Hotelz Australia - Travel Guides
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Darling Harbour Sydney
By Steve Willard
Darling Harbour in Sydney is a large recreational precinct stretching from Haymarket in the south to the suburb of Pyrmont. It is accessible from the Sydney CBD via the Pyrmont bridge on foot, by monorail from around the city or even by water taxi from Circular Quay. There is also a light rail line running from Chinatown through Darling Harbour and on to the Star City Casino complex.
On the city side of Darling Harbour is Cockle Bay Wharf, an upmarket dining and bar area. This is a popular spot for an evening drink.
Cross the bridge and there is the large Harbourside Shopping Centre which has a few good (but pricey) restaurants and bars and a mass of shops selling clothes, cuddly toys, souvenirs, arts and crafts. If you are planning to shop for souvenirs of your visit to Sydney, be aware that a lot of the cuddly koalas and Sydney mementos on sale are cheap imports and not Australian made goods. A good choice is too look at some of the great paintings (prints) and photographs featuring Sydney - there is a wealth of creative talent on display here and you can pick up some excellent large prints by Australian artists or photographers from around $50 and up.
There are a number of exceptional photo and art gallery stores to be found including a good Aboriginal arts outlet and another selling bar and booze related gear.
Much of the rest of the stuff on sale in this complex is made-in-China tourist junk that you can buy more cheaply elsewhere if you *really* want plastic Sydney Opera House key rings and the like.
Darling Harbour is home to some excellent tourist attractions, including the Chinese Gardens, the Maritime Museum, the Powerhouse Museum and the Sydney Aquarium. The Maritime Museum features a warship and a submarine along side a pier which makes for interesting viewing. You can see plenty just by sitting harbourside and taking in the views, or pay to take a tour on board both vessels.
There is also a large IMAX cinema and the locale is generally crowded with visitors on warm sunny days. Be sure to take a close look at the large multi layered water fountain on the pedestrian side not far from the shopping centre.
Much of the fun in Darling harbour is in simply sitting by the water and watching the comings and goings of the water taxis and tour boats and enjoying a bite to eat. Be sure to take a walk across Pyrmont Bridge and enjoy the sight of the monorail trains running back and forth overhead.
Darling Harbour was a derelict port area until the end of the 1980’s when redevelopment of the area commenced. It was named after Ralph Darling, the Governer-General of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831.
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