Sydney's Top 90 Things To Do

What to do in Sydney?

81 Balls Head Reserve

Balls Head Reserve is a ten to fifteen minute walk from Waverton Train station first stop after North Sydney heading north. Balls Head is a pleasant little reserve North West of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Nice spot for a picnic and offers nice views and an opportunity to stretch the legs a little.

Balls Head Reserve Link

82 Sydney Comedy and Fun Karaoke

Sydney Comedy Festival

Dare I say good for a laugh. It is laughable in a way but comedy has traditionally been seen as second class in the entertainment business. Maybe one too many swear words. Any way that appears to be changing with the Sydney Comedy Festival even making it onto the Sydney Opera House stage. Comedy in Sydney is no longer a joke..

Humour is a personal thing so try to look on the funny side if you struggle to 'get it'.

Sydney Comedy Links

Karaoke bus

For a great chuckle with party people in love with Sydney

Catch the excellent Karaoke Bus

83 Pearl Beach, Wagstaff and Ettalong

Pearl Beach is aptly named along with Pretty Beach but can be a pain to get to. Its out of the way location may help to explain why it's worth going out of your way to get there. There's an excellent restaurant on the Pearl beach and even more excellent Pearl Beach web site to tell you more.

Pearl Beach Dot com

Palm Beach Ferry to Wagstaff and Ettalong

There is a ferry that runs from Palm Beach to Wagstaff which is so close to Pearl Beach (if you had a car on the other side) yet so far (because you don’t). Excellent for fishing Wagstaff consists of used to be beach shacks now fast turning into mansions, but precious little in the way of facilities. Give it a few years..

However, if you stay on the ferry you will arrive at Ettalong a very family friendly little town with many cafes and shops. Ettalong also appears to have an expensive hotel only metres from the beach. The best part of this actually belongs to the War Memorial Club - free to get in and others an excellent veranda and reasonable prices for food and beverage. Just be mindful of the dress code - no hats / thongs etc. .

Palm Beach Ferry Link

84 Australian Museum

Dinosaurs await you. The Mummy's are kept under wraps and The Spiders from Oz spin their charm. Next to the Powerhouse the Australian museum is Sydney's most popular museum with locals of all sizes.

Click for a link to the nicely done Australian Museum's web site.

85 Cycling

Sydney has some good cycle ways including one across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Another option is to take your bike on the ferry or train to Olympic Park.

If you want more fun try an entertaining guided bicycle tour of Sydney. Experience Sydney from historical, cultural, and social perspectives while mixing in many laughs along the way.

Sydney Classic Cycling Tour

86 National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour

Located on the water's edge at Darling Harbour, the National Maritime Museum hosts temporary exhibitions and a fleet of historic craft at its wharves.

Enter the world of underwater warfare aboard the Museum's submarine, HMAS Onslow; explore the last of the big gun destroyers HMAS Vampire or marvel at the fastest boat in the world.

The museum provides activities and hands-on fun for kids of all ages but only on weekends and school holidays.

Admission is great value - FREE! except for the best bits, Special Exhibitions and vessels but still good value. Open daily 9.30am to 5pm (until 6pm in January)

National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour Link

87 La Perouse

Sydney’s French connection. History La bounds at Perouse but sadly so does the container terminal on the other side of the bay. Still well worth a visit.

There is an historical bush walk which will take you to the La Perouse Museum, La Perouse Monument, the fortifications at Henry Head and the scenery around Pussycat Bay and Cape Banks.

It’s rumoured that a 'Snake Man' performs at La Perouse on Sundays - best ask the locals when you get there as sounds like a wind-up to me. Buses 393 and 394.

Link to a Map of La Perouse

88 Bare Island

Bare Island is a fort and not a nudist colony (sorry). Bare Island is just a footbridge away from La Perouse.

Bare Island - More Info

89 (125) Balmain

A short ferry ride from Circular Quay will take you to Balmain with more pubs cafes and restaurants than you could Theddlethorpe. Get off at Darling Street wharf - East Balmain and catch the bus or puff the ten minute walk up the hill. English feel without the weather. Grab a pint at the London Hotel (second pub up the hill, by the roundabout) and ask somebody, preferable in a group, THE best place in Balmain for lunch – with any luck you’ll start a debate.

Ballast Point Park - Walama

A very welcome recent addition to Sydney Harbour's foreshore park's is the 2.6-hectare Ballast Point Park - Walama. Ballast Point Park not only gives you beautiful Sydney Harbour views with Sydney Harbour Bridge looking at you over Goat Island but also

• Walking paths,
• Access for cyclists
• Green picnic spots
• Tank 101: a structure to symbolise the site's working harbour history
• Delicate Balance: an artwork that represents the use of sandstone from the site as ballast for European ships.

Along the foreshore and offshore of Sydney Harbour a quiet, and sometimes not so quiet, war has raged between industry, developers and concerned locals. Ballast Point Park - Walama is a win for the latter. Enjoy their victory.

Nearest ferry wharf is Balmain Thames Street (not Balmain East)

Ballast Point Park - Walama

90 Centennial Park

Centennial Park for cycling, rollerblading and even horse riding away from serious Sydney traffic - you could do far worse than Centennial Park. Lovely place so take some time out from whizzing around it to stroll about the lakes and count the number of different birds. Centennial Park has a cafe / restaurant, a kiosk (at weekends) and is home to the outdoor Moonlight Cinema during the summer.

Official Centennial Park Web site Link

Horse Riding in Centennial Park

Giddy up

Experience Sydney's Centennial Park from the comfort of your saddle on this one-hour guided horse ride. Beginners are welcome.

Centennial Park on Horseback