thxs swordfish ... could you PM for future use?
Sites to see -
1. Opera House
2. Manly Beach ... way better than Bondi Beach plus you'll find the best deals at Manly - cheaper than anywhere else excepts Paddy's Market. Trust me I went all over Sydney on my last day ... I mean all over and I should have stayed in Manly ... best deals period - I put that too the test!
3. Sydney Inner Harbor
4. Australian National Zoo - if your into that kind of thing ... rather spend time on the beach
5. Kings Crossing - ok ... it's the red light district of Australia but you have to check it out! I don't think they go to sleep there at night!
When Travelling -
I'm not sure how long you're going to stay but if it's for more than 5 days then get a week's train pass ($56?). It allows you to go on the trains, buses, and ferries. People complain about the transit system there but I thought it awesome.
Note you will not be able to use the same pass when going to the Airport (had to pay an additional Charge $11)
Expensive -
It cost a small fortune to go to Sydney! A 2 litter bottle of water will cost you at least $3 ... When we asked why it was so expensive we found out that it has more to do with wages (no minimum wage) than hiking up the costs. A Waitress in Sydney will make $17-$25 an hour.
Tips are not expected and many places charge you a gratuity fee so don't feel obligated to tip ... that said if she was really good looking ... damn I wasted a lot of money
Also you get charged for everything! I got fish and chips in Bondi and I had to pay $1 for ketchup and $80 for tartar sauce!
If you go to a restaurant and they allow you to bring your own wine ... ask how much they charge for corking fees. We thought $2 for corking a bottle was fair until we got the bill and found out it was per person ... we got two bottles = $28 for CORKING 2 BOTTLES!!!
Also get a phone card ... it was around $11 for 1000 minutes ... saves you a small fortune in long distance bills.
Race SiteIf you take the commuter train in the morning take the Country Express = less stops. You will race in
Penrith and if you want a great place to eat go to the Pub across the street from the station - great hamburgers. The actual race village is a ways away from the station so have transportantion set up if not provided. You can take a cab but they have this strict rule that you can't have more than 4 people in a cab even if they have space.
Overall -
Sydney was awesome ... the people were great! Tons of people walking around from all over the world. Meet people from Spain, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia all within the first few hours of walking around. I would go back again but hopefully some of these pointers save you a few bucks.
