Taronga Zoo, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Stunning harbour views as viewed from Taronga Zoo in Mosman.
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On February 27, 1977, there was something in the air that night when iconic music sensations ABBA landed at Sydney airport greeted by 2,000 screaming fans. Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid had journeyed down under for a tour and Bandstand special, The Best Of ABBA. The popstars have actually visited the Harbour City twice — in 1976 they came to release their single Fernando.
So, to celebrate the launch of ABBA’s new album Voyage, why not start planning a trip to Sydney and follow ABBA’s footsteps exploring the city.
Stay where ABBA stayed
The Swedish band rejuvenated and held a press conference at the magnificent modernist Sydney Hilton, which opened in 1975 — the second five-star hotel to open in Australia.
Then: The Hilton had a façade that resembled a concrete box and an interior dominated by beige and brown. Guests could sit in the underground speakeasy, Marble Bar, and sip Agnetha’s favourite tipple, whisky, or stock up on local fashion at nearby House of Merivale.
Now: Known now as the Hilton Hotel Sydney, the luxe property soars above Pitt Street, all glass and light. Perch at the opulent Glass Brasserie for Luke Mangan’s fine fare, slip into Marble Bar (yes, it’s still trending) for live music and cocktails, then rest your dancing feet in your Corner Suite with skyline views, plush linen and modernist pops of colour.
Play where ABBA played
ABBA played a sold-out concert at the former Sydney Showground at Moore Park to 20,000 frenzied fans. “The Australian tour was the most incredible of all the things I experienced with ABBA. There was fever, there was hysteria, there were ovations,” said Agnetha Fältskog in her book As I Am.
Then: The Sydney Showground was home to an international speedway – Saturday nights were spent watching sprint cars race around the egg-shaped track. The Royal Easter Show was also a big event here before it moved to Homebush in 1998.
Now: The Entertainment Quarter at Moore Park is a now a playground for young and old, with a farmers market, cinema and adrenaline adventures. Stock up on organic goodies at the Cambridge Market, dine on pizza and pasta at Fratelli Fresh or go Hyper Karting on level five of the carpark.
Cruise the Hawkesbury on a piece of pop history
In 1976, ABBA explored the tranquil inlets of Cowan Creek in the Hawkesbury River region on the MV Kangaroo – a classic 36-foot Halvorsen boat, which you can still hire today.
Then: ABBA lounged on day beds on the rear deck, stopped for a beach picnic and jumped in a rowboat to explore the pristine surrounds of the Hawkesbury. You can watch their MV Kangaroo antics in their music video, Tropical Loveland.
Now: MV Kangaroo is like stepping back in time with an intricately crafted wooden interior, galley kitchen and nautical stripes. Have a steer of the original galver, soak up the sunshine on the rear deck and cook fresh-caught fish on the barbecue.
Houseboat, Hawkesbury River Credit: Destination NSW
Houseboat on the Hawkesbury River near Wisemans Ferry at sunset.
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Houseboat, Hawkesbury River Credit: Destination NSW
Houseboat on the Hawkesbury River near Wisemans Ferry at sunset.
Taronga Zoo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Curious giraffes peering over their enclosure at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
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Taronga Zoo, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Curious giraffes peering over their enclosure at Taronga Zoo, Sydney.
Cruise Sydney Harbour to Taronga Zoo
On their first visit in 1976, ABBA cruised the glittering harbour pausing at Taronga Zoo where Frida and Agnetha cuddled a four-month-old red kangaroo.
Then: By the late sixties, Taronga Zoological Park Trust had built the large exhibits we know today for big cats and apes and removed the monkey circus and elephant rides to make way for Platypus House and the walk-through Rainforest Aviary.
Now: Catch a ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo and spend the day marvelling at giraffes, Sumatran tigers and elephants, all with a stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Then stay overnight in a luxurious eco resort right inside the zoo at Wildlife Retreat.
Visit a Koala Sanctuary
Like most international tourists, ABBA were keen to see koalas up close, so they visited the Koala Sanctuary at Bobbin Head in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
Then: Nestled in beautiful bushland dotted with waratahs, the sanctuary was established in the 1950s and there were enclosures for about 20 koalas.
Now: While ABBA’s koala corner closed long ago, visit Koala Park Sanctuary in West Pennant Hills and see kangaroos, dingoes, wombats and emus. There’s also a farmyard petting zoo and acres of rainforest and bushland.
Stay in ABBA’s secret sanctuary
According to those in the know, ABBA stayed with Reg Grundy, the late entertainment industry mogul, in his waterfront home in the leafy enclave of Narrabeen.
Then: The singing superstars bunkered down here for some relief from the fan hysteria that followed them everywhere on the 1970s tour.
Now: Escape to ABBA’s beachside bolthole Narrabeen and spend the day surfing, sunning and sipping by the sea. Grab breakfast from Oceans, margaritas from Mexicano, pizza from Moonlight Social House, and Mid-Century treasures from Eclectic Find.
To follow in ABBA’s footsteps and plan a trip to Sydney, go to www.sydney.com.
Share your favourite holidays in Sydney and NSW on social media using @sydney #ilovesydney @visitnsw #lovensw.
Please stay up to date on the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19 and travel within NSW, here.
North Narrabeen Beach, North Narrabeen Credit: Destination NSW
Surfer's arriving early to catch a wave at North Narrabeen Beach, North Narrabeen.
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North Narrabeen Beach, North Narrabeen Credit: Destination NSW
Surfer's arriving early to catch a wave at North Narrabeen Beach, North Narrabeen.
More Inspirational Stories
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.
#feelnewsydney
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.
#feelnewsydney
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.