Most of the time you read about the ‘standard’ things to do in Sydney, but today we share with some hidden secrets of Sydney.
After living in Sydney for four months and visiting the standard tourist attractions like the Sydney Harbour Bridge (where a harbour bridge climb is a must), the opera house, the Sydney Tower and the golden sandy beaches of Bondi and Mainly, we wanted to share some unique things to do in Sydney, not the standard attractions that are full of tourists with their camera.
Here are 10 different things to do in Sydney, that we think are fun and different to the standard tourist attractions, but are still impressive and show what Sydney has to offer.
1. Cockatoo Island
This island oasis is located in the middle of Sydney. While we were visiting, we found out that it held convicts and in World War 2 the island was used as the main ship repair facility in the area. The island has a great convict and ship building background.
Cockatoo Island has a café and we loved playing tennis overlooking the Harbour Bridge, it certainly was a unique experience. We are not into chess, but there is also a giant outdoor chess board!!
For those that are more adventurous, they also have ghost tours and haunted history tours during the night hours.
You can camp overnight on Cockatoo Island and during New Year’s Eve, you will have a great vantage point to view the Sydney fireworks.
2. Cryptic Scavenger Hunt – Adventure Clues
As most touristy things finish at the end of the day and having a few hours to spare in
the early evening we came across a cryptic scavenger hunt trail via Adventure Clues.
Adventure Clues is a new Australian company that has created city-wide scavenger hunts, an impressive addition to the list of fun things to do in Sydney.
The Cryptic Scavenger hunt mentally challenges groups of friends, families and even individuals who want to try something different. There are a couple of different trails and each one can be done leisurely (like we did) or you can try and beat other people that have done the trail.
We did the “Secret Sydney” trail and via email, we received our unique web app link. We headed to Circular Quay and received the first of the cryptic clues.
As we were not long time locals of Sydney, we weren’t sure if our limited Sydney knowledge would be a hindrance to decipher the clues, however, there are “hints” and they will help you out. We had the pleasure of visiting some great, unique bars (that we would have otherwise not seen) and saw some awesome street art down secret hidden laneways. It was great fun!
Next time when we are in Sydney, we will attempt another trail and see where we can go next. Find out more about Adventure Clues right here
3. Justice and Police Museum
The museum is located in the original Water Police Court, the Water Police Station and the Police Court. In its hay day, this area was one of the busiest legal hubs of Sydney.
In the museum, you get to walk through a corridor of cells, see what the holding cells, offices and the court rooms were like and see a room full of weapons that have been collected from the criminals over the years.
It is definitely an awesome museum and not like those boring museums that we use to visit while at school! If museums are your thing, you can purchase a “Museum Pass” and can visit all the 12 museums and historic houses and if the other museums are as good and interesting as this one, it will be a great experience.
4. Wendy’s Secret Garden
This is literary the worst kept secret of Sydney. It’s hard to believe this area was once a rail yard. While it’s on a private residence, the garden is available to the public. It is luscious, green and you can definitely forget you are in the middle of Sydney.
It is like a secret oasis, there is limited signage to promote the garden, but once you find it, you won’t forget it. To get around the garden, there are steps that mould into the scenery, which are made from wood and large stones with timber handrails to assist.
Wendy’s secret garden overlooks Lavender Bay, one of the many bays of Sydney and the secret garden has many tables and chairs so you can enjoy your own picnic, read a book and enjoy the peace, quiet and the beauty of the garden.
5. Purikura Photoland
If you are ever in Sydney’s China Town and in for some crazy fun stuff, you have to visit Purikura Photoland. “Purikura” is Japanese for photo sticker booths, which is what Purikura Photoland is all about.
You won’t find the standard photo booths you see at the cinema, these booths have all sorts of backgrounds, frames, add-ons and the best bit is that the photos are also stickers, so you can stick your photos wherever you want – within reason 😉
If you are travelling in a group some of the booths allow up to 10 people in a photo – how cool is that!!!
There is also a massive area full of amusement games for lovers of colour, sounds and lights.
6. Foundation Park in the Rocks
If you are interested in the history of where we first settled in Australia, Foundation Park is the place to go. Foundation Park took us back in time and we were able to appreciate colonial houses (which are now ruins) of where our ancestors started the journey of making Australia what it is today.
This area was made into a Park and there are ruins and samples of restored furniture which shows the living conditions of this area in the mid-1870’s including benches, tables, cabinets and a fire place example.
We certainly gained an appreciation of the living conditions and the challenges that they faced.
There are also self-guided walking tours which are played on an App that can be downloaded onto your phone.
This app provides information on how the area was first settled to the changes that have occurred to be where we are today. The “Walking the Waterfront” tour was very interesting, informative and worth the visit.
7. Whale Watching Tour
We took a whale watching tour from Circular Quay and while I had seen whales from a distance, it wasn’t until I got up close, I got t see how big they really are and for their size, how graceful and majestic they are.
On our tour, we saw a humpback whale and her calf, little did we know that they were swimming slower than normal as they were heading South for the Summer months and ensuring that their family stayed together.
If you ever get a chance, I would recommend a whale watching tour, as you can appreciate the size and grace of the animals much more than you could from a platform overlooking the ocean.
8. Watch an Event at the Opera House
Forget the thought that the Opera House is just for the opera, classical music and theatre performances.
As we found out, many comedy performers perform at the Opera House and we watched one of those comedy shows.
While we were there we also heard that Solange Knowles (Beyonces’ sister) has performed at the Opera House only a few months before.
The Opera House also has plenty of performances and shows for children.
So, while it may be pretty on the outside, the Opera House has more to offer than just opera, classical music and theatre performances!!
9. Luna Park
If you have kids or you are a big kid at heart, Luna Park is for you!!
It is so much more than the giant mouth. You pay for the rides, and you don’t have for just walking in. You can pay per ride or you can get unlimited rides with a special pass. You can also get an annual pass where you can go as many times in the year as you like and have unlimited rides each time!
10. Nielson Park / Shark Beach
We heard that Neilson Park was a very beautiful park and we weren’t disappointed!! It’s also home to Shark Beach.
Don’t worry, Shark Beach is named because it’s facing Shark Bay, but for peace of mind, they do have shark nets so you can swim safely without worries.
Shark Beach is sheltered, so the water is very calm and not choppy like the ocean can be. There is plenty of shade from the fig trees, a café for coffee and food or you can bring your own food and sit in the park areas.
It wasn’t as busy and chaotic as the Bondi or Manly Beaches and it’s surrounded by natural beauty.
If you’re looking for beautiful places with disability access, you wouldn’t be disappointed, there are several parts of the park and beach that are designated disabled spaces.
Do you have any other Sydney hidden secrets to share? Let us know!
