Sydney, Australia

We were there in March and stayed in hotel on Bondi Beach. First we considered staying in Downtown then we were glad we stayed at the beach. Cheaper and more pleasant. There are very good transportation options to the Downtown. Unfortunately I don't remember the name of the hotel but there are several hotels there.

Pam. What is your nightly budget for accommodation?

As to things to do.

• Catch the ferry to Manly from the city (Circular Quay) and have fish and chips.

• If you are active types do the Harbour Bridge climb.

• See a performance at the Sydney Opera House if there is something appealing on while you are there.

• As an alternative to Manly, catch the ferry to Taronga Zoo and enjoy the magnificent views from the zoo as well as enjoying the Australian and other animals.

• Take a walk in the Botanical Gardens, also situated on the Harbour just past the opera house.

• Maybe do a day trip to the Blue Mountains.

• Visit Hyde Park Barracks in the city if you want to learn about the convict history of New South Wales.

• Do the Coogee to Bondi Beach coast walk.

• If you are sporty types and a game is on, attend a rugby league match (NRL) or Australian Rules (AFL) game.

Staying in the Rocks will be much more central to Circular Quay and the ferries. It's also right next to the cruise ship terminal where you'll be boarding for your cruise.
Buy a day pass and use the ferries as a hop-on, hop-off service to explore the suburbs located around the world's most beautiful harbor. Manly and Bondi are nice day trips, as is the pretty little village of Balmain.
For a first time visitor the HoHo buses are a good way to get an overview of the city. Can then revisit those areas that particularly appeal to you.

Thanks for the great information regarding things to do and recommendations on where to stay . Will use your suggestions when planning our stay in Sydney.

We stayed at the Radisson off George Street. Reasonable price in a suite with living room and kitchen. Book with breakfast buffet which was convenient and very nice. (Eating out in Sydney can be very expensive. Met a Canadian couple on our cruise who paid $20 each for average ham and eggs.) You can catch the free bus that goes up and down George Street or about 20-30 min walk up to the Quay and the Rocks. We took a taxi to catch our cruise. Wasn't too expensive.
Suggestion for your celebratory dinner: Mr. Wong. Best Cantonese roast duck ever. Not your traditional Cantonese cuisine, but more innovative. Very flavorful dishes. Go early. It gets busy.

We loved Hotel Stamford--almost walking distance to the cruise terminal depending on your luggage. The Sydney Zoo is definitely worth a visit and you can take a ferry to get there. You will have a wonderful trip--we also cruised NZ and it was a great way to see some wonderful sights in a short time --two weeks for us and wish it had been longer.

I would definitely suggest The Rocks area for accommodation. Far more central to many of the things to do. Having lived in Sydney for the first 30odd years of my life I didn't stay in hotels so probably not much help on recommendations there but there is everything from hostels through to 5 star Park Hyatt, so plenty to choose from
Harbour bridge climb
Walk around through the quay past the opera house and the gardens.
Ferry to Watsons bay for lunch (great views of the harbour)
ferry to Manly beach for fish and chips
picnic on observatory hill
rocks markets and lunch in a little rocks pub(glenmore has good food but the chef is a bit of a fan of chilli - seems to be in everything, Phillips foot, nice liitle pubs - fortune of war, glenmore, the Australian)
proximity to public transport if you want to go elsewhere (but with only 3 days you certainly wont need to)

Great city for a visitor, lots of fun, but not cheap. Plan to spend more than you would expect.