Thursday, September 17, 2026

Sydney - To Do Sept26 8D7N (Sept Holidays 3-10Sept2026 New Syd Fish Market, Australian Museum, St Mary Cathedral, Bondi Beach, Sydney Opera House, Ferrys from Circular Quay, Manly, Taronga Zoo, Australian Meat Emporium,Scenic World,Mooney Mooney Oysters, Australian Reptile Park)

Sydney - To Stay
Sydney - To Do
Sydney - To Eat

Sydney - To Do
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8D7N
SIN-SYD
SQ231 00:45-10:25

ABBATip
- Public transport is capped Mon-Thur AUD 19.30/day or AUD50/week
Worth while to travel around via public vs parking in the city which does rack up quite the bill.
Public Transport in Sydney has a weekly cap that resets weekly starting from Monday to Sundays. For our transportation on the Four Days cost us - About A40AUD and C20AUD.

- Get kids Opal cards news stands and selected service NSW centers. (WHSmith and Newlink)

Car Rental 
- (AUD193.78) 2Days with free shuttle to airport. Rental from 7am-8am.
- They provide shuttle to and from the airport which was fantastic. Saved on the return cost.
- Total Tolls wracked up over two days of driving AUD125.73.  
To Blue Mountain from Mascot AUD33.40
To Reptile Park from Mascot AUD92.33
Total Petrol 
Petrol was AUD73
E-Sim
- SGD2.39/e-sim (3Gig for 10Days.)
Sydney 
Day1 03Sep26 Thur

(Check-in and chill. Getting Basic supplies)
AirBnB at Mascot Township!

*There's even an outdoor free-to-use BBQ pit as well as in-door pool. Only the jacuzzi was heated. The pool was more of a cold plunge.*
We stayed at Mascot area which was fantastic! The back door led directly to woolies which was a life saver and the train station a little further down. Lots of eats also to be found in the area. You'll never go hungry here.

*Enjoying the fresh produce that Australia had to offer. Top right, pacific oysters AUD20/dozen and Btm Left, AUD2 for strawberries which was on offer a few days.*

*Meals that were cooked and enjoyed over five nights.*
Prices were at about SGD250/night and way cheaper than those nearer to town. The train ride down to all major attractions was a direct 20-25mins door to door and super convenient. 
Click here for ABBA location of where we stayed. The whole area seemed largely dedicated to rentals. 

Day2 04Sep26 Fri
(Acclimatization day and Town exploration)
The New Sydney Fish Market
(Opened on 19Jan26)
Opens Mon-Thur 7am-10pm
(45min travel Time)
Best time to visit is in the morning to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Sydney fish markets
Click here for the original posting of the Sydney fish market.
The place is reminiscent of visiting the new Toyosu Market over the original Tsukiji of old in Japan. However I must say this place is really a step-up from the older fish market which much needed a revamp.

*Beautiful artwork on the steps at the new Sydney Fish Market*

*A much cleaner and more organized layout versus the old one.
The prices were generally about the same between stalls so feel free to compare!*
*A huge tuna on display. Amazing!*
*Loaded Oysters top left at AUD26.99/dozen. Spanner Crab pictured below right, at AUD45/crab including cooking with noodles.*
The real Sydney Fish Market Experience is dining outdoors.
A game of enjoying good food, whilst keeping an eye out from the constant barrage of gull.

ABBATip if dining outside:
- Indoor seating are reserved for food ordered from that stall only. Am not too sure how strict they are with that but seating is limited.
- Defend your food. Be on high alert. The seagulls when they get into a mob mentality have seen to dive down into your food without regard. We saw at least three individuals who lost their eats to brave seagulls and bin chickens.
- If you have standing selfie sticks, have them extended beside the food to avoid a direct flight path to your eats or build a backpack barrier around your eats. That seemed to help.
*The bounty that was enjoyed whilst constantly looking out for birds which did come close when some abandoned their post.*
The Sydney government did have some initiatives like dogs to patrol popular tourist area to keep birds away but that seemed to fall on the weekends only.

Australian Museum

Open10am-5pm
(Free to enter)
(25mins travel from Sydney Fish Market)

*The Bone Ranger, pictured right, a real 19th-century horse skeleton, Sir Hercules, displayed with a human skeleton rider. He never raced, but became a legendary breeding stallion whose descendants dominated Australian racing.*
*Pic middle is the massive Sperm Whale standing 17.4m long. The whale originally washed ashore at Tom Thumb Lagoon in Nov 1871.*
*Pictured right are ancient fish hooks.*
*The standout was the Dissected T-Rex, a massive 11m long, anatomically correct model.*

*Pictured on the right, the heart of a T-Rex*

*The full episode is available for viewing on youtube (click here).*
Fantastic that they recycled and updated the displays. Great and engaging enough to stay for about 2hours or so. A nice curated variety that's a nice stop over to check out with standout statement pieces worth a second look and learning more about. 
Click here for ABBA location of Australian Museum

 St Mary Cathedral
Just a pop by down the road since you're in the area and near the train station.


*Mother Teresa seen as one of holy women with Mother Mary in the middle.*
St Mary’s Cathedral is built on the site of Australia’s first Catholic chapel, rebuilt after the original was destroyed by fire in 1865, and hiding a spectacular Celtic-inspired mosaic crypt beneath it.

*A hidden masterpiece underneath, the crypt contains an enormous 42m × 21m Celtic-cross mosaic floor.*
Day3 05Sep26 Sat
Bondi Farmers Market - Saturday + Beach Day + KMart @ Bondi
Small section of Bondi Coastal walk

*Pictured at top row is a view of Squid Bay at the back.
Pictured below the famous Bondi Icebergs pool at AUD10/person to enter. Its free to check out from where we were.*

A small section of the more famous walk from Coogee Beach all the way to Bondi. However the views are stunning with variety of great lookout points and natural features.
Bondi Beach
*Sweeping views of Bondi.*

*Great lookout points however the waters were too cold for us to swim in.
Bondi is Synonymous with Sydney. Much like Cottesloe Beach is with Perth.*

Bondi Farmer's Market
(Only on Sat & Sun)
(Located at Bondi Beach Public School)

A small farmer's market. Not as big or varied as other farmers markets but sufficient and does add a little something extra to see if going on  a weekend. Alright but not a must re-arrange just to be there as there are many other weekend markets spread out in Sydney.
Click here for full details.

Day4 06Sep26 Sun
Manly Day Trip out
Sydney Opera House


Construction began in 1959 and took 14 years to complete, finally opening in 1973. Its famous sail-shaped roof is covered with more than a million ceramic tiles from Sweden.

*Amazing views from all angels and displaying a range of color
at different times of the day*

The design was created by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who won an international competition for the project in 1957. 
Click here for original posting of Sydney Opera House first visited 07Aug2013.
Side attraction is Benny the Seal, a long-nosed fur seal that been a regular visitor since around 2014. He's been visiting to long that they have blocked off a corner for him. Click here for location. Unfortunately we didn't get to see him on this trip. For other famous seals, one can't miss out those at Pier 39 in SFO.

Views of Sydney when travelling via ferry from Circular Quay
*Summation of views taken over two days.*
*Pictured top right, views when heading to Taronga zoo.*
You maybe interested in these public transport, come stunning views along the way.
- Sydney: Pyrmont Bay to Circular Quay bring you directly under the Darling Harbor Bridge.
- NYC: East River self guided 'Cruise'.
- HKG: Star Five Ferry


Day trip out to Manly

Manly Markets 2095 (SAT/SUN ONLY)
SUNDAY only markets
8am-2pm

*The weekend Markets really brought life to the streets with loads of artisanal vendors and independent artist, adding to the atmosphere.*

*The markets are spread throughout the street and along their notable street, The Corso.*
The Sydney opera house, along with views and getting to Manly, with the added Weekend only Markets were what made a trip out here worth it! However if looking for a different pace from the city and the feels of the place, a half day trip to Manly would be more than sufficient.
Click here for ABBA location of Manly

Day5 07Sep26 Mon
Taronga Zoo
Opens 0930am
ABBATip:
- Purchasing online saves you about 20% especially for the family bundles.
- We had some trouble with the processing of the bill but they were super nice to apply the discount at the check-in. 
- Take the bus to the main entrance if coming in by the ferry. Additional bus charges apply. You could take a short walk to the lower entrance but you'd be walking uphill exploring the rest of the park as opposed to the former, where taking a bus, you make a natural progression downwards to exit from the back. Works out nicely if you came in via the ferry.

Free Flight Birds (The Show to catch)

This is the show to catch, framed with Sydney in the backdrop. Iconic and scenic all in one.
ABBATip:
- Donate a minimum of AUD5 at the end of the show towards conservation and you get a pin badge collectible (different bird designs you can choose) which were really cool.

Seals for the Wild (Show)
*Less show and more of PSA. A short 15mins or so which advocates the message, Eat MSC-certified food. The blue MSC fish label means the seafood is wild-caught from a fishery that has been independently assessed against sustainability standards, incl uding protecting fish stocks and reducing environmental impact.*
*A zoo with a view.*
*The local wild life that wonders the park.*
Taronga Zoo opened in 1916 and has a fantastic back drop with loads of varied animals to view throughout the park. The walking trails are clearly marked and the main walk path painted right into the footpath. Lots to see and do at this park and for the view, ride across makes it an adventure onto itself. Absolutely stunning.
Click here for ABBA location of Taronga Zoo

(CAR RENTAL DAYS)
Day6 08Sep26 Tue
Australian Meat Emporium
(Opens 7am-8pm)

*Pictured bottom right, a whole suckling pig and sweetbread.*
This was more of an overall experience rather than absolutely amazing deals. Where else do you get to dawn a cold jacket just to shop all kinds of unique cuts and meats. There was beef tallow, wagyu cuts of all variety, artisanal duck sausages and more!

An experience onto itself but may not offer the cheapest prices.
I personally find MEL-QVM offers the best prices for produce. Click here to check out my regular go to.
Blue Mountain Scenic World
Scenic World 
Adult SGD58.19 C 34.90 Total SGD244.37 (Purchased from Klook)

(Three Ride- Scenic Railway, Scenic Cableway and scenic Skyway)
*Scenic world is about 1000m in elevation which is about 6-7degree c cooler than at sea level so remember to bundle up!*

*View from Scenic World's outdoor dining with the Three Sisters seen at the back.*


ABBATip:
- The flow is very simple and our counter staff were very helpful to give the overall rundown. 
- Start with Red (which is often the most popular and exciting ride. The ride brings you down to the scenic walkway where you can choose a small, medium or longer route with accurate timings on the boards. Come back up via the blue cable car and take the last ride on the Skyway across. All rides can be ridden multiple times and all rides brings you back to Scenic World where they depart from every 10mins. 

1. Scenic Railway + Scenic Walkway
Scenic Railway

*You can preselect the angle you prefer. But once the ride goes there's no more adjustment. Just go for the cliffhanger!.*

*The steepest passenger railway in the world!*

You have the option to stay on-board and ride back up backwards if there's no one queuing to take your spot. Else just queue again to ride back up. We rode this a total of x3 times. Excellent fun for all but the first time was the best!

Scenic Walkway
(Options of 10,30 or 50min walk)

The shortest that led to the scenic cableway was a 10min walk. We took the 30mins leisurely walk which brought us through the history of Katoomba coal-mining operations and some new dinosaur additions.

2. Scenic Cableway ->Valley Station
(Brings you back to the main station which leads back to any of the three rides.)


3. Scenic Skyway
 (Gives the best views 270m above the rainforest,
three sisters and Jamison Valley)
Back to top. 

*With a see through base and easy sign boards with pretty accurate walk times.*

*Orphan Rock was once a major tourist attraction in the Blue Mountains. A track to its summit opened in 1934, allowing visitors to climb to the top, but the track was closed around 1958 as access deteriorated and became unsafe.*
*There are plenty of wild Sulphur-crested cockatoos to be seen along the route. They are playful but you aren't supposed to be feeding them as it may train aggressive behavior with other nature hikers who don't offer them food.*
Entry charges aren't that cheap but for the views, a little ride and depending on your party's fitness level the hikes were well worth it. The entire area is accessible without having to take any of the rides as it were, but for that unique view points, ease of getting around, I'd say go for it. We spend a good four hours or so here, inclusive of walking some of the easy trails. 
Click here for ABBA location of Scenic World.

(CAR RENTAL DAYS)
Day7 09Sep26  Wed
Oysters and stretch at Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed at Mooney Mooney
Nice stop over point for a stretch while on the way to the Australian Reptile Park. If you're on the right day you get a chance to enjoy some fresh oysters. Check their opening times! Not Daily.
Click here for ABBA location of Mooney mooney Oysters

Australian Reptile Park
Opens 9am-5pm



*Prices ain't that cheap but as they say, they all go towards animal conservation.
AUD210.98 for 3A and 2C.*
Australian Reptile Park, Sydney: Founded by naturalist Eric Worrell in the late 1950s, the park began as both a wildlife attraction and a canter for collecting snake venom for antivenom. Today, its venom program has contributed to saving more than 25,000 lives.

The main pond where we were fortunate to bear witness to the Alligators bellowing. Amazing!
Snake Milking at the Weigel Venom Centre
Opened in 2024, this state-of-the-art facility is home to more than 200 of Australia's most venomous snakes. Their venom is collected every two weeks and sent to Melbourne to produce lifesaving antivenom. 

*Some snake enclosures and milking of the snakes.*

*Demonstration of what to do if you get bit. There was a funny story where they now have to legally say to band where you were bitten as most of their demonstrations were demonstrated on the hand. There was a hiker who was bit on the leg but bandaged his arm instead. He later wanted to file a complaint against the zoo for not teaching correctly.*

The park remains Australia's sole supplier of raw venom from terrestrial Australian snakes for antivenom production.
Reptile Shows
(Each show is varied in their animals)

*A nice selection with some animal interactions. More tailored to educating locals with wildlife that they might encounter and about the invasive species introduced to Australia.*
*Pictured bottom left, the croc, with the stick on his nose, thinks he's in the water where no one can view him. He lays and waits for an unsuspecting bird
whose collecting sticks to strike.*
*Different reptiles from a different show which is great! Keeping things carried and refreshing.*

The entire zoo is more family friendly and focused. There's lots of open picnic spaces with loads of large over the top displays which are great for photos, exploration. 
*At the keeper talks you get your classic Australian interactions.*
*The beautiful Bush Stone-curlew known for their unique calls.*

Amazing displays with creature features and some 'scare zones'
Australia Reptile Park is not your usual zoo. Its feels more local and more intimate in experience than the many big zoos out there.

*Yup, that thing moves!*
What's really fantastic are the family friendly vibes, no lack in the number of animals encounter, and the unique selling points are the massive, immersive displays. Theme park level production value, educational, family friendly and doing amazing work with their anti-venom program. Highly recommended for an off the beaten track attraction.
Click here for ABBA location of Australia Reptile Park

Day8 10Sep26 Thur
SYD-SINSQ232 11:00-17:30
Home
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Seven Sensational Sydney
Day1
Check-in chill and admin
Getting a feel of our space.

Day2
Sydney Fish Market
Australia Museum

Day3

Bondi Farmers Market - Saturday + Coastal walk
K Mart Shopping Day

Day4
Sydney Opera House
Manly Day Trip out
SUNDAY only markets
(Boat ride, views and markets)

Day5
Taronga Zoo

Day6

Blue Mountain - Scenic World


Day7
Australian Reptile Park

Day8
Home