Here's your essential guide to getting the best out of a holiday in Sydney.
Location nickname: The Harbour City
Don't miss: The Rocks
Best avoid: Redfern
Don't miss: Seafood at Sydney Fish Markets
Best avoid: Dagwood Dogs
Aussie Rules: If 36 athletic young men wearing worryingly short shorts whilst aggressively engaging in a hybrid mixture of football and rugby is not already too confusing, you're ready for Aussie rules footie. Home team The Giants play at the former Olympic stadium. Tickets available online from AUD$26.
Blue Mountains: Only 30-miles west of Sydney, the mountains are a popular sightseeing excursion for many visitors. The most recognisable views are those of Three Sisters sandstone stacks, but the greater Blue Mountains area extends to almost 4,000 square miles and includes extensive opportunities for guided hiking, climbing and mountain biking.
Govinda's Hari Krishna Restaurant: Chanting a mantra or banging a gong are not mandatory at Darlinghurst Road's Krishna restaurant... though the options do exist. A Sydney institution, the vegetarian buffet remains remarkable value at AUD$20, and for a further AUD$10 diners balance their karma in the upstairs art house cinema whilst reclining amidst a sea of cushions.
Opera House: Since 1973 the city's opera house has been one of the world's most recognisable buildings, even being granted World Heritage Status by UNESCO. Performances are not limited to opera; musicals, ballet, alternative circus and comedy are all on the bill. Back stage tours for children and adults uncover the secret world that underpins successful world class stage productions.
Paddington Markets: Sydney style is quickly apparent but perhaps difficult to pin down. Get a concentrated blast of unique local design every Saturday in the eastern inner city suburb of Paddington. Here, accompanied by live music, 150 stalls offer crafts, jewellery, art and cutting-edge fashion.
Sydney Harbour: Described in 1788 by first Governor of New South Wales, Arthur Phillip, as 'the finest harbour in the world', it's an appreciation that endures for most modern Sydneysiders. Lunch or dinner scenic cruises are great fun, but for a fraction of the price you'll see the same stunning views courtesy of the Manly Ferry.
Sydney Harbour Bridge: Designed by Glaswegians and constructed by the same company that built Newcastle's Tyne Bridge, 'the coathanger' harbour crossing is synonymous with Sydney, and an Australian icon. Drive it, train it, bike it, walk it or, for the best view in Sydney, 134m above the harbour, climb it.
Sydney Harbour Seaplane: Empire Class Flying Boats once provided an airmail connection to Britain, landing in the harbour after a nine-day voyage from London. Today's Cessna seaplanes may not evoke the same romance, but the aerial views of Sydney are magnificent and... a ticket costs less than a year's salary.
Taronga Zoo: As well as allowing visitors to glimpse native and non-native species, many of Taronga's 2,600 animals are part of larger international captive breeding and research projects. Take a 12-minute ferry from Circular Quay to Mosmon, wander the enclosures, take in the city views, even camp overnight in safari tents.
The Rocks: If you're bamboozled by the long flight a stroll around The Rocks helps cure most jetlag. The site of Australia's first European convict colony, settled in 1788, today's glitzy harbour-side restaurants, restless Circular Quay ferries, Harbour Bridge and Opera House offer incontrovertible evidence to body and mind that you've definitely arrived.
This article has been produced in association with www.talkholiday.com
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