Sydney

1. ~8:00a●Harbourside brunch

   A flat white and ricotta hotcakes (or smashed avo with feta) at a Circular Quay café — the Australian brunch the world copied.

2. ~9:30a◆Opera House & Mrs Macquarie's Chair

   Tour the sails, then walk the Royal Botanic Garden to Mrs Macquarie's Point for the classic frame: Opera House and Harbour Bridge in one shot.

3. ~12:30p●Sydney rock oysters

   A dozen freshly shucked rock oysters and grilled barramundi at a quayside seafood room — local, briny, and unmistakably Sydney.

4. ~2:30p✦BridgeClimb or the Pylon Lookout

   Up the arch of the Harbour Bridge on a guided climb, or the cheaper Pylon Lookout for nearly the same view.

5. 6:30p✦Quay ⭐Anchor table

   Peter Gilmore's harbour-front tasting menu with the Opera House lit across the water — the white-coral 'snow egg' dessert is legendary. Book well ahead; this anchors the trip.

The harbour is the whole point on day one — keep it on foot and on the water. Quay and BridgeClimb both book out; lock them when flights are set.

1. ~9:00a→Bondi to Bronte cliff walk

   The famous coastal path past sandstone headlands, rock pools, and surfers — about an hour to Bronte, longer if you stop (you will).

2. ~11:00a✦Swim at Bondi Icebergs

   The ocean pool at the end of Bondi where waves crash over the lap lanes — the most photographed swim in Australia.

3. ~1:00p●Lunch above the pool

   Icebergs Dining Room or a Bronte café — seafood and a crisp local white with the beach below.

4. ~3:00p✦Beach or a surf lesson

   An afternoon on the sand, or a first surf lesson on Bondi's forgiving south-end break.

5. ~7:30p●Dinner in Surry Hills

   Back inland to the city's best eating district — chef's-counter small plates and natural wine in a converted terrace.

Do the cliff walk early before the path fills and the sun bites. Surry Hills is where Sydney actually dines out — book anything with a tight room.

1. ~9:30a◆Art Gallery of NSW & Sydney Modern

   The new Sydney Modern wing alongside the old galleries — strong Australian and Aboriginal collections in a landmark building.

2. ~11:30a✦The Manly ferry

   The 30-minute ferry through the Heads is the best harbour cruise in the city for the price of a transit fare — sit at the back, open deck.

3. ~12:30p●Fish and chips on Manly

   Beer-battered flathead and chips eaten on the Manly seafront, then the short Shelly Beach walk to snorkel the marine reserve.

4. ~3:00p→North Head & the ferry back

   The North Head lookout for the ocean-meets-harbour panorama, then the golden-hour ferry back past the Opera House.

5. ~7:30p●Barangaroo waterfront dinner

   The reclaimed western harbour precinct — modern Australian rooms with the water at the door.

Time the return ferry for late afternoon so you arrive back with the city in golden light. The Manly ferry is the local's harbour cruise — skip the tourist boats.