(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.

Darling Harbour was a charming area nearby my Vrbo. I wish I'd spent more time in the area, as…read morethere were a number of restaurants I'd have like to visit, but I didn't have enough time. It was a lovely space to walk through, so if you're in Sydney, I recommend going by!

The backdrop of our window view from the Hyatt Regency Sydney, the Darling Harbour occupies a large…read moreportion of the western area adjacent to downtown Sydney. It was named after a former governor of New South Wales. Some famous attractions in the harbour include Chinese Garden of Friendship, National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium, and Sydney Zoo. The pyrmont pedestrian bridge can get you across the harbor (East-West).

Plenty of shopping and cafes just off the circular Quay tourist area by the ferries. A fun place…read moreto walk around and explore to many different cafes and shops. Make sure to look down stairs for hidden gems .

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 ...

Putting aside the headache it is to try and drive to this area and find parking during this crazy…read moreevent, Vivid was pretty damn cool. We went on the Starship Sydney, which despite the amount of people on board, still had plenty of space for great views of all lights. I'm especially impressed how Sydney coordinates all the different displays, especially the bridge which baffles my mind. Overall, it was just an awesome experience for a reasonable price. And loved having a couple drinks during the cruise as well.

Vivid is an annual arts festival in Sydney held yearly in late-May and through most of June. It was…read morestarted in 2009 so it is relatively new. I didn't know about this festival until I learned about it the week before I traveled it to Sydney. It is apparently one of the biggest festivals of the year there. The 2016 event was the most successful one to date as it drew over 2.3 million visitors. The festival is most known for its art installations around Sydney that are lighted up at night for the festival. It is like a Christmas lights festival in the middle of the year. The most popular landmark to see lighted up is the iconic Sydney Opera House. Other attractions like Darling Harbour and Sydney Harbour Bridge are also decked out in lights. There are also two other parts of the festival which are lesser known. There is a music festival component of local and international acts at numerous venues around Sydney which was headlined this year by Björk. The other part is an ideas/discussion symposium on an array of diverse topics. Since I had a limited time in Sydney, I only was able to make it to the lights portion of the festival. While the Vivid lights can be found around the city, the main location to visit is Circular Quay. The lights at the festival start around 6 pm, so you will want to get to the area before they turn on. The festival takes place at the end of fall/beginning of winter in Australia, so make sure to cover up if you go as it can get chilly in the evening. Based on the traffic in the area, it seems like public transportation is the best way to get there. I would recommend taking the train to Circular Quay Station if you can. Due to the crowds, you might be asked by the conductor to get off at an earlier station and walk over so the train can make room for people at Circular Quay trying to leave the area. If you don't want to deal with the crowds, another way to enjoy the festivities is by taking a Vivid cruise for a view of the lights from the water. When I arrived at Circular Quay, I found it to be full of people as it would be since it was a Saturday evening. The lights for the festival were just about everywhere. There was a lights show called "The Matter of Painting" being played on a building that was intriguing. And if you walked to the waterfront, you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge lighted up. After mulling about in this area, I walked towards the Sydney Opera House to see the lights there. The ones there were my favorite of the festival. It was cool seeing this landmark decked out in different colors and patterns. While I didn't get a chance to see them, I would also recommend checking out the lights at the Royal Botanic Gardens which is adjacent to the Sydney Opera House. I walked through the gardens the next afternoon and see that they had a huge lights display there. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay into the evening to see them. Really enjoyed Vivid. While much of the music and ideas portions of the festival require admission, the lights festival is free and open to all. If you decide to visit Sydney next year when Vivid is on, I highly recommend checking out the light shows that this festival puts on around the city.

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.

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.

We had such a great experience at Spirit Gallery! Anita was incredibly kind and helpful while we…read morewere choosing a didgeridoo, showing us several options within our budget and helping us understand what we were buying. They're even shipping it directly to our home in Oahu, which made everything so easy. Highly recommend stopping in -- such a special experience!

The Digeridoo is a wind instrument, played with vibrating lips to produce a continuous drone while…read moreusing a special breathing technique called circular breathing. It was developed by Aboriginal peoples of northern Australia at least 1,000 years ago, and is now in use around the world, though still most strongly associated with Indigenous Australian music. The Spirit Gallery is where I bought my Didgeridoo, maybe the most iconic souvenir from our recent trip to Australia. This place has a great selection and depth of knowledge. My host showed me how to play it and offered great information on how they're made, painted, and played. I was able to make some "music" from it by playing it like a Trumpet, but that's not the correct way. On to You Tube for my further progress. I paid AUD 180 for a very nice smaller instrument that I thought was a great value. The shop wrapped it up well and to the point that it easy made it back to Nevada as checked luggage without a scratch. Depending on who you talk to at the Airport, my Digeridoo was either a musical instrument or a weapon. Regardless, there was no way it was going to fit in an overhead compartment.

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 .

So much fun! Ran into a silent disco (live DJ, music streamed through headphones available to…read moreeveryone), which was quite a blast. Plenty of cute stalls and artisan vendors (one particularly talented laser-cut greeting card artist, worth finding), and a whole lane of street food vendors. The Rocks, in general, is a lovely area to walk around.

Definitely worth a wander if you are in town. Its pleasantly…read morebizarre. I loved the inflatable tyvek suits and the strange costumes.