Sydney West
Visit Old Government House to learn more about Australia’s convict history. Nearby, walk along a colonial carriageway in pretty Parramatta Park and visit Experiment Farm Cottage, a former colonial residence and working farm. You can picnic by the riverbank under beautiful jacaranda trees.
Reserve your tickets for major sporting attractions at Sydney Olympic Park, including Australian rules football, rugby league and rugby union. Travel by train and bus to Featherdale Wildlife Park in Doonside, where you can hand-feed kangaroos and emus. By car it’s about 60 minutes from the city centre.
About Sydney’s west
Parramatta is at the heart of Sydney’s west. The thriving business, shopping and entertainment precinct offers insights into early colonial life with Australia’s oldest public buildings. Church Street is popular for restaurants and outdoor dining.
A scenic route to Parramatta is by Rivercat from Circular Quay, near the Sydney Opera House. You’ll travel under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and into the Parramatta River. The river trip is less than 90 minutes. By train it’s under an hour.
Old Government House and Domain in Parramatta are among the Australian convict sites included on the World Heritage list. The central part of the house was completed in 1799. Convicts and colonists grew food in the Domain, now known as Parramatta Park.
Other attractions in Sydney’s west include Sydney Olympic Park, the site of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Big sporting events are held in the ANZ Stadium and concerts in the Allphones Arena. Accommodation is available near the stadium. Travel to Sydney Olympic Park by train or Rivercat.
Near the foothills of the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains you can go rafting and kayaking at Penrith Whitewater Stadium, another Olympic venue. Want to fly? Then launch into the air with Jetpack Adventures or try indoor skydiving at iFLY Downunder, both in Penrith too.