In Sydney, the intersection of city and nature is magic. A sunrise ocean swim is wholly possible before drying off and heading to the office. A stroll to a neighbourhood cafe reveals a kaleidoscopic floral display: bobbing grevillea, flowering gum. But there are greater rewards beyond the obvious. Sydney is
A swimmer in Maccallum Pool at Sydney's Cremorne Point. Photo / Susan Wright/The New York
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10pm | Have a margarita
The reason you don’t come to Cantina OK! in Sydney’s business district before dinner is because you risk forgetting your reservation entirely. You can lose hours chatting to new friends in this small standing-room-only mezcal bar exuding a big, extroverted energy that makes you feel like you’ve walked into the party’s peak, and you’re the guest of honor. Bottles of unbranded mezcal with handwritten labels stack the walls: products of backyard operations in Mexico brought back from the owners’ frequent buying trips. It’s equal parts boisterous party and genuine education. You will wake up with a hangover and, inexplicably, a thorough working knowledge of agave harvesting and distillation methods (cocktails from NZ$24, banter is free).
Saturday
8am | Grab breakfast
For many locals in inner Sydney, visiting the Carriageworks Farmers Market is a popular Saturday ritual. Housed in a breezy 1800s rail yard in Eveleigh, the market is a place to meet small producers, ask for recipe tips and fill up a bag with high-quality goods. Stall holders rotate, but there are always ready-to-eat goods like pho, savoury pies and crumpets with local butter and honey. Take your plate, grab a coffee and find a spot in the sun with a good view. The next-best attraction here is dog-watching, as many shoppers bring their furry friends along.
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10.30am | Hear new voices
The Indigenous Australians from the land that the European colonisers named Sydney are of the Eora Nation, which is made up of dozens of clans. One way to connect with Aboriginal knowledge and culture is by taking a guided tour. Try the Rocks Aboriginal Dreaming Tour, 90 minutes of strolling and storytelling along the harbor (from NZ$90 per adult), or the Aboriginal Bush Tucker Tour, which introduces visitors to native plants in the Royal Botanic Garden (from NZ$46). Explore contemporary Indigenous culture on your own, too: Spotify’s Blak Australia playlist is a good start for music, or tune into Koori Radio, which broadcasts from the suburb of Redfern, a historical centre for the Aboriginal civil rights movement in the 1960s and 70s.
2pm | Watch Aussie football
Catch a game at the Sydney Cricket Ground, be it cricket, rugby or Australian rules football. Australian rules football, which dominates attention in the neighbouring state of Victoria, is growing in popularity in New South Wales and now has two teams representing the state. Some have linked the sport to Aboriginal origins, and today Indigenous players represent about a tenth of the national league. Australians seem to rarely acknowledge how special the musical element of the sport is: Every game starts and ends with the teams’ theme songs, and all the players and supporters sing along (in key is optional). See the Sydney Swans and its superstar forward, Lance Franklin, who goes by Buddy, in action. It’s electric when he kicks a goal. (Tickets from NZ$41 per adult, runs March to September).
6pm | Taste Italian
Sydney’s love affair with Italian food runs deep. 10 William St in Paddington is a well-loved pasta and wine bar with neighborhood charm. Hop up to the bar, or slide on to the banquette by the big window. A newcomer is Pellegrino 2000, a Rome- and Florence-inspired trattoria that meanders effortlessly from tradition; try the silky crumbed tripe or buttery prawn ravioli in wonton wrappers. Sit in the buzzing upstairs dining room, or eat in the wine cellar, where Italian bottles are dangerously within reach. Desserts are pure fun. A creme caramel comes with a small mountain of whipped banana cream, and a “limongello” is like a deliciously tart jelly shot, set inside real quarters of lemon rind to suck on.
8pm | Get tickets
Six years of lockout laws, a largely unpopular curfew designed to curb alcohol-related violence, followed by two years of pandemic restrictions hurt many of Sydney’s small bars and performance venues, which are still recovering. So support the arts. The Oxford Art Factory in Darlinghurst is a great place to catch established and emerging Australian musicians, while the Art Deco-ish Enmore Theatre in Newtown, southwest of the city centre, has that plus comedy. The Bearded Tit is a welcoming queer space in Redfern for all forms of experimental expression. For local theatre, see what’s on at Belvoir St Theatre in Surry Hills, whose stage has hosted the likes of Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush.
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Sunday
9am | Start with a swim
Take a dip in one of Sydney’s many ocean pools, where the seawater (and sometimes sea life) washes into the pool. Wylie’s Baths in Coogee (from NZ$9 per adult) is a tidal pool cut majestically into a natural rock shelf, while Double Bay’s Redleaf Pool, an enclosed beach with two floating pontoons, is a great place to take kids or just lounge in the sun (free). In the north, the seawater Maccallum Pool in Cremorne Point is free and has one of the best views of the city skyline, while North Sydney Olympic Pool in Milsons Point is a shimmering knockout smack under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. (It will reopen after renovations in 2023.)
10.30am | Explore nature
While the famous Bondi to Coogee walk is an undeniable showstopper, the Hermitage Foreshore track in Sydney’s eastern suburbs is as close to a bush walk in the city as you can get. It’s a one-mile, shaded amble past secluded beaches, rocky outlooks and homes with back doors that open almost right onto the sand. The route goes from Bayview Hill Road to Nielsen Park, but you can extend the adventure by following the coastline to Parsley Bay, a hidden paradise of park, bushland and gentle water with a kiosk selling coffee and snacks.
12.30pm | Enjoy baked goods
Famished? Atop Paramount House in Surry Hills is a rooftop oasis that happens to have one of the city’s best bakeries. A.P Bakery might evoke California with its midcentury sunshades and cactuses, but the flavours are Australia. The lineup of pastries is ever-changing, but you might find a macadamia, honey and thyme croissant, a wallaby meat pie, and if the season is right, sticky-glazed hot cross buns. There’s also an all-day breakfast menu, or you can build your own plate of eggs, cheeses, breads, sliced meats and pickles. From there, walk toward Oxford St and follow it southeast to Paddington, popping into boutiques like In Bed for homewares and earthy bed linens and P.A.M. for maximalist streetwear with a Y2K aesthetic.
2pm | View Chinese art
The four-story White Rabbit Gallery (free), in a back street of Chippendale, is home to one of the world’s most significant collections of 21st-century Chinese art. Judith Neilson, the gallery’s founder, has accumulated more than 3000 pieces, of which only a fraction is displayed at a time. The works, which span digital art, video, painting, ceramics and other installations, show a gamut of feeling, including despair, humour, nostalgia and protest. There will be plenty to talk about afterward. Do it over dumplings in the gallery’s light-filled tearoom.
KEY STOPS
Hermitage Foreshore A scenic, one-mile amble through secluded beaches and bushland within the city.
Ho Jiak A Malaysian restaurant popular for its big, spicy flavours in dishes like curry laksa and char koay teow.
Cantina OK! A tiny mezcal bar, makes you feel as if you walked into the party’s peak and you’re the guest of honour.
White Rabbit Gallery A free, four-story gallery that shows thought-provoking contemporary Chinese art.
WHERE TO EAT
Joe’s Table A one-man operation serving comforting Asian dishes.
MuMu A blast of Southeast Asian flavours, with yuzu slushies and spicy cocktails.
10 William Street A popular pasta and wine bar.
Pellegrino 2000 A Rome and Florence-inspired trattoria, has a dine-in wine cellar.
A.P Bakery Has pastries with creative Australian flavours to be enjoyed at its rooftop oasis.
WHERE TO STAY
Park Hyatt Unveils the postcard-perfect, uninterrupted Sydney vista, where it feels like the Opera House is singing just for you (rooms with Opera House view from around NZ$1283).
Four Seasons A luxury hotel for a little less, the Four Seasons has harbour views (from NZ$750).
The Old Clare For lovers of good food and design (from around from NZ$368).
Paramount House Hotel An Art Deco conversion with a sleek pub in Surry Hills. From from $NZD385.
Wake Up! Bondi Beach For budget travelers, (from NZ$91 for a shared dorm, or from NZ$245 for a double) will get you to the surf in minutes.
Sydney Harbour YHA The rooftop has million-dollar views of the harbour for a relative steal (from NZ$89 for a shared dorm, or from NZ$280 for a double).
Short-term rentals If you are looking for short-term rentals, the Surry Hills and Paddington neighbourhoods are very walkable and close to Central Station. For a peaceful beach experience, Bronte is a dream.
This article originally appeared in the New York Times, nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/27/travel/things-to-do-sydney.html
