4 Days in Sydney- Day 4: Saturday

Itinerary:

Morning: Breakfast at Bondi Beach

Afternoon: Lunch in Manly

Evening: Dinner in Cronulla

So it’s the last full day in Sydney, we’ll miss you guys! So you’ll have to jam everything in and make the most of your last hours in Sydney! Obviously, if  you’re in Sydney for a wedding, you’ll have to do what you need to do today; however if you’re free as a bird, thus far there has been gaping holes in your visit to Sydney, that being the lack of time at Sydney’s famous gold sanded beaches and time on the Harbour! But today we’ll change all that!

9.00am Breakfast at Bondi Beach

Sydney CBD to Bondi Beach: 33 minutes by bus

It’s going to be a long day today (it’s 8.10am now), but not a particularly active one; so there will be many opportunities to just sit back and relax. First things first you’ve got a Bondi bound bus to catch, the 380 bus departs from Elizabeth Street near Hyde Park (a short 5-7 minute walk). **Note: There’s a packing list for today, in a bag bring with you a towel, hat (if you have one), and sunscreen.

Once the bus drops you off at Bondi beach, you’re there! The world famous Bondi beach is   just across the road! Along this main strip of Bondi (Campbell Parade) locate a café for breakfast.

Trio

56 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach

And if you still trust my restaurant/café recommendations, dine at Trio- which overlooks the beach. Elect alfresco, and as you breathe in the salty air, have a breakfast inspired by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines!

After you’ve eaten your fill and feeling the caffeine coursing through your veins, get on down to the beach- roll up your pants, slip off your shoes and socks, and let your tootsies sink into the soft sand of Bondi beach. For those who have come prepared, slip off your outer-wear (assuming your bathers are underneath) and take a dip in the Pacific Ocean! Bondi is a relatively small beach, but at this early hour hopefully the crowds haven’t descended upon the sand yet, so take this opportunity to enjoy a frolic in the surf and see what all the hype is all about!

For those who aren’t likely to de-frock and run laughing into the surf, you can try a uniquely Bondi special, the Deep fried Mars Bar at Bondi Surf Seafood (128 Campbell Parade). If you haven’t heard of the Deep Fried Mars Bar before, picture a regular full-sized Mars bar dipped in coconut batter, then lightly cooked, before being dropped into a deep fryer! When asked what does it taste like, well……. “Tastes like a fried Mars bar.” *Shrug*. So you can have one each…. Or best is to share one between two. And as enticing as the fresh seafood looks at Bondi Surf Seafood, be patient as you’ll be grabbing something similar at your next destination- Manly Beach!

1pm Manly Beach

When you’ve gotten enough of the sun, surf and sand of Bondi (it’ll be around 11.45am now), catch the 333 bus from Bondi Beach Campbell Parade to Circular Quay where you have a Ferry to hop onto! This leg of the trip will take approx. 38 minutes, when the bus drops you off at Circular Quay look for Wharf 3.

Circular Quay to Manly: 30 min by Ferry (Route F1)

You can use your Opal cards on the ferry as well, so it is pretty hassle free to transition from land to sea. As you board the ferry (there are ferries coming in once every 15 minutes) elect to sit outside and make your way to the back of the boat. Back of the boat everyone! As the ferry peels away from the wharf, get your cameras out as you’ll get a perfect photo opp of the Opera house as the ferry leaves Circular Quay. And coming up, there will also be a real nice photo opp of the Harbour Bridge! You’ve been to the top, now here is a view of the bridge from sea level. I personally love the fact that everyone can enjoy Sydney Harbour without paying big bucks to a charter boat tour company, and the harbour ride isn’t just a pointless circle, but actually getting you from point A to point B! To reach Manly, the ferry will be entering open waters but the swells are pretty small on most days so don’t worry about sea sickness. *Slaps hand over mouth*. And after a half hour at sea (there are restrooms on board if you’re curious to know), the ferry’s engines will start to power down and then reverse as it pulls into Manly wharf.

Manly is a northern beach-side suburb which has seen a recent spike of new restaurants opening up along the main commercial strip (the Corso), so you  shouldn’t have any problems trying to find a good place for lunch.

Where the ferry pulls in is the Harbour side of Manly, where you want to be is the beach end of Manly; you can get to the beach by walking along the pedestrianised foot mall, lined with restaurants and retail stores on both sides and after a number of blocks you’ll reach the beach/ocean end of Manly. But before checking out the sand and sea, grab some lunch.

Fishmongers Manly

Shop 4 Rialto Square, 11-15 Wentworth Street, Manly

Set a block back from the beach in a café, is a well-known Fish & Chip shop- Fishmonger Manly. After purchasing your F&Cs, go and take them to the beach to enjoy! **Note: At this point it is advisable to re-apply your sunscreen.

Manly is known for having a long beach, unlike Bondi, so you can keep walking in either direction until you find a nice spot to set-out your towels, kick off your shoes and sink your toes back into some sand as you enjoy your fresh seafood and chippies.

And after you’ve had your fill, you can have a nice post meal snooze, just lower your hat, close your eyes and lie down, enjoying the rhythmic sounds of the waves crashing on the sand.

And after a relaxing hour, if you need to kick-start your alertness again, you can grab your second coffee of the day from Havana Beach.

Havana Beach

14 South Steyne, Manly

And sitting at their outdoor alfresco seating, you can people watch while getting your afternoon caffeine fix, before collecting yourselves and head on back to the city on the ferry (It’ll be around 4pm now).

6pm Cronulla Beach

And as the Ferry pulls in to Manly, hopefully you had a chance to close your eyes and allow the gentle rocking of the ferry lull you to sleep? So you’re re-charged for the final leg of the day! After disembarking from the ferry, make your way to Circular Quay train station.

Circular Quay to Cronulla: 1 hour 12 mins by Train

First catch the train which will take you to Martin Place station where you’ll get off and change to the T4 Eastern Suburbs Illawarra line. And on your third mode of public transport of the day, head southerly to the Sutherland shire, a chance for you to see another aspect of Sydney. You’ll notice that the speed of life will slow down even further as you get further south of the CBD, and when the train pulls in to Cronulla at the end of the line, disembark and walk over to the commercial precinct of Cronulla for a few sneaky cocktails before dinner. **Comment: Cronulla is a beach side suburb 30Km south of the CBD, the only beach side suburb accessible by train.

Low and Lofty’s

51A Cronulla Street, Cronulla   

And with cocktails in hand, enjoy the up-tempo vibe of L&L’s, as you enjoy your last hours in Sydney overlooking your third beach vista for the day. *Sigh*. When you feel adequately relaxed, you can kick on and grab some food here or elsewhere, it’s up to you! But if you’d like to move on, I’ve got a great place in mind.

Zimzala

The Esplanade, Cronulla

To this point you still haven’t properly tried a restaurant serving Modern Australian (although they have been options along the way, which you may not have taken-up), Modern Australian cuisine is a ‘Western’ knife and fork meal, but what will be served up has been influenced by all the cultures who now call Australia home. Picture Asian influences, French techniques, Mediterranean/Middle eastern sauces, Latin spices etc. etc. and there you’ll have Modern Australian! And pair that with a nice local wine, while watching the sky darken over the ocean….. It can’t really get much better than this?!

And when you’re all beached-out for a day, head back to the train station. **Note: Trains continue to depart from Cronulla to Town Hall station until midnight. But I’m sure you guys are getting tired, look at you rubbing your eyes. Haaha. And tomorrow you’ve got a long trip ahead of you, be that a flight back home, or to another stop along the way on your epic Southern hemisphere holiday! But either way, I hope you’ve enjoyed your time in our fair city of Sydney, it’s been a pleasure showing you and sharing with you all of my favourite spots in our hometown.

Just remember to set your phone alarm, and getting to the airport can be done via the airport Train-link, or you can schedule an Uber to pick you up. Have a safe trip, and hit us up below on the comments section below when you’ve arrived home safely. As I’d like to know that you’ve gotten home OK, and enjoyed your time in Sydney! *Waves*.

NB: If you’re staying more than 4 days in Sydney, or if you prefer to spend less time exploring the CBD and more time exploring the great Aussie outdoors, you might like to visit Katoomba/The Blue Mountains in the west (around 2 hours from the city by train), do a coastal walk (e.g. Bondi to Bronte), or take another scenic ferry ride to spend a day at the famous Taronga Zoo.