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Time for the good people of the TEF to dig deep again and come up with some more advice please.

The wife and I are off to Australia for Christmas and New Year in just under 6 weeks for a total of 3 and a half weeks, which I CANNOT wait for. We will be based in Sydney staying with relatives. We are looking to also take in Melbourne and Tasmania during our visit.

So, anyone who has been to Australia, what must I definitely not miss. Oh and its our Wedding Anniversary on the 30th December so some decent restaurants in Sydney would be appreciated.

Thanks all.

Ooh you lucky baastard! Haven't been but several family have. I have family, friends and associated friends out there. Definitely go to Tas! Also if you like the horses, then from my sisters experience, go to Royal Randwick on Boxing Day. It's free admission if you have an International passport, I believe! Would probably double up as a decent Wedding Anniversary trip. Plus you'll have a blast. Enjoy BO  :)

Sydney: Walk over the bridge; Wander round Darling Harbour; Sydney Opera House; Ferry from Circular Key to Manly to see it all from a different perspective; Bus from Circular key Bondi Beach so you can say you've seen it.

Melbourne; MCG! I was in Geelong and just got a train in and then wandered around the centre.

Not been to Tasmania

Just around the coast from Bondi Beach are Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly Beaches which are much more relaxed and secluded. Some nice small restaurants at Bronte.

Sydney Aquarium is good on a wet day and lunch in Darling Harbour afterwards.

Walk to the Opera House from the Botanical Gardens is a nice way to take it in rather than the city centre.

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All of the above. But the MCG is a must. + the AMP tower in Sydney. Just outside is the 3? Sisters I would like to say awesome but it was foggy as hell when I went. It also has the worlds steepest railway there (even if it is only about 200 feet long :). Melbourne I'd highly recommend Luna Park, Phillip Island (penguins and the grand prix track) Flinders street station, and the rialto tower.  OH and the absolute absolute must do. Melbourne Gaol. I'm not a tender sort but it's scary as hell particularly at night. The ghost of Ned Kelly walks there... Well his armour might.

Oh one of my best mates lives in Taz, so if you fancy a beer with a dodgy Man U/Pink floyd fan let me know ;)

PPS someone mentioned Darling Harbour, there are some cracking restaurants round there for your anno dinner cobber..

Cheers guys, loads of great suggestions to look forward to!

Day out on a wine tour of the hunter Valley. Blue mountains and the Katoomba railway. Featherdale wildlife park. Trip up to the top of centrepoint in Sydney city centre.

Rellies over there have said go to North Wollongong instead of Manly. Much more chilled. Depends what your looking for I guess. Sorry I can't give direct 1st hand experience mate.

The thing that is great about the ferry to Manly, is the ferry. Awesome trip, second only to the Picton in NZ

If you like Whiskey,then Sullivan's cove distillery in Hobart is worth a look.
They won worlds best single malt in 2014,first time the award went to somewhere other than Scotland or Japan.
You get to taste their wares without having to pay £400 for a bottle!

Australia doesn't exist!

I was just thinking to myself;

How will BO even get there?!  :hmmm:

Just watch out for the ‘wheelers’

One of the best meals I’ve had was in Vue du Monde in Melbourne. Not a bad view of the bay either. Echo what others have said about the MCG. There will be Test cricket on at both MCG (between Xmas and NY) and SCG (the nicer ground, albeit smaller) in the new year. The Boxing Day Test is quite something. I was one of 95,000 watching Mitchell Johnson destroy England in 35 degree heat a few years ago. Well worth an early evening in the bar outside the Opera house. It’ll cost you an arm and a leg for a drink, but as settings go, it doesn’t get any bettter.

If you head to Melbs head down Lygon Street it is just full of restaurants and they all try to entice you with drink and food deals. Also the markets there are decent and do the MCG depending what time you are in Sydney till in Jan be able to see big bash games or the test vs India if you are into cricket.

In Melbs we went to a show which was good so maybe look into that sort of stuff as well, I like Melbs is a amazing City.

Another vote for seeing the Phillip Island penguins when you are in Melbourne, and walking across the bridge in Sydney, absolutely fantastic.

If you get the ferry to Manly, try to go over during the day & back at night, or at least dusk as the city is starting to light up, it gives a totally different view. Similarly you can go up the Sydney Eye just before dusk which gives great views over the city as it starts to light up. There's something similar in Melbourne too, (I think its called The Edge), theres a bit with a glass floor that sticks out from the side of the building which is good fun but although its a really nice chilled out city, Melbourne doesn't really have as many iconic sights to see. you can see plenty of sporting arenas though, MCG, Rod Laver tennis, Grand prix circuit etc

The Blue mountains is also good, there's a cable car that goes across between 2 big mountains which is good fun.

Another vote for blue mountains here. Also Taranga zoo in Sydney, try go later in the day as the views over the whole of sydney are amazing

+1. Did a good minibus tour of the blue mountains.

Went so long ago any recommendation on restaurants would be well out of date :)

Sydney - Did go and take a tour around the Olympic stadium. Its not that exciting I suppose, but did kick yself when we got to the pool, didn't take swimming trunks - a swim in the pool was included.

Melbourne - hired a car and drove down the Great Ocean Road a bit, came back on some ferry and stopped off for fish and chips. Did Philip Island for the blasted ice rats- stayed  and there was a spider in the shower. Didn't go near it. Got laughed at as it was a "common brown" apparently.

Now had you been going to Brisbane I had a couple of other better suggestions. But you aren't. Boo.

Thanks to all again for the suggestions, all appreciated.

FWIW I have no real interest in cricket, but the MCG does sound like a must see, regardless.

They do aussie foot/hand/jumping about stuff as well! Seriously though probably the only sports stadium that has made my jaw drop.