Darling Harbour, Sydney

Darling Harbour, Sydney

Darling Harbour is Sydney's largest entertainment district, lined with museums, shopping centers, parks, nightclubs, cafes, and restaurants.

Darling Harbour is Sydney's largest entertainment district, lined with museums, shopping centers, parks, nightclubs, cafes, and restaurants. The waterfront stretch abuts the central business district, extending from Chinatown along both sides of Cockle Bay - to King Street Wharf 3 on the east, and to the suburb of Pyrmont on the west. Explore the various attractions dotting the bustling area -

• The Harbourside Shopping Centre has over 100 specialty stores and 25 restaurants, bars and cafes, including Kingpin Bowling Alley, M9 Laser Skirmish, RaceCentre, 9D action cinema, Hard Rock Café, and Australia's first retail Jet flight simulator.
• The Chinese Garden of Friendship is a peaceful haven enclosed within walls, featuring waterfalls, koi lakes, exotic plants, pavilions, tea house, and hidden pathways.
• King Street Wharf is the departure point for ferries and harbour cruises. It also has several fine-dining restaurants, nightclubs, and trendy bars.
• Cockle Bay Wharf has restaurants offering authentic cuisine from around the world.
• Paddy's Markets more like a traditional flea market, specialising in cheap imported clothes, giftware and also has a small section for fresh fruit, vegetables and seafood. The Haymarket Paddy's Markets site also sells souvenirs which makes it popular with tourists.
• Darling Quarter Playground near Tumbalong Park has water games, climbing ropes, swings, slides and flying foxes to keep children entertained for hours.
• The Australian National Maritime Museum traces the country's seafaring history, from early trade with Indonesians and discovery by Europeans to the achievements of the Royal Australian Navy. It has the HMAS Vampire, HM Bark Endeavour Replica of the original ship used by Lieutenant James Cook to discover the east coast of Australia, and the HMAS Onslow submarine.
• The Star Casino & Entertainment Complex has traditional gaming tables where you can play Mini Baccarat, Blackjack, Caribbean Stud, Craps, Pai Gow, Poker, Pontoon, Roulette, Rapid Roulette, Sic Bo and Three card poker.
• The Powerhouse Museum is the main branch of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney, housing over 400,000 artifacts related to all sorts of technology including decorative arts, science, communication, transport, costume, furniture, media, computer technology, space technology and steam engines.
• SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium is home to over 13,000 marine animals across 700 species.
• Madame Tussauds has life-like wax models of celebrities from around the world, including Australian personalities such as Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Kylie Minogue, and Steve Irwin.
• Wild Life Sydney Zoo has wildlife from all over Australia such as kangaroos, wallaby, crocodiles, platypus, koalas, and butterflies.