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Where are we getting married?
Both the venue for the ceremony & the reception are being held in the harbour side suburb of Balmoral. This is on the north side of the bridge and will take approximately thirty minutes from Bondi in a taxi.

The ceremony will take place on Rocky Point Island, Balmoral Beach. It's not really an island as it's connected to the mainland, however there is a cement bridge that you need to cross to get to it. The island is located near the corner of The Esplanade & Mandalong Road and for those coming in taxi's, ask your driver to drop you near the Rotunda at Balmoral Beach.
The reception will then take place at the Bathers Pavilion which is a 5-10 minute walk from Rocky Point Island. It's a beautiful stand alone white art deco building, north of the Island on the water side of The Esplanade. You can't miss it. http://www.batherspavilion.com.au/

Click here for a map of to both venues; http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2158/3760/1600/Rocky%20Point%20Island%20Map.jpg

For those that are driving (!?) there is limited street parking available along The Esplanade.

What dates are we in Sydney?
Jodie flies in on the 11th February, two weeks before the wedding with David flying in on the 17th. We then don't fly out for our honeymoon until March 3rd, the Saturday after the wedding. In other words, we'll be in Sydney for a while so we'll be able to catch up with everyone both before & after the wedding.

Do we have a gift registry?
Yes & no. We decided not to go with the traditional wedding list at a department store and instead, have opened up a honeymoon account with Audley Travel.
If you wish to find out more about about our honeymoon and how you can contribute, please visit https://secure.audleytravel.co.uk/weddinglist/. The Guest Login that you will require is VC29120HM.

What to do?

It really depends how much time you have to spare & what you like to do on holidays.

For those not scared of heights a walk over the the bridge is one way to see Sydney from way up high - be warned, it's not for the faint hearted but well worth it. http://www.bridgeclimb.com.au/?mt_typ=9300&source=aw_sydney_bridgeclimb

Heights a bit to much? How about keeping it a harbour level & catching the ferry from Circular Quay to spend an afternoon in Manly? Or catch the ferry to Mosman and spend the afternoon at Taronga Zoo http://www.zoo.nsw.gov.au/content/view.asp?id=39.

The Bondi to Coogee walk. http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/new-south-wales/sydney/attractions/natural/bondi-to-coogee-coastal-walk/wales/sydney/attractions/natural/bondi-to-coogee-coastal-walk/ It takes about two hours on a cemented path & impossible to get lost. You don't need to be fit to walk it although do expect to be run down by joggers for most of the way. Take a hat & sun screen - no shade for the journey.

If you want to give your credit card a good going over, the Westfield shopping centre at Bondi Junction http://westfield.com/bondijunction/index.html combined with the shops along Oxford Street, Paddington should satisfy most retail cravings. Talking about Paddington, there are fantastic Saturday markets held in the grounds of Paddington Uniting Church http://www.paddingtonmarkets.com.au/.

For those interested in Sydney's convict history, The Rocks is an interesting place to visit http://www.therocks.com/are.

The Botanical Gardens http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/ back onto the Opera House & arereally lovely to walk around. The view of the bridge from Lady Macquaries chair is worth a visit, particularly at sunset.

Day trips from Sydney
For those keen to escape to clutches of the city, the Blue Mountains is the perfect place to get away for a day http://www.bluemts.com.au/. A round trip is do-able in a day and keep in mind that it is usually 3-4 degrees cooler than Sydney.
For those wanting more than just a day trip, the Hunter Valley (4 hours north of Sydney) is a great place to visit if you are keen on Australian wines. As the centre of NSW wine country, it makes for a great place for an overnight stay. http://www.winecountry.com.au/

Where to stay?
We've not stayed in any of these hotels but we've used a bit of local knowledge to find some that we think are ok.

For those that don't know Sydney, Balmoral Beach is on the north side of the harbour. Balmoral is a quietish suburb and for that reason is not known for it's abundance of hotels. So for that reason, and the fact that it will only take a thirty minute cab ride to come from the south side, all our accommodation recommendations are from the south side of the bridge.

Beach
It's going to be high summer in Sydney when you arrive in February - for that reason the beach is the pick of all locations. So why not Bondi?
If apartment style is your thing you could try the Apartments, Bondi Beach http://www.apartmentsbondibeach.com/content.cfm?ContentType=Content&ContentID=1.
Not set right on the sand but only a ten minutes walk up the road. Just mention us & the wedding & they might give you a discount.

If hotel style is more what you're after Ravesi's http://www.ravesis.com.au/ is quite smart & has a great beach front bar. No complaints here.

City
If cosmopolitan living is more your style, then try the Kirketon Hotel in Darlinghurst http://www.kirketon.com.au/. Boutique style and surrounded by bars, clubs & restaurants. Very inner city.