5 Must do activities in Sydney

By Laura Docherty, UNSW, Australia

As my time in Sydney is coming to an end now, I have been trying to cram as many fun activities in as possible before I leave to go backpacking for 4 months! Here are my suggestions for fun (and cheap!) things to do in Sydney during winter/autumn.

Free yoga under the Harbour Bridge

Every Sunday morning at 9:30am there are free yoga sessions underneath the bridge, with a perfect view of the Opera House. Each time I go it makes me feel so grateful to live in this city! The sun is always shining and it’s such a great start to the day, before walking over the bridge to Kirribilli Markets to browse the vintage clothes or picking up a coffee from the Rocks Markets.

Go for a sunrise swim

Autumn is the perfect time to go for a sunrise swim in Sydney because daylight savings means the sun rises at about 7am; meaning you can roll out of bed at a fairly normal hour and head straight down to the beach! We went to Coogee beach which is well known for its sunrises. One thing about Australia is that morning culture is such a big thing, by 6am people will be out on a run, doing ice baths, walking their dogs or drinking a coffee at the beach – this is one of my favourite things about living here.

Go and see something in the Opera House

Although it is not that cheap, I think going to see a show in the Opera House is a must-do activity whilst living in Sydney. You can get tickets starting from about £40 which I think is definitely worth it for the experience. I went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with a live orchestra and thought it was absolutely amazing! Actually being inside the venue to be able to see the architecture was great and the view of the harbour from inside was breathtaking.

Do the Rose Bay to Watsons Bay walk

One of the best things about Sydney is its range of coastal walks to choose from. The most famous is the Bondi to Coogee walk, but my favourite is Rose Bay to Watsons Bay, which goes along the north of the CBD with panoramic views of the harbour all the way along. There are some stunning beaches to stop for a swim as you go along including Milk Beach which is so relaxing. The walk takes a few hours so is a great activity for when you have a spare morning or afternoon and want to get out into the sunshine! Afterwards you could treat yourself to a famous fish and chips from Doyles, a ginger beer in the Watsons Bay pavilion or my personal favourite, an acai bowl from Camp Cove Kiosk.

Watch the sunset at Manly beach

One of my favourite places in Sydney is Manly, which is in the Northern Beaches. You get to take the ferry from the CBD across the harbour to get there, which gives you a great opportunity to put some music on and take in the Sydney sites. Manly is famous for its weekend markets which have loads of small businesses selling clothes, jewellery and other small crafts. Also, getting a cookie from Butterboy is essential – my favourite is Lotus Biscoff Snickerdoodle, but the selection is amazing! After that, head to the beach and go for a swim, walk to Shelly beach for a snorkel or hire some surf boards and catch some waves! I would recommend staying here until the sun sets because it is so beautiful, and if you’re lucky there is often bioluminesce in the water there! Unfortunately I have never seen it but I know people who have!