Feel the warmth of sunshine on your face as you browse market stalls across Sydney this spring and summer. Grab a coffee and a freshly baked pastry and join locals in the know to seek out thoughtful one-of-a-kind gifts, unique souvenirs and your next favourite outfit in the city’s network of multicultural markets.
Soak up Sydney’s Christmas spirit
Where: Martin Place Christmas Markets, Martin Place & NOËL Sydney, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney
Marvel at the majestic festive tree lighting up Martin Place in the heart of Sydney before browsing for Christmas wreaths, puddings and gingerbread and gifts from jewellery to candles at market stalls lining the pedestrian plaza. Then keep the yuletide vibe flowing on the short stroll from Martin Place to NOËL Sydney at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Browse stalls offering hand-crafted and artisanal objects and marvel at light installations and nightly entertainment, including a Christmas dancing drone show.
Find the perfect gift in Sydney’s historic quarter
Where: The Rocks Markets, George Street and Playfair Street, The Rocks
Take in the dramatic streetscape of sandstone colonial buildings dwarfed by the steel arches of Sydney Harbour Bridge in The Rocks, Sydney’s oldest settlement, before diving into the dizzying array of market stalls that set up each weekend. Seek out hand-crafted homewares and collectibles, local fashion and jewellery and artworks before snacking on delicious multicultural street food from Filipino barbecue to slow-cooked pork belly.
Savour farm-fresh food in the city centre
Where: Quay Quarter Lanes Markets, Customs House, Circular Quay
Taste an incredible variety of fresh produce from providores, farmers and bakers from across Sydney and New South Wales just steps away from the ferry wharves at Circular Quay. Sample organic farm produce and pick up Mediterranean-inspired treats for a harbourside picnic, such as cured meats and olives, to go with sourdough bread from renowned inner-city bakery Brickfields. Or simply indulge in small-batch European-style doughnuts from Berliner bakery and pastries and coffee from acclaimed city restaurant Grana.
Christmas Lights, Martin Place Credit: Destination NSW
The Martin Place Christmas tree illuminated by lights.
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Christmas Lights, Martin Place Credit: Destination NSW
The Martin Place Christmas tree illuminated by lights.
Streetscapes, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Crowds enjoying a visit to The Rocks Friday Foodie Market along Playfair Street, The Rocks.
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Streetscapes, The Rocks Credit: Destination NSW
Crowds enjoying a visit to The Rocks Friday Foodie Market along Playfair Street, The Rocks.
Immerse in the vintage vibe across Sydney
Where: Glebe Markets, Glebe Point Road, Glebe; Kirribilli Markets, Alfred Street South, Milsons Point & Surry Hills Vintage Market, Shannon Reserve, Crown Street, Surry Hills
Experience the thrill of finding the perfect thrifted outfit at Glebe Markets, in the grounds of a public school on the main street of chic inner-city suburb Glebe. Take in sweeping harbour views as you browse for new and second-hand fashion, antiques and collectibles at the Saturday edition of Kirribilli Markets, in the park between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Luna Park near North Sydney. Or join the bohemian locals seeking out vintage looks at the Surry Hills Vintage Market in Surry Hills, on the fringe of the city centre.
Embrace fashionable markets in the east
Where: Paddington Markets, Paddington Uniting Church, Oxford Street, Paddington & Bondi Markets, Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
Make sure you take note of the friendly faces manning the stalls at these two eastern suburbs markets, as you might be buying from a future star — some of the biggest names on the Australian fashion scene began by selling their designs here. Wander around the 150-plus stalls at Paddington Markets, in the heart of trendy Paddington, to find edgy clothes, crafts and jewellery (iconic homewares brand Dinosaur Designs started out here, as did the sisters behind the global hit label Zimmermann). And breathe in the salt air carried across the road from iconic Bondi Beach as you check out emerging fashion designers at Bondi Markets, where world-conquering Sass & Bide was launched.
Delight in amazing produce from around the state
Where: Carriageworks Farmers Market, Eveleigh; Marrickville Organic Food & Farmers Market & Sydney Fish Market
Crunch into fresh seasonal produce from across the state while chatting to the farmer who grew it at the Carriageworks Farmers Market, in the inner-city suburb of Eveleigh, between Newtown and Redfern. Let yourself be carried away by the buzz of the coffee-fuelled crowd at this former railway workshop as you sample organic and biodynamic produce, boutique wines, native Australian ingredients and more. Soak up the distinctive atmosphere of a vibrant community centre housed in a former army barracks as you pick up certified-organic fruit and grab a tasty lunch box at multicultural Marrickville’s weekly farmers’ market. Or head to Pyrmont, on the fringe of the city centre, to visit Sydney Fish Market, the southern hemisphere’s largest seafood retail hub. Immerse in the clamour of the busy working market as you pick up freshly caught and cooked prawns for a picnic, or choose from the day’s catch to be grilled to order and relished on the spot.
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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.