December in Sydney

If you want to conquer your fear of heights, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It offers fabulous views of the Harbour and Opera House. Speaking of the Opera House, if you get the chance, go and see a show. We saw a ballet, not our favorite form of entertainment, but the atmosphere was so romantic and surreal. Also, do not miss shopping in the Rocks. There are so many shops that you could spend a whole day there.

Quick Tips:

We ordered a lot of our tickets several months ahead of time, using our credit cards. This allowed us to get lower rates and better conversion rates than when we were there. There are several different guides that provide information on coupons, etc. I suggest the Frommer's Guide to Australia. It is full of information on all sorts of things.

Best Way To Get Around:

We used taxi cabs the entire time we were there. They got to be pricey. I would suggest walking as much as you can. The city really is not that big. Of course, there are buses and even some trains, but we were not there long enough to use them.

The accommodations were terrific. We had a two-bedroom/two-bathroom suite with a balcony. The top floor had a fabulous view of Darling Harbor. The rooms were very luxurious, with marble finish and high-quality linens. We also had a small washer and dryer to do light loads of laundry. The hotel has a gym, pool, spa, and sauna. The bottom floor had a monorail station to catch the monorail to the main part of the city.

The atmosphere of the Sydney Opera House is fabulous. My husband and I ate at a tiny outdoor café on our way to the opera house. We then visited the gift shop for a customary souvenir.

Inside the opera house were several open bars. You can place a drink order for each of the intermissions and have a glass of wine before sitting. I suggest getting there early just to take advantage of this custom. The scene is very social.

We did not truly enjoy the ballet (the only show while we were in town), but we loved the experience of the Opera House. Afterwards, I would suggest walking a little ways from the opera house to get a cab, or even walking back to your hotel if possible. I really wanted to walk through the Botanical Gardens on the way out, but we were too exhausted and jet-lagged to take this opportunity.

You begin with an orientation, signing your life away, and taking a breathalyzer test. Next, you change into the climbing suits. Believe it or not, they match the color of the bridge so as not to take away from the bridge itself. I would suggest wearing very light clothing underneath the suit. You are then given the belt that attaches you to the bridge. You are then given time to practice on sample ladders and bridges.

The climb itself is a lot less strenuous than I thought it would be. The only hard part was the straight-up and -down ladders. The bridge itself has such a gradual rise, you barely notice that you are climbing. Also, because of the many photo opportunities along the way, you have plenty of time to catch your breath along the way.

You have headphones on the whole time, and the guide speaks to you through these. On our particular tour, we had a woman who has deaf. The guide was very understanding and allowed time for her husband to sign to her.

The views were spectacular, and I have a great picture of my husband and I with the Sydney Opera House in the background. You get one complimentary group photo with your climb price. The price itself is a bit steep. It was close to $200 per person in Australian dollars, but when will you ever get the chance to climb on a bridge again… unless that is your job.

There are hundreds of tiny shops all along a few streets. I would suggest taking a cab to Circular Quay and then walking to The Rocks from there. There are all kinds of shops, from those with cheap tourist T-shirts all the way to fine jewelry and art stores. I bought several of my souvenirs from Australia in these shops.