Hi all. Planning a trip to Australia for the first three weeks of November. I have already done a lot of research and figured out great places to see. I will be spending a week in Melbourne and then Sydney and I'm pretty sure I know of all the major touristy places. Does anyone have any recommendations for other places to see or experiences close to the city that maybe aren't as well known? Also, for anyone who has done the bridge climb or Opera house tour, is it worth it? Thanks for any insights.

Bridge Climb is expensive, but it's pretty cool. Do it at dusk, so you see the city a bit more lit up. 3 hours, but worth it... once in a lifetime kinda thing.

You can safely walk across the harbor bridge they have security and cameras . We walked across at sunrise and watched the sun rise behind the harbor bridge. Then we walked round Luna park and took a ferry back. Taronga Zoo was nice. Have lunch there, but make a reservation at the restaurant for a view of the city. We also took a little ferry to Manley beach much nicer in our opinion than Bondi beach. We took in an Opera but wasn't impressed. Sometimes other events are playing at the Opera house. We are going to see Josh Groben on our upcoming trip.

You should head north to Cairns and Townsville. Coolest part of Oz in my opinion, and gateway towns to the reef.

You can go hiking at the Blue Mountains and do snorkeling at the great barrier reef in cairns. We loved it!

Snorkeling and scuba diving in the great barrier reef is a must! Blue mountains is nice too. If you want some beach time, definitely go to Surfers Paradise!

I'm actually going to Port Douglas first so I will be snorkeling there. I was wondering more about places to see within the cities like a particular beach or park or even restaurant. Also, is Australia pretty credit card friendly?

Yes it's credit card friendly, it's a lot like Canada.

https://www.facebook.com/SydneyPubTours and https://www.facebook.com/sydney.escapehunt were good times. If you only have time for one, do the Pub Tour. Gaz was awesome.

Also, the Hunter Valley is beautiful. We went with http://www.huntervalleywinetastingtours.com.au/tours-from... and also stayed there a couple days.
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Hunter Valley Wine Tours from Sydney

Coolangatta and Noosa Heads

Am currently in Australia and would definitely recommend spending more time outside of Sydney. I was there for 3 days and that was enough to see all the main things (Opera House, Bondi Beach, Taronga, Bridge Climb, Darling Harbour, etc). So far, the Gold Coast/Surfer's Paradise has been my favourite (non-sleepy gorgeous surfer vibe) and I just did a 2 day Fraser Island tour which was amazing.

How expensive was the Fraser Island tour? Which company did you use?

This is the one I used - http://realaussieadventures.com/.../2-day-fraser-island.../. Includes 3 meals (nothing fancy whatsoever) and an overnight stay in a hostel like resort (but cleaner/bigger). But totally worth it for the experience of being on a remote island where the only driving is on the beach or through the rainforest and the lakes are literally as clear as glass with white silica sands. A must see.
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2 Day Fraser Island 4WD Eco Adventure Tour » Australian Adventure Tours | Real Aussie Adventures

Thanks!

I used to live in Sydney, do your best to go to Messina Gelato at some point. There are three locations and it's truly incredible haha.

^ agreed! And Bill's Cafe! The ricotta pancakes and sweet corn fritters definitely lived up to the recommendations!

Bridge climb is amazing