sydney
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The weather is almost always sunny. Get out there to see this city with sneakers on and strollers geared up! |
Eat:
Sydney is fresh, organic, seafood foodie heaven. I could probably write an entire book about the places I love to eat here, but I’ll keep it to a few of my favorites to take the kids. Most restaurants are open to children being present. It’s really more about what you are comfortable with. Just go before 7pm and you’ll never have problems. Or, book a table for later! I have seen children out at restaurants as late as 9pm. If kid options are not on the menu, just ask!
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The Boathouse Balmoral (North Shore)
2 The Esplanade
Mosman NSW 2088 Beautiful setting, right on the beach. In fact, it’s practically in the water. Convenient “order at the counter” service. This place is great for breakfast, brunch and has a view to die for. The kids' playground at Balmoral Beach is right next door, as well as a mile or two of scenic, pristine beach and water. While a bit pricier, the quality of the food and the location make it worth a trip |
Bottom of the Harbour (North Shore)
21 The Esplanade
Balmoral NSW 2088 If you want to skip the $$$ restaurants, BOTH is delicious and relatively cheap. Just a regular beachfront fish ’n chips place. You can order and eat at the picnic tables or take your meal across the street and picnic on the beach. |
So much to choose from and to look at. Heaps of seafood and sides in a cool location. Watch the fishing boats come and eat seafood at one of the many stalls, fresh from the ocean.
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Incredible bakery and coffee, beautiful outdoor seating with a kids play area. You can even visit Kevin Bacon the pig! This destination is one of my favorite places to go. Also in the small urban complex is a gourmet Italian grocer, florist, and a second restaurant. It's easy to enjoy a drink and the gorgeous weather while your children are captivated by all that is going on.
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This huge building right on Coogee Beach was recently renovated. It has a massive ground-floor restaurant that feels like a market with a dedicated children’s corner that has a toy area, ping pong table, scrabble wall, and a fake grass play area. The menu not only appeals to kids, but is a foodie hotspot for the childless as well.
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PLay:
BEACH BEACH BEACH! I never tire of it. The beaches are sensational here and they are only a quick 15 minute car drive or 30 minute bus ride from the city center. I have also included a few spots to take a break from the beach and some fabulous walks you can do with a stroller. This is a walking kind of city. The weather is almost always sunny. Get out there to see this city with sneakers on and strollers geared up! On all of the walks listed, you will encounter the occasional staircase, but the 4 minutes of partner lifting a pram is worth the hour of fantastic sights.
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Bondi Beach
(East) Normally I would not list this as one of my favorite beaches because it is definitely a tourist and surfer beach with a strong current. However, this beach does have a wonderful protected swim area for children on the north end of the beach, a playground and it’s just one of those places you have to see when coming to Sydney. Restaurants + tourists = amazing people watching. Plus, you can start the Bondi to Coogee walk from its location (an unreal hike on the coast). Some of the walk is stroller friendly, but there are a few steps and rugged terrain. Either come prepared to haul a stroller at parts or ditch it all together and use a baby carrier.
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Clovelly Beach
(East) This beach is small, but crazily child-friendly. It has a massive stretch of sand and calm shallow waters. On a weekday morning you’ll see all the mums, bubs, and nannies splashing in the water or playing on it's sweet playground. It’s a little more “out of the way” beach, but worth it because it’s never as busy as a lot of the other eastern suburbs beaches.
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Balmoral Beach
(North Shore) My all-time favorite beach in Sydney. White sands, blue water, and plenty of space. At 9am on a weekday morning I have been one of only 3 people on the whole beach (if you don’t count all of the retirees doing laps in the water). One end of the beach has a playground and a place where you can rent out paddle boards or small sailboats. The other end has a walled-in swim area perfect for kids. At low tide there are awesome tide pools to explore. Bonus: several places to grab a snack just off the beach as well.
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Freshwater Beach
(North Shore) A bit more off the beaten path. You enter the beach through a neighborhood and grassy sand dunes. It has shallow water, but still quite wavy. This is a great beach for beginner surfers or for chasing waves from the sand.
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Hands down, favorite zoo I’ve been to. I am convinced they have the #1 view of the city in all of Sydney. It is hilly. For those of you not in the mood for hiking up the mountain at the end, fear not, you can ride the cable car back up to the top. My favorite area is the Australian farm where you can play on a playground next to the chuck’s house (chickens), pet goats and sheep, and play in a big water feature (bring a swimsuit). Also close to the farm is a section of Australian animals where the kangaroos and emus run free. While it is a little disconcerting to have a 7ft emu look down at your stroller searching for snacks, I still appreciate the close encounter.
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Ferry Rides
I suppose this could also go into the transportation category, but a ferry ride is an adventure all on its own! You can take ferries all over Sydney, but the best one is the Circular Quay to Manly ferry ride. Just hop the whole family onto the boat, double jogging stroller and all, and take a 40 minute ride to another beautiful beach. If I can swing it, traveling by ferry is my preference. No traffic, cool breeze, exceptional views of the city, bridge, and cliff sides.
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Playground, big slide, water park, octanet, swings, fountains … basically every kid’s dream playgound. All of this super close to city-center.
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Opera House Walk
From the Opera house, through Circular Quay, and across the Sydney bridge to Kirribilli. You can then hop on the ferry at Milson’s Point (right next to the huge, slightly creepy, Luna Park face) and take it back to Circular Quay.
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Just on the other side of the opera house is a large green space that you can picnic in, take a jog, and go learn about local foliage.
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Cremorne Point
Take Murdoch St. in Cremorne all the way down, as far as you can and park the car (or get off the bus). Get onto the walking path and cruise around the point enjoying sailboats, amazing houses, and scenic views. If you go at night, you’ll hear all the animals at the zoo next door! At Cremorne Point Reserve is a great little playground. If you are here for New Year’s Eve, you’ll want to check out Cremorne Point as a spot to watch the 9pm or 12am fireworks.
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The perfect rainy day activity! This is a beautiful historic art-deco cinema (complete with a pre-show organ in one of the theaters!) There are always children's events going on at the Orpheum. Don't miss one of their "Frozen" sing-alongs.
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Stay:
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Depending on what you’re looking for, you will be able to find cheap to expensive accommodations in Sydney. My go-to accommodation site is Airbnb. When I go somewhere for a long visit, I usually want access to a kitchen and some space for kids to play in. I always appreciate the insight that the local owner gives me.
North Shore (Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Mosman) Close to the city, but out of the fray and with convenient transport links. Eastern Suburbs (Bondi, Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee, Randwick) The classic Sydney tourist destination. The more north in the Eastern Suburbs you are, the more touristy. Still, it is very laid back and there’s a beach in every neighborhood. Buses would be the main form of public transport. I give them a "B" for dependability. Central Business District (Sydney, Darling Harbour, Potts Point, Surry Hills) The hustle and bustle of the city. You’ll be close to all the museums, top restaurants and sites. Inner West (Balmain, Glebe, Leichhardt, Newtown) Definitely more of a city feeling here. A bit more artsy, grungy, and a strong cafe culture. Good parks and restaurants as well and decent transport links. Manly You can stay practically on the beach, watch surfers, play sand volleyball, and walk the boardwalk. |
Coogee Beach
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general tips:
Opal Card
Opal cards are travel cards that get you on buses, ferries, and trains. You can always buy paper tickets at convenience stores, but it is very handy to have one of these. You do need to order it in advance from the Opal website, but you can put more money on it remotely while traveling. Children 0-3 travel for free on all of these places, 4-15 half-fare, 16 and older travel
as adults.
Car or No Car?
Sydney is the kind of city where you might want to rent a car, but maybe not for your whole visit because it is walkable and there is pretty good mass transit. We’ve used GoGet and have had great success. Plus, you may want to venture out of Sydney to Hunter Valley, the Blue Mountains, or Palm Beach.
Bus
The bus system is decently clean. I have had a number of helpful bus drivers. Buses are stroller-friendly, so don’t stress about that, but also don’t expect to get on a bus easily during peak commuting times. Just buy a 10-trip bus pass at any convenience store.
Train
The train system in Sydney is great. Elevators to train terminals, stroller accessible train cars, clean, fast, on time. Plus, the Sydney train workers that help with get-on and get-off at the stations are SO nice and have helped me with my stroller a number of times (as have other random passengers). They have a 6th sense for the panicked parent, I swear
required reading:
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