About Sydney
Brash and beautiful, Sydney sits nestled in the sandstone cliffs overlooking Sydney Harbor, basking in its role as a gateway for travelers, a mecca of culture and a playground for tourists and its 5 million residents alike.
The Rocks region has evolved in truly contemporary fashion, from the site of Australia's first permanent European settlement to its current incarnation as a leading shopping venue that offers some of the city's finest gifts, souvenirs and native crafts. It's also renowned for great restaurants and cheerful pubs. History continues to abound in adjacent Victorian suburbs, where a stroll through the cobbled streets and alleyways gives a visitor a sense of the former seaport region's rich colonial past.
Home to the Harbourside dining and shopping complex, the National Maritime Museum and the Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbor invites visitors to meander as they enjoy free music and entertainment on weekends. Outlying beaches stretch for miles, and visitors join locals on the sparkling sand.
Vast and blue, Sydney Harbour is truly the city's jewel, crowned by the Sydney Opera House. Designed by architect Joern Utzon in 1955, the majestic structure seems to say, Welcome to Sydney. Prepare to be swept away.
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You can also book popular sightseeing tours in Sydney and save your vacation time.
Getting There & Around
Linking the city of Sydney with the wider world, Kingsford Smith Airport is located ten kilometres (six and a half miles) south of Sydney's city centre. The airport has four terminals in total: three Australian domestic terminals and one international terminal.
Many of Sydney's prime attractions (The Rocks, Darling Harbour, The Opera House) are all located within a relatively small area and are best explored on foot. Travelers to city will find Sydney's public transportation welcoming, efficient and economical.
Ferries run to 30 docks all along Sydney Harbour, allowing spectacular sightseeing as travelers reach their destinations. The monorail is another exhilarating mode of transportation, but it runs only between the city center, Darling Harbour and Chinatown. Taxis roam throughout the city to take visitors to outlying attractions; pricey water taxis are also available.
A three-day Sydneypass ($60) allows unlimited travel on any public bus or ferry, including the Airport Express Bus, connections to Bondi Beach, and three sightseeing tours. Driving a car around Sydney is not recommended. Road markings are scattershod, Sydney drivers can be fast and intolerant of those learning to drive on the left-hand side, and streets are hilly and curving.
Attractions
Sydney is full of attractions for all ages. Below is a list of some suggested things to do in Sydney. You can also book some of these attractions online and save your vacation time.
Sydney Opera House
Designed in the 1950s to echo the myriad sailboats on the harbour, the Opera House was not completed until 1973. With four auditoria, it hosts a variety of cultural events throughout the year as well as guided tours every 30 to 45 minutes.
Sydney Aquarium
The spectacular aquarium was designed to give visitors the sensation of being underwater with the fish and marine mammals. Displays include seals, sharks, crocodiles and turtles.
Sydney Tower
Built in 1981 and reaching a height of 305 metres (1000 feet), the AMP Centrepoint Tower is the tallest building on the continent with the highest observation level in the southern hemisphere. The panoramic views from either the observation deck or the revolving restaurant can stretch to the Blue Mountains, 100 kilometres (62 miles) away.
Bondi Beach
Probably the best-known beach in the world, the one and a third kilometre (one mile) long Bondi Beach is the closest to the city centre and one of the best places to witness Australian beach culture.
Australian National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum charts the history of seafaring in the southern Pacific through displays of ships and artefacts, with sections devoted to exploration, immigration and the early convict settlers.
Royal Botanic Gardens
One of the city's most popular green spaces with both residents and visitors, the 24-hectare (60-acre) Botanic Gardens has excellent views of the harbour and an incredible collection of exotic and native plants, orchids and ferns.
Sydney Harbor Bridge
Completed in 1932, this bridge remains an engineering feat even today. At 1,650 feet, the bridge is the city's most-revered landmark after the Sydney Opera House. Affectionately called "The Coat Hanger," the bridge contains 8 vehicle lanes, 2 railroad tracks, a cycleway and a walkway.
Taronga Park Zoo
One of the world's great zoos, Taronga lets its guests visit nearly nose-to-nose with some of Australia's most spectacular and exotic creatures - native koalas, of course, but also kangaroos, dingoes, Tasmanian devils and wombats. Scary creatures crawl through their Reptile House habitat. A Zoo Pass includes unlimited passages on the scenic gondola that meanders the 75-acre compound.
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