Manly, which we rode to Shelly Beach
for a late breakfast, followed by a ride
out to the playground at Queenscliff
and then a lazy afternoon playing in
the sand at Manly Beach.
No visit to Sydney is complete
without a visit to its iconic Opera
House. Designed by Danish architect
Jørn Utzon in 1957, the UNESCO
World Heritage Committee has
declared it “one of the indisputable
masterpieces of human creativity, not
only in the 20th century but in the
history of humankind.” We attended
the
Babies Proms: Olé
performance,
geared for ages two to five years, that
was part of the annual Kids at the
House programme. Our show featured
the music of Latin America and had
the whole audience doing the samba,
rumba and cha-cha.
Besides the animals and shows,
the kids loved the playground and
farm animal area at Taronga Zoo.
Lunch options are limited, but visitors
are encouraged to enjoy their own
picnics in one of the many grassy
areas. What makes this the ultimate
city zoo is its unique location on
elevated land along the waterfront,
so views of the Sydney skyline were
usually within sight as we inspected
the animals.
Opened in 1935, Luna Park felt
like it may have peaked circa 1975, but
we embraced its kitch and enjoyed the
old-fashioned rides and games. The
kids were also delighted to investigate
the toddler rides behind the Coney
Island section.
The interactive displays at the
superb SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
engaged our older daughter, and the
mix of sharks and dugongs against the
re-creation of the Great Barrier Reef
mesmerised all of us.
On our only misty day, we
discovered that the Powerhouse
Museum covers everything from space
and transport to design and ecology.
Thrilled to receive free (temporary!)
tattoos at the entrance, the kids darted
to The Wiggles exhibit and later had
fun exploring the Zero Gravity Space
Lab and the Saturn V space rocket
engine.
Sydney’s abundance of outdoor
and covered markets offers a
reliable source of sanity. Flanked by
designer shops along Oxford Street,
Paddington Market is strategically
laid out so I could situate hubby and
kids in the playground next to the
food stalls while browsing the other
250 stalls packed with fashion and
accessories, homeware, books and arts
and crafts.
The small but bustling Friday
farmers’ market at The Rocks has live
music and an impressive variety of
stalls featuring world foods and local
products. The steps of the Museum of
Contemporary Art around the corner
was a great place to enjoy lunch we
bought from the market.
Pristine Australian beaches
are hard to beat and are relatively
uncrowded during winter. Still, it felt
like one big party at the atmospheric
Bondi Beach, and we lost count of
how many languages we heard as we
dodged surfboards. The water was
indeed cold, but that didn’t stop the
kids!
A unique experience for the kids
was in Centennial Park, where the
charming instructors at the Eastside
Horse Riding Academy fitted them
with riding boots and helmets and
took them for a half-hour trail ride.
Opened in 2011, the sprawling
Darling Quarter playground has
deservedly won international design
awards and entertains both toddlers
and teens, with a huge water play
area, a flying fox, swings, slides, rings,
diggers and climbing ropes. After a
quick change of clothes for our soaked
lot one early evening, we had dinner
at one of the many cafes and wine
bars with outdoor seating opposite the
playground.
Dining delights
Distinguished by superb local
produce, amazing culinary talent
and consistently professional service,
the restaurant scene in Sydney is
sensational. You could easily blow the
budget on memorable meals, so we
focused on a few restaurants owned by
some of our favourite celebrity chefs.
Kylie Kwong’s Billy Kwong is a
vibey little teahouse in trendy Surrey
Hills. The staff were great with our
girls, who devoured their dumplings
while we lingered over a variety of
dishes bursting with divinely balanced
Asian flavours.
The original Bill’s in
Darlinghurst, owned by Bill Granger,
has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere,
with a communal table and perfectly
executed crowd-pleasers such as corn
fritters, burgers and pasta – and
the famous scrambled eggs (cream,
anyone?).
Our splurge was Neil Perry’s art
deco Rockpool Bar & Grill. When
calling to book, the staff noted a
pram-friendly entrance and then
offered crayons and colouring paper
to our girls upon arrival. The insanely
yummy mac ’n’ cheese sustained the
peace, which allowed us to thoroughly
enjoy a spectacular long lunch.
Other notables closer to “home”
were Hugo’s at Manly Wharf and
The Pantry on Manly Beach for
outstanding food and views.
On our last day, we promised our
friends in Freshwater that we would
come back soon because there is so
much more to see and do in Sydney.
And we assured them that we could
withstand the elements twice if we
return off-season again.
January 2014
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