Ocean pools
Anyone can swim in Sydney’s beachside pools year-round for free. Often attached to the local lifeguard club, these saltwater pools are for sunbaking, laps and showing off your Crossfit-honed abs.

Tree change
It’s tempting to want to leave the city and join the boho ‘gypset’ in the Blue Mountains hinterland: but unless you’re a crystal healer or yoga teacher, job opportunities are limited. (Otherwise we’d be there quicker than you could say namaste.)
Fruit inflatables
Sydneysiders spend every summer weekend in water – and a fair percentage do this while lounging on oversized inflatables shaped like fruit (complete with pineapple drink holders).

Craft beer walk
Some of Australia’s best beer is accessible by foot across a one-kilometre-square patch of warehouse brewpubs in Sydney’s Inner West. Check out Grifter, Willie the Boatman, Wayward, Batch and Young Henrys.

Frankie’s Pizza
A dive bar where you can wash down provolone-and-truffle pizza with its signature Bloodsucking Geeks red IPA to a soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac and the Steve Miller Band. Afterwards, there’s a room full of 1990s pinball machines to attend to.
Seaplane to Jonah’s
Fly in Sydney Seaplanes’ De Havilland Beaver from Rose Bay to Jonah’s restaurant at Whale Beach for a long lunch and even longer view.

This story was originally published in November 2017 and updated in September 2020
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