Sydney easily lives up to its reputation as one of the most liveable cities in the world. With year-round temperate weather and world-famous beaches, the city is also overflowing with history, culture, art, fashion, design and cuisine. Inducing jealousy in citizens of other metropolis, Sydney is truly unique due to its location next to miles of beautiful ocean coastline, sandy surf beaches yet just an hour away from large national parks and forests. The city itself is also renowned as one of the most culturally and ethnically diverse cities in Australia. Sydney is home to two of the most iconic structures on Earth: The Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Without a doubt, Sydney is one of those places every traveler must have on their bucket list.
The view from the Harbour Bridge is mesmerising
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a world-famous, iconic feat of architecture that deserves seeing as soon as you arrive in Sydney. The historic bridge crosses the harbour from The Rocks to North Sydney. One can walk, cycle across, picnic or swim under, climb over or simply just drive through the bridge to get to the other side. It’s highly recommended to do the bridge walk at least once during your time in Sydney, as it allows you an unforgettable view of Sydney’s skyline, including The Opera House. Darling harbour, which constitutes the neighbourhood that surrounds the bridge, is a large entertainment area full of restaurants, clubs, bars, museums and shopping facilities. It’s also home to Sydney’s financial centre and close to Sydney’s Chinatown in Haymarket.
The Opera House is not just for opera
The Sydney Opera House is one of the main reasons thousands flock to Sydney every year for a visit. A multi-venue performing arts centre, the Opera House was opened in 1973 after being designed by Danish architect, Jørn Utzon. Housing multiple performance venues that host over 1,500 performances each year, one can spend their entire day and night at the Opera House, taking in the beauty from the outside and then going in for a performance later that evening. Adjacent to the Opera House are the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens, which covers over thirty hectares of land with over 7500 species of plants being represented here. Highly recommended if you tire of the Opera House sights.
The beaches in Sydney are ethereal
For anyone without the ideal weather Sydneysiders experience, the beaches in this city are to lust after. Summer in Sydney is a pleasure to experience with a mild temperate breeze always wafting through the sunshine the city always experiences. Do the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk to get in touch with all that Sydney has to offer weather-wise, or go a bit North or South to witness crystal-clear waters, great surfing waves and sand that doesn’t look like it belongs on Earth. World-famous Bondi beach, Coogee, Gordon’s Bay, and Bronte beach are the top recommended ones for both tourists and locals alike.
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Natural landscapes are only an hour away from Sydney’s CBD
Despite its luscious city-life attractions, Sydney also has a vast canopy of forests and national parks that surround it. Past sprawling suburbia, the Royal National Park encompasses the city’s South and West, allowing you to take a break from the hectic energy of city-life. There are several trails one can do in Park, but the most historically significant one is the Charles Darwin Walk, which takes you through waterfalls, abundance of trees and flora and fauna that are unique to the land. The Blue Mountains are also just a couple of hours away by car and definitely worth a visit as their awe-inspiring beauty will make your trip worth the visit.
Sydney Tour Guide
Jo Henwood
Jo Henwood has been a Tour Guide since 1998, working primarily as a site Guide and Education Officer in many heritage sites around Sydney, building a rich understanding of Sydney’s history and culture, particularly around the Harbour. Jo is passionate about sharing stories about Sydney’s history, leading her own walking tours in Windsor and Liverpool, and women’s history tours of Sydney. Jo is an Accredited Storyteller with Australian Storytellers, an accredited Professional Guide with the Institute of Australian Tour Guides, and a member of Interpretation Australia and the Australian Folklore Network. She coordinates the Australian Fairy Tale Society. Jo’s qualifications include BA (Library Science), Tour Guiding Cert III, Grad Dip Museum Studies, Grad Cert Gifted Ed, and M. Cultural Heritage.
Tours by Jo
Come for the weather, stay for the lifestyle
Like with any major metropolis, caution has to be taken in Sydney, especially during night. But if you stick to the brightly-lit major streets or the Central Business District, Sydney is an extremely safe city to be in.
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