Photo: Saberwyn, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
If you don't have time to get out to Taronga Zoo, then this offers the chance to see Australian wildlife close to the city.
Wild Life Sydney Zoo is a wildlife park in the Darling Harbour precinct, on the western edge of the Sydney central business district, Australia. Opened in September 2006, the zoo is located adjacent to a leisure and retail precinct that includes the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium and Madame Tussauds Sydney.
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It features a variety of personalities, mostly Australians such as Hugh Jackman.
The Pyrmont Bridge is an old swing bridge, that used to be a main thouroughfare into Sydney. Now it only carries pedestrians across the harbour. See the centre span swing and a tall ship leave the bay. Tours of the control cab by appointment.
A massive aquarium. In addition to various display tanks (penguins, platypus, various fish species), it has three underwater walks where visitors walk in glass corridors underneath and between the dugongs, sharks, rays and tropical fish. There is a 2-minute "penguin ride" in a small boat, heavily advertised but underwhelming. Consider going on a weekday evening, to avoid some of the crowds.
Harbourside Fireworks are on from 8:30PM every Saturday on Cockle Bay Harbour. They last for only 15 minutes but are fun to watch especially if you have kids. A good trick is to get a balcony seat around some of the restaurants and you can see the fireworks whilst having dinner or drinks.
Sydney Maritime Museum Ltd
The Fleet restores and operates a number of historic vessels including the barque James Craig. In 2003 the International Congress of Maritime Museums gave the James Craig the Maritime Heritage Award. The offices, model workshop, some displayed boats, and the library are on Wharf 7 located in Darling Harbour. The James Craig is alongside the wharf.
Two floors of internal exhibits, outlining the maritime role in Australia's history. Houses significant full scale exhibits. Outside there are ships and submarines to explore.