Sexy, sultry Sydney is a gold-medal
city that glitters with sun-drenched attitude and seduces
with beaches and bodies beautiful. Her Olympic-sized
heart charmed the socks off the world during the 2000
Games and continues to beat with passion and pride.
She is Australia's premier city, the oldest settlement
in Australia, the economic powerhouse of the nation
and the country's capital in everything but name. Built
on the shores of stunning Port Jackson, you would have
to die and go to heaven before you see a more spectacular
setting for a city. It's a vital, self-regarding metropolis,
exuding both a devil-may-care urbanity and a slavish
obsession with global fads.
The centre of Sydney is on the south shore of the harbour,
about 7km (4mi) inland from the harbour heads. Skyscrapers
in the Central Business District (CBD) vie for dominance
and harbour views, but the city's relentlessness is
softened by shady Hyde Park and The Domain parkland
to the east, Darling Harbour to the west and the main
harbour to the north. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and
the harbour tunnel link the city centre with the satellite
CBD of North Sydney and the suburbs of the North Shore.
The city's airport, Kingsford Smith (otherwise known
as Mascot), is about 9km (6mi) south of the city centre.
Central station, Sydney's main train station, is in
the south of the city centre, and the main bus terminal
is just outside it.
When to Go
The
best times to visit are the shoulder seasons of spring
and autumn, especially around March-April or October-November.
These seasons are a delight, with clear, warm days and
mild nights. Sydney is blessed with a temperate climate
and averages summer temperatures of around 25°C
(77°F). It can get up to 40°C (104°F) on
a hot day and high humidity can make it oppressive,
but torrential downpours often break the heat between
October and March. Winters are cool rather than cold.
Beach lovers unperturbed by the hazards of lizard-skin
and melanomas should come between December and February.
Places to Visit
Sydney Harbour
Sydney Harbour is a people-friendly
harbour with beautiful natural resources,
a place where people have lived, worked and visited
for thousands of years. It is the largest natural harbour
in the world. The two distinguishing features of this
harbour are The Sydney Opera House and The Sydney Harbour
Bridge. Also known as Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour was
discovered by the European Lt. James Cook in 1770. There
are four extant islands within the harbour and several
others have been linked to it.
The Rocks
Once
home to aboriginal Cadigal people and now Sydney’s historic
old town quarter, The Rocks is housed between the famous
Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. It is
exactly the place where mariners of the First Fleet
stepped ashore on 26 January 1788 and British settlement
of Australia was first established. The place offers
tourists not only great food, and shopping experience,
but also breathtaking views of the harbour. Places worth
visiting there include The Rocks Pub Tour, Museum of
Contemporary Art, BridgeClimb.
Circular Quay
Circular Quay is a major city terminal
for buses, trains and ferries. It is supposed to be
Sidney’s harbourside transporation hub for city’s central
business district. It is the most convenient terminal
from where new comers can start their discovery of the
city. It is a major ferry terminal of Sydney. It being
a focal point of the city, Circular Quay is an ideal
meeting place for people. On the West coastal side of
the Quay is situated the museum of Contemporary art,
Overseas Passenger Terminal, and some nice restaurants.
On the east coast side, one can find shops, restaurants,
sidewalk cafes.
Sydney Opera House
Opened
in 1973, the Opera House is one of the busiest performing
arts centre in the world. It presents theatre, musicals,
opera, contemporary dance, ballet, symphony concerts,
jazz, exhibitions and films. It operates 24 hours a
day, every day of the year except Christmas Day and
Good Friday. There are about 1000 rooms in the opera
house along with five main Auditoria. It has a Reception
Hall, five rehearsal studios, four restaurants, six
theatre bars, extensive foyer and lounge areas, sixty
dressing rooms and suites, library, an artists' lounge
and canteen known as the "Green Room", administrative
offices and extensive plant and machinery areas.
Macquarie St
Situated in the eastern side of
Sydney, Macquarie Street extends from Hyde Park to Sydney
Opera House. It was named after the early South Wales
Governor Lachlan Macquarie and is the host of many prominent
buildings of Australia like Sydney Hospital, Hyde Park
Barracks, St. James Church, Parliament of New South
Wales, State Library of New South Wales, Reserve Bank
of Australia, etc.
Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour is one of the world's great waterfront
destinations that provides great leisure and entertainment
opportunities to the tourists. A winner of many construction
industry and tourism awards, it was named Darling Harbour
in honor of Governor Ralph Darling - Sydney’s Governor
in 1826. Stretching from Paddy’s Markets and Sydney
Entertainment Centre in the south to King Street Wharf
and the Maritime Museum in the north, it is Home to
the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium,
IMAX Theatre and Powerhouse Museum.
Bondi Beach
Ranked among one of the best and most well known beaches,
Bondi Beach is the star attraction of Australia. It
is approximately one kilometer long and is located on
the east coast of Australia. Not only this, it is a
suburb of the city of Sydney and is well served by public
transport. A lot of activities take place in Bondi Beach
throughout the year like surfing competitions, kite
flying, festivals, markets, galleries, etc. For food
lovers, the place offers amazing coffee shops and places
to eat along the beach and in the back streets. There
are also many places to stay.
The
best times to visit are the shoulder seasons of spring
and autumn, especially around March-April or October-November.
These seasons are a delight, with clear, warm days and
mild nights. Sydney is blessed with a temperate climate
and averages summer temperatures of around 25°C
(77°F). It can get up to 40°C (104°F) on
a hot day and high humidity can make it oppressive,
but torrential downpours often break the heat between
October and March. Winters are cool rather than cold.
Beach lovers unperturbed by the hazards of lizard-skin
and melanomas should come between December and February.
a place where people have lived, worked and visited
for thousands of years. It is the largest natural harbour
in the world. The two distinguishing features of this
harbour are The Sydney Opera House and The Sydney Harbour
Bridge. Also known as Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour was
discovered by the European Lt. James Cook in 1770. There
are four extant islands within the harbour and several
others have been linked to it. 
Once
home to aboriginal Cadigal people and now Sydney’s historic
old town quarter, The Rocks is housed between the famous
Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. It is
exactly the place where mariners of the First Fleet
stepped ashore on 26 January 1788 and British settlement
of Australia was first established. The place offers
tourists not only great food, and shopping experience,
but also breathtaking views of the harbour. Places worth
visiting there include The Rocks Pub Tour, Museum of
Contemporary Art, BridgeClimb. 
Opened
in 1973, the Opera House is one of the busiest performing
arts centre in the world. It presents theatre, musicals,
opera, contemporary dance, ballet, symphony concerts,
jazz, exhibitions and films. It operates 24 hours a
day, every day of the year except Christmas Day and
Good Friday. There are about 1000 rooms in the opera
house along with five main Auditoria. It has a Reception
Hall, five rehearsal studios, four restaurants, six
theatre bars, extensive foyer and lounge areas, sixty
dressing rooms and suites, library, an artists' lounge
and canteen known as the "Green Room", administrative
offices and extensive plant and machinery areas.
