Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - I have 24 hours to kill in Sydney and some time to spend in Auckland. Go!

I land in Sydney on Saturday morning, Feb 14, around 9. I leave the next morning about the same time.

First time there.


Where do I stay?
What do I see?
What do I get my pic taken in front of (Opera House is a given)
Where and what do I eat?


Bonus question: I land in Auckland the next day around 4. I have a meeting the next morning, then fly out in afternoon, leaving only Sunday night. What do I do?

GO!

srjenkins, welcome to FlyerTalk. For an even greater bonus, let me edit the thread title slightly, and move this to our dedicated forum on travel to Australia and New Zealand. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

Welcome srjenkins!

Happy to help, but can you provide a bit more about your preferences to help narrow the choices down. Do you like architecture, art, gardens, history, the outdoors, shopping? Are you willing to spend the day on foot, use public transport, or hire a car (not recommended for just one day, IMO)? Are you on a budget or is price no object? (Of course, the Aussie dollar keeps dropping vs the greenback, so everything will seem cheap anyway.)

Sydney has so much to see so you'll have to choose a few things. (You really should plan to spend a week or two! ;)) The Opera House is essential; you can also go for a tour of the building and/or attend a performance (check online for schedules). Lots of people don't realise that the Opera House has concerts and plays in addition to opera, so there's a range of possibilities. A cruise on the harbour is nice that time of year - from Circular Quay (not far from the Opera House) you can buy a ticket for a cruise that runs an hour or so, and have lunch or dinner on the boat. Or just take a commuter ferry across the harbour and back. You could go to a beach (Bondi is over-rated) and have fish-and-chips. Or book a day trip out to the Blue Mountains for some great open scenery.

On foot, you could find a lot to do near Circular Quay: the Opera House, Botanical Gardens, the Museum of Sydney (history of settlement), the Rocks (original settlement) and the ferry/cruise terminal. Another major area is around Darling Harbour, with more museums (art, maritime, aquarium), a shopping centre and restaurants and (obviously) waterfront. Public transport around Sydney by train is pretty good.

For accommodation, there are a lot near the airport (convenient for the morning departure but not too scenic) and a lot downtown, including many international chains (Marriott, Holiday Inn, Hilton, etc). Some hotels require a minimum of two nights during the weekend, so check in advance. (wotif.com.au is a good source of information.) If price is no object, the Park Hyatt is right under one end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, near the historic Rocks district, and there's a row of very elegant, harbour-facing restaurants a few steps away. If you like seafood, there are lots of good choices throughout the city.

Another dining choice is Sydney Tower restaurant, which offers a buffet dinner and a great view of the city. Be aware you're paying mostly for the view. (I haven't been for a few years so can't comment on the food.)

February can be quite warm and humid, and summer thunderstorms occur, so plan to dress accordingly.

Let me know if can help further. :)

P.S. Auckland has a harbour, too, but it's not nearly as scenic as ours. :p

I land in Sydney on Saturday morning, Feb 14, around 9. I leave the next morning about the same time.

First time there.


Where do I stay?
What do I see?
What do I get my pic taken in front of (Opera House is a given)
Where and what do I eat?

...1. Observatory if you can afford it, Westin if you cannot.
2. Ferry across harbour to Manly. Taronga zoo. Darling Harbour if you're really from Texas.
3. Bats roosting in the trees in the botanical gardens (next to opera house)
4. Tetsuya's if you can get in and are willing to pay the price circa $200 pp without wine (this is often considered one of the top 10 restaurants in the world and a bargain compared to elsewhere). Anywhere in Chinatown for fresh fish otherwise (great seafood in Sydney). Or

I'll have a go at answering your bonus question :)

Middle of Feb is pretty nice weather and the sun sets after 9pm so you'll have plenty of daytime left to have a look around at our much better than Sydney's harbour lol :p. If you're staying in the city have a wander around the viaduct and pick somewhere you like for dinner. Depends on what sort of food you like and if you are with others but there's plenty of options particulalry if you like seafood (seafood risotto at Harbourside is a personal favourite).

After that you could pop up the sky tower and watch the sunset over the city or if you like to be closer to the ground watch the sunset from the bar at the Hilton on the end of Princes Wharf.

If you're more into beaches than cities either goto Mission Bay for dinner or catch the ferry to Devonport and have a bite there.

Another thing to bear in mind: 14 February is Valentine's Day (even here in Oz :p) and high-end restaurants and hotels will be busy. Some restaurants may have special fixed price menu rather than their standard menu. You should probably reserve a hotel room and even a restaurant table as early as you can.

If you are into flying there is a company they runs 737-800 flight Sims for hire.

Prices start at $135 for .5hrs.

If you are into flying there is a company they runs 737-800 flight Sims for hire.

Prices start at $135 for .5hrs.What is the name of the company? That might be a nice surprise for DH on our trip :)

Park Hyatt over Observatory. But that's just one man's opinion.

What is the name of the company? That might be a nice surprise for DH on our trip :)

http://www.flightexperience.com.au/

http://www.flightexperience.com.au/

and heres the link for the NZ Site http://www.flightexperience.co.nz/