Trip to Sydney

Sydney is known as the Harbor City. It's the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia with an enviable reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful and live able cities. Long term immigration has led to the city’s reputation as one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in Australia and the world. The city is also home to the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, two of the most iconic structures on this planet.

History of Sydney

Sydney is a major global city and one of the most important cities for finance in the Asia-Pacific. The city is surrounded by nature and national parks, which extend through the suburbs and right to the shores of the harbor.

Sydney's 4,757,083 residents (according to a 2013 estimate) sprawl over an area of more than 12,350km². The time zone is identical with the majority of the state of New South Wales: GMT +10. The local time zone is AEST or Australian Eastern Standard Time. The city, as does the rest of the state, observes Daylight Savings time from October to April each year.

Sydney became the centre of the world's attention in September 2000 when the city hosted the Summer Olympics - officially announced by the IOC Chairman at the closing Ceremony to be the "the best games ever"! The Olympics saw a major building and renovation program take hold of Sydney, positioning it as one of the great world cities of the 21st century. Sydney continues to attract and host large international events.

Sydney continued to grow, despite Macquarie's absence. In 1842, Sydney was incorporated and became Australia's first official city. The practice of transporting convicts ended in 1850, by which time it had a population of 35,000 people.

Australia experienced overall population depletion as citizens left the country to seek their fortune in the gold fields of California. Around 1852, though, gold was discovered in Australia and people came pouring back into the country. The Australian economy boomed. By 1871, Sydney's population had reached 200,000.

Despite a few setbacks, namely an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900, the Great Depression and two world wars, Sydney continued to thrive.

Today, Sydney is home to over four million "Sydneysiders." It is considered one of the most diverse cities in the world, with more than 40% of the population originally hailing from outside Australia. Its comfortable climate, iconic structures, beautiful beaches and exotic wildlife have all combined to help make Sydney one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

Sydney's population continued to grow. Today it has the largest population of any city in Australia, although Melbourne is hot on its heels. It is considered one of the most multi-culturally diverse cities in the world. Approximately 60% of the 4.8 million people who call Sydney home were born in Australia. People identifying as English or Chinese comprise the majority of the rest of the population.

This population diversity is reflected in a multitude of spoken languages. (Australian) English is considered the national language of Australia. It's similar to British English (which differs somewhat from American English) but has some of its own unique vernacular. While the majority of people speak English, it would not be considered out of place to hear conversations in Chinese, Arabic or Greek. When taken as a whole, Sydneysiders speak over 250 languages.

When it comes to religious beliefs, Roman Catholics and Anglicans form the biggest religious groups, with Islam coming in a close third. Close to 18% of the population do not identify with any religion.

Climate at Sydney

Sydney is comfortable for travelers to visit any time of year. The city enjoys over 300 sunny days each year.

-Summer (December to February) is the best time to enjoy Sydney's beachside outdoor lifestyle. Temperatures usually reach around 26°C (about 79°F) but it can be very hot, with temperatures climbing to over 40°C (104°F) for a few days each summer. Summer days can be humid, and sometimes have searing dry winds, but they frequently end with a "southerly buster", a cold front sweeping up from the south, bringing a clearly noticeable drop in temperature, rain and thunder. Within hours, the storm can pass and the evening continues cooler. Hot windy days can create a risk of bushfire, and on days of severe risk national parks and walking trails may be closed. 'Total fire bans' are also common - they will be announced on weather reports and on signs at national park entrances (also on the website of the Rural Fire Service). Occasionally low pressure systems drift down from the tropics, giving periods of more unstable weather. You won't need to pack much more than T-shirts to visit Sydney in summer, but remember your hat and sunglasses.

-Autumn (March to May) is still warm with mild nights. There can be good days for the beach in March, but you can't count on it. It is a good time for visiting attractions, going to the zoo, catching ferries around the harbour without the summer crowds. You may need a warm top for the evenings, especially for May.

-Winter (June to August) is cool, not cold. Average July maximum temperatures are 17°C, and daytime temperatures rarely drop below 14°C, but night-time temperatures can fall to below 10°C. Most rain falls as a result of a few off-shore low pressure systems, which usually result in two or three rainy weeks during winter. The Icebergs will be in the ocean doing their morning laps, but most of Sydney will be well away from the beach. It does not snow in Sydney, and unless you intend spending long periods outside, you can usually get by with just a warm top. Sydney is a year-round city, and only the outdoor water-parks close for the winter. If the beach isn't your scene, and you don't like the heat, winter may be your time to visit.

-Spring (September to November). Spring days are great for exploring Sydney's attractions, bushwalking, cycling, and the outdoors. Beaches are generally patrolled from the end of October, and Sydney siders start flocking to the beaches in November. Sydney is the driest and sunniest in spring.

How to Reach

-By plane

Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is Australia's busiest airport and the main gateway to Australia. It is located around 9 km south of the City centre in Southern Sydney on the northern shores of Botany Bay. Sydney Airport is the oldest continually operated commercial airport anywhere in the world.

Over 35 airlines fly in and out of Sydney Airport with daily flights linking Sydney to key destinations on every continent. The Asian-Pacific transport hubs of Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul have several daily flights, as do the European centers of London, Paris and Frankfurt (with stopovers in Asia). There are also non-stop flights to Dubai in the Middle East. North America is connected via Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas-Fort Worth and Vancouver. Travelers from South America can fly direct from Santiago (stopover in Auckland). Africa is connected with a daily direct flight from Johannesburg.

You can fly to Sydney directly from all other Australian capital cities and from many major regional airports. Otherwise, you need to fly to the state capital and transfer to a Sydney flight. Sydney can be reached within an hour and a half from Melbourne and Brisbane, 45 minutes from Canberra and just under four hours from Perth and Alice Springs

-By ship

Circular Quay, with the Queen Mary 2 docked, as seen from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Cruise ships generally dock at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay or at the new (Dec 2013) White Bay Cruise Terminal to the west of the old Darling Harbour facility it replaced.

Circular Quay is a spectacular and convenient place to dock, next to the Harbour Bridge and just west of the Sydney Opera House. You can walk off the ship into the city centre and The Rocks or to the Circular Quay Train Station.

White Bay in the Inner West is a new wharf for passenger arrivals on cruise ships that are able to sail under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The best access to this terminal is via taxi from Central or Town Hall railway stations (approx A$20 as at November 2014), or via a shuttle bus. Most cruise lines will have airport or Central railway station buses available for a fee (P&O A$30pp to Central as at November 2014). There can be a long wait for a taxi back to the city. This area is closed to the public during non cruise days. Note that there is no convenient public transportation and no long term parking or hire car facilities available at White Bay Cruise Terminal. Cruise ship passengers departing from White Bay may have a spectacular view of Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House on the sail away.

Landmarks

Sydney cityscape at dusk, viewed from the North Head lookout

The Sydney Harbour Bridgecrosses the harbour from the The Rocks to North Sydney. There are many different experiences centred around the bridge. You can walk or cycle across, picnic under, or climb over the Harbour Bridge.

-The Sydney Opera House -The Sydney Opera House is simply one of the most famous structures ever built. It is in the city centre.

Darling Harbour is a large entertainment precinct and includes a range of activities, restaurants, museums and shopping facilities.

-Sydney Olympic Park -Home of the 2000 Olympics and now parklands and sporting facilities.

-Luna Park -Is a large theme park situated near the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Its mouth-shaped entrance can be seen from many areas of Sydney as well as the large Ferris wheel.

-Sydney Tower also called Centre point Tower or AMP Tower. The tallest structure in Sydney, the tower contains a buffet, cafe and a rather large restaurant and attracts many visitors a year. The tower is in the City Centre.

-Royal Botanic Gardens the Royal Botanic Gardens were first established in Sydney by Governor Bligh in 1816. The gardens cover 30 hectares and adjoin the 35 hectares making up the Domain, there are over 7500 species of plants represented here. The gardens are at the north eastern corner of the City Centre and overlook Sydney harbour.

Historical areas

La Perouse

The Rocks has sites preserved from Sydney's early settlement.

Parramatta to the west of Sydney is the site of many of Sydney's oldest buildings from colonial times.

Macquarie Street in the City has a string of historical sites, from the first hospital in the colony, to the Mint to Hyde Park Barracks, to the Conservatorium which was the original government house stables. Sydney Hospital was first known as "The Rum Hospital", it was the first major building established in the colony.

La Perouse, near Botany Bay, in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs contains the grave of an early French explorer, museum, and old fort.

The walk from Manly to Middle Head passes many coastal artillery fortifications built into the cliffs of Sydney Harbour during the late nineteenth century.

Mrs Macquarie's Chair and walk near the Botanical Gardens in the City

Anzac War Memorial at the eastern end of Hyde Park in the City Centre. The memorial commemorates the memory of those Australians who lost their lives during war. It houses a small museum, an impressive statue and the Pool of Remembrance. Sydney's Anzac War Memorial was built in the 1930s.

Museums and galleries

Some of Sydney's museums are free to enter including the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Museum of Contemporary Art. You may be charged to enter certain exhibitions. Sydney Museums generally do not have 'free days' that you can find in other parts of the world but some historic houses may be free on certain public holidays, though tend to attract large crowds.

-The Australian Museum is much the old style natural history museum. The museum is near Hyde Park in City Centre.

-The Australian National Maritime Museum has inside and outside exhibitions - much of the history of Australia is a maritime one, and much of it is in this museum in Darling Harbor.

-The Art Gallery of NSW has mostly classical, but some modern and Aboriginal art.

-The Powerhouse Museum has some buttons to push, some technology, but some interesting displays of Sydney in the 1900s, in the City West in Ultimo, right on the boundary with Darling Harbour. Exhibits designed for children also.

-The Museum of Contemporary Art,

-The Museum of Sydney.

Wildlife

-Taronga Zoo

Taronga Zoo Large zoo whose animals have the best view in the world, a short ferry trip from the City on the North Shore.

The Koala Park Sanctuary in the Outer West.

Sydney Aquarium in Darling Harbour.

Sydney Wildlife World' adjacent to the aquarium in Darling Harbour.

Featherdale Wildlife Park in Western Sydney

and just out of Sydney, the

-Australian Reptile Park about an hour north of Sydney has kangaroos, wallabies, dingos, and more.

Whale Watching see whales migrating the Pacific coast. There are boats from Darling Harbour or Circular Quay.

-Bats (Flying foxes) nest next to the fernery in the Botanic Gardens in the city, and fly to feed over the city buildings and Harbour Bridge at dusk, you can see them on the eastern side of the Opera House at sunset.

Rainbow Lorikeets swarm around the trees in many suburbs at dusk, making a tremendous chatter Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are commonly seen in the leafier suburbs all day.

Ibis are an unusual wader bird that has made its home in the suburbs, especially in Hyde Park in the city

Possums are a native marsupial at home in the urban environment. Look up carefully in tree lined streets, or in Hyde Park after dark. Locals regard these critters as somewhat of a nuisance as they have a habit of nesting in the warmth of house roofs and love to brawl noisily at about 2am above your bedroom.

-Kangaroos & Wallabies- These can be spotted with patience in most of the Sydney National Parks, including the Royal National Park, ask the local rangers where they tend to be seen in the late afternoons. This is a great way to experience Australia’s native wildlife in their natural habitat compared to seeing these amazing animals confined in zoos, but requires considerably more time and patience.

Stay healthy

If you need an ambulance, call 000.

Medical centres with general practicioners are available for minor ailments without an appointment around the city and suburbs. Expect to wait around an hour or so to see a doctor. Upfront charges are usually around $50 for a standard consultation, and most centres accept credit cards. Many medical centres remain open until 10PM or so, and a few remain open 24-hours. Those with an Australian Medicare card will find many medical centres in Sydney that "bulk-bill".

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