116 Travel | Sydney
© Destination NSW
Darling Harbour is also home to attractions such as the National Maritime Museum ... a concert by beloved Aussie kids ’ music group The Wiggles – plus a finale of fireworks at the family-friendly time of 9pm . At any time over summer , however , Darling Harbour is alive with family-oriented activities , sound-and-light shows and frequent fireworks , which seem to pop over the city skyscrapers on every other summer evening .
Darling Harbour is also home to attractions such as the National Maritime Museum – which features everything from old pearling ships to submarines and a naval destroyer – and Sydney Aquarium , with its walk-through underwater tunnels in tanks of sharks , turtles and manta rays . At night , the restaurants at Cockle Bay Wharf come alive : tuck into seafood risotto and a good Australian wine , with the lights of the city splashed across the sky as a backdrop .
Also in Darling Harbour is the traditional Chinese Garden , one of the best outside China . It ’ s miniature in size but packs in lakes , waterfalls , pagodas and a teahouse where you can nibble on oriental pastries . It ’ s a short walk to Chinatown , filled on summer evenings with diners enjoying deep-fried dumplings , noodles or Sichuan chicken in its restaurants and fast-food halls . And , for those in love with a festival , Chinatown is the place to be for Chinese New Year celebrations , the largest outside Asia . The events last three weeks and , with perfect timing , usually kick off just as the Sydney Festival is drawing to a close ( January 27 this year ). It ’ s an excuse for Sydneysiders to indulge in another whole round of cultural events , exhibitions , entertainment , street markets and a parade . There ’ s also a thrilling dragon-boat race featuring 20 paddlers to a boat and the sound of drums booming across the harbour as Sydney puts on yet another party .
Sydney ’ s New Year ’ s Eve fireworks over the Sydney Harbour Bridge .