If you plan on taking a cruise around the South Pacific later this year, it’s likely that your trip will either begin or end in Sydney, Australia. The largest city Down Under offers plenty to see and do with a lively food and cultural scene.
Sydney is definitely a city that you’ll want to spend some extra time exploring even after your cruise has ended. Here are some of our top picks for sights in Sydney from the staff at CruisExperts.com:
Bondi is Australia’s most famous shore and is considered by many to be one of the world’s great beaches. It’s close to the city center and easily accessible by public transit. The beach is quite safe, as lifeguards keep an eye on the somewhat rough waves, and close portions of the area when it gets too dangerous.
With its saltwater baths at either end of the beach, Bondi is also a great place for families with small children. Surfers like to hang out at Bondi and are more than willing to provide a few tips for beginners.
As you may know, Australia began as a prison colony and Sydney and other cities were built on the backs of convicts. Designed by convict architect Francis Greenway in 1819, Hyde Park Barracks was originally a home for male criminals. Later it became an immigration depot, an asylum and a court.
Today Hyde Park Barracks is a museum that tells the stories of individuals who lived there, mostly unwillingly. The site is also one of 11 Australian historical prisons on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Located just a few miles north from the center of Sydney, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park provides a peaceful refuge from the hustle and bustle of the city. Within its almost 37,000 acres you’ll find a mix of sandstone and bushland areas that look out to the southern edge of Broken Bay.
There are many interesting trails that you can explore on a self-guided tour. On one, known as Resolute Track, you will find an Aboriginal engraving site. This park is a great place to spend some time in nature and learn more about Australian history.
The opera house is probably Sydney’s most recognizable landmark, and it’s even more beautiful on the inside. On a one-hour guided tour you will learn about the history of the building’s construction. On the more in-depth backstage tour, you will even get a look at the performers’ dressing rooms.
There are more than 2,400 events held at the Sydney Opera House annually, so be sure to check out a show!
Kamay Botany Bay National Park
When Captain James Cook landed in this area in 1770, he was so taken by the large number of botanical species that he found and named the bay for this fact. Within the park’s 1,100 acres, visitors will find ancient Aboriginal sites and landmarks important to Australian history.
At Botany Bay’s La Perouse Museum & Visitors Center — named after a French explorer who arrived soon after Cook — you can see many artifacts about the later age of discovery that brought Europeans to the South Pacific. Here, you’ll also find an Aboriginal gallery and exhibitions on local history and the environment.
If you have kids, you know that you’ll want to make a trip to the zoo. Taronga is just a 12-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay and is home to favorite Australian animals like kangaroos and koalas. Consider taking a Nura Diya tour where an indigenous guide will explain how these animals play an important role in Aboriginal life.
The agents at CruiseExperts.com are here to help you plan your trip of a lifetime. Contact us by calling 1-888-804-CRUISE (2784) or visiting our website www.CruiseExperts.com.
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interested in visiting Australia