Olympic Park can be either awe-inspiring, or sort of sad. It all depends on when you go and for what.

I visited Olympic Park twice. The first time was on a random Saturday in August and the place was a ghost town. Only one other person got off the train with me, and aside from a handful of people there for a rug expo, it was pretty desolate. I wandered around Olympic Blvd., trying to imagine what it must have been like during the Olympics and failing miserably.

My second visit was for "Olympic Park Alive!" and the place was in full swing. Alive! is a yearly festival to celebrate the memory of the Games, and it's also the finish line for the Flora marathon, so the place was packed. There was music, food, children's activities, free exhibits, and an overall feeling of energy and excitement.

This is the experience that everyone should have on the Olympic grounds, so I recommend checking their website and planning a visit around one of their events. There's a farmer's market the fourth Sunday of every month, and other sporting events and festivals take place throughout the year.

You'll probably want to go to see some of the Olympic venues, and you absolutely should. For $19.50 (student price), take the one-hour tour of the $650 million Olympic Stadium. You'll see players' changing rooms (and drug-testing rooms), the press boxes, and the private gold members club (something like $12,000 for membership, but two tickets and a parking space for every event that goes on there until 2031). You also get to walk on the field and take your picture standing on an actual podium that was used in medal ceremonies. For a little more you can also tour the Aquatic Center and see where Thorpedo worked his magic.

The Olympic Cauldron is quite a sight, all flames and gushing water (sometimes with kids running through it), and the Overflow area around it is home to several works of art dedicated to various athletes and the spirit of the Games. The newly dedicated Games Memories area is a forest of poles. Some list the names of volunteers for the Games while others show video clips, play music, or are inscribed with quote about the Sydney Games.

But don't just stop at the Olympic sights. The Millennium Parklands and Bicentennial Park surround the park for hiking and biking. Guided nature walks take place occasionally through the visitors centre.

For a short walk on your own, head to the far end of Olympic Blvd. to Haslams Pier and take the path directly to your right. If you take the high road it will lead you to the top of Kronos Hill where you'll have an impressive and tranquil view of the entire park, as well as the Sydney skyline.

Up for something a little more exciting than a hike? Olympic Park offers archery, tennis and swimming to the public seven days a week, or you can take trapeze lessons in the fig grove on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Call ahead for more information: 9714 7545.