In about a month I’m headed off to Sydney - my husband has business there and my 19 year old daughterish and I are going along for the ride (my son has to work and can’t get the ten days off) I know its Winter in Sydney, so the beach is out…I’m open to suggestions.
If you are okay with bailing on your husband, I’d head up to Cairns. It may be a bit crowded as this would be the “high” season. But it will be tropical weather, and it’s a cool town.
We caught the ferry from Circular Quay and walked from Manley round the coast to the Spit bridge. About 10k and very pleasant indeed. Taronga Zoo is great as well.
Blue Mountains to the west and Hunter Valley wine region to the north are both worthwhile day trips (maybe an overnight for HV). In the city itself the botanical gardens were great when I was there, but that was summer/fall, so might not be as good in winter. I also liked the Australia Museum. The ferry to Manley is a good suggestion as you’ll get a nice view of the bridge and opera house.
I’ll second this. I stayed in Manly while on business in Sydney some years ago, and it was quite nice. Lots of opportunities for walking, along with many coffee bars and pubs, when you want to take a break. Note also that I was there during Sydney’s winter, but it was not the kind of winter I was used to–days were perhaps 70F or so, and people were enjoying the beach.
70 is pretty warm for Sydney in winter. It’s usually more mid 60s, even down to mid 50s.
There are lots of places for walking, if you enjoy that. The Botanic Gardens is nice, and right between the Opera House and the Art Gallery of NSW, if you feel cultural. The Museum of Contemporary Art is a bit further on, past the Opera House. You can do a self-guided historical walking tour around the Rocks (next to the MCA), which is the oldest European area in Sydney. You can also walk across the Harbour Bridge. Bondi Beach to Tamarama is a nice coastal, clifftop walk.
Kinokuniya is a massive bookshop in the CBD, with lots of genre and anime titles.
A Yum Cha brunch/lunch in Chinatown is fun, if you like Chinese food.
Taronga is a nice zoo, and you can catch the ferry across to it. The Darling Harbour aquarium is kinda okay. Sydney Tower has good views.
What kind of things are you interested in?
[ul]
[li]Taronga Zoo (take the ferry across from Circular Quay)[/li][li]The Rocks historical area[/li][li]Powerhouse Museum or Australian Museum[/li][li]Art Gallery of NSW[/li][li]Sydney Harbour Bridge climb[/li][li]Manly Aquarium[/li][li]Sydney Harbour cruises[/li][li]Cockatoo Island[/li][li]Luna Park[/li][/ul]
Or just pick a suburb and go roaming around it.
I like Cronulla - spent a lot of time there when I was growing up. Take the train from Central Station, walk about two blocks to the beach, wander around a bit. If you get a good weather day, it’s great, even in winter.
Or Newtown - it’s not as counterculture as it used to be, but still fun.
PS Gleebooks on Glebe Point Road is a bookstore you can lose yourself in. Pasteur Pho on George Street. The little noodle and dumpling places near the escalators in Thomas Street in Haymarket. Dim sum at Marigold down the street from there.
Take the ferry from Circular Quay to Watson’s Bay and buy fish and chips at Doyles - either in the restaurant or at the takeaway. Look back up the harbour while you eat, maybe have a beer at the pub. There is a nice, easy walk around the headland.
The Bondi to Coogee walk, or part of it, can be prefaced with lunch at Nigella Lawson’s favorite restaurant in the world, Bondi Icebergs which is an informal sort of bistro really.
The Botanic Gardens has an interesting carnivorous plant exhibition until 17 August. In fact check Timeout for a good guide to most things.
By the way, the drinking age here is 18 so your daughter can get into any licenced premises.