Sunny, seductive Sydney is a high contender for the title of the world's most ideal city. It is slick and smart, the streets are clean, the neighbourhoods and busy pedestrian precincts pristine, the parks sublime, the water in the huge harbour blue, and the landmark buildings breath-taking. Sydney's population is approaching five million, but it is easy to leave the frenetic urban pace behind with just a simple ferry ride to the North Shore for a bush walk, enjoy a stroll along the harbour beaches or take any one of a number of daytrips to explore the 'real' Australia on the city's doorstep.
Just like its characteristic white-sailed Opera House, Sydney seems to cruise effortlessly through nights and days filled with myriad entertainment opportunities, sophisticated shopping, memorable museums, and strings of beautiful beaches. Visitors find it exhausting to take it all in, even though the tourist precinct where most of the interesting attractions are to be found is concentrated in quite a small area around the downtown waterfront and harbour area.
The fact that Sydney is a thriving seaport and industrial city has been cleverly concealed behind attractive pleasure and leisure grounds and residential suburbs, making full use of the scenic, watery geographical location. The harbour area is dominated by the span of one of the world's largest arched bridges, backed by towering skyscrapers. It is all a far cry from the remote penal colony established by the British back in 1788.
Another plus for visitors is that compared to most big cities Sydney offers excellent, reasonably priced food, accommodation and public transport. The city also has an excellent suburban rail network, with its hub at Circular Quay in the city centre, and full use is made of the waterways with ferries and passenger jet boats plying to and from various points.
Events
Sydney - The Domain, Sydney Botanical Gardens
Woolworths' Carols in the Domain is Australia's largest and most loved Christmas celebration. Every year family and friends come together at this spectacular event to celebrate the magic and joy of Christmas. The Domain, in the heart of Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens becomes a hive of activity as people from all over Australia join in and sing along to their favourite Christmas Carols. As the sun sets the Domain is transformed into a sea of flickering candlelight as Australia's best talent takes to the stage in this Christmas spectacular. Woolworths' Carols in the Domain showcases the very best of the Australian entertainment industry, from theatre, opera, and recording artists, to our most loved television personalities.
Web:www.carolsinthedomain.com | |  |
| New Year's Eve Fireworks Spectacular |
Sydney - Sydney Harbour
The splendid setting of Sydney Harbour becomes the stage for one of the most fabulous and largest annual fireworks displays in the world, watched by millions of people around the globe. The 9pm display offers an opportunity for families with young children to enjoy the celebrations. The midnight spectacular covers a four-mile (7km) stretch of the harbour and the fireworks are fired from barges on either side of the Harbour Bridge and from the bridge itself. Other activities take place throughout the evening including the traditional Tall Ships Parade decorated with lighting effects, and various carnival attractions.
Web:www.sydneynewyearseve.com.au | |  |
| Australia Day Celebrations |
Sydney - Various
Australia's National Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet and is a celebration of all that is Australian. It is the biggest day celebration in the country and includes a wide variety of water and land based activities and shows. Favourite annual events include the Ferrython, Tall Ships Race, Australia Day Parade and the traditional Regatta. Various venues throughout the city stage formal ceremonies, food and wine fairs, Australian musical performances and street entertainment, and the day culminates at Darling Harbour with a dazzling fireworks display set to music.
Web:www.australiaday.com.au | |  |
Sydney - CBD
This huge extravaganza is one of the largest and most prestigious cultural events in Australia, presenting the finest international artists and most acclaimed local talent in the performing and visual arts. Every summer the city's concert venues, theatres, galleries, streets and various outdoor venues are taken over by the creative arts, featuring a wide range of music, dance and drama, exhibitions, circuses and free outdoor entertainment in a celebration of artistic innovation unmatched anywhere else in the country. A free outdoor programme, including the enormously popular symphony and jazz concerts in the Domain, complements the ticketed events, and takes place in venues such as the Rocks, Darling Harbour and in front of the Sydney Opera House.
Web:www.sydneyfestival.org.au | |  |
Sydney
What began in 1979 as a protest march has become a huge colourful annual event to display Sydney's tolerant spirit. The city's gay and lesbian community, joined by thousands of visitors from around the world, holds a three-week festival each February culminating in a massive parade of sumptuous floats, reputedly the biggest outdoor night time parade in the world. The traditional parade route runs from Hyde Park, through Liverpool Street, Oxford Street, across Anzac Parade and on to Moore Park where it ends in an all night party at Fox Studios. Other events in the weeks leading up to the parade include a film festival, concerts, picnics, art exhibitions and sports events.
Web:www.mardigras.org.au | |  |
Sydney - Sydney Showground
Australia's massive touring music festival, Big Day Out, begins in Auckland, New Zealand each summer, then moves on to the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide before offering up its grand finale in Perth. The festival is world-renowned and certainly Australia's biggest music event, attracting top international bands as well as some Australian pop idols.
Web:www.bigdayout.com | |  |
Activities
Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a unique experience which thrills visitors and locals alike. Climbers are carefully prepared with a briefing and safety demonstration, and take on the bridge in groups of 12 at 10-minute intervals from early morning to evening every day. Climbers can choose between two guideded experiences, the Bridge Climb or the Discovery Climb: the original Bridge Climb takes visitors along catwalks and up ladders to the summit, while the Discovery Climb allows a closer look at the workings of the bridge. Most popular climb time is at twilight, when the breathtaking view from the top of the bridge is enhanced by sunset. The entire operation from preparation to descent takes three and a half hours. Each climber receives a certificate and a group photograph as a souvenir of the experience. Booking ahead is recommended to ensure you don't miss your preferred date and time. |  |
The Sydney Tower Skywalk is the city's highest open air adventure, situated at 853 feet (260m) above the ground. The open air viewing platform is only accessible as part of a tour, and allows thrill seekers to step out onto the glass floor and literally walk on the roof of the city. Participants are attached by harness to the external walkway and are accompanied by a guide, providing colourful commentary of Sydney from a unique perspective. |  |
Attractions
One of Sydney's most famous landmarks, the Harbour Bridge (known locally as the 'Coat Hanger') was completed in 1932 after claiming 16 lives during its construction. The bridge spans the 1,600-foot (500m) gap from the north to the south shore, which was previously only accessible by ferry, and accommodates pedestrian walkways, two railway lines and an eight-lane road. Visitors can experience the bridge in an adventurous way by climbing to the top as part of an organised group for breathtaking views and a feeling of personal achievement. For the less daring 200 steps lead to the Pylon Lookout for equally fantastic views at 285 feet (87m) above the water, with three levels of exhibits on the way up depicting the history and construction of the bridge.
| |  |
The best place to start exploring Australia's oldest city is at The Rocks, a restored 19th-century village at the southern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was the site of Australia's first European settlement in 1788, and is therefore considered to be the birthplace of the nation of Australia. The area features cobbled streets and squares, gas lamps, craft shops and small restaurants. Here too are several historic buildings, including one of the city's oldest, Cadman's Cottage, built in 1816, and two of Sydney's oldest pubs, the Lord Nelson and the Hero of Waterloo. It is recommended that visitors seek information and a map from The Rocks Visitor's Centre (in George Street) in order to make the most of the neighbourhood and its many attractions, which include museums, view sites, markets, monuments and buildings. From The Rocks it is also possible to access the Pylon Lookout on the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge for an amazing view of the harbour and beyond.
| |  |
One thing that is not in short supply in Sydney are beautiful Pacific Ocean beaches. Anywhere in the city, except perhaps in the far west suburbs, you will never be more than half an hour away from one. Starting from popular Palm Beach to the north, you can take your pick along the coast: there is Whale, Avalon, Bilgola, Newport, Bungan, Mona Vale, Warriewood, Narrabeen-Collaroy, Long Reef, Curl Curl, Freshwater, North Steyne, Manly and Shelly! There are several small beaches around Sydney Harbour, and moving southwards one reaches the famous Bondi Beach, with its magnificent sweep of golden sand lined with an eclectic mix of ice-cream parlours, designer cafes and surf shops. The list goes on and on: a beach for everyone, all equipped with kiosks, white sand and golden bodies. Eight miles (13km) from the city centre, Manly is perhaps the most famous of these northern beaches; it was here, in 1902, that newspaper editor William Gocher first defied the state law against public bathing and today the white sand of the south beaches and the golden sands of the north beaches are crowded with swimmers, sunbathers and surfers. Manly can be reached by ferry from Circular Quay or by foot via the Manly Scenic Walkway from Spit Bridge in the city. This walk can take three or four hours but offers some of Sydney's most breathtaking views, as well as skirting some of its most exclusive neighbourhoods. Another spectacular but much shorter walk is along the cliffs from Bondi to Bronte Beach, which takes walkers past the famous Tamarama Beach and is very popular with joggers and, at the weekend, with families.
| |  |
It may not be an ancient monument, but the architecturally distinctive Sydney Opera House epitomises the city as much as does the Great Pyramid in Cairo or the Acropolis in Athens. Situated on Sydney harbour at Bennelong Point, this intriguing white-sailed landmark is no white elephant. It is a fully functional performing arts centre in constant use. The complex consists of a massive Concert Hall that seats more than 2,500 people and has the finest acoustics in the world; a smaller Opera Theatre, also used for ballet performances; a Drama Theatre, seating about 500 people; the smaller Playhouse; and the Boardwalk dance and music venue. The building, designed by Joørn Utzon, was completed in 1973 and cost over A$100 million, most of which was raised with a series of national lotteries. There was so much controversy involved in its construction that the Danish architect returned home without ever seeing his finished product. Free performances of various types are given outside on the boardwalks around the Opera House on Sunday afternoons.
| |  |
Sydney's 'green lung' is the 30-hectare botanical garden, established in 1816 and containing more than 7,500 species of plants. Australia's very first farm was on the site where the garden now flourishes, southeast of the Opera House. Paths and walks criss-cross the gardens, leading strollers past two sets of ponds, garden sculptures and numerous horticultural areas. Don't miss the Sydney Tropical Centre; the rose, herb and succulent gardens; the First Farm; the Fernery; and the palm grove. Watch out for a young specimen of the rare Wollemi Pine (only 38 adult trees exist in the world) in the Pioneer Garden. The gardens also offer some of the best views of Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The path that skirts the harbour starting at the Opera House and leading around to Mrs Maquarie's Chair provides magnificent views of the harbour, particularly at sunset. The gardens also have a visitor's centre, shop, restaurants and kiosks. Guided walks are offered at 10.30am every day except public holidays, visitors who prefer not to walk can take a scenic train tour. Inside the Gardens you can also admire Government House, formerly the residence of the New South Wales Governor, which sits atop a hillock overlooking the Opera House and Farm Cove. It is open to the public for tours.
| |  |
This impressive Gothic cathedral is the mother church of Australian Catholics and is a landmark in the very heart of Sydney, situated on the northeastern side of Hyde Park. The cathedral was built in 1868, but its two towering spires were added as recently as 2000 after steel frames were put in place by helicopter and clad in stone. The massive cathedral is constructed from dressed pyrmont sandstone and laid out in a cruciform design. It has some lovely stained-glass windows worth viewing.
| |  |
The waterside tourist precinct of Darling Harbour, close to the central business district, is crossed by a monorail and offers plenty of entertaining diversions, museums, carnival rides, restaurants and shops. For example there is the Imax Theatre with Australia's largest cinema screen; the magnificent Chinese Garden with its serpentine paths and placid pools; and the huge Star City Casino and the Sydney Entertainment Centre. An absolute must-see is the Sydney Aquarium, one of the world's best aquariums, which has underwater walkways through two huge tanks filled with an amazing array of sea creatures. Also look out for the Powerhouse Museum and the National Maritime Museum.
| |  |
The site of the 2000 Australian Millennium Olympic Games, built on a former garbage dump, has become a favourite tourist attraction (there are afternoon bus tours from Circular Quay in central Sydney). Call at the information centre first for information, maps and tour guides. The marvellous Stadium Australia, built for the Olympic track and field events, is currently the venue for Australian rugby and soccer matches. Tours of the stadium are available. The Aquatic Centre is open to the public for swimming. A great view of the eco-friendly Olympic Park and city can be had from the observation deck of the Novotel Hotel.
| |  |
The aquarium is one of the most popular attractions at Darling Harbour, and is one of the biggest and most impressive in the world. More than 5,000 Australian fish are displayed in their natural habitats, along with Australian sharks, rays, platypus, seals, fairy penguins, crocodiles and much more. Underwater walkways give visitors an authentic view of the unique aquatic environment. The Great Barrier Reef exhibit has live coral and many tropical fish, and visitors can take a glass-bottomed boat ride to see 10 dangerous sharks from up close.
| |  |
Attached to the Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour, the new fauna and flora attraction features a huge variety of native Australian plant and animal species in nine different habitats. A walkway snakes through the enclosures, and the development comprises three floors of exhibits, with the upper level open to the sky under a mesh roof. Visitors can experience a tropical rainforest, the red centre, and get close to animals like the koala, wallabies and over 6,000 other animals. The 'zoo' also focuses on conservation and education of native flora and fauna.
| |  |
Sydney Tower, or the AMP Centrepoint Tower, is the tallest free-standing building in the city, and the second tallest in the country. Situated above the Centrepoint office building and shopping centre, the tower is one of the main attractions in Sydney for its 360-degree views and Tower Skywalk platform. The observation deck is 820 feet (250m) above the city, with an enclosed viewing platform with information on the points of interest. OzTrek takes visitors on a virtual adventure, where diverse Australian landscapes are brought to life with a unique integration of 3D holographic technology, animated models and scenic art. The Sydney Tower Skywalk platform sits above the observation deck at 853 feet (260m) above the ground, twice the height of the harbour bridge, and harnessed to the glass-floored platform, daredevils can hang out over the city far below.
| |  |
Once home to music halls and grand theatres, Kings Cross was transformed after World War II with the arrival of hundreds of troops visiting from the nearby naval base, and today still carries the reputation as the city's red-light district. Although the nightclubs, strip clubs, bars, restaurants and adult shops are still there, the atmosphere is slowly changing and levels of prostitution and drug-use have declined in recent years. The introduction of trendy cafes and the redevelopment of apartment buildings are attracting a wider crowd of people. The Cross is most sleazy at night when the bright lights come on, but during the day is an interesting mix of characters.
| |  |
The Australian Museum features everything kids love - fossils, dinosaurs, animals and plenty of other fascinating exhibits to look at. The Australian museum also features 'Kidspace', especially for the little ones. This mini-museum will help expand their minds and show them about the history of nature in a fun and colourful way.
| |  |
| Featherdale Wildlife Park |
Children who visit the Featherdale Wildlife Park will be able to interact with and observe koalas, wallabies and emus up close and personal. Kids can have their photograph taken with one of these fuzzy animals and petting the koalas is also allowed here, something you won't find anywhere else in New South Wales.
| |  |
| Powerhouse Discovery Centre |
Children will go absolutely mad for the Powerhouse Museum, where all things scientific and abound and exhibits include those that will boggle the mind, and astound the senses. The Powerhouse Museum's newly opened museum storage and collection care facility affords visitors the opportunity to see attractions such as the Olympic torch carried by Cathy Freeman in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; Sydney's first tram or the wacky Standfield mouse-trap making machine.
| |  |
While you're down under, might as well take the kids to see all that is Australian, including gigantic crocodiles, indigenous spiders, snakes, possums, kangaroos and of course, Tasmanian devils. Children will love exploring the park and discovering the exotic and indigenous animals.
| |  |
This working farm is a must for parents with little ones. Kids will be able to watch cows being milked and the daily goings on of a farm, as well as getting to play and pet the animals. Kids can enjoy shows such as the sheep shearing show, working dog show, animal feeds and even tractor rides.
| |  |
No comments:
Post a Comment