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This post follows on from my previous post about a weekend getaway in Sydney.

On day two my wife wanted to go shopping while my daughter wanted a trip on a the harbour. After checking out of our hotel we split up

My wife first went to Paddy’s Market at the end of Chinatown. Here there is a huge market with a wide variety of products including toys, shoes, clothes, make-up and jewellery. Also in the same building there is a fruit and vegetable market and fish market. Above the markets there are several levels of traditional retail outlets including a food court when you start feeling hungry.

Meanwhile my daughter and I headed towards the nearest monorail station. I bought an all day pass for $9. My daughter got on for free as she is under 6. The monorail trains come about every 3-5 minutes so we did not wait long. We now jumped on and did a complete circuit of the track to have a look around. After that we got off at the Haymarket stop and walked to 10 minutes over to Central train station with the aim of getting to Circular Quay as quickly as possible.

From Central we took a train to Wynyard Station. At this station we changed trains and took another one to Circular Quay. Now that we were at the right place to catch a ferry on the harbour I just had to decide which one. As we had an hour to spare I decided to go to Darling Harbour. After a 25 minute wait (the ferry was 15 minutes behind schedule) we boarded the ferry. As it was a nice day in Sydney we sat at the back of the ferry on the outside deck. The ferry pulled out of Circular Quay and headed north and went under the harbour bridge. The views were awesome. The ferry actually docked at Milsons Point for a few minutes. This was right next to Luna Park. It then went back across the harbour to Darling Harbour.

My wife was now heading up George Street where there are shops everywhere. She was having a great time spending money as she went along. Finally she ended up at Myer, one of her favourite Sydney shopping locations. On the way back from Myer she went underground. There are several underground shopping area’s in the city. One starts below Myer and winds its way back to Town Hall.

After getting off the ferry at Darling Harbour my daughter and I walked past the Sydney Aquarium and headed over to the main shopping area. We will visit the aquarium on our next Sydney visit. In the Darling Harbour area there are heaps of shops and food outlets along with restaurants. All of this comes with great views of the Sydney skyline. In the Darling Harbour area you will also find the Chinese garden, Power House museum, Imax theatre and the Sydney Convention Centre.

There is so much to do and see in Sydney. When are you visiting?

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My family and I have just returned from a weekend in Sydney, Australia. This is one city that I always miss after ending a visit. The main reason I love Sydney is the harbour. It is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. I also love the beaches. Bondi and Manly are world class.

On the weekend we spent two nights in Sydney staying at the Capital Square Hotel located next door to the Capital Theatre. Unlike our last visit which was the worst ever stay in a hotel, we enjoyed our stay. The price was $107 per night which I found through a search on the hotels combined website. This price was a lot lower than other Sydney hotels I have stayed at in the past which were around the same price range previously. The hotel room was well maintained and comfortable. It was also roomy.

As we were located close to Chinatown we used that as our base to venture out for our night time meals. One night we tried an authentic Chinese Xinjiang restaurant, on Saturday a Korean BBQ restaurant located at 35-37 Goulburn St. Sydney. Both meals were very enjoyable. When returning to the hotel we passed a very popular Japanese restaurant on the corner of Pitt and Campbell Streets. We have been there in the past and enjoyed the food. This time around there was a huge crowd just waiting to get in.

On Saturday we decided to have a family outing at Luna Park. This entertainment park has been a Sydney landmark for over 70 years. Just the view makes it a worthwhile visit as it is located on the north side of the harbour adjacent to the Harbour Bridge. Admission to the park is free however you need to pay for the rides. We purchased the day pass which was $42 for adults and $32 for our child. There is a good variety of rides and most of them were suitable for our 5 year old. She could not go on one ride because of a height restriction, while another one she decided as too scary. I really enjoyed going around on the Ferris Wheel while enjoying the million dollar harbour views.

Getting to Luna Park was easy. We caught a train from Central Station over to Milson’s Point station. After getting off the train we headed down the hill and into Luna Park. It was a five to ten minute walk from the station. The cost for return tickets for 2 adults and one child was approx $9. In the park there were plenty of choices for satisfying our hunger.

Getting back to my worst ever hotel stay, it was last November staying at the Pensione Hotel on George Street, Sydney. The hotel itself was quite nice. It was a trendy boutique hotel that was nicely decorated. The problem was that they gave us a room on the second floor which looked out at George Street. In case you don’t know this street gets extremely busy at night time. The noise of cars, people and sirens made it near impossible to sleep. Some thick glass windows would be a welcome improvement.

For day 2 of our Sydney weekend getaway check back here in a few days.

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My wife loves shopping and she loves nothing better than finding a cheap flight to Sydney for a weekend of shopping. And the food is pretty good there too. For me I prefer the sight seeing. I just love walking around the harbour foreshores and taking in the views.

My wife is not so interested in the tourist attractions Sydney has to offer, for her it is all about the shopping. Like all great cities, Sydney has something for all tastes and budgets. You can find all the big international luxury brands or you can uncover some hot new designs from a local fashion designer. You may also discover beautiful artworks from a whole swag of artists. There is also fantastic jewellery choices and so many shoes you need to a truck to take them home. You may want to go for the budget buys you can find in a local market or the more upscale version at Paddy’s. And don’t forget there are many souvenirs you can take back home that have that true Aussie flavour. Whatever you fancy you can find it while on vacation in Sydney.

If you are vacation in Sydney and have been out to the attractions you probably are not wanting to be heading all over Sydney for your shopping experience. Lucky for you Sydney offers many options all within a compact area in the heart of the city. When we fly into Sydney we go from the airport and check-in to the hotel. After a short break it is off to Market City in Haymarket. Here you will find many fashion shops. At the bottom of the building is the very popular Paddy’s Market. In the market you will find a wide variety of goods. There is also a fresh food market. The market is open 9am to 5pm Thursday-Sunday and all public holidays. If the shopping makes you hungry you can head upstairs to the to of Market City to the food court.

After some time in Market City it is usually time to head north up either George Street or Pitt Street. There are so many shops along the streets. If you go up George Street you will end up at the historic Queen Victoria Building. I love going there just to see the old world architecture. My wife loves it for the shops. Little did we know that there is an underground city of shops that you can enter from the old building. Once you head underground you can walk your way towards the Pitt Street Mall. You will come across many different fashion lines including well known brands as well as small lable shops. Eventually you will come to a food court which is situated below the Myer city store.

If you go up you will discover a huge Myer shop with many floors of retail therapy. The lower level has cosmetics from all the big names, moving up you will come across the shoe section. They have everything from the low end of the spectrum up to the high end of town. I saw shoes that were selling for close to one thousand a pair. Keep going up for the girls and women’s fashion areas and then finally something for the male shopper. Electronic gadgets, that’s my kind of shopping. Myer has a huge range of the latest in electrical and entertainment. There is also a huge kids toy area. Something for everyone.

Once you have had enough of Myer you can head out of there and cruise through Pitt Street Mall. If you like fresh air you can follow the outdoor mall or you may choose to head back underground in one of the many malls. Just near the Myer exit that goes out to Pitt Street you will find the entrance to Sydney Tower. Now might be a good time to take a break from the shopping and head up the tower if you have not already done so on your Sydney vacation.

Normally by now I have had enough shopping and seeing Pitt Street runs down to Circular Quay I tell my wife it is time to have a break from shopping and head down to the harbour. It is not far to the spectacular Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. I suggest a lazy walk around the quay to take in the scenery.

After you sightseeing you can either catch a bus, take the train or walk south back towards the main shopping district in the heart of Sydney. If you still have time you could walk along Pitt Street until you come across a Monorail station. You can then jump on the Monorail and then head on over to Darling Harbour. Here you will find a great variety of shops combined with dining choices for all tastes. You can also just stroll around and admire the great views looking across the water over to the Sydney skyline.

The shopping can be pretty fantastic. Just keep in mind if you are flying out of Sydney don’t go too crazy as you will not want to have to pay excess baggage to the airlines. It can be pretty pricey. I have seen people at airports going through there luggage just to find things they can toss into the garbage in order to avoid the sky high excess baggage charges.

If you have any favourite shopping spots in downtown Sydney why not share them by adding a comment at the bottom of the page.