Sydney - budget per day

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We are going to Sydney for Christmas and New Year. We're staying in an airbnb apartment in Manley for the first 5 days then with relatives in Dee Why then heading camping 3hrs South (Bawley Point) for New Year. It will be me and two DS (13&8). We want to do all the touristy things the first few days, opera house, bridge climb, aquarium etc and will be eating out at least once a day for the first 5 days. We will also be taking the ferry etc. My question is how much should I budget per day? We will also be contributing to food and drink while with relatives and camping. I was thinking £150 per day (sterling). Accommodation is paid for. Am I living in cuckoo land on £150 per day or should I get saving??

You should be able to look up most prices.

You might want 3 x Oyster cards for public transport ie ferry from circular quay to Manly, and buses ie from Manly to Dee Why.

www.sydneyoperahouse.com/visit-us/tours-and-experiences.html

www.bridgeclimb.com/prices/?gclid=CjwKEAjwqcHLBRCq5uHTpLL12FISJAD6PgDI8HUaVp-z41f98SpzsIKRqeQO3cPLsnS-wVJXLsAUexoC7Kvw_wcB

www.sydneyaquarium.com.au/?gclid=CjwKEAjwqcHLBRCq5uHTpLL12FISJAD6PgDIDAhdHHXAzf5aIWptN--VzPC_gaUFgs4PXmLPi4iXoRoCqOfw_wcB

Hopefully someone from Sydney will be along soon, as I'm from the west coast and don't know the prices of most of those things.

In case you didn't know, though, food in general is a lot more expensive here than in the U.K. You really can't shop as cheaply at the supermarket here - something to bear in mind!

You can eat cheaply in Manly, we have KFC, subway, sushi, nando's, and many more. We also have literally hundreds of lovely cafes these are pricier but nicer. There is the Ivanhoe pub for pub type food, cheap deals sometimes, and other similar places (the wharf bar, the Steyne). Ben bet burgers are pretty lush, I'd recommend them for a lunch! I think they do deals tues/thurs

benbryburgersmanly.com.au

There are also loadsa posh nice restaurants ie Hugo's, Garfish.

There's two Coles (supermarket) that are easy to get to. One is literally 100 yards away from where you get off ther Ferry. You can easily grab bread rolls and whatnot there for a beach picnic.

As you step off the Ferry you walk through the Ferry terminal and then outside and then cross the road, carry on walk straight and cross another road and you're on the Corso, this is a pedestrianised area and is the main hub of Manly.

Also there's an Aldi in the wharf terminal for slightly cheaper supermarket.

Yeah, def shop at the wharf Aldi, you'll save heaps. It's been renovated and has a huge fresh section with great produce.

Opal cards are a must, as the Manly to Circular Quay trip is the most expensive on the network. This way you'll hit the daily cap early. You can get them from newsagents, convenience stores - all sorts of places.

Bridge Climb is exxy, so if you can't stretch that far, there is a lookout on the south-east end of the bridge, accessed via the bridge footpath after 10am.

Coffee costs around $4-5 depending on how you take it. Sushi rolls are around $4 each. Vietnamese banh mi rolls are around $6 - huge, fresh and delicious! Just to give you a guide on how things compare to UK prices...

Enjoy your trip! Hope the weather looks after you on NYE.

Fantastic! Thanks so much for all the info. We're really looking forward to it!

Have a great time!

(And I might have been a bit dire with my price predictions, as I do live in Perth, which is noticeably more $$ for food & drink!)

How are you planning to get from Manly to everywhere else? Public transport in the Northern Beaches (Manly) is dire. Are you hiring a car? Ferry is an option but it's a time consuming and expensive trip.

Bridge climb alone is very, very expensive.

The aquarium is absolute rubbish and hasn't changed for at least as long as I've been alive. Literally no change at all. It's run down, extremely overpriced, cramped, drab etc. Not worth the time or money. They're revamping all of that Darling Harbour area at the moment, which means some of the usual attractions (IMAX etc) have been taken out. I wouldn't waste the time or money on the Wildlife World/Madame Tussauds/Aquarium, but if you do want to do something like that, go to Taronga Zoo - which is an easier trip from Manly - it's a truly lovely zoo right overlooking the Harbour. I'd also recommend doing Luna Park; the rides are far from extreme but it's been kept in its original vaudeville style and it's right on the Harbour too, so makes for a fun day out.

Food in Sydney (and the rest of the country) is more expensive than in the UK.

You'll need to get Opal cards for the public transport, as they have done away with paper tickets.

We were planning on getting the ferry mainly yes then hiring a car when we get to Dee Why. Taronga is on our list and I'd forgotten so thanks for that and your Luna Park recommendation!

Views from north head back across the whole of Sydney harbour are lovely. If you stay in your car you don't have to pay for parking! That's what I do :) obviously you can pop out! But keep a close eye on a parking ranger :)