Originally Posted by
Wildvet
I'll be staying in Pyrmont at a place I found through AirBnB, arrive 25 July in the afternoon. On the 26th I'm going to a wedding, then leave for a dive trip on the morning of the 29th. We haven't given too much thought to where we'll be visiting/sightseeing yet. Won't have a whole lot of time so hoping to maximize this portion of the trip; I've been reading through a lot of the threads here for ideas. I will be meeting up with a few Aussies from Bris & Melbs, only the bride & groom live in Sydney and they will obviously have their hands full dealing with wedding details & their families.
While I certainly want to see some of the main sites - Opera House, Queen Victoria Building, etc. I also enjoy doing what the locals do, and going where the locals go. Not big on the big tourist traps in general. One of the girls wants to do the Harbour Bridge climb - I'll be at the pub cheering her on thank you. I understand the ferry to Manly is a nice & inexpensive way to spend a few hours, as is a walk from the Quay through the gardens that passes by many of the popular sites. I'd like to go to the Maritime Museum, but not sure my friends have much interest in that.
Any suggestions on decent eats would be appreciated! We don't mind paying more for good quality, but are not looking for the fine dining experience during our trip. Oz is the tail end of a nearly 4 week trip - we'll be in NZ for a few weeks before - so money will probably be a little tighter by then.
Thanks you again for all your help. You FT'ers are amazing & helpful!
There are quite a few pubs at Pyrmont, nothing really stands out in my memory, I had lunch at one in February but I don't recall which - just the first one we came across and from memory I had a roast dinner (beef or lamb) for $10.
While your friend is doing the bridge climb find a pub at The Rocks to wait for her, some lovely old places down there in the oldest original part of Sydney. You'll probably be best to avoid eating at Darling Harbour, near Pyrmont, I've never found it great except for Tinta Ria, but that's overpriced. You should do Yum Cha at Chinatown, which is great fun and cheap unless you are like a useless friend of mine who always insists on ordering at least one dish from a menu as opposed to the trolley (he's a Kiwi and therefore a slow learner...)