Hemispheres Magazine

DAY THREE / Order up a room service breakfast and brace yourself for an exhilarating morning. Your ride on Sydney’s wild side starts with a guided Harley-Davidson tour to Bronte Beach with Blue Thunder DownUnder, which you organised through the concierge. Don’t be nervous: Ninety percent of the people who climb aboard have never travelled by motorbike, and all riders are fully accredited with the relevant transport authority.

Breeze through suburbs including edgy Kings Cross and pricey Double Bay (dubbed “Double Pay” by locals due to the price tags in its upmarket boutiques) before stopping at Watsons Bay to stretch your legs. Climb the steps up to The Gap nearby for the sweeping ocean views back to the city. Then continue your winding journey to Bronte Beach, beloved for its bodysurfing waves and beachfront cafés, where you’ll bid farewell to your ride.

Keep your eyes peeled for Aboriginal rock carvings as you follow the cliff-top walk round to Bondi Beach. The popularity of this beach, even during the chill of winter, makes it hard to imagine that “sea bathing” here remained illegal until 1902.

Reward the morning’s exertion with a leisurely lunch at Icebergs Dining Room and Bar. Regulars recommend the “cartoccio”: stingray, silverbeet, white asparagus, and shiitake mushrooms steamed with broth in a paper bag. Afterward, return to the hotel for some relaxation. Head for the indoor swimming pool or spa, lounge on the sun deck, or stroll to nearby Spa Chakra, a holistic retreat that’s one of Australia’s best, for a massage, body polish and wrap, or hydrotherapy session.

Now that you’re rebalanced and reinvigorated, turn your thoughts to the evening ahead, which will be spent exploring Sydney’s underbelly through Destiny Tours. From the back seat of a converted Cadillac hearse, visit some of the sites most revealing of this city’s rough and raw history, such as the string of elegant but supposedly haunted buildings stretching down Macquarie Street and the former Darlinghurst Jail, where hangings took place. The tour also includes a visit to one of Sydney’s more famous bondage parlours, The Kastle, so if you’re of a sensitive disposition, you may wish to remain outside.

Have you worked up an appetite? Stop by Harry’s Café de Wheels, an old-fashioned pie cart so integral to the late-night Sydney scene that it has National Trust status. Some of the famous faces who have shared the ketchup bottles here include Frank Sinatra, Elton John, and Olivia Newton-John. Join the locals and the seagulls perched on the wharf and sample one of Harry’s specialties, a beef pie cooked with mushy peas.

Now that your three perfect days in Sydney are almost at an end, enjoy a drink at the Water Bar at your hotel before turning in for the night. This award-winning drinking hole is renowned for its innovative cocktail list, and, if you’re still feeling peckish, an upmarket bar-food menu featuring tapas-style dishes like Sydney rock oysters, dusted calamari, and carpaccio of salmon is also available. Settle into one of the low-slung lounges, raise your glass, and toast the harbour city’s beauty and complexity. Denise Cullen, a longtime HEMISPHERES writer based Down Under, also contributes to The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Australian.

Sydney Weather

The picturesque harbour city of Sydney, influenced by ocean breezes from the Pacific, has a moderate climate with warm summers and cool winters. Though July is the heart of the winter season, the average high temperature still reaches a mild 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the sun goes down, a heavier jacket is needed, as lows dip into the middle 40s. Rainfall can be expected about one day in three, averaging just under 4 inches for the month. The rest of the year features moderate temperatures with a small variation in rainfall. The first half of the year receives a bit more rain due to a persistent easterly wind off the ocean. Look for high temperatures in the low to mid-70s in the spring and fall. Summertime has an average high near 80. Heat waves are occasional and short-lived. High temperatures above 85 degrees occur about 15 days annually.

The Weather Channel

Weather information is provided by The Weather Channel. For more Sydney climatological details, visit weather.com.

Getting Around

A combination of ambiguous signage and locals in a hurry can make navigating this city by hire car a stressful experience. Why put yourself through it when public transport options are reliable, plentiful, pleasurable, and cheap? Many parts of Sydney, especially The Rocks, are best explored on foot, while buses, ferries, and trains offer other easy ways to get around.

Sydney for Kids

Sydney Aquarium (Aquarium Pier, Darling Harbour; Tel: 61-2-8251-7800 or sydneyaquarium.com.au) Susannah Place Museum (58-64 Gloucester Street, The Rocks; Tel: 61-2-9241-1893 or www.hht.nsw.gov.au) Australian Museum (6 College Street; Tel: 61-2-9320-6000 or amonline.net.au) Sydney Tower and Skytour (Podium Level, Centrepoint Westfield, 100 Market Street; Tel: 61-2-9223-0933)

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