Located in the South Western corner of the country, Sydney is the capital of New South Wales state and largest city of Australia. With Australian capital Canberra and Melbourne, Sydney creates a corridor of three most important cities in the country. The city has a large immigrant population that gives it a cosmopolitan character. This is also the economic powerhouse of the country with great many tourist attractions that symbolises the modern world in which we are living.

 

Sydney has an amazing array of attractions on display and missing any one of them is not going to be a wise option. Most of the attractions in the city fall in the Central Business District and for most of the others others you will have to explore out of the city limits. The beaches in Sydney provide ample opportunity for sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, diving, bodysurfing, or simply swimming. The city has an exciting nightlife with most of venues falling within a comfortable distance of the city centre.

 

Latitude	33° 52' S
Longitude	151° 12' E
Area	1,580 Sq. Km
Population	4,000,000
Language	English
Religion	Christianity
Telephone Code	02

Sydney has a history that goes far back in time around 50,000 years ago, when South East Asian immigrants started to settle around in this region. Three major tribes Ku – ring – gai, the Dharawal, and the Dharug settled in this area and developed their own culture and tradition that remained untouched till 18th century. Famous British explorer Captain James Cook landed here in 1770 and in the year 1788, first fleet of British convicts landed at Botany Bay. They established themselves at the Sydney Cove and waited for another set of settlers to join them.

Aboriginals, the real inhabitants, were either driven away, massacred, or killed by unknown disease and their right on the land was not accepted the new settlers. Next century saw the influx of thousands of settlers from Britain and their was visible growth in the city area as well as population. In 1901, Australia became a confederation and Sydney, capital of New South Wales state. The economy and attraction of the city lost some of its sheen when the Great Depression sets in 1929, but the end of the depression in the early part of 1930's revived the hope of great growth. The city expanded phenomenally after the WWII when European settlers started to settle here in thousands. In the process it acquired European flavours and perhaps its most famous landmark, the Sydney Opera House that was opened in 1973.

 

The harbour is the most beautiful area in the city and also the main tourist attraction. Large tracts of parks, reserves, and gardens alongwith exclusive homes dot the region along the wateredge. Government run Sydney Ferries are the best and most inexpensive way of seeing much of the harbour. You can also go to the top of Pylon or Sydney towers to get a magnificent view of the harbour and the city.

 

The bridge was completed in 1932 after eight years of construction and is one of the major landmarks of the city. It is known locally as "Coat Hanger" and links residential north with the city centre in the south. Pylon Lookout here has a fascinating display of how the bridge was built.

 

Situated near the Sydney Harbour, The Rocks is the oldest area of the city. Often referred as "Sydney's Outdoor Museum", the are has been metamorphosed into an amazing blend of modernity with old world charm that has remain intact. Cafes, restaurants, tourist shops, and stalls have been established here too provide the tourists modern amenities, but the heritage and character of the area has been preserved. There are walks full lined up with the structures of historic importance, puppet cottages, and a windmill in the area. Festivals and events are organised on weekends and normal festival times.

 

The Opera House is the best known and most visible Australian building, photographed a zillion times. The building was built between 1959 and 1973, the years that saw a lot of controversies and setbacks. The end result is fascinating a watching a performance or just sipping a cup of coffee in the cafe admiring the beauty of this building is a great experience. The building is home of many art events including annual Sydney Festival.

 

Situated at a small inlet called Sydney Cove (the founding site of country), Circular Quay is the hub of Sydney Harbour.

 

It is a former dockyard area now converted into a major tourist attraction. Main attraction here include Chinese Garden of Peace, Cockle Bay Wharf, Imax Theatre, Sydney Aquarium, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sega World, Cinemagic, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, and Harbourside Shopping Centre.

 

Just a kilometre long in length, the beach is situated in the Municipality of Waverley in East Sydney. This is one of the most famous baches in Australia and a good place to take a stroll.

 

This is a new attraction added to Sydney as it was constructed for the Summer Olympic Games that were held here in September/October 2000. The main attraction in the city is Sydney Olympic Park which housed the Stadium Australia, Sydney Super Dome, Aquatic Centre as well as other important venues.

 

Sydney is such a marvellous city and there are so many attraction to cover that, it will take not less than two weeks to see them all. Some of the other important attractions in the city include Macquarie Street, The Domain, Art Gallery, and many more art galleries, museums, zoos, and beaches.

 

The festivals and events season in Sydney kicks off with Sydney Festival in January, an umbrella of many events like Open air performances, theatres, and fireworks. In the same month be ready to watch Great Ferry Boat Race and Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. In February/March be an spectator to Gay and Lesbian Mardi Grass, while Sydney Film Festival takes place in the month of June. Christmas Day and New Year Day are the time of great fun and most of the city heads toward Bondi Beach to make the most of these festivals.

 

The Rocks area houses most of the antique and handicraft shops in the city. Weekend market here is a great place to shop and to enjoy the unique atmosphere of shopping in a way that has all but forgotten by the city dwellers. For general shopping, most of the city has good shopping malls, arcades, and stores.

 

Sydney never sleeps and that should come as a surprise to those who have seen the active lifestyle the residents of the city maintains. When the darkness sets in the city, the exciting fare of music, dance, movies, drinking, and dining kicks up in the large number of nightclubs, danceclubs, pubs, bars, restaurants, and theatres. Most of the places of live entertainment are situated near the Central Business District and transportation is not a big problem even during the night.

 

A broad range of accommodation options are available in the city, depending on how much you are ready to pay. Top of the line luxury hotels can put you back by more than AU$ 200 a night, while Bread and Breakfast option will cost you just around AU$ 20 to 25 a night. Other options include apartments, guest houses, and camping grounds for the backpackers.

 

Maintaining its character of a cosmopolitan city that cares for its guests and hosts, Sydney has lined up restaurants that caters to tastes of almost all the regions in the world. Most of the inexpensive restaurants are located in and around places like Darlinghurst, Kings Cross, Paddington and Glebe, and Circular Quay.

 

Situated at a distance of around 10 southwest of the city centre is Kingsford Smith Airport. This is the main domestic and international airport of Sydney, connecting it with almost every corner of the world. Inexpensive Airport buses run from the city centre to airport, stopping at designated points.

 

Most of the major bus lines offer connections to other important cities in the country. Melbourne, Canberra, Blue Mountains, and Newcastle are some of the important places directly connected to Sydney by main roads. Inter State and regional train services connect Sydney with all the cities in New South Wales as well as other important places in Australia.

 

Sydney has multi-mode transport system that include City Circle trains, monorail, buses, and ferries. The best and most inexpensive way of seeing most of the attraction in the city is government run Action Buses. Ferry cruises around the Sydney Harbour are the best mode of transportation to explore this fascinating area. Taxis are also available and can be hired on the road or called from your hotel room.

 

Sydney Visitors Centre
06 George Street (near Circular Quay)
New South Wales Travel Centre
11 York Street, above Wynyard Station

 

Dalcross Private Hospital
28 Stanhope Road, Killara NSW 2071, Australia
Phone: (61-2) 99326600; Fax: (61-2) 94984705

Westmead Hospital & Community Health Service
Westmead NSW 2124, Australia
Phone: (61-2) 98455555; Fax: (61-2) 98455000
 

ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
255, George Street, level 24, NAB House, Sydney, NSW 2000
Phone: +61-2-92595711; Fax: +61-2-92595444

HSBC
28 Bridge Street Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61-2-9004 1888; Fax: +61-2-9004 1884

National Australian Bank
North Sydney, Cnr Miller and Mount Streets, North Sydney 2060
Phone: +61-13 2265

UBS Warburg
UBS Warburg Australia Limited Level 25 Governor Phillip Tower 1 Farrer Place Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61-2-9324 20 00; Fax:+61-2-9324 20 01