. My experience: This is the second time I have visited this building and on the second time, I found even more hidden historical things of note. It's a remarkable way to feel like you've stepped back in time, whether that's through shopping or through grabbing a coffee or tea and sitting in the atrium, taking it all in. TIP: Go to Haight's for some chocolate!

It's about the journey, not the destination…read more The walk to get to Mrs. Macquarie's Chair is a rewarding one, with an amazing view of the city, opera house, and bridge. Whip out those cameras cause it's about to get beautiful. The chair itself has historical significance, which is cool enough, but it's the view that you see that makes the whole journey worth taking. Yes, it's just a chair, but it's also so much more. A must see in Sydney!

"Come over here, stand on that chair…read moreRaise your arms up in the air" (Randy Newman) As our Collette tour was crisscrossing Sydney, we headed over to a scenic area and a very cool landmark known as "Mrs. Macquarie's Chair". Turns out she was the wife of the Governor of New South Wales. Because she liked to watch the ships sailing by, in 1810 the convict settlers carved a bench out of the sandstone rocks for her to sit in and enjoy her hobby. The scenery was beautiful and was the perfect location for our tour's group photo. PRO TIP The rock steps throughout the area are a bit uneven, so don't be buried in your screens while walking on them.

We booked this 90-minute tour of a historical part of Sydney is to take advantage of every minute…read moreof our short time there after our cruise. It as absolutely worth it! We had Judith as our knowledgeable and personable tour guide. She clearly loves her home city and was excited to share her extensive knowledge about The Rocks. What a wonderful way to spend part of a lovely Sunday afternoon in Sydney, learning the history and secrets of the old city as we walked through the nooks and crannies. Thank you, Judith!

Since we had done a few different tours around Sydney, we weren't sure how much more we would learn…read morefrom The Rocks Walking Tour, but Leisa surprised us! This tour is full of fun and obscure facts with lots of architectural sites. It also familiarized us with how the rocks were almost demolished, then saved in the 70s. Beautiful water and architecture views with lots of fun (sometimes scandalous) colonial stories. Leisa was very kind and knowledgeable, and as another reviewer mentioned, gave us so much extra info that we went over the allotted time. She was very warm and funny. The walk also introduced us to the rocks market and street foods section, which we would have never found otherwise! This tour takes you down many back alleyways. Some stairs, but overall, this this tour was not overly strenuous. Numbers can vary--today we had eight total. Leisa said the day prior, she had 24. Just another way to view Sydney and it's vast history, and I would recommend this tour.

absolutely excellent . I totally loved it and the staff could not have been more helpful and…read morefriendly - special shout out to Kate who was on the front desk. So helpful and a delight!

It was a rainy day in Sydney and so I needed to find something interesting indoors. Well, this was…read morean awesome find. First of all entry is free, which is always welcome. There is so much to see also, I would gladly have paid for entry. There is a large hall that features a lot of original native arts and animals from various regions around the world. Another area features animals from all areas around the globe. Of course a large area dedicated to Australia specific history, from it's people to it's animals including those unfortunately extinct. A whole section for dinosaurs. A children's area and a fabulous gift shop are also housed here. This is so worth a visit, especially on a rainy day.