Most travelers visiting Sydney in Australia will have a list of popular attractions on their itinerary. However, unique, quirky, and sometimes weird experiences that few people are aware of or make time for in Sydney. So, we have compiled a list of unusual things to do in Sydney for those looking for unique experiences.
1. ‘Forgotten Songs’ Sound Sculpture: Weird thing to do in Sydney
The loss of nature, or at least the drowning out of the best portions of its voice, is one casualty of cosmopolitanism. A hidden street in Sydney bears a moving monument to some native creatures that formerly thrived in the metropolis. It is one of the quirky and unusual things to do in Sydney that you should not miss.
The art installation of many birdcages suspended from the ceiling, combined with audio tweeting of local birds, is thought-provoking, and what’s truly clever about this presentation is that the noises shift throughout the day to mirror the birds’ natural activities. If you return at night, the nocturnal birds sing a different melody.
2. Waverley Cemetery: One of the most unusual things to do in Sydney
This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world, and its allure is doubled by the fact that it overlooks a breathtaking ocean vista.
Since its founding in 1877, Waverley has been the burial cemetery for prominent Australians like poet Henry Lawson and Olympic gold medal swimmer Fanny Durack, as well as 50,000 more departed Australians. Visiting here is a weird thing to do in Sydney.
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3. Justice and Police Museum
In the Justice and Police Museum, you can learn about Australian criminal history’s saddest men and women. There are the apparent bad boys, such as George Freeman, a charming mobster who preferred to call himself a “bookmaker” while running organized crime in Sydney for several years (he is currently buried at the Waverley above Cemetery, so look for his gravestone while you’re there).
Then there are the wicked women you never saw coming, like Caroline Grills, an nice elderly lady who would bake things with rat poison and serve it to her friends and family.
4. A picnic beneath the Harbour Bridge
The Harbour Bridge is one of Australia’s most stunning engineering accomplishments, and viewing it up close is one of the top things to do in Sydney. It is one of the quirky and unusual things to do in Sydney that you should not miss.
Pack a picnic, get some takeout, and head to Dawes Point to see the bridge from a different angle. Because of its location just beneath the southern end of the Harbour Bridge, this grassy lawn offers beautiful vistas of Sydney Harbour and lots of shade.
To come even closer, try the BridgeClimb, which takes climbers up 134 meters to the top of the arches, where they can enjoy stunning views of Sydney Harbour. This is one of the most lovely but also weird things to do in Sydney.
5. Visit Old Government House on a ghost tour: One of the most unusual things to do in Sydney
Some brave employees stay late to share spine-chilling stories by candlelight. The Georgian mansion overlooked Paramatta and was home to Sydney’s first governors.
Your tour will begin in the cellar, at the bottom of a flight of cold stone steps. Strange stories about the house’s and site’s extraordinary past will be told, and you will hear about the early days of the prisoner colony. You will then depart for your trip in frighteningly small groups.
You will be looking over your shoulder, believe me. Stand behind a tree on the grounds where apparitions, eerie mists, and cries are frequently reported and learn about an 1800s UFO claim. Don’t go by yourself because this will be the scariest experience in Sydney.
6. Sydney Olympic Park’s Brickpit Ring Walk
The final item on this list of weird things to do in Sydney is certainly a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction. The Brickpit Ring Walk is a circular walkway built above a big pond where a thriving brickyard once existed.
The ring allows visitors to see the pond beneath, which is now a protected habitat for endangered frogs and other species.
- Location: Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127, Australia
7. Night at the Haunted Quarantine Station: One of the most unusual things to do in Sydney
Do you enjoy exploring your darker side? Stay in Australia’s most haunted hotel to put your money where your mouth is. It is one of the quirky and unusual things to do in Sydney that you should not miss.
The Quarantine Station was established in 1883 to prevent the spread of diseases brought by new immigrants and to safeguard local residents from pollution. In the modern day, the place appears to be a simple luxury resort on the surface, yet below the splendor are unconfirmed accounts of ghost encounters in images and in person.
After a ghost tour, skeptics and ghost seekers could take it further and stay over for any paranormal activity.
8. Sydney Harbour Bridge at Night
After the sun goes down, channel your inner Crocodile Dundee and climb Sydney Harbour Bridge. With your hands on your hips and your head held high, wolf-whistle at Sydney’s sexy skyline as you take in the city from a unique, 360-degree panoramic view during an instructive 3-hour climb.
Prices range from $250AUS to $350AUS, so it’s not cheap, but the actual value is being able to say “finished it, mate” every time you see this iconic icon in the media for the rest of your life.
9. In The Rocks, discover hidden laneways and heritage-listed terraces
The Rocks is a lovely historic neighborhood in Sydney, with small laneways and heritage-listed terrace buildings. Kendall Lane is one of our favorites, with centuries-old sandstone structures and The Rocks Discovery Museum, which houses amazing relics and photos that trace the precinct’s narrative from centuries ago to the present.
Another must-see is Foundation Park, a little-known historic jewel that was formerly home to eight modest townhouses built in the mid-1870s. The dwellings’ low walls still stand on a rocky hill, with tiny 3×3 meter chambers that provide a unique glimpse into the tight conditions that The Rock’s people experienced centuries ago.
10. After nightfall, visit the Sydney Opera House
Whether you’re a local or a guest, you must see the Sydney Opera House. With the ‘House After Dark’ after-hours tour of the Sydney Opera House, you can experience a side of the famed edifice that few have seen before. It is one of the quirky and unusual things to do in Sydney that you should not miss.
This fresh and unique tour will take you on a late-night excursion to regions of the building that were previously off-limits to the public. Your professional guide will lead you through the lonely, gloomy halls and tell you terrifying stories about the performing arts ghosts who stalk the corridors after everyone has gone home.
11. Walking History Tour in The Rocks: One of the most unusual things to do in Sydney
Every visitor to Sydney should see The Rocks, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. But a guided walking tour at The Rocks is a truly unique way to delve deeper into Sydney’s turbulent past.
You may discover more about Sydney’s colonial, convict, and industrial past and visit all the secret and unique locations that you might otherwise easily miss out on by taking a guided tour.
12. Class on Beer and BBQ Cooking
On a Sunday afternoon, who doesn’t enjoy a good old barbecue, ideally with a cold beer? Although preparing a BBQ may seem simple, some skill is required if you want the meat to be cooked to perfection. It is one of the quirky and unusual things to do in Sydney that you should not miss.
A fun BBQ cooking lesson can help with that. You will learn everything you need to know about timing, temperatures, various types of meat, seasoning, and much more under the instruction of experienced BBQ chefs.
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