Sydney

In 1770 Capt. James Cook landed in Botany Bay and 18 years later a British convict settlement was established.  This is now known as Sydney and is one of the world's most beautiful cities, with a population of almost 4 million people.  It is built around a wonderful natural harbour with superb beaches.  Its Harbour Bridge and Opera House are landmarks that few people would not recognise.  It is a vibrant cosmopolitan city with attractive buildings, excellent restaurants, spectacular views, and beautiful national parks within easy reach.

Sydney's attractions include:

Sydney Harbour:  Here you can take ferry rides, harbour cruises, and short harbour flights.  Any number of water sports are available including surfing, windsurfing, snorkelling, diving, fishing, rowing, sailing and water-skiing.

Beaches:  Manly and Bondi are the two best-known of Sydney's forty beaches, famed as the home of "Beach Culture".  They are both only a 20 minute ride from the city.  You can find markets, outdoor concerts and surf carnivals here alongside the obvious beach attractions.  You can also take a cliff walk from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach.

Sydney Opera House at Bennelong Point:  During its construction the architecture of this huge building was once controversial.  Its design represent the sails of a ship.  It was completed in 1973 and its architecture is universally acclaimed.  It is the main centre for the performing arts in Australia.  The complex contains a concert hall, theatres for opera, ballet and drama, and a cinema.  It is open every day for guided tours, as well as for performances in the evening.

Visit the Olympic white water stadium to see where the Olympic water slaloms took place.  You can also go white water rafting down the course - reservations essential.

Sydney Harbour Bridge - another famous landmark.  Some of the best views of the city can be found from the South East pylon of the bridge - the climb to the top of 200 steps is well worth it!

Sydney Tower:  At 305m high  this is the tallest building in the city, and in fact in the Southern Hemisphere.  The observation deck allows a 360 degree view for up to 70km.  The Tower is open in the evenings as well as daytimes, and you can dine there for fantastic views in its revolving restaurant.  It is to be found in the Centrepoint area of the city, Sydney's largest shopping area. 

The Bridge Climb:  Did you know you can now walk across the top of the Harbour Bridge?  You will have a wonderful view of the city.  Click here for more details.

Darling Harbour:  On the western side of the city, this area is a lively blend of landscaped gardens and harbourside promenades.  The are is pedestrianised and you can approach it by monorail and ferry, as well as by car and bus.  The area abounds with museums, including the Powerhouse and National Maritime, outdoor restaurants, bars, night clubs and shops.  there is a continuous feast of entertainment including buskers, street theatre and children's activities, alongside mnonthly theme festivals.  Other events there include Aboriginal Week, the June jazz festival, New Year's Eve celebrations, the Tall Ships and Japan week.  The Sydney Aquarium, Chinese Gardens, and Sega World (an interactive indoor theme park) are also to be found there, and nearby is Sydney's Chinatown.

The Rocks

Nestling beside the great arch of the Harbour Bridge and overlooking the "sails" of the Opera House is the Rocks, Sydney's original village.  It was here in 1788 that the First Fleet with its cargo of convicts and guards arrived from England.  Restored to its original form, with cobbled streets and historic warehouses, the area is bustling with boutiques, art and craft galleries, museums, week-end markets, and some of Sydney's finest restaurants.

National Parks: Sydney Harbour National Park is an area of national park right down to the water's edge. 

The Royal Botanic Gardens beside the Opera House, offer a variety of trees, flowers and natural wildlife.

An hour south of the city is the Royal National Park, the second oldest National Park in the world and to the north of Sydney is the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

Wildlife Parks

These include Taronga Zoo, the Australia Wildlife Park, the Koala Park and the Featherdale Wildlife Park on the way to the Blue Mountains.

Special Events

These include the Sydney Festival for the whole of January; the Gay and lesbian mardi gras in February; the Royal Easter Show; the Sydney Film Festival; the Manly Food and Wines Festival in June and the Manley Jazz Festival in October.

Finally, don't miss a visit to King's Cross if you want late-night pubs and clubs; take a dinner cruise on the harbour; go by boat to eat at Doyles restaurant; if you are a dance enthusiast don't miss a performance by the Australian Ballet, the Sydney Dance Company, or the Aboriginal Bangarra Dance Company. 

IN FACT!  Plan to spend much more time in Sydney than you thought you'd need.  You won't be sorry!

The Blue Mountains

104 kms. west of Sydney, these have been a favourite holiday resort and day-trip destination for "Sydney-siders" for more than a century.  They are called the Blue Mountains because of the way droplets of oil have dispersed into the air from eucalyptus trees and altered the sun's rays, making distant objects appear blue.  The attractions include scenic railway and cablecar rides, resorts and health farms, botanical gardens, horseriding, bushwalking, golf, kayaking, abseiling, hang-gliding, art and craft galleries and antique shops.  In summer the mountains are covered in wildflowers, and there are garden festivals in spring.  There is a wide range of accommodation available.

The Hunter Valley

This is two hours' drive north from Sydney and is a wine lover's paradise, with more than 40 vineyards.  Many of the wineries have barbecue facilities, and there are plenty of good restaurants, and plenty of free wine tasting!  Other attractions in the region include racehorse studs, hot air balloon trips, pottery and leather workshops, a mining museum, hiking, swimming, horseriding, golf, cycling, fishing and birdwatching.

Port Stephens

Three hours' drive north of Sydney, the beaches of Port Stephens boast beaches of white volcanic sand and aquamarine waters.  This natural bay is two and a half times the size of Sydney Harbour and is one of the most unspoilt seaside holiday areas on the New South Wales coast and is ideal for boating, fishing and many outdoor activities including pelican feeding on the shores of paperbark-fringed lakes.  Dolphin watching cruises are available daily and ocean beaches outside the harbour are perfect for surfing.

Port Macquarie

One of the oldest towns in the state, and centre of a rich farming valley.  There is a unique Koala Hospital and an award-winning Rainforest Reserve where you can walk along a boardwalk above the forest floor.  The town is also a popular beach resort.

Coffs Harbour

This is a sub-tropical resort town , with banana plantations, a zoo, a Bird Island and a Marine Park.  The rainforest comes almost to the beaches, and a variety of activities are on offer such as white water rafting on the rainforest rapids, scuba diving, snorkelling and deep sea fishing.

Byron Bay

Further north still is Byron Bay with one of the state's best surfing beaches.  There is a scenic walk trail where you can spot dolphins, turtles and whales.  You can also dive off the Julian Rocks, or climb at Mount Warning, which is a World Heritage site and one of the world's great ancient volcanoes.  There are also craft shops, galleries and markets.

The Snowy Mountains

These are 526 kms. South West of Sydney and on the border with Victoria, and are a tourist attraction all year round.  In winter, usually from mid-June to late September, the resorts are full of skiers.  When the snow melts anglers, bushwalkers, water skiers and boating enthusiasts move in.

The Outback

Broken Hill is the main outback town, 14 hours' drive west of Sydney, but is also accessible by coach, air and the Indian Pacific train.  It was built to serve the miners of the silver, lead and zinc mines of the Barrier Range.  Activities include fishing, camel trekking, Outback tours and camping.  There are several national parks around Broken Hill with a variety of wildlife including emus and kangaroos.

There is an authentic mine, a mosque built by the Afghans in the 1890's and a ghost town of Silverton.  This has been recently revived and used for film locations.  Mad Max was filmed there, as was Priscilla Queen of the Desert.  You can also see collections of Australian art, see the Royal Flying Doctor Service and School of the Air.

Nearby is White Cliffs, Australia's oldest opal field where people live underground to keep cool.  There are also underground hotels and B&B's.

South of Sydney the coast is known as the Wildlife Coast because of the kangaroos, parrots, and dolphin in their natural habitat.  The Clyde River Estuary is famous for its oysters, and Narooma is a good place for game fishing.  There are also seals and penguins off Montague Island.