Tourism : Sydney

Sydney is about uncovering things you never knew existed. See it by taking an adventurous spin in a jet boat on Sydney Harbour, experience the climb of your life with BridgeClimb atop the Harbour bridge, ride man-made white water rapids at Penrith Whitewater, or scream your head off on a roller coaster at Wonderland, in Sydney’s west.

Sydney is one of the largest cities in terms of area that is formally divided into more than 400 suburbs. It has 150+ hospitals, 1100+ hotels and motels, 4300+ parks and recreation reserves, 1300+ schools, 250+ shopping centres and 150+ wharves. Sydney Metropolitan area covers about 2000 square kilometers that is double the size of New York and more than 15 times bigger than Paris. The population is 4 million. Sydney is also one of the most multi cultural cities in the world with people from 180 nations, speaking 140 languages.

The city centre is compact and flanked by two verdant parks – the harbourside Royal Botanic Gardens (Mrs Macquarie’s Road,+61292318111) and Hyde Park where fruit bats hang from the trees. Other sites worth taking in include the perfectly ordered Chinese Garden (Darling Harbour, +61292816863) and the Museum of Sydney (corner of Bridge&Phillip Streets, CBD, +61292515988), which has exhibits tracing Aboriginal and settler history.

Sydney is truly a world city. Situated on a beautiful harbour, Sydney has fabulous beaches 15 minutes from the city, waterside dining, shopping and a calendar of international events. Visited by more than 400,000 Brits each year, Sydney offers something for everyone. But there is so much more to discover outside of Sydney. Make time to experience some of the delights that New South Wales has to offer. Explore the World Heritage Blue Mountains two hours from Sydney , endless white sandy beaches at Port Stephens, or delightful wine growing areas of the Hunter Valley.

In addition, with the opening of Sydney Wildlife World in late 2006, tourists and locals alike will be able to experience Australia’s unique and bizarre flora and fauna right in the heart of Darling Harbour. The Sydney Harbour Bridge (Sydney’s greatest tourism icon) - on a par with San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, New York’s Statue of Liberty, London’s Tower Bridge and the Eiffel Tower in Paris - took eight years to build and opened in March 1932. Once nicknamed the ‘coathanger’ it is now simply called ‘the bridge’ by Sydneysiders.