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Nielsen Park makes its way from winding Vaucluse Road down to Shark Bay, so named for the sharks caught here in the days before shark nets. In the centre of the park is the Mt Trefle Walk, and near the beach are changing pavilions, a great kiosk, Greycliffe House and a memorial to the Harbour Foreshore Vigilance Committee (see Harbourside Walks). The Hermitage Foreshore Walk starts west of Shark Beach, and offers some of the best views of Sydney as it meanders along the shoreline back to Rose Bay via Hermit Point. Don’t forget to carry your swimming gear.

This windswept, heath-covered highlight of the Sydney Harbour National Park is home to the North Fort Artillery Museum.

In 1932 John Bradfield (see Bradfield Park) predicted that, with the opening of the Harbour Bridge, North Sydney and Mosman would merge into a second Brooklyn. He was certainly on the money regarding North Sydney’s development, as indicated by the area’s many skyscrapers. Sydney’s second CBD is home to major Australian banking, finance and insurance giants. Its attractions include a small museum, chapel and tomb dedicated to the memory and works of Australia’s only saint, Mary MacKillop (1842–1909), who was beatified in 1995.

This stretch of stunning ocean beaches runs from Manly to Barrenjoey Head. Palm Beach is a haven for Sydney millionaires, as well as being the outdoor location for the popular TV soap opera Home and Away . The Barrenjoey Lighthouse overlooks Broken Bay, the Central Coast and the Hawkesbury River. Behind Palm Beach lies lovely Pittwater.

Named after James Norton, an English attorney who arrived in 1818 and established a thriving legal practice in the colony, Norton Street has long been the heart of this district. Much of the large estate purchased by Norton in 1834 is now the bustling shopping and dining strip that runs from Parramatta Road to Allen Street. You’ll find a range of stores with an Italian flavour, from bridal fashion to books, clothing and shoes, as well as bakeries, delis and butchers.

Until 1984, Sydney’s infected arrivals were quarantined at this bulwark against infectious diseases. The NPWS runs tours.

Oxford Street is Sydney’s most fashion-conscious shopping strip. Although it runs all the way from Hyde Park to Bondi Junction, the prime shopping drag is on the north side of the road between Barcom Avenue and Queen Street, which runs down to Woollahra. Surry Hills’ Crown Street is less conspicuous and polished than its northern rival, but it’s gaining a reputation as a good spot to source homewares, designer and retro furniture and fashion items. It has some great cafés, ethnic restaurants and grocers, pubs and factory outlets, and its grunginess is the perfect antidote to Oxford Street’s fashionista frenzy.