The waters in the harbour aren’t really the best place to get a good look at our sharp-toothed residents though. It’s a little murky and salt-water stings the eyes.
I say, dry off and try the aquarium instead. They have all fish you’d see in the harbour anyway, plus the rest of Australia covered too. About 6,000 to be more precise, and they can all be enjoyed splash and batter-free.
I don’t need to recommend the sharks, as if you were planning on bypassing them anyway, but some of the most impressive sea creatures on show are also the least well known. There’s an amazing sea horse exhibit on right now – targeted at kids officially, but why should they have all the fun?
The tanks seem to have had an overhaul since the massive refurbishment last year. The inward globe tank at the Bay of Rays is just about the most awesome view you can get in the aquarium.
Something about the glass makes you feel as though you’re actually in the tank with a massive IMAX-esque perspective too.
Again, it’s totally at kid height so be prepared to crawl/crouch awkwardly.
There are better times than others to visit the aquarium and the weekends are not among them. It’s massively crowded with little kids who shriek with delight at every new sea creature they see, and trust me – they’re all new.
For a nice and relaxing experience without a slew of camera phones and tablets blocking that dugong swimming above your head, get in on a weeknight before 7pm (not a minute later!) and take a leisurely stroll through.
It closes at 8pm so you might run out of time, but you can rest assured that it’ll be much quieter.
For tickets and prices head to: sydneyaquarium.com.au
