ROCKING THE ROCKS

It’s a treat to stay in The Rocks, Sydney’s most historic neighbourhood, among the convict-cut sandstone of the Harbour Rocks Hotel on Harrington Street. The hotel has 59 rooms, no two the same, facing leafy Harrington or the 19th-century streetscapes of Nurses Walk. There’s Middle Eastern restaurant Tayim (“tasty” in Hebrew), a bar at reception and a terrace oasis tucked into the colonial architecture. As with many city hotels, room prices are much cheaper these days, starting at $200 up to about $500 a night for the top suite with terrace views to the opera house (harbourrocks.com.au).