Introduction to Travel in Sydney, Australia
By webmaster on Jun 4, 2008 in Australia, Guideline
Sydney, New South Wales
The impact on the city was all-embracing, with fifty years’ worth of development compressed into four years under the pressure of intense international scrutiny. Transport infrastructure was greatly improved and a rash of luxury hotels and waterside apartments added themselves to the skyline. The City of Sydney Council spent $200 million to improve and beautify the city streets, public squares and parks, and licensing laws changed too, creating a European-style bar culture. Sydney now has all the vigour of a world-class city, with the reputation of its restaurants in particular turning the lingering cultural sneers to swoons.
It seems to have the best of both worlds – twenty minutes from Circular Quay by bus, the high-rise office buildings and skyscrapers give way to colourful inner-city suburbs where you can get an eyeful of sky and watch the lemons ripening above the sidewalk, while to the centre’s north and south are corridors of largely intact bushland where many have built their dream homes. During every heatwave, however, bushfires threaten the city, and sophisticated Sydney becomes closer to its roots than it sometimes feels. In the summer, the city’s hot offices are abandoned for the remarkably unspoilt beaches strung around the eastern and northern suburbs.
It’s also as beautiful a city as any in the world, with a setting that perhaps only Rio de Janeiro can rival: the water is what makes it so special, and no introduction to Sydney would be complete without paying tribute to one of the world’s great harbours. Port Jackson is a sunken valley which twists inland to meet the fresh water of the Parramatta River; in the process it washes into a hundred coves and bays, winds around rocky points, flows past the small harbour islands, slips under bridges and laps at the foot of the Opera House. If Sydney is seen at its gleaming best from the deck of a harbour ferry, especially at weekends when the harbour’s jagged jaws fill with a flotilla of small vessels, racing yachts and cabin cruisers, it’s seen at its most varied in its lively neighbourhoods. Getting away from the city centre and exploring them is an essential part of Sydney’s pleasures.
It might seem surprising that Sydney is not Australia’s capital: the creation of Canberra in 1927 – intended to stem the intense rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne – has not affected the view of many Sydneysiders that their city remains the true capital of Australia, and certainly in many ways it feels like it. The city has a tangible sense of history: the old stone walls and well-worn steps in the backstreets around The Rocks are an evocative reminder that Sydney has more than two hundred years of white history behind it.
Sydney Opera House
Fourteen troubled years in the building, and AUD95 million over budget, the controversial sail-like roofs of Sydney’s most recognizable icon glisten against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Danish architect Jorn Utzon has reportedly never laid eyes on his masterpiece, resigning in 1966 due to political difficulties and construction delays—it was finally finished in 1973. It now has an impressive yearly program of up to 3,000 contemporary and classical performances and is a truly memorable place for theatre, opera and ballet. Various guided tours operate daily from 9a-5p. Cost: Adult AUD22; Seniors/Students/16 & Under AUD16.
Manly Beach
Manly is a popular beachside resort and a favourite with generations of families. In 1915, Aussie surfing was born here, when Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku rode a plank of shaped wood. There was also the one-man beach protest against the no daylight swimming law, which heralded the rise of Sydney’s fanatical beach culture. Manly has an array of beaches to explore, both harbour and surf, and some breathtaking coast walks. Shops and restaurants abound around the Corso.
Sydney Aquarium
Take a journey through Australia’s rich and diverse marine ecosystems and discover the world’s largest collection of all-Australian aquatic life, with over 12,000 marine animals. Walk underwater and come face to face with dozens of fierce sharks, giant rays, a ferocious 3 metre saltwater crocodile. For the fainter of heart, watch playful seals, a platypus, and adorable penguins. Sydney Aquarium is home to the largest Great Barrier Reef exhibit in the world and interactive touch pools that feel just like being at Sydney’s sea-side rock pools. Purchase tickets online to receive a 10% discount.
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