One Night in Sydney
December 5, 2005 3:52 AM Subscribe
We will be spending 24 hrs in Sydney at the end of a 3 week tour round Oz & NZ. Any one have any tips on a nice relaxing hotel?
We will already have spent 4 days in Sydney earlier in the trip so central is not that important, but we will be arriving in evening and are not flying out again until 8pm the next day so would like somewhere ideally not too far from the airport, with a pool or near a beach where we can leave our bags and spend the day relaxing before the long flight back to Europe.
We will already have spent 4 days in Sydney earlier in the trip so central is not that important, but we will be arriving in evening and are not flying out again until 8pm the next day so would like somewhere ideally not too far from the airport, with a pool or near a beach where we can leave our bags and spend the day relaxing before the long flight back to Europe.
Pom Sydneysider here. I don't think the airport is near any beaches of worth. It's all pretty industrial out there. The Ibis and so on are god-forsaken concrete blocks, possibly with a pool though.
Definitely travel from the airport via taxi--at least to a non-private train station - train tickets are 50%-75% of the cost, but then there are two of you!
I don't think much of Darling Harbour, compared to Sydney's other attractions--way too commercial and show-offy for my liking, and nothing to do except eat and drink, which you can do anywhere else with less attitude. Wouldn't be a great end to your tour of the fantastic Aussie/NZ nature.
Lots of Sydney in general is good stuff. Stay away from hotels in the overpriced backpacker zones (Kings Cross, Potts Point, George St, Bondi, Coogee), or right on major thoroughfares (a block away from one is fine), and it's hard to go wrong. Pick a hotel in an inner suburb (broadly, the two or three rings of suburbs surrounding Sydney City on the south shore) because everything is so near by bus or taxi.
In the morning I'd head either on a train or ferry from circular quay for one of the beaches out of town (not Bondi, Coogee or Bronte, but more like Manly and the northern beaches), or walk to the botanic gardens/the domain for a relaxing day sitting on the grass overlooking the harbour, with little walks to scenic spots like Mrs Macquarie's chair, or looking round the NSW Art Gallery.
E-mail me if you'd like my views on specific plans. I'm time-skint at the moment, but will try to respond.
Don't forget your sun cream!
posted by cogat at 6:48 AM on December 5, 2005
Definitely travel from the airport via taxi--at least to a non-private train station - train tickets are 50%-75% of the cost, but then there are two of you!
I don't think much of Darling Harbour, compared to Sydney's other attractions--way too commercial and show-offy for my liking, and nothing to do except eat and drink, which you can do anywhere else with less attitude. Wouldn't be a great end to your tour of the fantastic Aussie/NZ nature.
Lots of Sydney in general is good stuff. Stay away from hotels in the overpriced backpacker zones (Kings Cross, Potts Point, George St, Bondi, Coogee), or right on major thoroughfares (a block away from one is fine), and it's hard to go wrong. Pick a hotel in an inner suburb (broadly, the two or three rings of suburbs surrounding Sydney City on the south shore) because everything is so near by bus or taxi.
In the morning I'd head either on a train or ferry from circular quay for one of the beaches out of town (not Bondi, Coogee or Bronte, but more like Manly and the northern beaches), or walk to the botanic gardens/the domain for a relaxing day sitting on the grass overlooking the harbour, with little walks to scenic spots like Mrs Macquarie's chair, or looking round the NSW Art Gallery.
E-mail me if you'd like my views on specific plans. I'm time-skint at the moment, but will try to respond.
Don't forget your sun cream!
posted by cogat at 6:48 AM on December 5, 2005
If you don't want to go into the city, but stay outside it near the airport, you might as well go to Rockdale. It's very suburban really but there's a variety of restaurants, a nice seafront, and it's only a couple of minutes from the airport. One of the restaurants advertises "Greek Yum Cha" which has to be worth checking out. I've driven past it a hundred times.
I don't know much about hotels there but I'll do some more research later.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 12:33 PM on December 5, 2005
I don't know much about hotels there but I'll do some more research later.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 12:33 PM on December 5, 2005
OK, everything I said before was true, except for the name of the suburb. I meant Brighton-le-sands, not Rockdale (next suburb over).
The Novotel Brighton Beach should be a safe bet.
Here's a little description of the area. It's not very exciting, most of the people around you will be locals not travellers, but that's what you want, right?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 2:19 PM on December 5, 2005
The Novotel Brighton Beach should be a safe bet.
Here's a little description of the area. It's not very exciting, most of the people around you will be locals not travellers, but that's what you want, right?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 2:19 PM on December 5, 2005
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You are also 2 minutes walk from Chinatown, which can be a lot of fun. Darling Harbour is about 30-40 minutes to the airport by taxi, and expect to pay around AUD $20-30 for the taxi fare (no tipping required).
If you have to stay near the airport, I believe there is an Ibis that is pretty close, but really you are better off going into town.
posted by Dag Maggot at 5:42 AM on December 5, 2005