Sydney’s Ultimate Luxury: One Night on the Harbour

Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Chanel and Hermes. Sydney’s high end shopping can compete with any fashion capital. There’s plenty of fine dining restaurants, museums and art galleries too.

So what sets Sydney apart?

If you’re in Sydney for just a few days and enjoy the finer things in life, Sydney Harbour is the perfect backdrop for a night of uber luxury you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

You won’t find bigger bling than the sparkle off the Opera House sails in the sun. And forget the high fashion – the Coathanger, as the Harbour Bridge is colloquially known, is a design worth admiring.

The Intercontinental, the Four Seasons, the Marriott Sydney Harbour, the Shangri-La – the list of five star hotels clustered around Sydney Harbour is long. But the Sydney hotel of choice for visiting royals and rockstars is the Park Hyatt Sydney.

Perched on water at the edge of The Rocks, the Park Hyatt has almost 360 degree views of the Harbour. From the rooftop pool to the spa treatment rooms, you’re never far from the glimmer of the ocean or the shadow of the bridge.

If an A-lister celebrity is town, expect the suite level to be booked out. Yes, the entire floor is often booked for absolutely privacy from those paparazzi lenses – although you’ll often find the celebs happily sun baking on the roof.

So, what to do once you’ve settled into your five star hotel? A Bridge Climb for the birds eye view, a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art for a culture fix or perhaps a short water taxi ride to Fort Denison Island for a private cheese tasting.

Once the sun has gone down, there’s one annual event that draws crowds from across the country. Handa’s Opera on Sydney Harbour is an engineering and artistic marvel held over three weeks in early Autumn. An outdoor Opera is nothing new, but an outdoor Opera performed over the water – that’s something different.

With a 1276 square metre stage suspended over the water in the sheltered cove at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, this year’s Opera is the tragic love story of Madama Butterfly. The story traditionally takes place overlooking a Harbour but this time the water rippling in the background is real.

The cast work with the elements – wind lifts wedding banners high into the air, the flickering flames of a fire cast spooky shadows on the set and the thrilling operatic voices rises above it all.

For this short season, March 21 – April 12, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair has been transformed into a piece of Japan. Walk through the traditional archways down to the waters edge with plenty of time to watch the sunset. Sip champagne, snack on Japanese tapas or go all out and enjoy a decadent meal in the Platinum Club. Once darkness falls, the stage comes to life. With fireworks, speedboats, a giant floating moon and rising sun, this is a night to remember.