Welcome to sydney, australia

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 down-town 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 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.


attraction.

Harbour Bridge.

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 1,600ft (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 285ft (87m) above the water, with three levels of exhibits on the way up depicting the history and construction of the bridge.

Sydney Opera House.

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 $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.

Olympic Park.

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.


travel guide

Sydney Airports.

Kingsford Smith (Sydney) Airport (SYD).

Location: The airport is situated six miles (9km) south of Sydney.
Time: GMT +10 (GMT +11 from the last Sunday in October to the first Saturday in March). Contacts: Tel: +61 (0)2 9667 9111.
Transfer between terminals: The Airport Rail Link connects the international (T1) and domestic terminals (T2 and T3), and buses also provide frequent services between them. Some passengers may qualify for the Qantas Seamless Transfer service, which is the easiest way to transfer between the Domestic and International terminals. The Domestic terminals are walking distance apart.
Transfer to the city: The Airport Rail Link is the fastest and most convenient way to reach the city centre and the suburbs. Trains run every 10 minutes and the journey to the centre takes 13 minutes from where connections can be made for all suburban services. The International rail station is located directly below T1 International Terminal and is reached from inside the terminal on the arrivals level; the Domestic rail station is between the Domestic terminals. A taxi rank is located outside the Arrivals hall in both International and Domestic Terminals; passengers must pay a AU$2 airport toll if taking a taxi from any of the airport taxi ranks. The main coach area is located outside the International Terminal. There are bus stops at the Domestic Terminal for coaches and city express buses. Green and Gold Airport Express buses operate a service between the airport terminals and the city between 5am to 11pm. Route 300 goes to central Sydney and Central Station and Route 350 goes to Central Station, Kings Cross, Potts Point and Elizabeth Bay. Tickets are available from the driver. Shuttle bus companies provide direct transport to and from the airport and must be pre-booked; hotel buses are also available. Car rental: All the main car hire companies are represented at the airport.
Facilities: There are a wide variety of shops, bars and restaurants throughout the International Terminal, as well as shower facilities, Internet kiosks, cell phone rental, medical facilities and a visitor centre. Duty-free shopping is available throughout. T2 also has a wide range of shopping opportunities. There is foreign exchange in the International terminal (T1) and ATMs are available throughout the airport. The airport is non-smoking but there are some designated smoking areas. Business services in Terminals 1 and 2 offer meeting rooms, fax and Internet facilities. Disabled facilities and access are good.
Parking: There are both short-term, long-term and Quickpark car parks, and Pronto! Valet parking is also available for an additional AU$10 (for details call: + 61 (0)2 9667 6010).
Departure tax: None.
Website:www.syd.com.au




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