Sydney Off The Beaten Path Tips by dracko

There's no place like home... Sydney Harbour Review

When I first saw the Anzac bridge I thought I was asleep and still back home in the frigid Massachusetts... The resemblance between Anzac and the new Zakim bridge in Boston are amazing, especially from a distance. Luckily, a quick look around reminded me that thankfully I was still in good ol' Sydney.

I found the Canadian Navy!!! Sydney Harbour Review

It does exist! For years I have heard numerous jokes about Canadian Navy being a figment of our imaginations. Well, joke no more! I'm proud to say I have solved the riddle. The reason we all (or most of us, anyway) had these doubts was because we've never actually seen it! Now I have! It was right there in Sydney, tucked in behind the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo Bay, in its glorious entirety...

Gone Fishing Darling Harbour Review

If you're adventurous, hungry, & broke enough, you can always try fishing your next dinner from the little pond in the Chinese Garden of Friendship. Some of the streams from the pond and the larger stream inside the garden can be seen and accessed from the square just outside the garden proper. And there are some bloody big Koi swimming in it. They're not much more than bony carp, really, but... "Any port in a storm," they say!!!

Sweeney's Inn Food and Drink Review

This place is a cornucopia for a traveler on a budget. Not really a hotel, but rather a combination of a bar, a Thai restaurant, and a FREE internet cafe. The bar on the 1st floor seems to be frequented by locals as well as the lunch crowd, and the brews are pretty cheap for center of Sydney. The Thai place on the 2nd floor, Alice Thai restaurant (see my tip on that) is decent place for lunch that will fill you up for only A$7. And you just can't beat the totally free (don't even have to buy food or drink there) internet cafe on the very top floor. The connection isn't the fastest in the world, but it is faster than dial up, and did I mention that it won't cost you a cent?

Fortune of War The Rocks Review

As you're strolling along George St. in The Rocks, you might run across the oldest pub in Sydney. Apparently no one told the patrons that others have sprung up. They all looked like they were around back when this one first opened...

UNDER The Bridge Sydney Harbour Bridge Review

Sydney Harbour Bridge gets a lot of attention. However, very few people actually realize that there's actually something worth exploring beneath it! If you do make your way under the southern approach to the bridge (that's the main city side), you'll find an archaeological dig and a site of an old fort that used to exist there up until it was demolished to make way for the bridge. The fort used to be one of the primary defenses of the city, and several of the cannons that did their part in the city's defense are still there, together with information about the fort, the dig, and other historical aspects of the little swath of land in its pre-bridge days.

Dover Heights Suburbs Review

If you're exploring the suburbs east of Sydney, be sure to take a drive through Dover Heights. On its Western edge, just at the shores of Rose Bay you can find some really fascinating views of the city. On a clear day with little haze, you should be able to get some really nice photos. Luckier than me, hopefully. It was a fairly hot and hazy day when I was there, which didn't help with the photo much.

Northern Territory and Outback Centre Darling Harbour Review

If you're anywhere near the Darling Harbour or even if you're not, you may want to swing by this place. It's a little Aboriginal art gallery and store, but the big attraction here are the FREE "Sounds of The Outback" performances in the little 120-seat theater at the heart of the center. The performances are held three times a day, at 1, 3, & 5pm, seven days a week. The gallery has some interesting art as well, and the store specializes primarily in Aboriginal crafts, as well as some other typical Aussie souvenirs.

Website: http://www.outbackcentre.com.au/