Drink in Sydney's extraordinary natural beauty with an experience that takes you beyond the city's iconic landmarks. Take a scenic flight over Sydney Harbour and along the spectacular coastline – then head out west for a sunrise hot-air balloon flight. Delight in the hidden charms of the saltwater harbour on cruises, sailing experiences and kayaking tours. And navigate the tree-lined rivers bordering Sydney to the west and the north as slowly or as fast as you like. Here are some unique perspectives that make Sydney truly unforgettable.

Soar high above the harbour

Gaze down in awe at Sydney Harbour and a string of golden surf beaches on an unforgettable scenic flight with Sydney Seaplanes. If you've never been on a seaplane before, you're in for a treat as your pilot taxis away from a wharf in the pretty harbourside suburb of Rose Bay, points the nose at the grand houses lining the foreshore, thuds over the chop and lifts the roaring seaplane up into the air. 

Buckle up for a 30-minute Sydney Secrets scenic flight, which heads up to Palm Beach at the tip of the Northern Beaches, returning via the picture-perfect Pittwater and passing over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House before landing at Rose Bay. Fly over Bondi's famous crescent-shaped beach as well as Sydney Harbour on the 15-minute Sydney Highlights flight, or book a dine-and-flight package to be whisked away by seaplane to an exclusive waterfront restaurant such as Berowra Waters Inn or Cottage Point Inn for a delicious leisurely lunch.

Get out on the water

If heights aren't your thing, there are plenty of other ways to appreciate the beauty of Sydney Harbour. Indulge your senses as you sightsee your way around this magnificent body of water and feast on regional NSW produce and wines on a lunch or dinner cruise with Journey Beyond Cruise Sydney. 

Step onto Journey Beyond's 78-foot luxury cruiser the Spirit of Migloo to be welcomed with a glass of sparkling, and savour a three-course menu heroing the state's incredible produce on a 2.5-hour, all-inclusive dinner cruise. Be spoilt for choice as you browse tempting dishes like Riverina lamb and Upper Hunter Valley beef on the à la carte menu on a lunch cruise, or enjoy the late spring warmth on a daytime Sydney Sundeck Cruise, available from November through to the summer months.

Feel a more intimate connection to the harbour as you surge through the water on Southwinds, an impeccably restored 1950s sailing yacht, to enjoy lunch or dinner at a harbourside restaurant with Manly Sailing. Clamber aboard a powerboat in Barangaroo to be transferred to Southwinds for a Harbour Sail & Beachside Dining cruise before enjoying lunch or dinner at Boilerhouse Kitchen & Bar at Manly's Quarantine Station hotel and heritage site. Manly Sailing also offers a Luxury Sydney Harbour Cruise, during which you can take the helm and navigate the yacht yourself, as well as sailing lessons for complete beginners. 

Or slow right down and see eye to eye with seagulls wheeling over the waves on a guided kayak tour with Kayaking Sydney. Trace the sun's path as it sets over Sydney Harbour on the Sunset Kayak Tour, paddling across the sheltered waters and hidden inlets lying beyond McMahons Point. 

Venture onto a secluded river

See the wild side of Greater Sydney by making your way to the waterway that marks its northern border: the Hawkesbury River. Start your exploration of this magical river at the tiny town of Brooklyn, on the northern fringe of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, where you have two very different modes of transport to choose from. 

Start your engines (after a safety induction and practice ride) for a guided jet-ski tour of the Hawkesbury with Jet Ski Safaris. Zip along at speeds of up to 30 knots as you pass under the Pacific Motorway bridge and jet-ski your way inland, past the heritage-listed wreck of the HMAS Parramatta to the riverside hamlet of Spencer during a 1.5-hour or 2.5-hour safari. There's also a one-hour tour where you'll run up as far as Bar Island before cruising back to the marina – and no, you don't need a licence to ride these jet skis.

Settle in for a more chilled ride as you join the Riverboat Postman, a historic mailboat service, on its three-hour weekday postal delivery run to isolated settlements along the lower reaches of the river. Refresh with a morning tea of the mailboat's famed Anzac biscuits as it begins its journey, and enjoy lunch served with a side of the Hawkesbury's colourful history along the way. 

Come on the weekend for a cruise minus the mail stops, with the Riverboat Postman setting off in the opposite direction to the mail run on the 75-minute Hawkesbury Sightseeing Express cruise from Brooklyn to the Central Coast's Broken Bay, or sailing inland on the three-hour Sunday on the Hawkesbury tour. 

Immerse in the rhythms of the river by hiring a luxe houseboat from Able Hawkesbury River Houseboats at Wisemans Ferry. Splash out on the Five Star Luxury Spa houseboat and bring your family or inner circle of friends to share the five queen bedrooms and heated 10-person spa on this top-of-the-range vessel. Or hire one of Able's smaller craft, which sleep from four to eight guests, and cast a line in the Hawkesbury's lower reaches in search of your next dinner. 

Be wowed out west

Follow the Hawkesbury far enough inland and it becomes the Nepean River. Get to know this picturesque river at the base of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains on a Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler cruise, departing from the Western Sydney hub of Penrith.

Soak up the old-world charm of the family-run paddlewheeler as you admire the dramatic rock formations of the 50-million-year-old Nepean Gorge on a Scenic Adventure Cruise or a Morning in the Gorge outing. Board as dusk descends to enjoy a three-course dinner on a Twilight Dinner Feast cruise, with regular departures from spring to autumn. 

To see the Nepean from a brand-new perspective, wake up well before the first rays of sunlight brighten the horizon and clamber aboard a hot-air balloon with Balloon Aloft Camden. Bask in a spectacular sunrise over the history-steeped town of Camden, an hour's drive southwest of central Sydney, from your vantage point more than 600 metres above the Macarthur Valley. 

You'll still be glowing as you descend and enjoy a celebration breakfast at a nearby rustic inn. Keep the good vibes flowing by walking or cycling Camden's Nepean River Cycleway, spotting countless wetlands birds along the way, and by following the Nepean River Trail to view a series of murals, installations, sculptures and other intriguing artworks.

Editor's Notes:

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