Bondi Icebergs, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Woman out for a morning swim at Bondi Icebergs, Bondi Beach.
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Let Sydney’s uplifting energy wash over you as the days get longer, the nights get warmer and the city transforms into the ultimate summer playground. Embrace the freedom to live in the moment, lean into new experiences and create lasting memories as Sydney unveils all the ingredients for your best summer ever. Here are seven ways to Feel New in Sydney this summer.
Lap up long days by the pool
Step beyond Sydney’s beautiful beaches to uncover an array of enticing swimming pools made for summertime fun. Feel refreshed as you float in one of 35 iconic ocean pools between Cronulla and Palm Beach, swim a few invigorating laps at historic Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain or iconic Bondi Icebergs; or soak up the peaceful bush settings of freshwater waterholes like Bents Basin near Penrith and Camden, and Manly Dam on the Northern Beaches. Uncover one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets on the western side of Cremorne Point, where the harbourside MacCallum Pool, built in the 1920s, serves up some of the city’s finest poolside views. Or laze on a poolside cabana at Pool Club in the city-centre Ivy complex, sipping cocktails as you dangle your toes in the venue’s alluring central pool.
Supercharge your city lunch break
Summer’s fresh flavours are made to be savoured, so take your own sweet time at a delectable spread of long lunch spots in the beating heart of the city. Grab a friend and follow the delectable scent of house-baked bread to Grana, an Italian restaurant housed in a former wool store near Circular Quay, where a sumptuous share menu beckons. Take your pick from the array of tantalising Mediterranean temptations at Shell House in nearby Wynyard, while at nearby Bar Totti’s you can pop in for antipasti and a cheeky Totti’s margarita or stay for pasta and linger over tiramisu. Or curate the cheese and charcuterie board of your dreams at Continental Delicatessen CBD at Martin Place, a buzzy art deco space that feels a million miles from the surrounding offices.
Embrace Sydney’s golden hour
Make the most of Sydney’s spectacular summer days by rising with the sun. Soak up the pastel palette of dawn colours from Hornby Lighthouse at South Head. More of a morning mover? Salute the new day with a heart-starting sunrise surf in Manly or an invigorating Sunrise Kayak and Coffee tour that takes you underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or, lace your walking shoes and breathe in the fresh morning air on a scenic coastal walk from Bondi to Coogee; Bundeena to Otford; or Manly to North Head. Or, if you prefer a sleep in, watch in awe as the afternoon light dances across the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge from Dawes Point Park in The Rocks or Wendy’s Secret Garden in Lavender Bay.
Cronulla Rock Pool, Cronulla Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a day in the sun at Cronulla Rock Pool, Cronulla.
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Cronulla Rock Pool, Cronulla Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a day in the sun at Cronulla Rock Pool, Cronulla.
ivy precinct, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The rooftop Pool Club located inside the ivy precinct, Sydney.
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ivy precinct, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The rooftop Pool Club located inside the ivy precinct, Sydney.
Indulge in retail therapy
Get inspired by the creativity of Sydney’s artisans on a summertime stroll among the city’s wonderfully eclectic markets in The Rocks, Chinatown, Glebe, Paddington, Bondi, Rozelle and Bare Island. And whether you’re shopping for the week ahead or grazing from stall to stall, you can have your fill of excellent fresh produce at farmers’ markets in Carriageworks, Marrickville, Sutherland and beyond. Discover your new favourite Australian designer on Paddington’s William Street shopping precinct or in the historic Strand Arcade off Pitt Street Mall in the city centre, opposite the ultra-modern Westfield Sydney shopping mall.
Toast to the sunset
Feel the electricity in the air as the sun sinks down behind the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city lights twinkle to life. Take your place in Sydney’s shimmering skyline on a warm summer evening. Settle in at a harbourside rooftop bar like Slims Rooftop overlooking verdant Hyde Park, The Library Bar atop the State Library of NSW’s historic Mitchell Building, and Untied, a rooftop playground tucked within the buzzy streets of Barangaroo. Head inside to discover a new love for martinis at Bar Planet in inner-west Newtown (from the team that blessed the city centre with margarita bar Cantina OK!), or admire the city lights from a new angle on a ferry ride to Manly, where you can work your way through the natural wine list at Banco Manly, another newcomer to the city’s always-evolving after-dark scene.
Make the ocean your playground
Get a buzz experiencing Sydney’s stellar beaches in a new way this summer. Feel an exhilarating sense of achievement when you stand up on a surfboard for the first time on a surf lesson in Dee Why, Bondi, Cronulla or beyond. Marvel at the dazzling underwater world of Sydney on a thrilling scuba dive or snorkelling excursion in Manly, learn to spearfish on the Northern Beaches, or add a twist of adrenaline to your ‘vitamin sea’ fix with an underwater scooter tour of Gordons Bay.
Get ready for showtime
Embrace the escapism of a night — or day — at the theatre. Sydney has you covered this summer with a memorable line-up of shows including Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella at Sydney Lyric Theatre, Opera Australia’s gripping production of Carmen on Cockatoo Island, which begins with a ferry ride across the glittering water to the world-heritage listed venue. Allow your heart to be warmed by the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical Come From Away at the Theatre Royal Sydney, or channel your inner child at Madagascar The Musical, coming to the Sydney Coliseum Theatre in December.
Gordons Bay, Coogee Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a morning visit to Gordons Bay, Coogee.
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Gordons Bay, Coogee Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a morning visit to Gordons Bay, Coogee.
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella Credit: Tyler Eisenreich, Kaitlyn Mayse and Gage Martin Credit: Carol Rosegg - US Touring Production
One of the most loved fairytale musicals of all time, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, will have its Australian Premiere in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre in November, presented by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation.
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Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella Credit: Tyler Eisenreich, Kaitlyn Mayse and Gage Martin Credit: Carol Rosegg - US Touring Production
One of the most loved fairytale musicals of all time, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, will have its Australian Premiere in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre in November, presented by Opera Australia and the Gordon Frost Organisation.
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The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
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Action-comedy film The Fall Guy explodes onto Australian screens on 24 April, and along with Hollywood superstars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Sydney also plays a starring role. But the city isn’t just a backdrop to many of the action-packed scenes in the film, it also offers real-life action experiences to get your heart pumping. Here’s our guide to high-octane experiences in Sydney.
On-the-water adrenaline
Just like Ryan Gosling blasting around Sydney Harbour in a high-speed boat chase, you too can feel the wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face and your heart in your mouth on an Oz Jet Boating experience. These bright red, shark-faced jetboats fish-tail, spin and slide under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past Dawes Point Park (where we meet Jean Claude the kelpie in the film) and the iconic Sydney Opera House, leaving you breathless and somewhat damp. Turn it down a notch with a two-, three- or five-day course from EastSail, with classes on the calm shores of Rushcutters Bay, or go five-star by hiring your very own superyacht from the fleet at Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters – Ghost II was featured in the film.
Get locked in an escape room
A bolted door, a countdown clock and a series of fiendish puzzles – outsmart the bad guys and challenge your friends in one of Sydney’s best escape rooms. Award-winning The Cipher Room, with locations in Newtown and St Peters, offers immersive, expertly designed rooms. Choose from a film noir-style hotel, a mysterious abandoned toy shop or a dystopian French bunker. Entermission Sydney has virtual-reality rooms, with themes like Alice in Wonderland, a pirate ship or space station. While not strictly an escape room, the one-of-a-kind Hijinx Hotel is a fun escape-like challenge set inside a quirky 15-room hotel.
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
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Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
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Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Find your need for speed
It’s not an action movie without a car chase, and while you can’t speed through the CBD streets like Ryan Gosling and Jean Claude, you can still challenge your friends to race via go kart at Hyper Karting Moore Park. At the 410-metre indoor track, the electric cars offer plenty of exhilarating straights and corners, with a high-speed function to help you overtake your mates. True petrol heads should make a pitstop at Luddenham Raceway in southwest Sydney, where the go karts are fuelled and the 600m outdoor pro circuit offers 12 high-speed corners and even nighttime drives. Want to do the real thing? Trackschool has half-day passenger or driving experiences in a Porsche 911 Carrera also at the raceway.
Have an adventure up high
A high-stakes, sky-high chopper scene is an action flick essential; recreate the experience (minus the stress) on a flight with Sydney HeliTours. The 20- or 30-minute tours take in jaw-dropping views of harbour icons like the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or live out your Hollywood star dreams onboard the luxury Sydney Seaplanes. If free-falling from the sky like Ryan Gosling does jumping from a multi-story building is the heart race you crave, get the thrills without the spills at iFly Downunder: fully accessible, all-ages indoor skydiving that will make you feel like a superhero. Or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a ride on Scenic World’s 270m-high glass-cased Beyond Skyway for that soaring feeling while safely enclosed in a cable car.
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
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Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
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Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
Scale walls and cliffs
Action heroes need to be agile and spider-like; flex your skills scaling rock walls at one of Sydney’s top indoor rock-climbing centres. Climb Fit in St Leonards has beginner and high-tech climbs using augmented reality, while Ledge is a smaller centre in Camperdown perfect for beginners, and BlocHaus in Marrickville focuses solely on bouldering. If you prefer to climb surrounded by waterfalls and forests, make the extra leap to the Blue Mountains, and challenge yourself on an abseil or rock-climb under the expert guidance of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Spots to refuel
After all that adventuring, you’re going to need a spot to refuel and cheers to a big day. Make it a meal with a view at Aster Bar on top of the InterContinental Sydney – with uninterrupted views of the harbour. The rooftop bar featured in the film is the Ivy – which is a local favourite for big nights out. Partake in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s love for spicy margaritas at Centro 86, a new underground tequila bar in the CBD, or taste award-winning cocktails at Dean and Nancy on 22. Finish up with a feast at one of the restaurants located around Jones Bay Wharf (you’ll spot this area in the film as Ryan Gosling hides on his boat from the bad guys) or snack in the late-night dining havens in Chinatown: try Japanese izakaya Nakano Darling, xiao long bao from Nanjing Dumpling or Mamak’s legendary roti.
Rest your head
Even heroes need their beauty sleep. Rest up like an A-lister at the Kimpton Margot, a recently opened CBD hotel with Art Deco touches, and featured in the movie (ask Kevin for the fruit plate). Compact yet comfortable, the Little National Hotel is located in the heart of the city near Wynyard (also a major filming locale for The Fall Guy). And for a boutique hotel suitable for everyone from film stars to stunt crew, stay in the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, with unique in-room features like guitars, record players and locally made custom robes.
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
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Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.
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Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.