Sydney is Australia’s oldest and biggest city, and it has endless attractions to offer the visitor. Whether you want to see sights like the Opera House and the Harbour; find out all about Australia’s culture and history in its excellent museums and galleries; get some sea, sand, sun and surf on Bondi Beach; take in a great Aussie sporting occasion at the Olympic Stadium or the SCG; or simply party through the night in any (or all) of the city’s countless bars and clubs; you’ll get all you want and more here.
Things to see and do:
- Sydney Harbour – a rare combination: natural beauty enhanced by human development. Sydney Harbour captures the spirit of the city perfectly: here you can find the famous Opera House and Harbour Bridge, and taking the ferry to Manly and back is the best way to linger over these wonders at your leisure.
- Bondi Beach – not just sand and water (although it would be good enough if it were): the Bondi Beach area buzzes with shops, markets, cafes and bars.
- Kings Cross – Harry Potter fanatics look elsewhere: this is Sydney’s red light district. Seedy it may be, but alongside the prostitutes it’s alive with clubs, bars and backpacker haunts.
- Macquarie St – one for architecture groupies, Macquarie St hosts a number of grand, nineteenth century civic buildings including Parliament House and the New South Wales State Library.
- Mardi Gras – taking place in February, Sydney’s Mardi Gras celebrations are world famous for good reason – nobody does it bigger or better.
Getting there:
Sydney airport is 6 miles south of the city, serving both internal and international flights. Shuttle buses run to various locations in the city centre, and taxis and car hire are also easily accessible.
Location and weather:
Sydney is on Australia’s south-east Pacific coast, halfway between Brisbane to the north-east and Melbourne to the south-west. Summers are humid with downpours; the winters are cold; but both autumn (March-May) and spring (September-November) are pleasantly warm and sunny.
Top tip:
January is a great month to catch the city in full bloom: it’s high summer, everyone’s on holiday, there’s the New Year Test Match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the Sydney Festival is on all month, culminating in the Great Ferry Boat Race on Australia Day (January 26th).
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