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Off the Beaten Path in Sydney

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Off the Beaten Path in Sydney

rushcuttersbay park - Sydney
rushcuttersbay park
by mario_spring_83
Tips and photos of unusual, out-of-the-way Sydney attractions, posted by real travelers and locals.
Local Time 11:23 pm Saturday, May 17, 2008
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Sydney Off the Beaten PathTips 1 - 10 of 470  
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Sydney Harbour: Balmoral - Gem of Middle Harbour
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  • By aussiedoug on April 12, 2005
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  • Just a small chunk of Balmoral Beach - Sydney
    Just a small chunk of Balmoral
    Beach
    by aussiedoug
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    Balmoral is a fantatstic place for a day out at any time of year. It's a great spot for families as, being a Harbour Beach & not an Ocean Beach, there are no waves to speak of. Also there is an enclosed swimming baths section if you are concerned about sharks, which, I must admit have been sighted in the Harbour on the odd occasion over the years. It has a good park area running along for most of it's length & there are a number of play areas for children & also a couple of sporting fields at the southern end. These have a fitness track running around the perimeter with different exercises suggested on posters at various points around it. There are a number of nice cafes & take away food places as well as a couple of upmarket dining options. We had gr8 fish & chips at "Bottom of the Harbour Fish & Chips" then sat overlooking the water eating it before we had another swim, after letting our food digest a bit. You might also be interested in the little bit of history when the trams used to run right down to the beach. There are a couple of tracks with just the last few rails left & a memorial plaque on one side of the cutting in the rock. I love this sort of history of Sydney. This is a genuie off the beaten path tip as you either need a rental/hire car to get here or else you would need to catch a bus from the city. I'll have to do some research on what number bus this is & from where in the city you'd need to catch it. All in all a great spot to spend a day relaxing, or being a little bit of a daredevil like my friend & his kids & me & my girls were jumping off the pool enclusure into the water about 2-3 metres below. My wife took some photos of that so when she gets them developed I'll add on here.

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    Beaches: Go see "The Insular Peninsula"
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  • By aussiedoug on March 25, 2005
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  • From the air - Sydney
    From the air
    by aussiedoug
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    In my "Beaches" tip amongst the things to do tips I've already mentioned the northern beaches. Please click on the accompanying photo to see most of what is described by many Sydneysiders as "The Insular Peninsula". I haved a stand alone bunch of tips on Avalon which you can see amongst these beautiful beaches in this photo. From the north to the south we begin with Palm Beach which is holiday home to some rich & famous Australians, but in summer the beach is home to Aussies from all walks of life. Palm Beach is a long beach. The nthn tip with it's large headland crowned by the lighthouse is actually a "tied island", meaning that it's an island joined by the build up of sand over mllions of years. You can walk up for a fabulous view & check it out. Really worth it. Then we move south & I think the order goes Whale Beach (fabulous beach * nice wave when it's working), Bilgola Beach (another beauty) then Avalon which has excellellent dining & shopping opportunities) & lastly, in this photo Newport another lovely beach. I actually lived here quite some years back so have a bit of a fond spot for it. If you're wondering about the Insular Peninsula then it's how many Sydney people see thosewho live here & quite frankly many of them don't mind being viewed that way. Over the years Ive met more than a few people from up here who are proud of the fact that they've never been over the Harbour Bridge & into the city. Mind you when you live here there's not a lot that can tempt you to leave it. You can catch a 190 bus from Wynyard Station in the city to get here, but I'd really recommend hiring a car so you can have genuine flexibility & even stay overnight somewhere & make sure you have a swim.

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    Suburbs: Beautiful Village Suburb by the Sea
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  • Updated By aussiedoug on September 17, 2006
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  • View south from the sundeck of Coogee Sands Hotel - Sydney
    View south from the sundeck of
    Coogee Sands Hotel
    by aussiedoug
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    COOGEE BEACH I have to start by saying that I've always been a northern beaches man, been surfing them since I came to Sydney well over 20 years ago & also lived at both Manly (southern end of the northern beaches) & also Newport (part of the "insular peninsula" - see my Avalon page for a bit more). I dare say you can hear a "BUT" coming on & you are absolutely right. I've been to Coogee a couple of times over the years, the most recently just yesterday & last night & this morning & I have to admit I've quite fallen in love with this beautiful little village by the sea & would move there tomorrow I'm building a separate "Coogee" page with a range of tips so please come visit it to learn some more about this beaut' area. So why have I fallen in love with Coogee? Well, anywhere you can smell the salt air & walk along the beachfront (especially where there is a nice green park running along the beachfront) looking at the waves breaking onto the lovely pale golden, almost white, sand is a good starting point. When you add to that very good coffee indeed from a few different places, excellent cafes & resaurants & a few different nightlife spots you're really getting there. If you're coming to Sydney to visit & you love the beach then I'd strongly suggest staying here. There are a number of accommodation options ranging form a number of Backpacker places that seem o.k. though to flats etc, up to the Coogee Crown Plaza Hotel which is eithr 4 star rated. You are only about 15 minutes drive from the city, but I'd suggest it'd take a bit longer in a bus although you can get an express bus with first stop in Bent Streeet in the City. I wonder if they only run in peak commuter times in the morning & late afternoon/early evening. The only danger if you stay here (& love the beach & ocean) is that you may well be tempted not to go into the city at all. lol! Feel freet to visit my Coogee page for more specific info'.

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    Sydney Harbour: Australia's Oldest Fishing Village - Watson's Bay
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  • By aussiedoug on November 25, 2004
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  • Village Sign on Waterfront - Sydney
    Village Sign on Waterfront
    by aussiedoug
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    Yes Watson's Bay is this, but also the scene of VT lunch meets. If visiting Sydney you really must take a ferry ride past our gorgeous (& very wealthy) harbourside suburbs to Watson's Bay. On arrivng there you can do a walk around the harbour & to the Historic Lighthouse (yet to do that with my girls). Then I'd suggest coming back to have lunch. There are 4 options for lunch & I'm pretty sure they are all owned by Doyles the famous Restaurant name. There is a rather upmarket restaurant on your right as you get off the ferry. At the landside front of it is the least expensive option where you can buy take way fish & chips etc to enjoy either on the sand or along the parklands fronting the harbour. On the couple of occasions that I've been here we have eaten at Doyle's Palace in the Watson's Bay Hotel. Doyle's Palace is not what I'd call "Gourmet Food", but it's quite o.k. & reasonably substantial servings.Lastly there is a cafe/restaurant just to the left of the Watrson's Bay Hotel on the waterfront which is your fourth option. Now after you've had your coffee or last beer/wine or whatever you absolutely must go for a short walk to see, "The Gap", a famous, or perhaps, infamous Sydney landmark. Yes, dear reader the scene of quite a few suicides & what police still aren't sure were suicides or murders. Now on a lovely sunny day you shouldn't be tempted to jump, but you abxolutely must take lots of photos. It is an excellent spot for taking photos back across & up the Harbour to the City. You'll see a photo I took from there in my intro above. The cliffs themselves make for good photos too. You catch the Watson's Bay ferry from Wharf Number 4 at Circular Quay. If you're wanting to have lunch & haven't a reservation you'll be lucky to get a tabel if you don't catch the 11:00 a.m. ferry or an earlier one. All in all a gr8 spot to spend a day.

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    Beaches: Manly Beach
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  • Updated By Gypsystravels on August 21, 2006
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  • Sunbathers on Manly Beach - Sydney
    Sunbathers on Manly Beach
    by Gypsystravels
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    We decided to do another day trip, this time to Manly Beach. We took the ferry across and spent most of the afternoon exploring the beach and just enjoying the beautiful weather. There were people on the beach, but the waves were huge and the wind was strong. We walked along the beach and decided to stop and have some lunch. After lunch we explored a bit around the town and walked to an area called "Kangaroo Park". I must say, I really thought I would see kangaroos, but we didn't. The name of the beach is quite interesting, "Manly was named by Captain Arthur Phillip after his encounter with the confident and manly Aboriginal people"

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  • Website: http://www.manlyweb.com.au/

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    Beaches: Watson's Bay
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  • Updated By Gypsystravels on August 21, 2006
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  • walking along the path to the lighthouse - Sydney
    walking along the path to the
    lighthouse
    by Gypsystravels
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    We did a day trip to Watson's Bay to meet up with Laura for lunch at Doyle's at the Beach. After lunch, Laura had to rush home, so we decided to explore more of Watson's Bay. The Bay has some of the most amazing views. Watson's Bay is located on the southern head of the entrance to Sydney Harbour. According to my guide book, it is considered the oldest fishing village in Sydney. Watson's Bay has two walking paths from the warf and we decided to walk south past The Gap, see Signal Station and Macquarie Lighthouse.

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    Suburbs: Balmain & Rozelle - real local flavour
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  • Updated By aussiedoug on January 1, 2004
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  • Rozelle Public School with weekend markets - Sydney
    Rozelle Public School
    with weekend markets
    by aussiedoug
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    For seven years I was lucky enough to be Assistant Principal of Rozelle Public School in the suburb of Rozelle, just 2 kilometres from the very heart of the city. These two suburbs have a fabulous array of eateries with great food and coffee in quality abundance. Lots of interesting shopping for clothes, homethings, books & lots more. They also have a great range of real aussie pubs with some good entertainment options. Check out the website below. I will put some of these places that I know well into my Sydney page as Shopping or Restaurant tips. To get here from the city it is only about 5-10 minutes over the Anzac Bridge using any of the 500 buses or a 440, 433 or 445 bus which take you on a more circuitous route through the inner west. To just confine yourself to the city and the usual touristy places of Bondi and/or Manly is to really do yourself a disservice. Bondi and Manly are worth a look, I'm not meaning to put them down. I lived in Manly quite some years ago & still really like it. It still has an interesting diversity to it, especially if you scratch below the surface. However Balmain & Rozelle are even more interesting in a genuine way.

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  • Website: www.sydneypubguide.net.au/content/areas/balmain_rozelle.asp

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    Markets: Sydney Fish Markets: freshest fish in Sydney!
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  • By amyhenderson on March 10, 2004
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  • Fish Markets Sydney - Sydney
    Fish Markets Sydney
    by amyhenderson
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    Recognised both locally and internationally as one of the country’s most interesting tourist destinations, Sydney Fish Market is uniquely placed on the edge of downtown Sydney located on beautiful Sydney Harbour. The Market operates as a working fish market while also servicing a thriving retail sector. Sydney’s six largest seafood retailers are located on site as well as a variety of associated fresh food outlets. The public is invited to view the auction, held every weekday commencing at 5.30 am. Otherwise, the retail outlets are open (for the public) from 7am every day (except for Christmas day) Lobsters & crabs here are my favourite. Yum, yum!! If you're really keen, they have a Sydney Seafood school, which will teach you some things about cooking seafood. Its quite customary for Australian familites to purchase at the fish markets when having a number of guests for a meal. Mostly locals here.

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  • Phone: +61 2 9004 1100
  • Website: www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

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    Sydney Harbour: WATSONS BAY: A different view of Sydney Harbour
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  • Updated By amyhenderson on November 3, 2004
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  • Watsons Bay wharf... Doyles in the background - Sydney
    Watsons Bay wharf... Doyles in
    the background
    by amyhenderson
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    Watsons Bay is the most northern of all the eastern suburbs of Sydney. On one side of this fishing-village atmosphere of a suburb is the Pacific Ocean and the other is Sydney Harbour. Beautiful houses, great little (and hidden) beaches, nice cafe or three, a pub that is RIGHT on Sydney Harbour AND it gets the last sunshine of the day, so its beautiful to sit in the beer garden by the harbour and watch the sunset. You could spend half a day checking out Watsons Bay. 'The Gap' offers dramatic views in all directions, definitely worth checking out if you make the trip here. If its hot weather and you would like a swim, its worth taking a 10min walk from the ferry to 'Camp Cove' where there is a lovely, little beach with crystal clear water and not too many people. Walk North and then follow signs to Camp Cove. The reknown Doyles seafood restaurant is also in Watsons Bay, bringing about some fame to this fishing-village like suburb. Great location, good seafood but a lot pricier than the beergarden next door. Depends what you are after. Most scenic way to go is by ferry from Circular Quay (wharf 4) to Watsons Bay. Or, you can also catch a bus from Circular Quay to Watsons Bay, but its not as much fun!! Make sure you check ferry timetables though, as ferries are not too frequent. See Travelogue for more Watsons Bay, The Gap photos

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    Sydney Harbour: KAYAKING ON SYDNEY HARBOUR
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  • Updated By amyhenderson on November 3, 2004
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  • picture from www.sydneyharbourkayaks.com.au - Sydney
    picture from
    www.sydneyharbourkayaks.com.au
    by amyhenderson
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    Sydney Harbour kayaks in Mosman offer kayaks for rental (1hr, 3hrs, half day, full day) or you can take part in a guided kayak tour. Visit secluded mangrove forests and sandy beaches. See Sydney's abundant marine and bird life. Admire the wealthy Sydney-siders cruising the harbour on beautiful boats. Stop for refreshments on beach and enjoy a swim or short walk before making your way back to Mosman. Sydney Harbour Kayaks shop located at the base of the Spit Bridge in Mosman. Easily accessible by bus from Wynyard station

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  • Phone: (02) 9969 4590
  • Website: www.sydneyharbourkayaks.com.au
  • Other Contact: Sydney Harbour Kayaks shop locat

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