It's 6.40am, the coffee is still too hot to drink, and the Bridge is right there. Not on a postcard, but up the road, humming with the first trains of the day. Walking across it costs exactly nothing, which in Sydney is a small miracle.
Where to start
From the apartment, stroll to Milsons Point. The bridge stairs sit across the road from Milsons Point Station. Walkers use the eastern footway (the Opera House side, conveniently), and bikes have the western side, so no need to fight a cyclist for the view. If stairs aren't your thing, there are lifts at the Kirribilli/Milsons Point end and at Cumberland Street in The Rocks.
What it's like
The span alone is 504 metres, plus the approaches. It's an easy stroll, though it takes longer if you stop for photos, which you will. Midway, the whole harbour opens up: ferries carving white lines, the sails catching the light, and somewhere behind you, your balcony.
Okay, enough poetry. Practical bit: bring sunglasses. The midday glare off the water is no joke.
Want to go higher?
At the city end, a pylon lookout has with 200 steps and a 360-degree view, for a small fee. It's a good middle ground between "walk" and "climb in a jumpsuit".
Our tip
Go at sunrise or sunset. Finish in The Rocks for breakfast, then catch the ferry home and feel very smug about it.