A
ustralians, I think, are
generally a relaxed
bunch… except when it
comes to weather. Confess
that you’re visiting their homeland
in July or August and they will gasp,
“Don’t you realise it will be
winter
?”
But, this is not the dark, blustery,
below-freezing drizzle for months on
end where you have to navigate daily
over black ice to get to where you’re
going. No, in many of the popular
cities and regions, this is a sunny, dry
winter with daytime temperatures
from 15 to 25 degrees Celcius.
But my Australian friends will
passionately caution that a dip at
the beach at this time of year will be
downright icy or that you may have
to endure the odd cloud or light rain
shower. Their welcoming nature
prompts them to worry for others who
brave their shores off-season.
Persistently ranked as one of
the world’s greatest cities, Sydney is
an ideal destination for city-loving
families in Asia who want a break
from crowds, heat and humidity in
favour of space, fresh air, heaps of
family activities and outstanding food,
with only a two-hour time difference.
Besides its year-round sunshine, one of
the benefits of visiting Sydney during
summer in Asia is the winter-season
discounts on accommodation and in
some restaurants and shops.
We based ourselves in Manly
for our ten-day stay because of its
beach community, easy access to the
heart of Sydney via the scenic Manly
Ferry, and proximity to friends in the
northern suburbs. With two daughters,
aged three and five years, we rented a
two-bedroom house through
at an attractive,
off-season rate. It was a three-minute
walk to the beach, a ten-minute walk
to the ferry and it instantly felt like our
home away from home.
To save on transport, we bought a
MyMulti weekly pass, which included
unlimited bus, ferry and train travel
throughout greater Sydney. A free
shuttle bus circulates the city centre
daily along Route 555, and public
buses are efficient and plentiful. Both
bus drivers and friendly pedestrians
were quick to help us stay on course.
For kids aged three years or younger,
public transport and most of the major
attractions are free.
Family fun
Sightseeing can be expensive, but we
found significant discount coupons in
the visitor centre brochures What’s
On Sydney and The Official Sydney
Guide for the major attractions we
wanted to see.
Some activities were both cheap
and truly cheerful, including one
morning we spent on bikes we hired at
An off-season sojourn down under provides an
affordable family escape, writes
Jill Mortensen.
Sydney
with the sprogs
January 2014
71
