Sydney - Australia 2004 - page 157

Ferries ( & 02/9523 2990 ) to Bundeena; ferries run on the half-hour (except
12:30pm) and stop at around 7pm. After you get off the ferry, the first turn on
your left just up the hill will take you to Bundeena Beach. It's another 5km (3
miles) or so to the wonderfully remote Little Marley Beach, via Marley Beach
(which has dangerous surf ). The ferry returns to Cronulla from Bundeena
hourly on the hour (except 1pm). The fare is A$3 (US$1.95) each way.
An alternative way to reach the park is to take the train from Central Station
to Otford, then climb the hill up to the sea cliffs. If you're driving, you might
want to follow the scenic cliff-edge road down into Wollongong. The entrance
to the national park is a little tricky to find, so you might have to ask direc-
tions—but roughly it's just to the left of a cliff top popular for hang gliding,
radio-controlled airplanes, and kites. A 2-hour walk from the sea cliffs through
beautiful and varying bushland and a palm forest will take you to Burning
Palms Beach. There is no water along the route. The walk back up is steep, so
only attempt this trek if you're reasonably fit. Trains to the area are irregular, and
the last one departs around 4pm, so give yourself at least 2 1 ⁄ 2 hours for the return
trip to the train station to make sure you don't get stranded. It's possible to walk
the memorable 26km (16 miles) from Otford to Bundeena, or vice versa, in 2
days. (Take all your food, water, and camping gear.) The track sticks to the coast,
crosses several beaches, and is relatively easy to follow.
ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS
There are plenty of places kids can have fun in Sydney, but my choices below are
particularly suitable for youngsters. (All of the places are reviewed in full above.)
Taronga Zoo (p. 152) is an all-time favorite with kids, where the barnyard
animals, surprisingly, get as much attention as the koalas. If your kids want
hands-on contact with the animals, though, you'd better head to Featherdale
Wildlife Park (p. 152), where they can get their photo taken next to a koala,
and hand feed and stroke kangaroos and wallabies. You can't stroke koalas in
New South Wales. Even more interactive are the exhibits just crying out to be
touched and bashed at the Powerhouse Museum (p. 149).
The sharks at Oceanworld (p. 152) in Manly and at the Sydney Aquarium
(p. 150) in Darling Harbour are big lures for kids, too, and the thrill of walking
through a long Plexiglas tunnel as giant manta rays perch over their heads will
lead to more squeals of excitement.
Another outing for both adults and children is to crawl around inside boats
and submarines at the Australian National Maritime Museum (p. 149).
And, of course, what kid wouldn't enjoy a day at the beach, and Sydney's got
plenty to choose from, like Bondi or Manly.

A Stroll on The Rocks
Sydney is relatively compact, so it's a wonderful city for exploring on foot.
I particularly recommend a wander through The Rocks, site of the oldest
settlement in Australia, a rough-and-tumble place where prostitutes,
gang members, and other shady characters loitered more than a century
ago. The Rocks Walking Tour ( & 02/9247 6678 ) has an organized stroll
(see “Walking Tours,” below). For my own take on the neighborhood,
consult the self-guided walk that appears in Frommer's Portable Sydney
(Wiley Publishing, Inc.).

Tips