New South Wales Travel Guide

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Cuisine

Cuisine in New South Wales, and Sydney in particular, reflects the state's multicultural makeup with Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Greek, Italian, African and Indian dishes all represented, and gourmet food and wine trails exist throughout the state. As a harbor city, fresh fish is a staple on most Sydney menus, particularly barramundi and snapper, around Darling Harbour and The Rocks' restaurants.

Foodies may want to visit Orange, a town in the New South Wales tablelands that prides itself on being the ‘foodbasket of the state'. Here, 20 wineries, farmers' markets and an abundance of bistros and cafés in the town center will help you savour the flavors of the region.

Regional specialties:
• Sydney rock oysters are renowned and utterly delicious.
• Fruits are plentiful due to the pleasant climate: you can find avocados, guavas, passion fruit, pears and berries.
• Fish such as red mullet, yellowfin tuna, whiting, snapper and John Dory.

Regional drinks:
• Fine red (especially Shiraz) and white (look out for Semillion) wines from the Hunter Valley.
• James Squire beers are fantastic: look out especially for their Porter and Amber Ale.

Nightlife

Sydney is known for being a city that never sleeps, and has a diverse selection of bars, pubs, nightclubs and music venues. Kings Cross in Sydney is an exciting nightlife area attracting a very diverse crowd

The famous Sydney Opera House (www.sydneyoperahouse.com) regularly hosts theater, dance, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs. Theater from amateur playhouse to large-scale productions can be found all over the city. Check out the Sydney Theater Company (www.sydneytheater.com.au), the city's premier theater outfit, for upcoming performances. There are also some night-time cruises on Sydney Harbour offering dinner and dancing. If you time it right, the annual firework display from Sydney Harbour Bridge on New Year's Eve makes it a night like no other.