SydneySunny, 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 neighborhoods and busy pedestrian precincts pristine, the parks sublime, the water in the huge harbor 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 harbor 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 harbor 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 harbor 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 center, and full use is made of the waterways with ferries and passenger jet boats plying to and from various points.
Getting Around: Sydney has a good network of buses, trains and ferries that make getting around the city and the surrounds easy, and there are numerous types of travel pass deals that are good value for money. The bus network is the most extensive, and cheapest mode of public transport, but can be slow due to traffic jams. There are also several hop-on hop-off Explorer buses especially for visitors that take in the major sights and surrounding beaches. The underground city center train loop is the fastest way to get around, but many of the tourist areas including
Darling Harbour,
Bondi Beach and Manly can only be reached by further ferry or bus connections. The best and most pleasurable way to get around is by ferry - the main terminal is at Circular Quay. A trip on the Manly ferry provides one of the best views of Sydney from the water. There is also a 10-minute monorail loop from the city center to Darling Harbour and back, and a Metro Light Rail 'tram' system between Central Station and Wentworth Park in Pyrmont. In addition metered taxis are plentiful and fairly economical; to cross the
Harbour Bridge or pass through the Harbour Tunnel will cost an extra A$3 for the toll though. Hiring a car for short visits is not recommended due to heavy congestion (in peak hours) and limited parking in the city center.
Nightlife: Sydney's nightlife is all go, with everything from pubs and jazz bars to rock venues and nightclubs. The best party areas include Darling Harbour, Oxford Street and The Rocks. For listings and free weekly entertainment guides, Drum Media and 3D World are available at bookshops and record stores. Number One Wine Bar at Circular Quay is quite popular, as are the Lord Nelson, the Australian and the Mercantile pubs of The Rocks.
Coogee Bay Hotel has a great beer garden and the Opera bar is a good waterside venue. The best nightclub is Home, housed in a space-age building in Darling Harbour and nearby, the Cargo lounge bar has trendy house music. Tank and Cave also come highly recommended. Sydney's famed drag shows can be seen at the
Imperial Hotel or The Midnight Shift.Artists, musicians and designers frequent the subterranean Oxford Art Factory in
Darlinghurst, and there are jazz and soul performances at the Supper Club in Taylor Square. The
Hopetoun Hotel and the
Annandale Hotel are good venues for new bands, while the
Sydney Entertainment Center hosts more acclaimed artists. The Basement also features live jazz, world music and international acts.
Climate: The summer season (November to March) is the most popular time to visit Sydney with temperatures regularly hitting the mid-90s Fahrenheit (35°C). November and March are favored by visitors wanting sunshine without the searing heat. Winter days can also be warm, regularly in the 70-80 degree Fahrenheit range (21-27°C), but can also be damp and chilly. Winter nights are likely to be cold.
Sydney surroundsTo the north of Sydney is the Pacific Coastal route, which passes beautiful coastal scenery, laid back seaside communities like
Byron Bay, and excellent surf, with nearly 249 miles (400km) of beaches to explore. Whale watching is popular in season and the region is also dotted with numerous national parks and nature reserves that offer activities from hiking to kayaking in the Myall Lakes. The Waterfall Way is one of the most scenic drives in the world that leaves the Pacific Coast Drive and winds up to the
New England Tablelands with its colorful history and the vineyards of the famed Hunter Valley. To the south of Sydney is Australia's only alpine habitat in the Snowy Mountains where winter skiing is the main attraction. In summer the mountains become a playground for white water rafters, fishermen, kayakers and hikers.
