Sydney Off the Beaten Path Tips by petdec

I quite often take overseas visitors on the Rivercat to Parramatta.
This is a ferry that leaves Circular Quay and takes you up the river to Parramatta.The trip takes about 40 minutes each way. You get to see another view of Sydney ,and towards Parramatta ,you travel through some amazing Mangrove wet-lands.Parramatta itself is well worth seeing ,if you like a bit of colonial history.Old Government House and Elizabeth Farm are fascinating to visit..
After a leisurely walk around Paramatta, you can have a quiet ale or whatever beside the river and watch the waterbirds, as you await the rivercat ,to return you to Sydney city.
A very pleasant relaxing experience.

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This may sound a bit odd, but in Newtown, there is an old historical cemetaryin St Stephens Churchyard.
This cemetary was established in 1849.At the entrance , is one of the largest Moreton Bay fig-trees that I have ever seen. This also was planted in 1849.
Amoung the graves are some of Australia's earliest settlers including one Eliza Emily Donnithorne.
Charles Dickens brother ,apparently lived in Sydney and Dickens paid a visit and met Miss Donnithorne, who was jilted on her wedding day and spent the rest of her life in her wedding dress.Dickens must have been fascinated by this story as she became the model for Miss Haversham in Great Expectations.
Currently ,this place is often used as a background in movies such as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

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Other Contact: St Stephen,s Cemetary, Newtown,

The Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo, is something else. Historically ,it wasa passenger for cruise ships in the early years of last century.It was where a lot of the troops left for the infamous battles of World War 1 and also where a lot of our migrants after the Second World War had their first landing in Australia.After a lot of demo's and protest it has been restored and is now a heritage item
A walk through and around it is really worth while.
The street front has been turne into a luxury hotel calledThe W.
The public areas are worth touring .They have maintained the atmosphere of an old working wharf and yet made it into a very stylish and elegant hotel.
Half way along ,you go down onto the wharf itself as the second half ,(the harbour end) is all very luxurious apartments.Think Hollywood Stars etc.
You can walk along to the end of the wharf passed some fabulous yachts and cruisers and the gardens of the apartments.You can then throw a line off the end of the wharf and catch a fish.I love Sydney's egalitarianism, even millionaires cant forbid public access.
Coming back along the wharf there are several excellent restaurants where the beautiful people love to be seen.
Across the road is The Woolloomooloo Bay Pub. They serve wonderful beer battered Fish and Chips for a very reasonble price.
100 mtres along the road is Harry's Cafe de Wheels,a real Sydney institution.
After lunch a walk around the restoration of old Woolloomooloo is again well worth it. The central area is all public housing,carefully restored, keeping its Victorian character, after many violent protests from developers in the 1970's
This is surrounded by very expensive private property.Woolloomooloo is well worth exploring.

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Paddington is a very fashionable suburb in the Inner -East of the City.
40 years ago , it was known as a slum but now it has been heritage listed and gentrified out of its mind.
The old Victorian Terrace /row houses have all been completely refurbished and are beautiful to look at. The streets are steep and narrow so a good pair of walking shoes are an idea. There are wonderful Art-galleries,pubs, and cafe's everywhere.
The architecture is a joy to see. There is even a church that has been turned into an apartment block.Sydney has a great way of utilizing any old building and giving it a 21st century life., without destroying the age -old elegance of some of these .Take a bus and have a look. On the week-ends there, are great markets in Oxford Street.
As you stroll around here, you keep getting extraordinary views of the Harbour as well.

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