Destinations

The wow factor in Sydney

Even on her ninth trip to Sydney, Donna Fleming is still blown away by the city’s incredible sights

It never fails to take my breath away. I’ve been to Sydney nine times now but every time I walk past the cafés and restaurants of Circular Quay, and get my first glimpse of the Sydney opera House, I am wowed! Today it looks especially spectacular.

It’s a beautiful day with a cloudless blue sky, and the sun is making those famous white tiles gleam. Even my five-year-old daughter, whose usual response to my pointing out interesting archictecture is, “Boring, oum, boring,” is impressed. “Who lives in this palace?” she asks.

Circular Quay is the first place we’re headed at the beginning of our two-day whildwind stay in Sydney. It sets you up for the trip and reminds you that you’re in one of the most stunning cities in the world.

Forget the traditional Kiwi versus Aussie rivalry – you’ve got to admit that Sydney is a pretty amazing place. I’ve taken dozens of pictures of the opera House on previous visits but out comes the camera for more. When I’ve snapped it from every possible angle, we head inside to the cool foyer for a look around. Unfortunately there is no time on this trip to see one of the ballets currently being performed or to do a guided tour of the building, but the opera House toilets are definitely worth a visit!

They feature beautifully-designed curved toilet cubicles and wash-basins that look like waves. I’m tempted to whip the camera out and fire off a few snaps, but I think it will probably look a bit dodgy to other visitors so I resist the temptation. Eventually I manage to tear myself away and wander with my husband and daughter around to the Rocks on the other side of the Quay, which are a complete contrast to the striking 20th century architecture of the opera House.

The camera gets plenty of use here too as we wander along cobbled streets and up tiny alleyways, enjoying the historic stone-andbrick buildings of Sydney’s first settlement. It’s hard to believe this area used to be a squalid slum. Today people sip lattes or wine in trendy cafés and bars. What used to be decrepit old warehouses are now art galleries and there are dozens of very tempting shops selling designer goodies, as well as the ubiquitous souvenirs.

According to a travel guide we pick up from the visitor centre, many of the streets in the Rocks were razed after an outbreak of bubonic plague at the turn of the 19th century, and the construction of the Harbour Bridge meant other parts of the area were demolished. But luckily there are still lots of lovely old colonial buildings and you can get a walking-tour map from the visitor centre that helps you know more about what you are looking at.

We could spend hours in the Rocks but time is short, so it’s back to Circular Quay for a ferry ride around to Darling Harbour. This kills two birds with one stone – it gives us a brief but beautiful view of the city from the water (and I get to take more shots of the opera House from yet another angle!) and also gets us to our next destination.

Darling Harbour is a great example of how a once rundown area, that had become a bit of an eyesore, can be completely transformed into a buzzing tourism and activity centre. We head first for the Harbourside Festival Marketplace, a huge dining and shopping complex, because by now we’re starving and there’s an incredible choice of places to eat. After lunch I manage to whizz past most of the shops inside and even find time to buy a shell necklace, but there’s still much more to see.

Darling Harbour is home to the Sydney Aquarium, the Australian National oaritime ouseum, Paddy’s Markets and the Chinese Garden but, as we’ve seen them all on previous visits, today we’re going to somewhere we haven’t been before – the Powerhouse ouseum. In a previous life it used to be the old power station for Sydney’s now-defunct trams but it’s since been transformed into one of the most spectacular museums I’ve ever been to. My husband is in his element here and there are no moans of, “Boring, oum, boring,” from my daughter as she rushes from one exciting exhibit to another.

The Powerhouse is described as a science museum but that is underselling it. Its collection of artefacts come from all areas of technology including decorative arts, communication, media, furniture, fashion, transport and space travel. I spend ages in the homewares section, marvelling at how our grandmothers coped before the advent of modern appliances, and gazing at the clothes displays, by turns entranced and appalled by the things we women have worn over the years in the name of fashion. By now we’re all worn out and it’s time to call it a day.

There’s a monorail station by the museum and it’s a quick trip to World Square, just down the road from our hotel. In fact it’s so quick, we decide to stay on and go around the circuit once more. It’s a good way to get your bearings as well as a very different view of the city from the one-storey-high monorail that links Darling Harbour with the city centre.

The next morning we have just enough time for a bus trip out to Bondi Beach. At 10am on a Sunday morning it is already crowded, but you can see why – as city beaches go, it is pretty gorgeous, with sparkling white sand and sea as azure blue as any you’d find at a tropical resort. After a quick dip we head back to the city centre, just half-an-hour away. You can’t come to Sydney and not do some serious shopping, so it’s off to David Jones, oyer and the Queen Victoria Building for some retail therapy. I get distracted by the lovely Romanesque architecture in the latter but still manage to give my credit card a good hammering in a very brief period.

Unfortunately, we’re just about out of time. Two days hasn’t been long enough – but it’s better than nothing. It has certainly made me realise that although I’ve been to Sydney numerous times, I’ll never run out of new experiences to enjoy and old favourites to revisit. I’ll be back for a 10th visit as soon as I can!

Factfile

Get there Air New Zealand flies to Sydney from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch three times a day

The Powerhouse ouseum is open daily from 10am-5pm. Adults $10, children (4-15 years) $5, under-4s free www.powerhousemuseum.com , Queen Victoria Building www.qvb.com.au , www.sydneyoperahouse.com , www.therocks.comwww.darlingharbour.com

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