Things to See in Sydney

This next review is on the famous and historical Luna Park, which is located at Milsons Point, on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour. This is another attraction which has become very popular with tourists and even the local population. The park one of the best theme park style events in Sydney, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year.

History:

The park was first opened in the mid 1930’s and was used as a theme area for guests to come and have some fun, open during the summer and closed during the winter. The park was also closed when the Second World War broke out, however reopened soon after it was over.
During the years the park was enquired by a number of different organizations and this continued for several years. In 1995, the park was given a $25 million backing to reopen and refurbish under the Open Space and Heritage Fund control. Redevelopment continued throughout the years and the park was again closed for changed to be made, and once again re opened in 2004.

How to Get To the Park:

There are several ways that people can get to the Park. The park itself is located on Milsons Point which is near the Northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and thus can be accessed by taking the train, the bus or even the ferry. Alternatively you can take the car their and they have sufficient parking space, however they do charge, last I checked its $7 an hour.

Opening Hours and Prices:

The park is open at different times and this generally depends on the time of month you are going and the season. During the winter the park closes earlier, whilst it’s open a lot later during the summer. Generally the Park opens at 10:00 am and closes at 11:00 pm this is during the summer period. Whilst during the winter period it opens at 11:00 am and closes at 6:00pm.

General entry into the park is free, meaning that anyone can come down and enjoy the sites the theme park has to offer. However, like most theme parks it will cost you to enter each individual ride, thus they encourage you to buy a pass before you go on, thus saving money if you intend on going on a few rides.

A basic pass will cost you $10, this will allow you access to one turn on all the rides the park has to offer, this is limited to one turn per person. The prices also differ for other parts of the park, which are designated as children’s areas.






Theme Park Layout:

Although a theme park, the theme park does not have all the big rides you may associate with traditional theme parks, its more like what you would get at a fair ground with the occasional rollercoaster, a Ferris wheel and other small rides, along with park games. The park has several different and areas, which I have listed below.

Big Top Area:

The big top ride was opened in 2004 it’s a big seating area, which allows guests to observe live shows, music events and on some occasions the local circus. The Big has been used for many big shows, most famously the MTV Australia Music Awards.

Crystal Palace:

The Crystal Palace Area is another event, which has been used for several shows and events including the annual BMX competitions that are held in Sydney.

Rides in the Theme Park:

There are several rides within this theme park/ fair area, and it caters for everyone from the very young to the very old.
The Wild Mouse Rollercoaster is the main thrill seeking attraction at the theme park, and is one of the more popular rides. The ride itself can seat up to four people in one cart, which goes around the track at a very fast speed. The great thing about this ride is that it being so tall you get a view of the entire park, and the outer areas of the Sydney Harbour. The best views are during the night, when the city is glowing with lights.

Dodgem City is a lot like what we would refer to as bumper cars, there is a large designated area, where up to 18 people at a time can ride these electronic cars and have some fun. There is a minimum age requirement on this ride for health and safety reasons.

Skylab Ferris wheel is another attraction that is very popular with the tourists and visitors. The Ferris wheel allows you to have a quite and relaxing moment or to and is a peaceful way of looking at the park from the op of the world. Once your cart is at the top, it will stay there for several minutes thus allowing you to get a great look at the area. Cameras are not allowed on the ride again for health and safety reasons.

There are also a number of kids rides, which are more orientated towards children between the ages of 2- 10. However I didn’t go on the rides so can not give any personal observations about them.

Food:

The park has a area designed just for people to sit down and have some food. With seating available it means there is no rush to get up and eat your food in a hurry. They have several food courts offering pizza, burgers and fish and chips. An ice cream parlour is also their which a great selection of desserts.
Overall the park has a great feel and atmosphere to it. It’s a great place for any traveller to visit, because it’s not very commercial, it’s like an olden style fair, with the basic rides, focusing more on people having fun with the family and less about waiting in line for hours to get on a ride. The layout of the park is very easy to follow, with different designated to different types of rides and games. When you enter the park the first thing you notice is the big smiling face as the entrance. Its gives you a great impression of the park as being one of friendly, opening and welcoming. The deco and art around the park make it almost a national historical theme park and museum.
The prices for individual games are reasonable and prices for food it not too expensive.

Overall a great day out with either your friends and or your family, if your in the area I would thoroughly recommend checking it out.

Happy Travels.

Whilst on my travels in Sydney one cannot forget to visit the iconic Darling Harbour, which is located on the western outskirts of the business district. The Harbour has been around since the late 1800’s and is a great place for tourist’s to come and visit.
The Harbour has a breathtaking view of the city and the surrounding areas; it’s also packed with dozens of shops, and entertainment facilities. Allowing tourists to really get a feel for the city, its people and the lifestyle.

A friend who lives in the area took me to visit the Harbour during a sunny summers day, now considering everyday is most likely going to be sunny this is a bonus, as there are a number of cafes and eating areas located nearby.

The Harbour is packed with dozens of places one can visit; some of the attractions I visited included, Sydney Aquarium, Star City Casino, and Sydney's Chinese Gardens. I will briefly talk about each attraction, which should give a general feel for the place, what exactly each attraction has etc.

Sydney Aquarium:

Perhaps one of the main attractions of the Harbour is the Sydney Aquarium, which had hundreds of visitor’s everyday. It’s not as big as some of the other aquariums in Sydney; however it still had a wide variety of underwater sea creatures. The prices usually range from $10 – 15 dollars, and in a whole I think it’s very easy to get around, making it family friendly and enjoyable.

Chinese Garden of Friendship:

This was a more pleasant experience, because it was located outdoors, and with some of the most breathtaking monuments, flowers and trees. It’s a place where you can come and unwind, have a nice time with the family and take in the surrounding area.
The monuments, trees and landscape all symbolize the Chinese culture and the relationship china has with Australia, it’s got a ice lake in the middle, which on a hot summers day, reflects yourself.

Star City Hotel and Casino:

Star City Casino is not too far from the Harbour and is the second largest Casino in Sydney. Obviously casinos may not be everyone’s cup of tea; however it’s still worth paying a visit, because of its size, its glamour and its celebrity type feel. For us it was less about gambling and more about finding a nice place to eat, as it is known that some of the best restaurants are located inside the casino complex. A buffet service is available at some of the restaurants, with prices ranging from $5 onwards, serving a large variety of snacks. The casino also has a vibrant nightlife, which includes several pubs and bars, which are open till late; if you are a party animal it might be worth paying a visit to some of these as prices are very reasonable; however always carry personal identification with you.

Transport:

The Harbour is relatively easy to get to with modes of transport including the underground train service and a short ferry ride, from the inner city district. The ferry only cost us about $4 which included a return journey.

Overlooking the harbour and the magnificent waterfront you can also find local shops offering sandwiches, jacket potatoes and quick snack, making it an idea place just to come and unwind.

This review is on my visit to Taronga City Zoo, which is located in Sydney Australia. I had heard some great reviews about the Zoo, and was told if your ever going to Sydney its one of the best places to visits in terms of finding out about the local wildlife which is indigenous to that part of the World. I was truly amazed, I have been to a lot of Zoo’s around the world, however I found the zoo, more exotic and exciting to visits and this however could be because it was set in a beautiful country, which was experiencing a 40 degree heat wave.

Info

The zoo was officially opened in 1916, with over 50 acres of free space which is home to some 2,600 animals.

How to Get There:

There are several ways to get to the zoo; these include taking modes of transport such as the bus, a ferry, a train and a local bus operator which offers a return journey, which I think most tourists, might find the easiest.
Alternatively if you have a car you can park in their car park, however expect to pay a parking fee in the range of $15. The bus or coach fair has several pickup points which tourist use, they offer a relatively simple operation, prices set me back around $10, if you need more information you can contact +61 2 9969 2777.

Prices and Rates:

The ticket prices for admission can varies and it is usually down to the time of the year you are visiting the zoo, however the last time I checked the zoo prices were as followed;

Regular admission was $41 for adults and $20 for children between 4-15 years of age; they also offer a discount for senior citizens, usually in the price region of $25.

I actually travelled with a group, and we had the option of doing a group booking, which offered us a discounted price, as there were a large number of us. If you are going in a group, which is usually more than 12 people then you can expect to pay $32, which gives you a saving of $9. You can also have the option of booking a one day or two day pass, which allows you to cover the zoo over a number of days.

Zoo Packages:

The zoo opens at 9:00 am in the morning, and to be honest visitors have a wide variety of things they can do, they have the option of either going around the zoo by themselves, take up some presentations or stick with a tour guide who will show you around the park in great detail, making sure you don’t miss anything, whilst at the same time giving you some detailed background information about the animal, its habitat, etc.

Some of the tours included in the visit can include the Australian Walkabout tour, which is a group tour which usually takes about 1 to 1 and a half hours long. The tour includes a visit to the Kangaroo, koalas, wombats, dingoes, echidnas and Australian birds. This is a great opportunity to visit these indigenous animals up close and personal, the tour even allows you to how koalas in your hand which is quite and experience, there is also plenty of time to take some photographs.
If you have the time I would also recommend taking the Wild Australia tour, which again usually last about 1 and a half hours. This tour is more of a hands on experience, you get involved with the zoo keepers and also get a chance to see what happens on a daily places in terms of how they look after the animals, how they feed them etc . The tour starts at either 10:00am or 14:00 pm. I was gob smacked when I had the chance to feed the baby kangaroos, its something that cant be done in most zoo’s and it really does add excitement to the zoo tour.

The zoo also offers Animal encounter packages, which charge you an additional fee to get up close and personal with some of the most magnificent animals, these include, Kangaroo, koalas, wombats, dingoes, echidnas and Australian birds. The package includes and induction tour and a photograph with you and an animal up close and personal. Fees for this type of package are as followed; The Koala Encounters cost $19:95, Reptile encounter $19.95, Hold and Owl is $19.95, the Seal encounter costing $39.95 and Giraffes in Focus costing $19.95

Animals:

The zoo has a wide variety of animals, which you may or may not have seen before. However, I found watching these animals so much more fascinating because they had some nice surrounding man made habitats. We also get a chance to see animals that you can only see in Australia; these include my favourite’s kangaroos and Koala. There are also a great deal of water inhabited animals such as hypos, which also adds some fear and excitement, getting a chance to see these wild and beastly animals.

The zoo also offers visitors a chance to stay at the zoo overnight in their accommodation facility, allowing you to be in a jungle type facility, sleeping under the starts and being close the animals. For more information please look at the following link.
http://www.taronga.org.au/western-plains-zoo/plan-your-visit/overnight-stay.aspx

Food:

The zoo also has several places were you can relax and have some breakfast and lunch, or simply some tea or coffee. There is a wide variety in terms of food and with a very scenic backdrop it makes it a brilliant and calming environment. Its very relaxing unlike some of the theme parks you go to where it’s packed, busy and full of kids.
The Taronga Food Market is a simple and convenient food hut, were you can pick up easy and quick food such as burgers and pizzas, chips, hot dogs to name just a few.
For alcohol you can visit the local licensed Café, which offers some cold beverages, which go down very well on a very hot summer’s day.

The local zoo shop is also there for visitors for people to purchase some great gifts that they can take back with them; these include photographs, key rings, and post cards.

Overall the zoo is a brilliant place for people to visits; it’s a really exciting hand on experience, which is very exciting. The exotic animals, the scenic views and the hands on experiences you can have make it one of the most exciting zoos in Australia.

This next review is on my time on The Blue Mountains National Park, located in Sydney Australia. A few friends and I had decided to hire a van and take a tour of the national park, as we had been recommended it by several people we had met along the way. I am usually a fan of national parks; it gives you a chance to take in the scenic view, it gives you a chance to relax and unwind if you have had a busy week, and you even get to see some wildlife. It’s a great experience, which allows you to camp overnight, whilst also have a magnificent driving experience.

History & Park Info:

The park covers 267,954 hectares, which included several mountains and rivers along the trek. The highest point of the park is Mount Werong (1,215 m), and there are some breathtaking views from the top. The area became a national park in 1932, and ever since has become a tourist hotspot for people who like walking and hiking.

How to Get There:

There are several ways to get to the national park; you can either take a car, or a van through the major highways, which leads you into the park entrance. Public transport is also available from many stations across Sydney, all taking you towards the park.

This park is near...
Katoomba (2 km, 5 minutes)
Penrith (9 km, 15 minutes)
Lithgow (20 km, 15 minutes)
Sydney (50 km, 90 minutes)

Fees and Opening Hours:

The park is open from 8:30 am in the morning and closes at 7:00pm daily, the fee to enter the park if you have a car or a van is $7 per day and is operated by a coin machine, so it might be useful to have some change on you at the time.


The Park and Tours Available:

The park has several tours that are available for visitors to take part in and this is truly a great experience as it allows you to get an in depth view of the natural beauty of the park and its surrounding areas. The guides also give you some information about the wildlife you might see there, what plants and trees there area, and some general information about the park, which you may not have thought about. The tours are also a great way to meet like minded people, who you can enjoy the day with.

The main tour has several key features which include a guided bush walk, a night time spotlighting tour which gives you a detailed tour of the park once it’s dark, allowing you to really get a feel for what the park is like during the night time.

There are several other detailed tours, which charge you for the experience, these include a detailed tour of the underground caves present within the national park, The Scenic Railway tour which takes you around the old train tracks within the park, also giving you some insightful historical background about the area. You can also opt to watch a documentary in one of the visitor centres, which gives you a detailed background of the park, which the first settlers were on the grounds and how the parks transformed within the last 250 years.

If you do some research before you go its worthwhile booking a tour with Blue Mountains Tourism, which again offers a wide variety of packages for things to see and do within the park. They also offer some great accommodation if you choose to stay the night in the park.
The website listed below gives you some great info on where you can find a place to stay, thus making you journey more pleasant and memorable.

Great Blue Mountains Drive is a self service driving opportunity which allows travellers and hikers a chance to drive around within the park, I often found this to be more of a family orientated and thus only take it if you’re willing to spend hours and hours of driving.

Mt Experience:

I had a brilliant time when I went to park; there was so much to simply see that we had to cover the park over a period of three days. The tour operators picked us up from or hotel and took as to the entrance of the park. One of the first things that hit us was Jamieson Valley, which was a vantage point and overlooked a magnificent view of the horizon, the sun was glaring down on us, and all we could see was the rich green trees, which looked very moist and rich. You also get to see some rock formation, which really emulates the beauty of the park and its surrounding area.

We carried on with the tour and we came to some very key points such as the nearby rivers which are located towards the bottom, it’s a long walk down, and it’s a great feeling when you finally get to the bottom and see the clear water, which on a sunny day allows you to see you reflection against it.

The next point of stop was Three Sisters rock formation at Katoomba. It’s one of the most iconic parts of the tour and consists of three rock formations with and earthy texture to them, overlooking the surrounding park, which has mass amounts of trees. It was at this point that we got ourselves comfortable and had some lunch, which we had bought with us. It’s important to note that anything you bring with you must be taken back, they done accept littering and it would be a shame to see litter so be considerate.

I could go on about the tour for hours, but I don’t want to make this review to extensive, however if your going to visit the park, its always worth doing some background information on what you want to see etc.

Happy Travels.

My next review is on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which is perhaps one of the most iconic monuments in Sydney, if not the whole of Australia. The Bridge is the main thing that stands out when you first arrive in Sydney, its like their gateway into and out of the City, and with its sheer size, its something that people should take the time to look at up close and personal.

History:

The bridge has a long history, original plans to create the bridge started in the late 1890’s however construction didn’t actually start until the mid 1920’s. The bridge’s total length is a mammoth 1149 metres (3,770 ft), and according to the World Records book the bridge has the tallest arch steel frame measuring 134 meters (429.6 ft)

The bridge is accessible by many modes on transport which include, train, car toll, and walking. The bridge connects two main sides of Sydney and is frequently used by people travelling to and from work everyday. Pedestrians are also able to walk along the bridge, and there is a section from which a train service operates. If your staying in Sydney for a number of days I would try walking and taking a train through the bridge because it gives you a detailed look of the surrounding Sydney area.

Whilst staying in Sydney you may hear from a lot of travels to take the Sydney Harbour Bridge Walking Tour. My review is going to talk about the tour in more detail because I think it allows travellers a chance to see what it’s all about.
The tour gives visitors a chance to walk on the bridge itself, dangling down and allowing you to see some of the greatest views anywhere in Sydney.

The Tour:

The tour operators give you a number of packages that you can opt for, each catering from a novice to someone who is a thrill seeker, and thus the tour will be more intense and exciting. The main tours can consist of The Express, The Discovery, and The Bridge climb.

The most popular and most famous of all is perhaps "The Bridge Climb", which is a 3 and half hour thrill seeking climb, which takes you to the outer reach of the bridge on catwalks and ladders reaching a height of 134 meters. This was one exceptional experience, because you get to see the whole city from the top of the bridge, the people, and cars look so little from that height. The views of the local Harbour, the Sydney Oprah and the city buildings are simply stunning, and its best to go on a hot summer’s day as the breeze from the sea really makes you feel cool.

Safety is a big issue on the tour as you would expect all safety checks are carried out several times and an experienced, fully trained professional is in charge of the tour. Please check that you insurance covers these types of excursions, if not the tour operators can refuse to take you.

The ladders you climb are easy to follow, you are sent up in groups of 14 people, these can be people you have come with or other tourists, its also a great way to socialise with people as you cant go 3 and a half hours without doing some talking.

Safety:

Before you climb you go through a safety check, which also include equipment such as a jump suite, shoes, head gear, harnesses, head lamps and a hard hat.

Prices:

Prices can be slightly expensive but this is expectable as it’s a long tour and it’s got a lot of additional features they give you. During Monday to Sunday daytime the prices for adults are $198 and $128 for children. Alternatively you can go for the evening option which costs $258 for adults and $188 for children.


I would recommend that if you want the best possible experience you should go for the evening tour as it really is the most breathtaking experience anyone could ever experience. You can see the city in the dark with all the lights, the Sydney Oprah House lit up at night is such a treat, and the bridge itself is also lighted up.

You also have the option of choosing to climb at Dawn or at Twilight, which is when the sun sets, overlooking the bridge. This is more focused on couples and is packaged as a romantic experience, so if you are travelling with a partner it might be worth looking into these packages.


Visitors Centre:

If the climbing experience is not for you, then you also have the option of making a visit to the Visitors centre which is located neatly along the pillar of the tower. It’s open for anyone to come and have a visit, and is free of charge. It’s a great place to come and learn more about the history of the Bridge, which shows photos of the construction stages and how it looked during the 1900’s

Alternatively you could just as easily walk on the pedestrian access routes the bridge has, it’s free of charge and also gives you breathtaking views. However, please bear in minds it can get noisy from the ongoing traffic.

At the end of your tour, you will receive a certificate to show that you have successfully climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

For detailed info about the tour, please visit;

http://www.bridgeclimb.com/

Happy Travels.