Walk across
Opera House views.
Photograph by Greg O'Beirne — CC BY 2.5 · Adam.J.W.C. — CC BY 3.0 · Bengt Nyman from Vaxholm, Sweden — CC BY 2.0
A huge steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour, opened in 1932 and nicknamed the Coathanger by locals for the shape of its arch. With the Opera House it is Sydney's most famous image, and one of the largest steel arch bridges in the world. The bridge carries cars, trains, pedestrians and cyclists, and you can walk across free on the eastern footway from The Rocks to the North Shore, a walk of about half an hour with superb views of the Opera House and harbour. One of the bridge's stone pylons holds a small museum and lookout reached by stairs, for a fee. For thrill-seekers, organised climbs go to the top of the arch itself, harnessed to safety lines, at fairly high prices. On New Year's Eve the bridge becomes the centre of the world-famous fireworks. The best time to cross is just before sunset, as the water colours and the city lights up.
Opera House views.
A small museum.
An adventure.
Between Dawes Point (The Rocks) and Milsons Point, Sydney
Sydney Opera HouseAustralia's most famous symbol and one of the great buildings of the twentieth c8 minutes walk4.9
The RocksSydney's oldest neighbourhood, where the first settlers landed in 1788 and found10 minutes walk
Royal Botanic GardenA broad botanical garden on Farm Cove at the heart of Sydney, opened in 1816, ma18 minutes walk4.8
Art Gallery of New South WalesSydney's largest art museum, on the edge of the Domain parkland near the Royal B24 minutes walk4.8Yes, free on the eastern footway from The Rocks, in about half an hour.