One of my happiest moments in Sydney was spent at the Sydney Aquarium. I highly recommend a visit! The aquarium is located at Darling Harbour, in a shadeless, modern area with incredible views of the Sydney skyline. It's a fairly long trek to the aquarium, depending where you park or what transport you take, so bring a stroller if you have a young child. Once there, you will be delighted by how carefully the aquarium has been set up and how lovely the exhibits are. You see a gigantic- almost as big as a man- Tasmanian crab. There are tanks with all manner of habitats and marinelife in them, plus touch tanks. Don't be disappointed if you don't see the platypus- they are always hiding. My favorite small tank was the Great Barrier Reef tank, with Nemo and other colorful fish and coral. There are two sections with tunnels of glass that you walk inside so that you are virtually in the tank with the sea creatures. One has sharks. The other- the best- is the Dugong Lagoon. Before you enter, you pass murals of Dugongs swimming with mermaids. This really stirs your imagination. And then you're in a world with these marvelous creatures. They have the sweetest, friendly faces, like stuffed animals!! And they swim around with such grace, so slowly, grabbing the lettuce from the feeder on the floor of the tank. Each time they swim by you, you will be filled with joy! I didn't want to leave! Another tip- the gift shop at the aquarium is a great place to buy souvenirs. They have really nice things, and the prices are similar to those at Paddy's Markets. So bring an extra bag and get your souvenir shopping done!
Next door, check out Wild Life Sydney, where you can see snakes, kangaroos, kookaburras, and koalas.

Directions

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is located at 1-5 Wheat Rd, Sydney NSW 2000, in Darling Harbour, call 1-800-199-657.
Buy your tickets online to save a lot of money. Online, entry is $30 for adults, $23 for NSW students and seniors, and $20 for kids. Open daily 9:30am-6pm. Last entry is an hour before closing.

Click on map for interactive view