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This 1930s amusement park on the edge of the harbor was totally refurbished in 2004 but still feels like an old-fashioned carnival with vintage rides and quaint thrills. The setting in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge and with views of sail boats and the Opera House makes it a memorable trip down memory lane and fun for kids of all ages. You can take a ferry to and from the park from Circular Quay.

Tip: Make a reservation at adjacent Aqua for lunch or dinner before or after a visit for a delicious, grown-up dining experience or its more casual outpost Ripples.

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A visit to Sydney’s Aquarium makes for a great intro to the diversity of Australia’s marine life. It is especially fun if you are soon headed to the Great Barrier Reef or another spot with wonderful diving or snorkeling like Lord Howe Island since many of the creatures that you will meet there are also on view here. Go online before your visit to get a sense of all of the daily activities and interactions on offer such as shark feedings, marine talks and a glass bottom boat behind-the-scenes tour. Open daily until 8 p.m.

Tip: There are many restaurants just outside in Darling Harbour, including Nick’s and Eat Love Pizza, which serves excellent brick-oven pizzas.

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Sydney’s zoo is a great place to see some of Australia’s famous wildlife as well as to get one of the prettiest views of the city. You can hop on the ferry at Circular Quay and buy a zoo pass that includes round trip ferry ride. When you disembark at Taronga, either hop on the bus to the main entrance or ride the gondola, known as the Sky Safari, which also whisks visitors up to the zoo entrance. Among the Australian animal highlights are kangaroos, emus, koalas and platypus. If you sign up for one of the animal encounters, such as the Koala encounter, a zookeeper will bring you up close to koalas in their habitats.

Note: Special opportunities for real animal fanatics are spending an overnight at the zoo at the Roar & Snore Sleepover or playing zookeeper for a day. On overnights visitors sleep in African safari style tents and get to spend time exploring before the zoo opens and go behind the scenes with zoo rangers.