Sydney ' Walks, Whales, It's a Wonderland
Sydney is more than juts the CBD. To the north are the Manly Scenic Walkway and the walk from Taronga Zoo to Balmoral beach. The walk from Taronga to Balmoral is relatively new, and delivers breathtaking views of the harbour. It takes about two hours to cover the six-kilometre track, which takes you through native bushland and military sites that have been closed to the public for more than a century.
Audrina Martin is a travel writer for last minute accommodation site ' LastBeds. Audrina has misspent the last 20 years travelling to destinations far and wide, reviewing resorts, restaurants and hotels. Her current favourite city is Melbourne and she only books accommodation at the last minute.
Once at Balmoral, treat yourself to fish and chips and a cappuccino and just sit on the waterfront and take in what is one of the best views in Sydney.
The Manly scenic walkway is a longer walk, at about ten kilometres, but is one of the hidden delights of the city. The walkway starts at the Spit Bridge and takes you around the harbour foreshores to Manly, passing wonderful beaches, spectacular cliff faces and always that harbour view to distract you from the path. If you don't want to walk the full distance, there are six major points where you can enter or exit the Walkway, at the Spit Bridge, Clontarf Reserve, Cutler Road Lookout, Tania Park, Wellings' reserve and Manly Wharf. When you reach Manly, there is plethora of trendy cafes or ambient restaurants to restore your energy. Or just sit at the Manly Wharf Hotel and soak up the Manly vibe.
In the east, Federation Cliff Walk is fantastic. It runs from Vaucluse to Dover Heights with much of the three-kilometre walk taking you through several reserves and the beautiful Diamond Bay. The track links up with the famous Bondi to Bronte walk, which crams views into its 3.5 km lengths. This walk is not just the domain of keen walks; you will find a busy blend of mums with prams, rollerbladers, skateboarders and joggers along the way.
A little further away from the city, about an hour south of the CBD, is the Royal National Park. Established in 1879, it is the oldest national park in Australia and the second oldest in the world ' only Yellowstone is older. The Park has a stunning coastline with glorious beaches such as Wattamolla, Garie and Burning Palms, and lookouts with spectacular views.
A burgeoning tourist attraction in Sydney is whale watching tours. Every year, humpback whales and southern right whales migrate north from the Southern Ocean to breed in the warmers waters. First sightings are usually in May, but the best times to see them in Sydney are the month of June and July, and sometimes, into August. You also have a chance to watch them on their return, from September to November.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service says the around 2000 whales make this journey within sight of the coast each year with the majority being humpback whales. Minke whales, southern right whales and pygmy killer whales are also seen. At the peak of the migration, you can stand on a coastal headland and see up to four whales pass by every hour. In one day at Cape Solander in Kurnell-near Cronulla in Sydney's south, 68 whales were spotted.
Other good spots to whale watch includes Barrenjoey and Long reef on the Northern Beaches, North and South head and Ben Buckler at Bondi. Or take to the water for some close and personal action. Jump on board the big beautiful 16 'metre catamaran True blue, cruise out on board Ocean Dreaming with Bass & Flinders Cruises, or sail out to see them on a yacht with Sydney Sailing or Sydney Eco Whale Watching.
Ocean World at Manly also has sharks, and the more adventurous can get in the tank on a shark dive. Ocean world also has an excellent show featuring Australia's dangerous spiders and snakes. For animals with a view, the best place to go is Taronga Zoo, just a short hop by ferry from circular Quay. The collection of animals is diverse with some highlights being gorillas, orang-utans, seals, red pandas.
One of the most exciting exhibits at the Zoo is the Elephant enclosure. The new habitat is now home to five Thai elephants, Porntip, Pak Boon, Tang Mo, Tong Dee and Gu. They love their new home, complete with heated barn, swimming pool, waterfall, mud wallows, private paddock, exercise yard, grassy field and shade pavilion.
There are several places where you can pat a kangaroo, cuddle koala or experience life on the farm- Aussie style. Featherdale Wildlife Park and Australian Reptile Park are just a few of the places recommended. The Australian Reptile Park is about 70 minutes drive north of Sydney, but well worth the effort as you can pat Kangaroos, see funnel web spiders being milked of their venom, watch the snake show and see Elvis the
crocodile in action.
For other animal attractions, Sydney is well endowed, with a host of furry and fishy friends to see. Sydney's newest animal feature is Sydney Wildlife World, which opened in late 2006 tight in the heart of Darling Harbour. It delivers a uniquely Australian adventure without you having to travel all around the country. There are over 6000 animals living in nine natural habitats and ecosystems, including koalas, Kangaroos, snakes, spiders and wallabies. Right next door, Sydney Aquarium is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Australia and it's easy to see why. It is one of the worlds best with impressive underwater walkways through two enormous tanks-one swimming with fish found in Sydney Harbour and the other full of giant rays, large fish and three-metre long Grey Nurse sharks.
