Episode 004 Show Notes – Sydney with Kids

With your hosts Marta Correale, Keri Hedrick and Marianne Rogerson interviewing Seana Smith from Hello Sydney Kids.

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A reminder if you missed any of our previous episodes you can find them all here on our podcast homepage.

We covered a community question “I’m going to London with my 3-year-old and a new baby. It’s our first trip as a family and I am wondering should we book a hotel or would an Airbnb be better?”

With only one child, hotels are usually quite straight forward to add one extra person but 2+ children single hotel rooms become challenging
With an Airbnb or serviced apartment, having your own kitchen and separate rooms can make a big difference
The length of the trip may make a difference too, it can be OK to share a large room for a short trip but on longer trips, you might like larger accommodation with separate bedrooms

You can ask your family travel question in our City Travel with Kids community here and find the full Little City Trips Family Guide to Sydney here.

[4.30] Interview with Seana Smith

Our co-host Marianne currently lives in Sydney but as a newcomer, she has called in the experienced help of Seana Smith who runs Hello Sydney Kids for this episode. Living in Sydney for over 20 years, Seana is the author of several books including Sydney for Under 5’s and is the mother of four children now aged 13 to 22.

Sydney is an easy city to visit with kids as there is so much for them to do, particularly in the great outdoors.

Seana Smith blogger Hello Sydney Kids — *Seana Smith from Hello Sydney Kids*

[8.18] Important things to note about planning a trip to Sydney

Winters are mild but it’s best to come at a warmer time of year if you want to enjoy the beaches too
Costs and crowds go up in peak season – Christmas and early January. Try earlier in December or later in January (the New Year fireworks can be daunting for young children)
Easter and any public holidays are also very busy, especially the beaches
You can see all the best times to visit Sydney here
Don’t worry about spiders, snakes, crocodiles! You will only really encounter them at a zoo. Beaches with sharks have shark-proof nets, swimming is safe
A reminder if you are swimming at the ocean beaches always swim between the flags

[12.12] Sydney 3-day family itinerary

You can view a detailed copy Seana & Marianne’s suggested 3 Day itinerary for Sydney here.

Day 1 Sydney with Kids

Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House
With older kids, you can do the Bridge Climb.
Younger kids just walk across and do the Pylon Lookout
Walk around the Sydney Opera House (optional guided tours)
You can ferry across to Taronga Zoo from Circular Quay

*The outstanding Taronga Zoo in Sydney also has some of the best skyline views*

[13.45] Day 2 Sydney with Kids

Base yourself around Darling Harbour
Australian National Maritime Museum
Wild Life Sydney Zoo is good if you’ve not done Taronga (enclosed so good for rainy days) and the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is excellent
Dozens of restaurants to choose from around Darling Harbour
Quiet time at the Chinese Garden of Friendship
Darling Harbour has an excellent playground, you can have dinner there

[15.15] Day 3 Sydney with Kids

Get out from the middle of town to see either Bondi or Coogee.
Bronte is a great stop with kids
Older kids snorkeling Gordons Bay

Take the ferry to Manly and explore the north shore instead
Walk over to the ocean beach and walk up the promenade and go to Shelly Beach at the southern end, very sheltered and great cafe
Fish and Chips are of course essential for a trip to the beach!

Wet weather alternatives, there are plenty of great museums
The Australian Museum
Museum of Sydney
Susannah Place Museum – book for a tour

[17.25] More attractions to visit if you have longer in Sydney

For a longer stay, look to stay at the beach and day trip into the city instead
Palm Beach or La Perouse are nice beach day trips
Day trip to the Blue Mountains. You can go on an organised tour to see a new landscape – funicular railways, walk through the rainforest. Go early or avoid school holidays.
Combine a trip to Jenolan Caves and the Blue Mountains
Teenagers may like kayaking on Sydney Harbour
Markets at Bondi or Paddington
Canyoning in the Blue Mountains

Blue Mountains Day Tour from Sydney — *A Blue Mountains day trip will open up some fantastic scenery*

[19.30] Getting around Sydney Tips

Pretty easy by public transport but cars are quite difficult
Unless you’re in the outer suburbs, use the ferries, trains and buses
Fairly stroller-friendly city, use the Navibaby app you can check for step-free access
You can check out our full guide on how to get around Sydney here.

[20.35] How do we purchase attraction tickets?

You can book when you get there, but better value to book multi-tickets for popular attractions
During school holidays definitely better to book ahead
You can try for example an iVenture unlimited attractions pass or a Sydney Attractions combination ticket (best for around Darling Harbour)
Australian’s tend to all be early risers! Attractions may, in fact, get quieter later in the day rather than trying to get in early.

[21.35] Best areas and suggested hotels in Sydney

Four main recommended areas to stay in Sydney:

Darling Harbour: Lots of playgrounds, restaurants and major attractions are close to hand

City Centre: Apartment hotels and luxury hotel options. In the Rocks, the top end is the Park Hyatt, but also the Sydney Harbour YHA has fantastic views and family rooms available.

Quest & Meriton Apartments always a good option in the CBD for 2 bedroom apartments and you’d be walking distance to everything.

Manly/Queenscliff – northern beaches opens up larger accommodation options, apartments or houses through Airbnb or Home Away Stayz.

Bondi, Covelley, Bronte – family-friendly suburbs close to the beach.

[23.54] Favourite places to eat in Sydney with kids

It’s very family-friendly all over the city. There is a lot of variety in cuisine: Asian, Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern. “Modern Australian cuisine” is popular – fresh seasonal food – although the kids will likely ask for fish and chips!

Going out for breakfast is common, get out early and let the kids have a play to beat the heat of the day.

Plenty of options around Darling Harbour. There are several restaurants within sight of the playground. And many cafes and restaurants around the Harbour that are family-friendly and will serve you quickly.

Manly also has lots of cafes alongside the beach, with playgrounds nearby. You’ll find the same at Bondi and Coogee.

Click here for Seana’s extensive guide to playgrounds with cafes!

In general, most restaurants will have children’s menus and highchairs. (But note some CBD restaurants don’t have restrooms on site! You may need to get a key and walk out of the restaurant for changing tables etc).

The Novotel Darling Harbour has some good family-friendly options.

Even fine dining can be quite accommodating if you go early – baby sitting is very expensive in Sydney if you were planning a kid-free night!

[27.35] Resources and items you’ll need to pack for Sydney

Essential packing items for the kids:

Full Rashy (rashguard swimsuit) for your kids – covers over kids swimsuits that protects up to their necks and long sleeves for the arms – essential for Aussie sun protection
Swimming hats that can get wet
Even in winter, it’s easy to get sunburn in Australia
Stingoes – cream in case you get little stings
Light coat or cardigan in case it gets cold (even in the summer evenings or on a boat)
Bring a nice light stroller that you can fold up
Backpacks for walks for the kids. Easily half a dozen walks you can do from the city centre
You can see our full packing list for Sydney here

Where to get further information and planning resources

The main tourism website is quite good sydney.com
Timeout Sydney is a good resource for whats on daily, and the Opera House website – watch out for kid-friendly shows!

[31.20] Our Fast 5 Questions on Sydney

Hidden Gem: Little Manly Cove – tiny beach on the harbour side of Manly, a short walk from the ferry. Shallow, safe, shark nets and amazing views
Splurge: Roar and Snore at Taronga Zoo – stay at the Zoo! Behind the scenes tours.
Save: Beaches and playgrounds you could not spend anything and still have a good time in Sydney
Best App: Tripview – the public transport app. [Also the Opera House App & Timeout Sydney App]
Playground: Bondi is the easiest. Also, Clifton Gardens is great for little kids and well shaded.

[36.44] About our City Expert – Seana Smith

Seana is the author of www.hellosydneykids.com.au. You can keep up with Seana on social at:

You can play the episode here or click here for instructions on how to download to your favourite podcast player.

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