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Sydney's Top 150 Plus Things To Do

What to do in Sydney?

141 ( - ) The slightly odd Q Station, North Head

The Q Station is a new listing. As is our practice these days, we stick new listings towards the end of list until we convince ourselves, or you convince us, that it should be higher up.

"Q Station is a contemporary take on the former North Head Quarantine Station" which I guess means the current operator has maintained the historical set up while making it cosy enough for us to still be willing to pay hotel prices for. Q Station has beautiful views of Sydney Harbour, it has an interesting history, and you can dine and stay overnight in relative comfort. So you can really walk away with a feel for North Head and its past ex-Quarantine Station but that's still not quite it. Spending a little time in the Q Station is, oddly enough, a really interesting experience that you are unlikely to forget.

Endangered Bandicoots..(?)

Q Station is run by a tourist operator and includes tours, fine dinning and accommodation. Even before you enter you maybe struck by something odd, a sign with the image of a bandicoot and the word endangered underneath it. (maybe struck is not the most appropriate word..) If they have dug up your garden recently or given you a Tick stop dialing Taronga Zoo, they won't take them, these are endangered Manly Bandicoots..an entirely the same species..(?)

How odd?

After that the oddities kept coming. You can't drive within the confines of Q Station. They can, you can't. The only exception is once you arrive you are allowed to drive up to reception if you are staying overnight. And if you are staying overnight, you might end up in a building that used to house third class passengers, as we did. The old third class passengers' building burnt down about ten years ago and has since been rebuilt (about 6 years ago, so it is still quite new) in exactly the same manner. Complete with outside toilets. The net effect is you stay in a room that manages to look and feel both modern and old at the same time.

Small is beautiful

The oddities still kept coming from midget sized showers, odd sized rooms, thin walls and high sink, possibly to discourage you from peeing in it if you can't face the walk to the toilet.

Sydney's Heritage

The marketing name for where we stayed was the Harbour View Heritage Suite - heritage being the key word. As you may know, or have guessed, this is all (or mostly) about preserving the heritage of the ex-Quarantine Station. The tourist operator has signed a lease with 200 conditions in it designed to preserve blah, blah..

Should you stay at the Q Station?

If you are into history, or have stayed in too many hotels, then this is a place to consider - you are unlikely to forget your stay in a hurry.

"Heritage rooms retain the original aspects of accommodation at Q Station when it was the Quarantine Station, where all accommodation had share bathrooms. However, the rooms today have been beautifully restored and although the bathrooms are still external, they are no longer shared and guests have their own private bathroom."

and you don't even have to:

"Our Deluxe Room category of rooms all feature ensuite bathrooms, most with shower over the bath, but some also just feature a shower" wow! :)

Having faced the "hardship" of an outside dunny I say do the heritage thing, it gives you more of an opportunity to meet the current and past residents in interesting circumstances.

Q Station views and history

Just walking around Q Station is a real pleasure as there are some beautiful views and whole story about the Quarantine Station is quite interesting. It would have been a shame had this piece of Sydney's history been given over to development and the Manly Bandicoots are ecstatically digging up the place so it's "all good".

Go on a Q Station tour

There are a number of tours to consider including the Ghostly ghost tour. None other than the Ghost Hunters International (US TV show) think that most people think that Sydney's Manly Quarantine Station is one of Australia's most haunted locations!

Ghosts Manly sydneyGhost Stories on Manly's Q Station

"If you are looking for a family activity that's a little different, then Q Station's Family Ghostly interactive experience is ideal. Let nightfall be your doorway into another world as you hear the stories and legends of the former Quarantine Station internees. The guides select captivating stories to bring your experience to life!"

Ghost Stories and Tour at Manly's Q Station

Worth dinning at the The Boiler House Restaurant at Q Station?

If you can get a deal on the meal then yes. The Boiler House Restaurant is a popular buzzy kinda place. The restaurant has great views from the outside. It is very close to the water but you have to sit outside to enjoy it. The service we experienced was friendly and surprisingly efficient although the coffee beat the desert by a margin yet, oddly, the coffee would have been worth waiting for. We sat upstairs so you could see the directly into the kitchen and witness whole goings on, comings back, walking around in circles and looking stressed. It was quite entertaining and the food was excellent. The chicken momos was particularly recommendable.

and finally, is Q Station haunted?

We couldn't say whether the Q Station should be renamed the G(host) Station or something similar (but if it ever is I now expect a cheque) but there is definitely something odd about the place.

Q Station , North Head Scenic Drive, Manly 2095 NSW

 

142 ( - ) Observatory Hill Park

Observatory Hill Park

Observatory Hill Park is a magnet for locals, workers and visitors alike. It is a great place to take your camera as it offers panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge from a natural setting.

The park contains numerous works of public art and a wooden rotunda flanked by magnificent mature Port Jackson Figs. So don't be surprised if you stumble across a wedding or some other celebration.

You can access Observatory Hill Park from the Agar Steps in Kent Street or, alternatively, from Cumberland Street via a cutting through the Harbour Bridge pylons.

Observatory Hill Park

 

143 (-) Tali Gallery

The award winning Tali Gallery consists of two storeys of Indigenous contemporary and traditional paintings, limited edition prints, wooden and pandanus artifacts and craft, The range of indigenous art on display is truly impressive. You will find work from established artists as well as new and emerging talent. The art work comes in many forms and sizes from all over Australia including Tiwi, Maningrida, Ramingining, Elcho, APY Lands, Northern Territory Central Desert (Utopia, Yuendumu, APY Lands, etc.) and is displayed with Fair Trade or Recycled Furnishings and gifts.

Tali Gallery

 

144 (-) Resolute Beach - Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Resolute Beach is a lovely sandy beach with natural shade provided by the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. You can sit back and enjoy the excellent views across Pittwater to Station Beach. Resolute Beach is also a good spot for a swim and a picnic.

West Head

To get to the beach take the Resolute Track at the far end of West Head. The area contains a number of interesting aboriginal sites and lookouts.

Resolute Beach picnic area

There is also a largish car park at the Resolute Beach picnic area. From there you will need to walk for about two kilometres before you reach steep track that leads down to the beach. Take plenty of water and be careful descending the track. Broken ankles are not an unheard of event in these parts.

Resolute Beach

 

145 (-) Justice and Police Museum

Justice and Police Museum

Come over to the dark side. Sydney did not have happy beginnings. The Justice and Police Museum is a historic police and court building dating back to the mid 1800s. The museum's heavy blocks of sandstone, spiked gates and the corridor of cells are both intriguing and imposing. You easily end up whispering to each other as if to avoid unwanted attention. It gets worse as you see all the mug-shots of the past crooks staring at you from the walls. Then there's the collection of weapons to send a shiver down your spine.

Justice and Police Museum Exhibitions

The museum has run some excellent exhibitions into the dark side of life including Sin City which was a big hit. The current one is "Persons of Interest" and its all about ASIO, Australia's spy agency and the people they spied upon. Follow the link below to see if its still on.

Justice and Police Museum

 

146 (-) The Great River Walk - Penrith

Do you like walking, rivers, wildlife, hilly bits? If so, you'll probably find the River Walk in Penrith really great, in a small way that is. The walk is a walk in progress, sorry, work in progress. There are great plans to river walk from Goulburn to Broken Bay just north of Sydney (good luck guys). For now, it's a relatively short amble alongside the Nepean at Penrith to Penrith Lakes - about 2 ks - linking to a 7k walk around both sides of the Nepean River in Penrith and Emu Plains. You can start the walk from a variety of places including Tench Reserve, Weir Reserve on Bruce Neale Drive and Memorial Avenue in Penrith or Regatta Park, Emu Plains. The Great River Walk is close to both Emu Plains and Penrith railway stations. This should be a no stress, no worries walk with a number of places nearby to rest and replenish your energy stores.

The Great River Walk - Penrith

 

147 (-) Sculpture Garden - Campbelltown

A Tether of Time

The Sculpture Garden's most well known work is 'A Tether of Time,' by Joan Brassil. A Tether of Time is a sculptural installation and soundscape. The wind-harp sings in memory of windmills, the shallow pool reflects the history of water conservation and Campbelltown's geographic location between two rivers. The native Casuarina trees represent the Casuarinas growing throughout Campbelltown. To quote Brassil "I would like the sculpture garden to sing, sigh, reflect and inspire..to be a place of reflection and stimulation."

Big Wombat - Esmerelda (Diprotodon)

If that's too heavy, how about 'big'? Big things are big in Australia. There's the Big Prawn (Ballina), Guitar (Tamworth), the Big Merino (Goulbourn) and Big Banana (Coffs Harbour) to name but a few. So how does a Big Wombat sound? (at least they actually existed). Meet Esmerelda:

giant-wombat-sydney

Sculpture Garden - Campbelltown

 

148 ( - ) Western Sydney Parklands

Bigger than your average Park

Set in the heart of Western Sydney, The Western Sydney Parklands contain world class sporting facilities, popular picnic areas, a full length cycle/walking track and native bushland. Covering 5,280 hectares, the Parklands stretch 27 kilometres from Quakers Hill to Leppington and are twenty five times the size of Centennial Park.

Walk, Cycle, Picnic

The Parklands contains a $4.5 million walking and cycling track which allows public access to the entire 27 kms length of the site. There are three established picnic grounds throughout the Parklands with great facilities.

Ride a horse, walk the dog, watch the birdie

You can ride your horse, walk your dog on a leash, watch fast motor sports, visit a working farm and native wildlife park or just relax and do some bird watching in beautiful native bushland.

More to come

The Western Sydney Parklands Trust is working on new projects for the Parklands so watch this new "thing to do in Sydney" as it attempts to fulfil its potential - it's a big park.

Western Sydney Parklands

 

149 ( - ) Campbelltown — Freres Crossing Bushwalk

Campbelltown — Freres Crossing Bushwalk

The Freres Crossing Bushwalk is a lovely 2km easy walk through beautiful bushland down to the Georges River. Along the way you should be able to see the remains of the old Freres Crossing Bridge, built at the start of the 20th century.

Frere's Crossing entrance is at the end of Freres Road, Kentlyn. Experienced walkers can keep going along the river to The Basin Reserve (Keith Longhurst Reserve) and make this a circular day walk by leaving their vehicle on Georges River Road.

Campbelltown — Freres Crossing Bushwalk

 

150 (-) The Rocks Discovery Museum

The Rocks Discovery Museum is a free, family friendly museum which takes you way back to a time before the white man arrived right until everybody starting coming. Thankfully Australia is a big place. The museum resides in a 1850s sandstone warehouse and is home to a unique collection of images and archaeological artefacts found in The Rocks. The exhibits are very interactive and fun, using touch screens, audio and visual elements to bring the history of the area alive.

Free to get in via Argyle Street. This is a useful wet weather, dodge the showers activity.

The Rocks Discovery Museum

 

151 ( - ) TreeTop Adventure Park

TreeTop Adventure Park

We took our kids to the TreeTop Adventure Park only to be told that they were fully booked. The resulting floods of tears is an indication of just how devastating that news was - but I got over it eventually :) The Adventure Park is a popular spot for just about any kid who likes to play at the playground or for those that have grown out of it. TreeTop Adventure Park is located about an hour's drive north of Sydney on the F3. You can book online (which is what we will do next time).

TreeTop Adventure Park

 

152 ( - ) Adults only at the Late Night Surry Hills Library - Every Thursday Night

Hysterical laughter, chilling screams and other salacious sounds will ring through the award-winning Surry Hills' Library every Thursday night. The Library will stay open on Thursday nights until 10:30pm with events and activities for adults only from 9pm to 10pm. The program has included ghost stories and hilarious erotic fan fiction, a live recording of a radio show, book readings, and an inside look at the making of horror movies.

The Library's extensive collection is also available for borrowing, with free Wi-Fi internet, and a regular program of talks, workshops, musical performances and film screenings.

Unsurprisingly, you will need to book. All Late Night Library events are free, Call (02) 8374 6230 or visit www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/library for more information.

The International Award-Winning Surry Hills Library

The Surry Hills Library has been awarded the Best New Global Design award at the 2011 International Architecture Awards in Chicago. Prior to this, the Library was a won a number of prestigious Australian prizes since its opening in 2009. As well as a library, the building includes a childcare centre, community meeting rooms, commercial kitchen and an arts and crafts space.

 

153 (137) Whitewater Rafting in Penrith

Visit Penrith (on the way to the Blue Mountains) for man made white-water for rafting and other fun water things.

Whitewater Rafting in Penrith

 

154 (111) The White Rabbit Gallery

The White Rabbit Gallery He An - Neon Lights

The White Rabbit Gallery is a specially converted knitting factory near Sydney’s Central Station. The White Rabbit Gallery has four floors of exhibition space as well as a theatrette, a library and a teahouse. Only a fraction of the collection is on show at any time. The entire contents of the gallery are rehung twice a year. It is a contemporary museum featuring Chinese art created in the last decade and costs nothing to enter.

The White Rabbit has 4 levels of display area and features the work of over 35 artists at any one time. The gallery also features a mini theatre, a library and a beautiful teahouse. It is located in Sydney's Chippendale and is only a 5 minute walk from Central station. Doors are open Thursday to Sunday every week.

Did you say the White Rabbit Gallery has a Tea House?

Whether you’re visiting White Rabbit’s collection, meeting a friend or just in need of a break, the gallery’s tranquil street-level Tea House is a pleasant enough place to relax, catch up with friends or kill time if your train has been delayed.

White Rabbit Gallery

 

155 ( - ) Garden Games - Kings Cross

garden games kings cross sydney

Garden Games revolves around games that are easy to learn and suit all levels from first timer to master. The idea is to have fun, challenge yourself and meet new people. Be a part of it and play the day away at Garden Games every Saturday from 9am to 3pm at Fitzroy Gardens Kings Cross.

Games available to play include, Chess, Backgammon, Snakes and Ladders, Connect Four, Dominoes, Blokus, Scrabble, Othello, Nine Mens Morris, Guess Who?, Scotland Yard, Checkers/Draughts, Battleship, a-MAZE-in, Labyrinth, Shut the Box and Uno.

Garden Games - Kings Cross

 

156 (141) Brighton le Sands - Botany Bay

Brighton le Sands is famous for being close to the airport. Captain Cook also came by this way but it probably took him longer than you (unless you upset customs of course). If you're not bothered about the history you can grab a long black by the short Brighton Le Sands / Botany Bay beach on the way home. Sit and watch the planes take off from a respectable distance and plan your return.

Brighton le Sands - Botany Bay

 

157 (142) National Gallery and Parliament House Canberra

Sydney is NOT Australia's official capital. I know I can’t believe it either. I'm no historian but apparently Canberra was chosen to keep Melbourne less miserable? :)

Perhaps unsurprisingly the roads are pretty good but you could/should/perhaps/maybe/might [sense my uncertainty here] consider an over night stay.

Things to do in Canberra

 

158 (143) Commonwealth Bank, Martin Place

The Commonwealth Bank at Martin Place in the city is a large bank with high ceilings and great marble columns. Occasionally features on television. You will probably have to visit a bank whilst you are in Sydney. So whilst you are waiting you may as well have a something to look at. Just a word of caution, might be worth mentioning to someone before you take any pictures. Security, bank robbery, casing the joint, hyper sensitive security guard etc I'm sure people do take photos and you would probably be ok but personally, I'd ask permission first.

Commonwealth Bank, Martin Place

 

159 (144) Immigration - Department of

To stay here permanently you'll probably need a lot of cash or a skill the Immigration Department value. There is a reported skills shortage in Sydney so don't dismiss the possibility without checking out the link below.

Immigration Questionnaire

or 'pop-in' to your nearest Immigration Office, take your number and cross your fingers.

Unfortunately you’ll probably need to leave the country first but you ought to say a few goodbyes and tie up the odd loose end so maybe it’s just as well.

Politicians sometimes complain everybody wants to live in Sydney and nowhere else (silly people) so get in quick before they force you to live in Melbourne

Immigration - Department of

 

Hundreds of Things To Do Away From Sydney

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