6 hours with a rental car in Sydney in late June - what's the best way to enjoy the area
My wife and I (mid 50s, healthy, enjoy the outdoors) will be on a cruise ship that stops at Sydney on June 24, 2026. I booked a rental car for $100 for the day. Ship docks at 9:30 and leaves at 5:30. I am estimating having the car for about 6 hours (10:30 to 4:30). Where should we go to make the best of it? (We will eat a big breakfast on the ship and bring some granola bars, so that we can maximize our time on the ground and not waste it on eating lunch.)
I figure our options are either Bell Museum or Louisbourg. Not enough time for both, and I don't believe we have enough time to go to Cabot Trail. I am an engineer, so Bell Museum has a special pull, but I think there is much more to see and do at Louisbourg.
(1) Is there any other options besides these 2? Ideally, if there are good hiking trails nearby, we would be happy to just take a cab to the location, hike for 3 hours, then take another cab back -- as long as the 2 cab fares are less than the rental car cost.
(2) Alternatively, I would love a shuttle service that would take passengers from Sydney to Louisbourg, then pick up 4 hours later. If it's $50~60 round trip per person, I would happily pay for that instead of paying for a rental car. All the commercial tour companies charge more than $100 per person for a tour of Louisbourg because there is the cost of a tour guide for the day, but in reality, all we need is transportation, not a guide. Any local Sydney resident here wanting to make some money? I can probably find more cruise passengers to fill your car/minivan/bus. :-)
(3) If we go to Louisbourg, it will be June 24, not peak season yet. I understand there will be fewer programs and re-enactors. Is it still worth the visit?
Any other advice you may have for us while we are in Sydney would be much appreciated.