DESTINATIONS AUSTRALASIA | SYDNEY
WHAT’S NEW IN NEW SOUTH WALES?
E In 2026, Sydney will open Western Sydney international airport, with capacity for 10 million passengers a year.
E Sydney’s newest hotel, The Eve, opened in Surry Hills in February, featuring a rooftop garden, pool and mezcal bar. In 2026, Waldorf Sydney will join the city’s luxury hotel scene in Circular Quay, with 227 rooms, a celebrity chef’s restaurant and harbour views.
E Sydney’s sprawling fish market will reopen this year, with waterfront shops, restaurants and a three-mile boardwalk.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Let’s Go Surfing lesson at Bondi Beach; Journey Beyond cruise; writer India-Jayne (middle) ascends Sydney Harbour Bridge with the fam trip group PICTRES: Destination NSW/ David Collins, Jeremy Shaw; Journey Beyond; Adam Bruzzone
Sydney Harbour, where ferries, sailing boats and cruise ships navigate under the watchful eye of the Sydney Opera House. Sydney’s waterways also offer a front-row seat to its most famous sights via scenic harbour cruises. Departing from Darling Harbour, Journey Beyond’s
three-hour sailing welcomes us on board with bubbles and a table on the upper level. When the sun begins to dip, we head to the viewing deck as Sydney Harbour Bridge comes into view.
Along with a laid-back lap of the harbour, passing
the Opera House, Botanical Gardens and Luna Park, the tour includes a regional three-course menu with drinks. Plus, those who sail on a Saturday evening can enjoy a free firework show over Darling Harbour at 9pm.
HEAD FOR HEIGHTS It’s bright and early the following day, and I’m standing 134 metres above Sydney Harbour, attached to its eponymous bridge by a sturdy harness. Below, we spot a seal gliding through the water – it looks like a tiny toy, although our guide informs us it’s the New Zealand fur seal Benny, a local pinniped celebrity. During the previous three hours, we had marched up
1,332 steps under the sunshine, stopping for signature photos along the way. Visitors can choose from the Summit Climb, Summit Insider, Ultimate and the Burrawa Climb, the last of which is led by a First Nations guide.
32 13 MARCH 2025 TRIED & TESTED Shangri-La Sydney
Shangri-La Sydney is a five-minute walk from Circular Quay. Its 565 rooms all overlook the city’s signature sights; my Opera House Executive room was elevated further through Horizon Club, which provides late check-out and access to the Club Lounge on levels 30 to 35, where floor-to-ceiling views frame the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The hotel’s high-level restaurants and bars
span Australian fine dining at Altitude to theatrical cocktails at Blu Bar on 36. Guests can also make use of the Health Club and Chi, The Spa, which has a treatment menu featuring traditional Aboriginal ingredients, including wattleseed.
shangri-la.com/sydney
E The revitalised Powerhouse Parramatta will also reopen, becoming New South Wales’ largest museum, with more than 500,000 objects focused on art, culture and science.
Clients can maximise their experience by climbing at sunrise, sunset or during events such as the Vivid Sydney festival of light, when the bridge is vibrantly illuminated. Climbs are open to anyone above the age of eight, who is at least 1.2 metres tall.
PAST TO PRESENT The white sails of Sydney’s Opera House have defined the city’s skyline since 1973, but its history runs far deeper. Before the Opera House was even a concept in the mind of Danish architect Jørn Utzon, its location at Bennelong Point was a gathering spot for the Indigenous Gadigal people. On a one-hour tour, clients learn about the area’s Aboriginal roots as well as the icons ²
travelweekly.co.uk
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