💡 Tips & Notes

🌡️ Summer in Sydney

December to February brings warm to hot weather, perfect for beaches and outdoor activities. Expect temperatures between 20-30°C (68-86°F).

🚇 Transportation

• Opal Card: Get an Opal card for public transport or use contactless payment on your phone
• Ferries: One of the best ways to see Sydney - especially the Manly Ferry!
• Buses: Extensive network covers beaches and suburbs
• Trains: Fast connections to major areas (Blue Mountains accessible by train)
• Hop-on-Hop-off: Captain Cook Cruises offers harbor sightseeing

☀️ Sun Safety

• CRITICAL: UV is VERY strong in Australia - sunscreen is essential
• Bring hat, sunglasses, and water everywhere
• Seek shade during peak UV hours (10am-3pm)
• Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, especially after swimming
• Sun safe tips: slip, slop, slap - slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat

🎟️ Bookings & Reservations

• Restaurants: Popular places need advance bookings (especially Bill's, Cafe Sydney)
• Opera House: Shows book out quickly - book weeks in advance
• BridgeClimb: Requires booking well ahead, especially for sunset times
• Outdoor Cinema: Book online for best seats
• Fine Dining: Quay, Aria, and other top restaurants need early reservations

🎯 Perfect Day Combinations

• Beach Day: Bondi to Bronte coastal walk + beach swim + beachfront lunch
• Classic Sydney: Manly Ferry + Manly Beach + Corso shopping + Shelly Beach snorkel
• Harbor Views: Barangaroo walk + Opera House tour + Botanic Gardens + Mrs Macquarie's Chair photo
• The Rocks Experience: Historic walk + weekend markets + lunch + Glenmore rooftop sunset drinks
• Watsons Bay Trip: Ferry ride + Doyle's seafood lunch + South Head walk + The Gap views
• Cultural Day: Aboriginal cultural tour + Australian Museum + State Library + Chinatown dinner

💰 Money Saving Tips

• Many beaches, walks, and parks are completely free
• Ferries are cheap compared to private harbor cruises (same views!)
• Fish Market and Spice Alley offer great food at lower prices
• Weekend markets are perfect for affordable lunch
• Pylon Lookout is cheaper than BridgeClimb with similar views

🏖️ Day Trip Planning

• Within 1 hour: Royal National Park, beaches, harbor activities
• 1-2 hours: Blue Mountains (can be done as day trip)
• 2-3 hours: Jervis Bay (overnight recommended)
• 5+ hours: Dubbo Zoo (requires overnight stay)

📱 Useful Apps & Websites

• Transport NSW: For all public transport planning and timetables
• BOM (Bureau of Meteorology): Accurate Australian weather forecasts
• Beachwatch: Check water quality and conditions before swimming
• Google Maps: Works excellently for navigation (all locations in this guide have Maps links)