Sports & Activities

Sydney’s wealth of activities will keep you engaged and passionate about life. Wherever you go, you’ll see people enjoying a city that lends itself perfectly to outdoor pursuits. With its warm summers and temperate winters, the clear waters and gorgeous beaches of Sydney’s beautiful harbour and coastline are a focal point for many residents. Sydneysiders…

Aqua Aerobics

Aqua aerobics may not look particularly cool, but it’s a fantastic way to keep fit without putting a strain on your muscles and joints. Give it a try if you’re pregnant or suffer from knee or lower back problems. It’s also a great way to lose weight, and you can burn thousands of calories in…

Belly Dancing

Visit any one of Sydney’s many Turkish restaurants and you’re likely to witness the art of belly dancing. Often, as soon as your meal finishes, the professional dancers will come out, and may even try to encourage a little audience participation. But if you’d like to learn this ancient Arabian art in a slightly more…

Birdwatching

Sydney’s varied and colourful birdlife can be seen everywhere. Walk the city’s streets and you’ll be amazed at the cacophony, the preening, the squabbling and the downright cheekiness of its winged inhabitants. Whether you want to see beautiful black cockatoos, brilliantly-coloured parrots, waddling pink and grey galahs or cackling kookaburras, Sydney is an ornithologist’s paradise.…

Bowling

Lawn bowling has regained popularity in Sydney of late – it’s even considered trendy these days. Head to one the fashionable eastern suburbs and you’ll find a mix of young and old, all making the most of the friendly atmosphere, outdoor setting and licensed bar on sunny weekend afternoons.

Camping

You don’t need to travel far out of town to get back in touch with mother nature. Sydney’s many National Parks are ideal for camping, and many are within an hour’s drive of the city. Set up your tent, start up a fire, boil up the billy and get ready for a true wilderness experience…

Cycling

There are plenty of opportunities for cycling in and around Sydney. The city has dedicated cycle lanes, but pedalling around the city’s busy central streets can be hazardous and taxis can be pretty casual in their attitude to those on two wheels. For full enjoyment, it’s better to take your bike out to some of…

Diving

While the best diving happens a couple of thousand kilometres up the coast on the world famous Great Barrier Reef, it’s still possible to enjoy some excellent dives from Sydney’s ocean beaches, and boat dives to shipwrecks off the coast. There are plenty of companies offering training courses, as well as trips for the more…

Fishing

Sydney offers remarkable variety for keen fishermen, with deep sea, river, estuary, sports and fly fishing all on offer in areas around Sydney harbour, Broken Bay and Pittwater. The fishing is good year-round, with species like john dory, salmon, bonito, kingfish, bass and perch, as well as octopus, crab and many other exotic species all…

Gliding

Hang Gliding

Hiking

This is one city where keen hikers – or bushwalkers, as they’re more commonly known, really are spoilt for choice. There are all kinds of opportunities for spectacular walks, both within the confines of Sydney’s harbour, and on its outskirts, in places like the Blue Mountains (see p.208) to the west, the Royal National Park…

Jetskiing

Sydney Harbour is a busy commercial waterway so there are strict rules about the use of jet skis or any other watercraft. It is in fact illegal to ride anywhere around the harbour, including its tributaries. There are restricted zones further out, but even here, you’re not allowed to perform any irregular manoeuvres – so…

Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing is one of the latest crazes in extreme sports, and it's just taken off in Sydney. Taking its influence from wakeboarding, surfing, snowboarding and kite flying, it's a sport that looks difficult, but is relatively easy to learn. The conditions need to be just right though, and if the wind isn't strong, you'll just…

Parasailing

Sydney’s parasailing season runs from November through to April. Rides operate on weekends and on demand during the week. You can choose to go solo, or take a friend on a tandem flight. Either way, it’s a fantastic chance to get a bird’s eye view of the city. Most of the operators use boats with…

Rollerblading & Rollerskating

There are some excellent rollerblading and skating venues to be found in Sydney, especially within its many parks. Popular spots include the track around Centennial Park, as well as the Esplanade at Manly beach where you can enjoy spectacular ocean views as you navigate the beachside promenade. Total Skate (36 Oxford Street, near Centennial Park…

Sailing

Sydney’s waterways are a haven for boat-lovers and sailing here is popular year-round. It’s the perfect way to escape the summer heat, and on a crisp, sparkling winter afternoon, the waters look beautiful. If you’re a beginner, there are a number of sailing schools offering basic ‘Competent Crew’ courses, which will teach you all you…

Snorkelling

Whether you’re on Sydney’s northern beaches or eastern shores, there are some excellent vantage points at places like Manly, Fairlight, Chowder Bay, Balmoral and Clovelly. The fish you’re most likely to see are snapper, blue groper, sea dragons and wobbegong, and on a sunny day, the waters are positively teeming. The most popular beaches have…

Surfing

There can’t be many Australian activities more iconic than surfing. It’s as Aussie as Vegemite sandwiches, and if you’d like to try this hugely popular sport for yourself, there are a number of surf schools operating from beaches around Sydney’s northern and eastern coastlines. They’ll generally offer tuition individually or in small groups, teaching you…