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The undiscovered Sydney
If you’re planning a visit to Sydney this winter (which will be summer Down Under), I’m sure you’ve already got enough touristy advice.
If you’re planning a visit to Sydney this winter (which will be summer Down Under), I’m sure you’ve already got enough touristy advice: sunbathe at Bondi/Manly beach, watch a ballet at the Sydney Opera House, and (if you are really rich) climb the Harbour Bridge (for a hefty Australian $225).
But if you’re the type who wants to go off the beaten track, here’s your guide to the top five rarely-visited-by-tourists places in Sydney.
King Street
Running through Newtown, one of Sydney’s hippest suburbs, is King Street. It’s a long walk, but worth every stride you take. Beautiful cafes spill on to pavements on either side, serving lip-smacking cuisine from around the world. Thai, for some reason, is the favourite; you’ll get it at more than 60 per cent of the restaurants.
King Street is the Sarojini Nagar Market of Sydney — selling fashionable, practical stuff atterrific prices. Great place to buy junk jewellery, snazzy tops, jackets orovercoats. Look out for ‘specials’ and sales.
Norton Street
Leichhardt is the little Italy of Sydney — a city within a city. And Norton Street is vintage Italy — Italian restaurants, shops selling magnificent Venetian masks, fashion labels from Italy, cinema halls screening Italian classics and recent hits. But the real beauty of the street lies not in these big show windows, but in its small details — houses on Norton street with a whiff of Italian architecture, cafes playing pulsating Italian music, and, most of all, the crowd.
George Street
This one’s for the serious party-goers. If you are in Sydney on a weekend night get ready for some throbbing action. Don’t step out of your house/hotel room before midnight. Start your evening with an Australian meal. Don’t embarrass yourself by asking for Foster’s. No one drinks Foster’s in Australia. It’s either Tooheys New or Victoria Bitter or Hahn.
Then go out for a walk. Enjoy the din and the maddening traffic, and feast your eyes on the scantily clad chicks or the bare-chested men. The Three Monkeys is one of Sydney’s most popular clubs.
La Perouse
Remember Mission Impossible II? And the scene in which Tom Cruise comes to the rescue of his oriental lover girl trapped on a breathtakingly beautiful island? That’s the Bare Island at La Perouse. Very much in Sydney and spellbinding in its beauty during the summer months. A short walk from Bare Island is La Perouse beach.
Ferry Around
Take ferries from Circular Quay to some of Sydney Harbour’s best spot. For a taste of Australian history, go to Cockatoo Island. Or travel to Watson’s Bay for some virgin beaches and breathtaking views of Sydney city. If you love wildlife, check out Tarango Zoo.
