Australia : Sydney

Sydney
Sometimes elegant, sometimes wacked-out, and always amazing, Sydney pulses with energy and swaggers with the self-assurance that comes from being one of the world’s great cities. This is where it all goes down, where most international travelers first touch Australian soil and find themselves in a cosmopolitan whirlwind set against a backdrop of concrete, bright lights, and gorgeous waterfront. It isn’t quite as overwhelmingly fast-paced as some cities of equal size; this is Australia, after all, famous for its no-worries attitude. Everyday life here hums along to an exciting but manageable beat. Diversity is to be expected in a huge city, and Sydney is home to numerous Asian and European immigrant enclaves as well as perhaps the world’s premier gay and lesbian scene, which peaks at Mardi Gras in a salacious and sensational celebration.
Beneath all this shiny newness, Sydney is, by Australian standards, as old as cities get. In 1788, its stupendous natural harbor, then referred to as Port Jackson, drew the First Fleet of colonists and convicts north of their intended settlement at Botany Bay. Today, the iconic Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House occupy the foreshores of Sydney Cove and ensure that every visitor spends at least a few photo-framing moments recognizing the importance of the harbor in the life of New South Wales’s capital. On sunny days, when sailboats skim across the water and the sidewalk cafes buzz with a hundred conversations, those few moments easily become hours.