← Winery Run Hunter Valley Marathon·3 nights

Sydney: A Winter Extension After Wine Country

Three nights in Sydney after the vineyards, starting with ferries and museums and saving coastal walks for later.

Duration3 nights
TransitDrive, about 2 hr from Lovedale to Sydney, or hire car to Newcastle and direct train
DepartsLovedale

After the Hunter Valley Marathon: Sydney

The Route: Lovedale → Sydney → Circular Quay → Manly → Sydney Airport Logistics: About two hours by road from Lovedale to Sydney in normal traffic. Alternatively, return the hire car in Newcastle and take the direct train, which takes just under three hours. Marathon Month: July Duration: 3 nights

Lovedale ──(about 2 hrs by road)──> Sydney ──(short walk or train)──> Circular Quay
                                                                            │
Sydney Airport (SYD) <──(about 15 to 20 mins by train)─────────────────────┘

The Winery Run marathon finishes on a Sunday morning in July. Sydney is the practical extension for an international flight, and it is a good city for tired legs if you begin with the water.

July in Sydney: winter. Days are usually in the mid to high teens Celsius, mornings are cool, and rain is common. It is also school holiday season, so the ferries and museums can be busy in the middle of the day. Vivid Sydney, the light festival, normally finishes in early to mid June, so check the current dates rather than planning around it. Migrating humpback whales pass the coast in winter and can be seen from the Sydney headlands and from whale watching boats.

Nights One to Three: Sydney

Start with the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, about 30 minutes each way, which gives a harbour view and no walking. Around The Rocks and the Circular Quay foreshore the streets are level. Save the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk for the third day, because it has many steps.

The Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay has free general entry, and the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour has indoor and outdoor exhibits. Both are easier than a coastal hike. Check opening times and any charges.

For a bed, Park Hyatt Sydney sits beside the Opera House, and The Russell Hotel is a smaller heritage hotel in The Rocks. Both are at the upper end of the price range, and winter school holidays affect availability.

For a meal, the Sydney Fish Market at Pyrmont is a working market where you can eat seafood the same day it is landed. Check the current opening hours.

Day Two: The Art Gallery and the Domain

The Art Gallery of New South Wales, in the Domain, has free entry to its permanent collection and a newer building with wide, level galleries and plenty of seating. It sits beside the Royal Botanic Garden, which is free and has paved paths along the harbour edge. The walk from the gallery to Mrs Macquarie's Chair and back is about 3 kilometres on mostly level ground, and the benches along the way make it easy to stop. Check opening hours and exhibition charges.

Day Three: Manly by Ferry

The ferry from Circular Quay to Manly takes about 30 minutes, and in winter it is also a good place to look for humpback whales as they pass the heads on their northward migration. In Manly, The Corso is a flat pedestrian street from the wharf to the ocean beach, about 500 metres long, with cafés along it. The walk to Shelly Beach adds about 20 minutes along a level path beside the sea, and it is the furthest that most runners should go. The longer walk from Manly to the Spit Bridge is hilly with many steps, and is best kept for a later trip.

Getting Home

Sydney Airport (SYD) is about 15 to 20 minutes from Central by train. Allow extra time for an international departure. If you are returning a hire car in Sydney, refuel it first and allow time for the drop-off.