You need to spend some time doing historic Sydney -- don't fail to allow yourself time to just walk. Maybe the first day would be the time for this; if you are staying around the Rocks area -- and you should -- then just head towards the Opera House, then up through the Botanical Gardens on the eastern side of the Opera House to Macquarie Street, which is full of colonial buildings, many of which are open for inspection. Hyde Park, St Mary's Cathedral, and the Art Gallery are at the "top end" of this walk, and heading downhill into the shopping areas from there, you will come to the best shopping parts of Sydney: the Pitt St Mall and the Queen Victoria Building. All this can be done in under two hours (we're an easy city to walk around in), and it's a great way to familiarize yourself with Sydney.
The Spit Bridge to Manly walk is absolutely the best walk in Sydney; make sure you choose a clear, sunny day for this, a pretty safe bet if you're coming in November. The walk is not really difficult at all, though it does take the best part of a day. About three and a half hours of walking, and by the time you travel out to the start (by bus from Wynyard Carrington St. bus stand C) and return to the city (via Manly ferry), there's not much left of your day. The ferry site may well say to do the walk from Manly to the Spit, but don't be tempted.... it is easier if you start from the Spit and end up in Manly, and anyway, there's nothing much at the Spit Bridge when you arrive there, whereas, arriving tired but exhilarated at Manly, you have scores of coffee shops and restaurants to provide you with some welcome refreshment. Make sure, when you arrive at Manly, that you actually walk through the shopping strip to Manly Beach for a look at one of Sydney's very best beaches.... the strip of sand between the Shark Aquarium and the ferry wharf is NOT Manly beach, although I fear that many tourists who do that walk assume that it is... how disappointed they must be with the beach, after all the great photographs they've seen! For more details on Manly see
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g25...
Also, make sure you detour off the walk about mid-way to see the aboriginal carvings on the cliff top. It's not signposted, although you can see the side track veering off to the right. This is a great place to sit and eat a picnic lunch, and it is the best view in all of Sydney.
Four year olds and people in their seventies do this walk unaided.... even women in high heels and tight skirts don't seem to find it too hard, even though that's not a recommended style of dress for the walk! There are a few steps, early in the walk, but nothing to worry most people. In fact, the council is busy at the moment making the track wheelchair-friendly (not yet finished.) For the last quarter, you are actually walking along suburban streets with paved footpaths.
For those who wish to be naughty and do the Manly to Spit Bridge walk first , then you can also be rewarded with the best fish and chips, it is one of Sydney's best kept secrets, under the Middle Harbour Yacht Club you can sit on the beach, feet paddling in the water, glass of wine in hand and reminisce in absolute bliss. For more details of Middle Harbour / Balmoral see http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g25...
** Note: The original information for this thread came from the following forum thread:
