Sydney Opera House

The Four Seasons Hotel was in a great location and was within walking distance to the Sydney Opera House. In fact you could see it from Sue and Marks room. We had the hotel book us a tour and walked from the hotel. The walk is easy from the hotel and passes the ferry terminals and harbor cruise ports. Once you get to the far side of Circular Quay the walk is lined with bars and restaurants. 

You can argue that, along with the Sydney Bridge, the Sydney Opera House is the most iconic site in Sydney. It was designed by a Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, who had his design selected in 1957 and was completed in October, 1973. We learned that the reason it took so long was that the original design was not engineering sound and it too years to find a way to build it. Of course that caused cost overruns. The original cost was set at $7 M and the final cost came in at $102 M. During construction the architect resigned and went back to Denmark and never saw it completed. Eventually the architects son was brought back to complete the project.  Later more work was done to allow more natural sunlight to come in. 

The Sydney Opera House is not one venue but is made up of many venues all within the building. That way, during a typical day there could be a school play, major concert, play, recitals, etc. There are over 1500 events and 1.2 M people there each year along with 350,000 people taking the guided tour.

If you are in Sydney the tour is a must do. The guides add a lot of color and perspective to the tour making it very enjoyable.

Sydney Tower

If you want a great view of Sydney go to the Sydney Tower located above Westfield shopping mall in the center of Sydney. The tower stands a little over 1000 feet and you get a 360 degree view of Sydney and the harbor.

The tower opened to the public is 1981 with restaurants, a bar and an observation deck on level 4. You can also purchase a ticket to the Skywalk above the observation deck where you can walk outside attached by a cable for safety.  The Skywalk was closed the day we were there.

My only complaint was that because the restaurants and bar are operated by another company so to access those levels you need to go all the way down and back up another elevator.

However, the views are well worth the price.

Saint Mary's Cathedral, Sydney

Saint Mary's Cathedral in Sydney is a Catholic Church and home of the Archbishop of Sydney. What you see now is the third church on the site. The first church burnt down as also was a second temporary church. The current church was started in 1868 and dedicated in 1882.

Saint Mary's is located near Hyde Park and the Hyde Park Barracks. It is done in a Gothic style and is beautiful both inside and out. For a great view of the church go to the top of the Westfield (Sydney) Tower and look down on the church as it is too large to get a good picture from the ground.

Sydney Harbor Cruise

A great way to see Sydney is to take the harbor cruise. There are many options but we took the Captain Cook lunch cruise. The cruise originates in Circular Quay and lasted for about two hours. It is a large boat with 2 inside decks and one outside on top. The lunch was fantastic, I had a steak, and drinks are available at an extra cost. If you really want the best experience go outside on top as there is a recording talking about what you are seeing. Otherwise, inside, you may see something cool but won't understand what it is you are viewing.

My only complaint was that I had to hurry through lunch so I could go outside for a better view and the story behind the sites.

Fortune of War Pub, Sydney Australia

I had the opportunity to find the oldest pub in Sydney operating continuously since 1822. The pub

was started by a former convict, Samuel Terry in the Rocks area of Sydney. On top of the great atmosphere it also has a great food and drink menu. Come in and enjoy a talk with some of the locals. The Fortune of War is located on George Street, about a block from the Four Seasons Hotel.

Airport Hotel, Sydney

On a recent trip to Australia we needed a hotel close to the Sydney airport for an early morning flight home. Doing some research I picked the Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel. The hotel is practically attached to the international terminal and is an easy walk. If you have a lot of luggage I would suggest grabbing a cart from the terminal and taking it up to your room.

The hotel is very nice with clean modern rooms. The staff is great and checkin/checkout is easy. For food and beverage, they have a coffee bar, sports bar and restaurant. They also have a rooftop bar where you can have a drink while watching the planes take off and land.

If you need an airport hotel option in Sydney flying international I would recommend this hotel. If you are flying domestic I understand they have a shuttle service to get you there.