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Sydney is the oldest European settlement in [wiki=4442e4af0916f53a07fb8ca9a49b98ed]Australia[/wiki], having been founded as a British penal colony on 26 January 1788 (now celebrated as Australia Day, the national public holiday, with major festivities around the city and the Harbour). The settlement, commanded by Governor Arthur Phillip, was named "Sydney" after Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, who was the British Home Secretary at that time.
Sydney is one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet, with one third of its population born overseas. European settlement rapidly displaced the Aboriginal people of the Sydney area with the first colonists largely coming from England, Ireland and Scotland. The Australian goldrush in the mid 19th Century attracted many more immigrants, including a significant number of Chinese. In the early 20th century, Sydney continued to attract immigrants - mostly from the UK and Ireland, with the White Australia Policy preventing non-European peoples (and even Southern Europeans) from settling. Australia's immigration patterns, and consequently, that of Sydney, changed significantly after WWII, when migrants began to arrive from countries as diverse as Italy, Greece, Germany, Holland, New Zealand, Poland, Lebanon, Iraq, South Africa and the Pacific Islands. In recent decades there has been a huge surge in Asian immigration, especially from China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. Sydney's culture, food and general outlook reflect these varied contributions to the majority Anglo-Celtic institutions and social establishment.
Sydney is recognised worldwide for its vibrant gay community. Every year, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is celebrated on the first weekend in March, drawing people from all over Australia and the world for the celebrations.
Sydney is comfortable for travellers to visit any time of year. The city enjoys over 300 sunny days each year. Though it has 104 days of clear skies.
* 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 [url=http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=1109]Rural Fire Service[/url]). 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 Sydneysiders start flocking to the beaches in November. Sydney is the driest and sunniest in spring.
Sydney's Western Suburbs, which lie away from the coast, tend to be hotter during the day and a little cooler during the night. They miss the afternoon sea breezes and the night-time warming effect of the ocean.
Sydney has air conditioning in all public buildings, and on most public transport. These days it is increasingly rare to have to catch a bus or train without air conditioning on a hot day. Nevertheless, carry water during summer and remember sun protection year round.
Sydney Climate and Weather information is available online at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology [http://www.bom.gov.au/].
Sydney’s skyline is large and widely recognisable. Sydney also possesses a wide array of diversity of modern and old architectural style. They range from the simple Francis Greenway's Georgian buildings to Jorn Utzon’s Expressionist Sydney Opera House. Sydney also has a large amount of Victorian buildings, such as the Sydney Town Hall and the Queen Victoria Building. The most architecturally significant would be the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, among many others. Skyscrapers in Sydney are also large and modern. Sydney Tower just rising above the rest of the Sydney skyline.
There are also pockets of architecturally significant housing dotted around Sydney's suburbs. The inner-eastern suburb of [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]Paddington[/wiki] is known for its terrace houses, while several inner-west suburbs contain streets lined with so-called federation houses (built around the time of Australian federation in 1901). Probably the best preserved example of federation houses in Sydney is in the Inner West suburb of Burwood. Appian Way is a circular street built around a lawn tennis courts complete with pavilion house. The large houses are all architecturally unique and built on large expanses of land featuring old trees and lovely gardens. Further away on the lower [wiki=8cf67f12a1cd6315f819ff9c3144d8bd]North Shore[/wiki], Castlecrag is a unique suburb, being planned by the architect Walter Burley Griffin in the 1930s.
[wiki=90945544da9896cbe5d1db2c2ccd0576]Walking tour of Sydney[/wiki]. Please see separate listing for more information.
* [wiki=b8e5b268a941d6097b8743e5395bda86]One week in Sydney[/wiki] - some ideas on how to spend a week in and around Sydney, exploring different areas
Sydney is a vast sprawling city, and the suburbs in the city metropolitan area spread for up to 100km from the city centre. The traveller visiting the suburbs will find less crowded beaches, parks, cheaper shopping, commercial centres, cultural festivals, and other such hidden gems.
The Hawkesbury is a semi-rural area to the northwest of the city, centred around the Hawkesbury River. Its main towns are [wiki=ab9b9e1982057b8ff6d3815c56362c24]Richmond[/wiki] and [wiki=95d492db4bd67f9beff628c2c4c5498e]Windsor[/wiki].
Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport [url=http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/]]is Australia's busiest airport and the main gateway to Australia. It is located around 9 km south of the [[Sydney/City|City centre[/url]] in [wiki=598431256cad108a6e6d5821ab487151]Southern Sydney[/wiki] 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 [wiki=8b476ff778119b8d49588f3daadf69a1]Hong Kong[/wiki], [wiki=458e4cbc78201c1aec5fc53a31c59378]Singapore[/wiki], [wiki=3d147c6ba113929f5a004a5e9dcc832e]Bangkok[/wiki], [wiki=62413a57c5e3dc51177995fa175d3286]Tokyo[/wiki] and [wiki=fd38499c5c04df42d1d78807aa4b7d7d]Seoul[/wiki] have several daily flights, as do the European centres of [wiki=59ead8d1e124ccfb79f3ace06f43e703]London[/wiki], [wiki=e20d37a5d7fcc4c35be6fc18a8e71bfa]Paris[/wiki] and [wiki=4312d5c8cdda027420c474e2221abc34]Frankfurt[/wiki] (with stopovers in Asia). There are also non-stop flights to [wiki=23b998b19b5f60dbbc4eedc53328b0c7]Dubai[/wiki] in the [wiki=158b06e50632e27d494593ba389ef918]Middle East[/wiki]. North America is connected via [wiki=d0aa2dffa0da83f1f34681308d04db5d]Los Angeles[/wiki], [wiki=f4334fdfa1c728eae375fe781e2e2d9d]San Francisco[/wiki], [wiki=fe533fd6106d9eadbdbd19c3e0da7c89]Dallas-Fort Worth[/wiki] and [wiki=38278119f2c41ca7aedcbc55eabf73cd]Vancouver[/wiki]. Travellers from [wiki=aab422acb3d2334a6deca0e1495745c2]South America[/wiki] can fly direct from [wiki=37b2eaeb7ad06c9a8ae273d1252cc29d]Santiago[/wiki] (stopover in [wiki=146159057df3f8947f820d9fc184c6cd]Auckland[/wiki]). Africa is connected with a daily direct flight from [wiki=33416c1d32d3c19771d09bf215c7b514]Johannesburg[/wiki].
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 [wiki=7c885b9c7c703a77befcabeea54944d5]Melbourne[/wiki] and [wiki=759302fb84c5f72078746e7358ba44a0]Brisbane[/wiki], 45 minutes from [wiki=85b1713e4b1a271d545a8db229fe262f]Canberra[/wiki] and just under four hours from [wiki=afdb95ee7517d683d92221c87f0f56bb]Perth[/wiki] and [wiki=b7dff8a7d560c5aaef01e27c4db57a2a]Alice Springs[/wiki]
It is possible to drive to Sydney from [wiki=759302fb84c5f72078746e7358ba44a0]Brisbane[/wiki] or [wiki=7c885b9c7c703a77befcabeea54944d5]Melbourne[/wiki] in a full day, around 8.5 hours non-stop to Melbourne or 11.5 hours to Brisbane on the most direct routes. A comfortable drive would allow two days from Melbourne or Brisbane, and three to [wiki=a02f9768660497d370831df932feeeaf]Adelaide[/wiki]. The Melbourne drive is dual carriageway high quality road. The same can't be said for the Brisbane drive, which while it has high quality sections, it also has some very narrow winding sections, carries high traffic volumes, and has many stoppages from roadworks.
* [wiki=7c885b9c7c703a77befcabeea54944d5]Melbourne[/wiki] - Sydney = 862km via [wiki=bf20ab9f9f9041f6a07298a958292f79]Albury-Wodonga[/wiki] (Hume Highway).
* [wiki=7c885b9c7c703a77befcabeea54944d5]Melbourne[/wiki] - Sydney = 1,029km via [wiki=5ff6f4739911461d957273481b69a0db]Eden[/wiki] (Princes Highway). The Princes Highway is a longer drive at over 12 hours, though passes through many small coastal towns and is a far more enjoyable trip.
* [wiki=a02f9768660497d370831df932feeeaf]Adelaide[/wiki] - Sydney = 1422km via [wiki=6d699a582fd5974f6141da71f66633b3]Mildura[/wiki] or 1659km via [wiki=d79ed1dc3a91483e2ed57285db6a373e]Broken Hill[/wiki] (National Highway 32).
* [wiki=759302fb84c5f72078746e7358ba44a0]Brisbane[/wiki] - Sydney = 938km via the coast (Pacific Highway) or 961 km via [wiki=8efe541ed8684619e4f00b793a6a8326]Armidale[/wiki] (New England Highway). The Pacific Highway passes through more towns, attractions, and has more facilities compared with the New England Highway, but it can get congested moving through the towns around holiday times. Although the Pacific Highway route follows the coast, you won't see the ocean except for some brief glimpses. There are rivers all the way up the coast, and the river mouths are wide, causing the road bridges and the towns to be a little inland. If you have time, look for the tourist route diversions to see more of the [wiki=ccd065e608e0d65fa44a34a4aaac314f]Mid-North Coast[/wiki] and [wiki=daf4a9fb63b4177e2c7ad7b0f2bc1639]Northern Rivers[/wiki] on the way down (the beaches will be less crowded than Sydney!).
If you are renting a car, check the daily distance allowances and any one-way charge that may apply when driving from less popular destinations to major cities. Cars may be rented at the airport and elsewhere from major rental companies, or at smaller, less conveniently located, cheaper companies.
Ride-sharing can be arranged with other travellers. You can find a wide range of carpool offers on the Internet or in hostel noticeboards, etc. Usual warnings apply.
There are tolls applicable to most motorways coming into Sydney, and all tolling is electronic - no cash is accepted. See "Tolls" section below.
Coach companies operate to Sydney from all capital cities, and many New South Wales regional centres. The Sydney coach terminal is located adjacent to Sydney Central train station in the [wiki=adb24723f38233f964f917d6494ae7da]City South[/wiki]. Follow the signs.
Coach travel to Sydney is usually quicker, cheaper and more frequent than train travel. Online and advance booking specials are usually available.
*[url=http://www.greyhound.com.au]Greyhound Coaches[/url] has the most extensive bus network in Australia.
*[url=http://www.murrays.com.au/ExpressService.aspx]Murrays[/url] operates an express coach service between [wiki=85b1713e4b1a271d545a8db229fe262f]Canberra[/wiki] and Sydney.
*[url=http://www.priorsbus.com.au]Priors Scenic Express[/url] operates a coach service from Parramatta, Liverpool and Campbelltown stations to the Southern Highlands, Kangaroo Valley and the South Coast.
The New South Wales long distance train service NSW Trainlink, (13 22 32 within Australia) [url=http://nswtrainlink.info/]]runs at least daily services to Sydney from [[Brisbane[/url]], [wiki=7c885b9c7c703a77befcabeea54944d5]Melbourne[/wiki], [wiki=85b1713e4b1a271d545a8db229fe262f]Canberra[/wiki] and many regions of [wiki=51927f298859f68ad4b6dc0a99947f6c]New South Wales[/wiki] including the [wiki=ccd065e608e0d65fa44a34a4aaac314f]Mid-North Coast[/wiki], [wiki=187cf22e216616c82b72266d8ec94c07]New England[/wiki], the [wiki=9cf78b2f4ab1508c13e1c8e092cfbbe5]Central West[/wiki] and the [wiki=ae429e7750f501dfd82f1e2f83699a8c]Southern Highlands[/wiki]. It also services [wiki=d79ed1dc3a91483e2ed57285db6a373e]Broken Hill[/wiki] weekly. Travelling time from Melbourne and Brisbane is around 12 hours. Fares range between $30 and $100 for standard class seats, and reservations tickets can be purchased online, by phone, or at the station. The long distance trains between Melbourne and Sydney, and Brisbane and Sydney can be a less stressful alternative to driving, but they do not average particularly high speeds and take longer than flying. It is often possible to get a discount airfare around the same price or cheaper than the adult train fare.
The Indian Pacific [url=http://www.gsr.com.au/indian/]](13 21 47 within Australia or +61 8 8213 4592 internationally) train service runs from [[Perth (Western Australia)|Perth[/url]] to Sydney via [wiki=a02f9768660497d370831df932feeeaf]Adelaide[/wiki] and [wiki=d79ed1dc3a91483e2ed57285db6a373e]Broken Hill[/wiki]. Adult fares from Perth are $1250 for a sleeper cabin and $513 for a seat. Children's fares are $805 for a sleeper cabin and $139 for a seat. The train departs from Perth on Wednesdays and arrives at Sydney on Saturdays. These fares are much higher than return plane fares to Perth, this journey is really for train journey enthusiasts who want to see the interior of Australia. It also gives you the ability to take your car on the train for an additional fee.
All long distance (NSW Trainlink and Great Southern Railway) trains to Sydney terminate at platforms 1-3 of Sydney's Central Station in the south of the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]CBD[/wiki] area. Travellers can transfer to Sydney trains, the light rail service to [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki], city buses, as well as taxis. It is also easy to transfer to other long distance trains and coaches. There is short term metered parking so you can meet the trains on the platform. There are ATM's, a small choice of food outlets, cafes open until late, and a railway heritage society display and bookshop in the terminal.
NSW Trainlink [url=http://www.nswtrainlink.info/]]also runs services several times a day from close regional cities: [[Newcastle (New South Wales)|Newcastle[/url]] via the [wiki=05e0cf702a17b02a85bfbb751d1c7b7f]Central Coast (New South Wales)[/wiki], [wiki=07bb74757bc1c46d5716048879bbf811]Goulburn[/wiki] via the [wiki=ae429e7750f501dfd82f1e2f83699a8c]Southern Highlands[/wiki], [wiki=8d254cf8cc32efd6d86d13a450cb7d5d]Kiama[/wiki] via the [wiki=93248a1203578d36e3a1dc6866e9c574]South Coast[/wiki] and [wiki=138487086078041cb42686ca55b2f2e0]Lithgow[/wiki] via the [wiki=84435d334bf96c6f60d185a1d0e6e3d8]Blue Mountains[/wiki].
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 [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki] 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 [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a]The Rocks[/wiki] or to the Circular Quay Train Station.
White Bay in the [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Inner West[/wiki] 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.
Recently some cruises have been anchored off Taronga Zoo on the [wiki=8cf67f12a1cd6315f819ff9c3144d8bd#See]North Shore[/wiki] and the passengers tendered to Circular Quay (a sight not seen in Sydney for many years previously). If this happens to you, your tender will drop you at the Overseas Passenger Terminal to complete immigration, etc.
The public transport system consists of commuter rail, bus, ferry and light rail. Combined, they can get you virtually anywhere in the metropolitan area.
[url=http://www.131500.info]Transport Infoline[/url] ☎ 13 15 00 provides information on fares and route planning for all public transport in Sydney 24/7.
TransitShops, Circular Quay (cnr of Loftus & Alfred Streets), Wynyard under Wynyard Park, QVB west has information on fares and route planning for all public transport in Sydney, together with ticket sales and accepts credit cards.
*[url=http://www.skedgo.com]TripGo[/url] & [url=https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/tripview-sydney/id294730339?mt=8]TripView[/url] are free iPhone, iPad & Android Apps that provide directions for all transport modes around Sydney, Newcastle, the Blue Mountains & Woollongong. They show cost, time and carbon output for each trip.
As of 2012, Google Maps can also be used to plan Sydney public transport routes.
Public transport in Sydney has historically been poorly integrated and the ticket system can be confusing, though this has been alleviated somewhat with the introduction of the Opal Card (see below).
Alternatively, one can purchase individual tickets to access each mode of transport or you can buy a MyMulti ticket which is explained below. If in doubt check with a driver or station attendant as transit officers do not accept any excuses and you'll be stuck with a $200 fine.
Taxis are a convenient way to get around Sydney. They can also be the only transport option available to some locations late at night when the trains and regular buses stop.
It is usually easy enough to flag a taxi down at the kerb in the CBD, or catch one at taxi ranks located in most suburban centres. The availability of a taxi is indicated by an illuminated "taxi" sign positioned on top of the vehicle. If the light is on, it is available for hire; if the light is off, the cab is occupied. You can also book a taxi by calling one of the taxi companies or booking online.
Beware the 3PM change over and the Friday evening rush. It can be almost impossible to get a taxi 2:30PM-3:30PM. It is just as difficult 2:30AM-3:30AM, as almost all of the drivers change over their shifts at the same time. They are similarly scarce on a Friday and Saturday evenings. Booking in advance is no guarantee, as these jobs are simply offered electronically to drivers, who may or may not accept the job. It is easily possible to wait an hour or more for a taxi booked 24 hours in advance on a Friday and Saturday evening. Ringing the taxi company back and complaining will often help (if the operators can relate to your problem, they have the ability to offer a taxi driver an incentive to take your fare). Cancelling your job and ringing another taxi company in frustration never helps as the taxi companies have handover systems that have seen your job handed over if another company had more capacity. You will just end up at the back of the queue again. Evenings other than Friday and Saturday are usually fine.
During busy times, some unscrupulous drivers may try to leave the door locked and ask where you are going through the window and drive off if the destination is too close or not on their way home, even though this is illegal. If you can, get in before you tell them your destination - by law, they have to take you.
There are two meter rates: a day rate (rate 1) with a flag fall of $3.30, a distance rate of $1.99/km, a "waiting" rate of $0.85/min, and a booking fee of $2.50; and a night rate (rate 2 - applicable to journeys commenced between 10PM-6AM), which adds a 20% surcharge to the distance rate. You can check the rate your taxi is using by looking for a 1 or a 2 next to the current charge: if it is set to 2, it is using the night rate. The so called "waiting" rate is charged whenever the speed drops below 25km/h. For trips in congested traffic, it is possible for large amounts of the trip to be charged at the "waiting" rate. All Sydney taxis are metered and taxi drivers will charge the metered rate, adding the charges for tolls manually. Silver Service taxis are more luxurious vehicles, but they are charged at the same rate as standard taxis.
Taxis accept all major credit cards. They charge an extra 11% on top of the fare for this.
Passengers are required to pay all tolls for their trip. In addition, passengers who are taken north over the Harbour Bridge, for which there is no toll, are required to pay the driver's southbound toll for the return into the city (Time of day tolling applies, and the toll varies between $2.50 and $4). Drivers will usually take the toll roads unless you ask them not to. If you are unsure why they are asking for an amount above that shown on the meter, just ask.
Passengers have the right to control the air conditioning and the radio so ask the driver. Whilst most taxi drivers behave acceptably, there have been reported incidences of taxi drivers behaving inappropriately towards women: it is always safer to sit in the back of the car.
Tipping is not required or generally expected. However, rounding up a taxi fare to the next dollar (or five or ten dollars, depending on the base fare) is fairly common. On the other hand, if the driver rounds the fare down to the nearest dollar, accept with grace.
If you are a fit and experienced urban cyclist, used to riding on multi-lane roads in heavy traffic, then just get on your bike. Cyclists are permitted just about everywhere on Sydney's roads, except for of some freeway tunnels where bicycle signs will usually direct you to the alternative route. Kerbside lanes are often narrow, so ride assertively, be seen, and take the full lane when you know there is insufficient room to be passed. Bikes are permitted in bus lanes (like the city streets), but not bus only lanes (like the harbour bridge, and T-ways).
The [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]city centre[/wiki] is not particularly cyclist friendly traffic-wise. It is not flat either - you can expect regular hills but no marathon uphill climbs. The weather is, however, usually good for cycling.
If you are looking for a quieter ride, a number of quiet on-road and shared pedestrian/cycle paths are available, but can be hard to find. A good place to start is at [wiki=0897e68d1d9c0402aff01818e70c17f9]Sydney Olympic Park[/wiki] where you can get your cycle legs on the extensive off-road trails; then, if you want to, you can follow off-road/quiet road trails out to [wiki=87d70523b1a4aea1337b21aab894fc3b]Parramatta[/wiki] or following the Cooks River to Botany Bay in [wiki=598431256cad108a6e6d5821ab487151]Southern Sydney[/wiki]. The Harbour Bridge has a dedicated cycle lane, suitable for all ages, but as soon as you get off the bridge you are back onto urban streets in [wiki=fcfcb2e4d1ab60956238fdce5f84e4bf]Milsons Point[/wiki].
The Bourke St cycleway is a newly opened north-south route in the the City East and a cruisy place to cycle between Woolloomooloo, Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. Lots of shade and cafes to break the trip. Some other separated cycleways have opened in the City centre, but they are yet to form a cohesive network, and your trip may easily end up on a busy and unforgiving city road if you haven't planned well in advance.
Other cycleways are often just converted footpaths, so be on the lookout for bollards, street signs, roots and branches strategically placed across cycle paths - as well as pedestrians. If cycling at night ensure you have lights bright enough to light your path.
It is illegal to ride bicycles on footpaths unless cycling with children under 12. In reality this is fairly weakly enforced out in the suburbs, but it is common for people to be fined for cycling through pedestrian malls in the city like Pitt St Mall or Martin Place. Out in the suburbs you can often follow quiet streets, and hop onto the footpath for a short stretch if things get too hairy. Bicycle helmets are required by law, as are lights and reflectors at night.
Bicycles can be taken on all Sydney Trains, but a child fare should be paid if any part of the journey is made before 9AM or after 3:30PM on weekdays. In the city centre during the evening peak you will be lucky to fit your bike onto a train. Check trackwork schedules on weekends [url=http://www.sydneytrains.info/trackwork/],]when buses replace trains and make taking bicycles more challenging.
Bike hire is available in many locations in Sydney. Unfortunately, bike hire for two bikes for a day usually costs more than hiring a small car and petrol for the day (around $50 per bike). However, for shorter periods some places may be reasonably priced (for example [[Sydney/Sydney Olympic Park|Sydney Olympic Park[/url]]) charges $15 per hour. Also, you have to consider the additional cost if the bikes are stolen or damaged. However, they are much easier to park, are greener and can be more fun. See the [wiki=1fc91e86962825bb745de53d1657b3e4#districts]district articles[/wiki] for bike hire listings.
If you just want to have a ride, most bicycle user groups around Sydney organise weekend rides for various levels of fitness. There is usually no charge to join in.
[url=http://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-city/sydney-harbour/sydney-harbour-bridge]The Sydney Harbour Bridge[/url] crosses the harbour from the [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a#Sydney Harbour Bridge]The Rocks[/wiki] to [wiki=fcfcb2e4d1ab60956238fdce5f84e4bf]North Sydney[/wiki]. There are many different experiences centred around the bridge. You can walk or cycle across, picnic under, or climb over the Harbour Bridge. See the details in [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a#Sydney Harbour Bridge]The Rocks[/wiki].
* The Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is simply one of the most famous structures ever built. It is in the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]city centre[/wiki].
* [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki] is a large entertainment precinct and includes a range of activities, restaurants, museums and shopping facilities.
* [wiki=0897e68d1d9c0402aff01818e70c17f9]Sydney Olympic Park[/wiki]. Home of the 2000 Olympics and now parklands and sporting facilities.
* Luna Park, 1 Olympic Dr, Milson's Point, tel. 02 9033 7676. 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 Centrepoint 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 [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]City Centre[/wiki]
* St Mary's Cathedral. Sydney's main catholic cathedral. Corner of St Mary's Road and College St. The cathedral is in the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]City Centre[/wiki].
*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 [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d#Parks and gardens]City Centre[/wiki] and overlook Sydney harbour.
[wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a]The Rocks[/wiki] has sites preserved from Sydney's early settlement.
* [wiki=87d70523b1a4aea1337b21aab894fc3b]Parramatta[/wiki] to the west of Sydney is the site of many of Sydney's oldest buildings from colonial times.
* Macquarie Street in the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]City[/wiki] 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 [wiki=1d04d63b495ebb144bc8ae342dbf4325]Eastern Suburbs[/wiki] contains the grave of an early French explorer, museum, and old fort.
* The walk from [wiki=eff34a3583519576128af6940cb47c4a]Manly[/wiki] 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 [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]City[/wiki]
* Anzac War Memorial at the eastern end of Hyde Park in the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]City Centre[/wiki]. 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.
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. Usually a special exhibition on as well. The museum is near Hyde Park in [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d#See]City Centre[/wiki].
*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 [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638#See]Darling Harbour[/wiki].
*The Art Gallery of NSW has mostly classical, but some modern and Aboriginal art. Near the Botanical Gardens in the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d#See]city centre[/wiki].
*The Powerhouse Museum has some buttons to push, some technology, but some interesting displays of Sydney in the 1900s, in the [wiki=4420da6eb2f3c7cf72bc716b99d6d03d]City West[/wiki] in Ultimo, right on the boundary with Darling Harbour. Exhibits designed for children also.
*The Museum of Contemporary Art [url=http://www.mca.com.au/]]in the [[Sydney/City#See|city centre[/url]], near Circular Quay.
*The Museum of Sydney [url=http://www.hht.net.au/museums/mos/main]]in the [[Sydney/City#See|city centre[/url]].
Or see one of the smaller chic Art Galleries in [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]East Sydney[/wiki].
Sydney's large natural harbour was the reason that the original penal settlement was established in the area, near what is now known as Circular Quay. It is now well developed, with skyscrapers, highrises, and houses all around its shores, but it is still very beautiful.
The harbour is served by ferry services that transport passengers around the harbour. An excellent way to see both the harbour and Sydney attractions is to take a ferry east from [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d#See]Circular Quay[/wiki] to Taronga Zoo or [wiki=eff34a3583519576128af6940cb47c4a]Manly[/wiki] or west under the Harbour Bridge towards [wiki=87d70523b1a4aea1337b21aab894fc3b]Parramatta[/wiki]. These are reasonably priced and a favourite for tourists. If time is short, for a shorter route, the ferry between Circular Quay and Darling Harbour will let you ride under the Harbour Bridge and see the central part of the harbour.
Catch a ferry from Circular Quay to [wiki=eff34a3583519576128af6940cb47c4a]Manly[/wiki]. Before returning to the Sydney CBD, walk from the Manly ferry wharf along the Manly Corso to famous Manly Beach. A great day, afternoon or evening out at a fraction of the price of a commercial harbour cruise.
You can take a cruise on Sydney Harbour. There are many cruises to choose from and they depart from [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638#Harbour cruises]Darling Harbour[/wiki] or [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d#Harbour cruises]Circular Quay[/wiki]. For a bigger adrenalin rush, try the jet boats that zip around the harbour [url=http://www.sydneyjet.com.au/]]at breakneck speeds.
Sydney Harbour can be viewed from the [[Sydney/City|city[/url]] or from on of the many walks next to it, most of which are easily accessible by ferry or bus.
The world famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race begins every year on Boxing Day, on Sydney Harbour. Thousands of spectator craft take to the water to farewell the yachts as they set off on their grueling journey to Hobart. Seaworthy craft can follow the yachts through the Sydney Heads into the open ocean. You can also see the race from a harbour vantage point like Watsons Bay. where you can see them sail towards you across the harbour, and then cross to the gap to see them sail down the coast.
You can visit the [wiki=99e926430e558c8ae135218113251efd]Harbour Islands[/wiki] by ferry or water taxi.
Swing by the Royal Botanic Gardens [url=http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/]]and the Art Gallery of New South Wales [url=http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/[/url]]on the edge of the gardens. While you're in the area visit Mrs Macquarie's Chair for a picture postcard view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House in one picture. You may have to compete with the numerous wedding couples on weekends.
* Scenic Flights Adventures and Flight Training, +61 2 9791 0643 (contact@redbaron.com.au) [http://www.redbaron.com.au/adventures[/url]. A fantastic way to see Sydney Harbour is from the air. Red Baron Adventures do scenic flights over Sydney Harbour and the Northern Beaches most days of the year (weather permitting) in an open cockpit Pitts Special bi-plane. They also have heart stopping Aerobatic Flights available for the more adventurous (note: these are not done over Sydney Harbour). Flights range from $440 to $660 and go for between 45 min and 80 minutes.
Far from being confined to the inland areas, Aboriginal people extensively occupied the Sydney area prior to the arrival of European settlers.
* Rock Carvings, can be seen in the [wiki=138f55b69d3b360ba7a07d5edea08c00]Royal National Park[/wiki] - catch the train and ferry to Cronulla and Bundeena. There are extensive carvings in Kuringai National Park, near West Head that are accessible only by car. Closer to the city, there are examples at Balls Head and Berry Island, near to Wollstonecraft station. There is an interpretive walk at Berry Island.
* Meeting of Civilisations. Interpretive centre is at the site of the landing place of Captain Cook, at Kurnell.
* Bangarra Dance Theatre, is a modern dance company, inspired by indigenous Australian themes.
* Aboriginal Art. A wander through [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a]The Rocks[/wiki] and you will find many places exhibiting and selling contemporary Aboriginal art. The Art Gallery of New South Wales the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki] has an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Gallery, which is free to visit.
Swim at one of Sydney's many surf beaches. Try [wiki=9e682711d3e7fbaf311ad64ba77b09ec]Bondi[/wiki], [wiki=eff34a3583519576128af6940cb47c4a]Manly[/wiki], [wiki=76f871d9a374e1de04b78e8490908916]Coogee[/wiki], [wiki=d7270a6b4606334df08ac5844d28b92f]Cronulla[/wiki] or [wiki=138f55b69d3b360ba7a07d5edea08c00]Wattamolla[/wiki], or get off the tourist trail at one of the other beaches in Sydney's [wiki=1d04d63b495ebb144bc8ae342dbf4325]Eastern Suburbs[/wiki] or [wiki=40546ef6f08e269874d927fd1abe1c81]Northern Beaches[/wiki].
Cycle around Centennial Park in the [wiki=1d04d63b495ebb144bc8ae342dbf4325#Centennial Park]Eastern Suburbs[/wiki] or Bicentennial Park at [wiki=0897e68d1d9c0402aff01818e70c17f9#Do]Sydney Olympic Park[/wiki]
Sydney's Waterways offer great canoeing and kayaking, and you can explore Sydney's bushland, history, and exclusive waterfront properties. There are lots of places to hire them from, or to even go on a guided tour.
* The Spit or Manly to Kayak the Harbour.
* Lane Cove National Park and the Royal National Park have canoes and kayaks by the hour - see turtles and birdlife as you paddle
* You can paddle on the Georges River from Wororora, or the Port Hacking river from Bundeena.
Surf at one of Sydney's many surf beaches, a quintessentially Australian experience. Try [wiki=9e682711d3e7fbaf311ad64ba77b09ec]Bondi[/wiki], [wiki=eff34a3583519576128af6940cb47c4a]Manly[/wiki], [wiki=76f871d9a374e1de04b78e8490908916]Coogee[/wiki], [wiki=d7270a6b4606334df08ac5844d28b92f]Cronulla[/wiki] or [wiki=138f55b69d3b360ba7a07d5edea08c00]Wattamolla[/wiki]. The major beaches (Bondi, Manly) have surf schools and places where you can rent surfboards. Sydney Surfboard Rental and Hire offers boards for hire [http://sydneysurfboardrental.wordpress.com].
If you've got the time and inclination, Sydney offers decent fishing during the warmer months. It's not recommended to fish in Sydney Harbour due to pollution. Do NOT eat fish caught in the harbour, it has been found Sydney Harbour fish are tainted with dioxin which is harmful to humans. However signing up with a fishing charter to take you out of the Harbour into open water, Middle Harbour or Pittwater is a rewarding experience. You'll likely catch something of decent size and even if you don't, being out on a boat in Sydney is one of the great Sydney experiences in the warmer months (if you can afford it).
Winter: The winter football season generally begins with trial matches in February, before the season proper kicks off in March and runs to late September or early October. Sydney's most popular winter football code is rugby league (often just called 'football' or 'footy' by locals - although never just 'rugby', which refers to rugby union). Nine teams from the [url=http://www.nrl.com]national competition[/url] are based in Sydney and the sport is an important part of the city's culture - many teams play at least some of their games at intimate grounds in their suburban heartlands, and this can be a good way to experience the traditional heart of the sport. There are also State of Origin games, where the best of New South Wales and Queensland players are matched against each other. This is significantly rougher. Other major sporting teams playing in Sydney over the winter are the Sydney Swans and Greater Western Sydney Giants (AFL), the NSW Waratahs (rugby union) and the Sydney Swifts (Netball).
* Summer: Sydney's primary summer sport is cricket, which you'll find being played (in somewhat modified form) on beaches and in backyards across the city. The professional stuff is largely based at the Sydney Cricket Ground close to the CBD: the traditional New Year's Test, between the Australian team and whichever foreign team is touring at the time, commences around the 3rd of January and runs for four to five days. Later in the summer, international one-day and/or Twenty20 matches are held at the SCG.
The primary domestic tournaments, contested between Australian state teams, are the Sheffield Shield (first-class), Ford Ranger Cup (one-day) and KFC Big Bash (Twenty20): they are usually sparsely attended and so are much cheaper to attend than internationals. Some one-day and Twenty20 matches are played at ANZ Stadium at Olympic Park rather than at the SCG, but the cavernous stadium is far inferior to the grand old ground if you really want to get a feel for cricket culture. Australia's professional Assoication Footbal tournament, the A-League, runs over the summer. Sydney has 2 teams; Sydney FC, who play at the Sydney Football Stadium and Western Sydney Wanderers who play at Parramatta stadium.
Sydney has a huge amount of green space, much of it beside the sparkling harbour or ocean, so walking is a great way to experience the city's parks, reserves and remnant bushland. There are also great walks through the more built-up areas, allowing you to check out the city's modern architecture and its colonial heritage. The following are just a few of the better-known routes.
* Across the Harbour Bridge from [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a]The Rocks[/wiki] on the south side to Milsons Point on the north side (or vice versa).
* Coogee Beach to Bondi. Following the eastern coastline past several of Sydney's beautiful beaches - stop off for a swim if you get too hot.
* Manly to the Spit. Along the foreshore of Sydney Harbour [http://www.manlyweb.com.au/information/what_to_do/walks/walkway.asp].
* Bradleys Head. Take a ferry to Taronga Zoo wharf and then head to your right along the promontory. There's pristine bushland (almost unchanged from the time of European colonisation), quiet beaches, and knockout views across the harbour, and in the warmer months you'll spot plenty of Eastern Water Dragons, a type of large lizard. Once you reach the tip of the headland, you can either amble back to the wharf or - if you're feeling more ambitious - follow the track several more kilometres to Clifton Gardens, ogling the gigantic houses along the way. From there, you can either hike all the way back to Taronga or get a bus to a ferry wharf.
* Circular Quay and surrounds. Start underneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, then walk past [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a]The Rocks[/wiki], Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair. For an extended tour of the city centre, covering these and other major sights, see [wiki=90945544da9896cbe5d1db2c2ccd0576]Walking tour of Sydney[/wiki].
* The Colony Walk. The way of the earliest European colonists.
Sydney has four indoor ice skating centres in the suburbs. The closest to the city centre is:
* Macquarie Ice Rink. Macquarie Ice Rink is in the vast expanse of Macquarie Shopping Centre in North Ryde. Activities include training sessions, birthday parties and casual visits. Skates are available for hire (usually a bit worn and not necessarily sharp), or bring your own. Phone to enquire about public session times as the ice is shared between many other users (like hockey teams) and may not be available for the whole day. It is located within a 2 minute walk from Macquarie University railway station.
But there are three others; one near Canterbury station, one west of Liverpool and one next to Norwest in North West Sydney.
Sydney has three theatres which show major international productions, the Capitol Theatre in [wiki=adb24723f38233f964f917d6494ae7da]Haymarket[/wiki], the Theatre Royal under the MLC Centre in the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]CBD[/wiki] and the Lyric Theatre in Star City in [wiki=4420da6eb2f3c7cf72bc716b99d6d03d#Do]Pyrmont Bay[/wiki]. Usually one of the latest theatre blockbusters will be on show at these theatres. Slightly more on the cutting edge, with more locally produced drama can be found at the Sydney Theatre Company, in Walsh Bay in [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a]The Rocks[/wiki], or occasionally at the Opera House Drama Theatre. Similar productions are often on at the Seymour Centre next to Sydney University just off Broadway on City Road. Smaller theatres, some with lesser known performers, featuring new and local writers can be harder to find. Try the Belvoir St Theatre in Surry Hills in City East, or the Newtown Theatre in the [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Inner West[/wiki]. Amateur theatre, especially musical theatre, proliferates in Sydney, with over 30 amateur musical theatre companies providing a fun night of theatre for around $20 per ticket in the suburbs. Check the Riverside Theatre in [wiki=87d70523b1a4aea1337b21aab894fc3b]Parramatta[/wiki], the Zenith Theatre in Chatswood on the [wiki=0c27ea7001b1c89c9e67361cbb37e4a3]Lower North Shore[/wiki], or the Sutherland Entertainment Centre in [wiki=85840d1b797c03a75dc9c5b0fdca85fd]Sutherland[/wiki].
For classical music fans, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra plays at the Opera House and at [url=http://www.sydneysymphony.com/]] Angel Place Recital Hall [url=http://www.cityrecitalhall.com/[/url].] If the Sydney Symphony aren't playing, the Recital Hall may have other performances of interest. Conservatorium of Music often hosts performances on a smaller scale. [http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/music[/url].
Opera Australia perform at the Opera House in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki].
A handy guide for performing arts in Sydney is the Spectrum liftout, which you'll find in the Sydney Morning Herald's voluminous Saturday edition. It contains reviews and features on all things cultural, as well as fairly comprehensive listings towards the back.
Sydney has mainstream movies showing on multi-screen cinema complexes all around Sydney, including the City Centre and Moore Park. The two main operators are [url=http://www.eventcinemas.com.au]Event Cinemas[/url] and [url=http://www.hoyts.com.au]Hoyts[/url].
For arthouse, or more obscure movies, try the Chauvel or Verona cinemas on Oxford Street in the [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]City East[/wiki], or the Dendy near the Opera House in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki] or in Newtown, or Cinema Paris at the Entertainment Quarter at Fox Studios at Moore Park in the [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]City East[/wiki]. To get a taste of what was once Sydney's many art-deco cinemas, visit the [url=http://www.ritzcinema.com.au]Ritz Cinema[/url] in Randwick or the [url=http://www.orpheum.com.au]Cremorne Orpheum[/url] in Cremorne. Both have been lovingly restored and extended in the style of art-deco theatres.
Many of the larger cinema complexes offer premium seating and services for a premium price. On Tuesdays, most cinemas will offer a discount price on their tickets. The cheapest Tuesday prices are the [url=http://www.hornsbyodeoncinema.com.au/Page/Home]Odeon[/url]in Hornsby ($7.00) or the [url=http://www.ritzcinema.com.au]Ritz Cinema[/url] in Randwick ($8.00).
There is one drive-in movie left open in Sydney, at Blacktown in the [wiki=87297f93d390af86287e07b4cb7de2fd]Outer West[/wiki].
The IMAX Theatre, which provides a movie experience with the largest cinema screens in the southern hemisphere in [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki].
Sydney is home to a number of major and minor festivals and calendar events each year. Listed chronologically these are:
As with the rest of Australia, currency exchange offices operate in a free market, and the small convenient exchange booth you pass on George Street, by the Opera House or at the airport can charge 15% or more over the best rate you can obtain elsewhere. As always, check rates and commission carefully. Know today's rate and be prepared to walk away if the amount of money they calculate isn't what you would expect. Banks typically offer much better rates, but are only open business hours on weekdays.
You may find it better to pay by credit card and use ATM withdrawals and have the certainty of getting the rate and fees provided by your bank.
Main department stores and speciality stores open around 9am and close around 6pm, staying open until 9pm on Thursday. On Sunday expect them to open around 10am in the suburbs, and around 11am in the city centre, and to close at 5pm. There are a few locations where you will find shops opening a little later, such as [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki] which is open until 9pm every weeknight.
Large supermarkets will be open from 6am until midnight, but many are open later, some even 24 hours.
Other general department stores such as Target and K-Mart will also have later trading hours, often to around 10pm, but there are a few 24 hour K-Marts around.
Many convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and petrol stations within the Sydney metro area are open 24 hours a day.
Banks will usually only open weekdays, with only an occasional branch opening Saturday morning. Travel agents (not including booking agents in tourist areas) close on Sundays.
Those quintessential Aussie souvenirs - stuffed koalas and kangaroos, various "Australiana" knick-knacks - can be found in any souvenir store around the city, as well as in airport shops. Authentic Aboriginal/indigenous arts and crafts, such as traditional paintings, hand-made didgeridoos, are expensive, and the range in Sydney is much smaller than in [wiki=b7dff8a7d560c5aaef01e27c4db57a2a]Alice Springs[/wiki]. For those who only wish to take home a replica, as a memento of their trip to Australia, head to Paddy's Markets [url=http://www.paddysmarkets.com.au/]]in the Haymarket area of the [[Sydney/City South|southern end of the city[/url]]. The markets also sell a huge range of souvenirs at much better prices than regular souvenir stores. Dollar shops (see "Food and Essentials" below) also sell souvenirs at bargain-basement prices, albeit at a much reduced quality.
Australia's unique style and creativity means Sydney is developing on the international fashion circuit, as designs from Australians such as Wayne Cooper, Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa, Lisa Ho, Oroton and Easton Pearson are seen around the globe. In fact, around 60 Australian labels are currently exporting their designs to boutiques and department stores in [wiki=154a67340e8c14dd5253dc4ff6120197]Asia[/wiki], [wiki=912d59cdf1d3f551fae21f6f0062258f]Europe[/wiki] and the [wiki=f253efe302d32ab264a76e0ce65be769]United States[/wiki].
The greatest concentration of clothing and accessories stores are to be found in the northern half of the CBD, starting from the Town Hall precinct, neat the Queen Victoria Building.
*Queen Victoria Building [url=http://www.qvb.com.au/]in]the [[Sydney/City Centre|City Centre[/url]] is a renowned, beautifully maintained, 19th century sandstone building, home to over 400 stores. The stores in the building are laid out in a hierarchical style- literally. The basement level has cheap, casual-fashion stores with a food court, the street level mid-range brand-name chains and level 3 is where various Australian designers, some European labels and Italian shoe stores are located. It is one of Sydney's more photogenic pieces of architecture. Located on George St adjacent to Town Hall and Pitt St Mall.
*Castlereagh Street in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki] is lined by many of Sydney's most expensive European-label boutiques and jewellery stores.
* Department stores. There are only two of these in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki], Myer and David Jones, located practically next door to each other near the Pitt Street Mall, and joined by an above-ground covered pedestrian walkway. Both offer your standard department-store range of goods.
*Pitt Street Mall is a pedestrian mall in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki]. It is one block long between Market Street and King Street and is one of Australia's busiest and most cosmopolitan shopping precincts. Despite the areas small size, it is home to many flagship chain stores. It has now become a part of Westfield Sydney.
*Oxford Street just [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]east of the city[/wiki] is lined with shops, bars and nightclubs. The section between Taylor Square and Queen St, Woollahra is particularly good for mid-high end Australian fashion designers and boutiques. Some of these boutiques and other fashion retailers sell at Paddington Markets [url=http://www.paddingtonmarkets.com.au],]which are held in the grounds of the Paddington public school every Saturday from 10am.
*Queen Street in Woollahra also [[Sydney/City East|east of the city[/url]] is an upmarket shopping destination with high-end boutiques, food and homewares stores.
*King Street, Newtown in in the inner west is a long strip of inexpensive boutiques, and the odd chain store, with plenty of places to stop for a coffee or wine along the way!
* Westfield Shopping Centres [url=http://www.westfield.com.au]]Large shopping malls at [[Sydney/Eastern Suburbs#Buy|Bondi Junction[/url]], [wiki=0c27ea7001b1c89c9e67361cbb37e4a3#Buy]Chatswood[/wiki], [wiki=87d70523b1a4aea1337b21aab894fc3b#Buy]Parramatta[/wiki], and [wiki=85840d1b797c03a75dc9c5b0fdca85fd#Buy]Miranda[/wiki]. The Bondi Westfield offers the most upmarket experience, with many European fashion labels available. All are easily accessible by car and public transport, see the district articles for details.
*Birkenhead Point - A multi-story factory outlet in Sydney's [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Inner West[/wiki]. Short bus ride from the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki].
*DFO [url=http://www.dfo.com.au]]is a place to shop for brand name fashions at discount prices. It is located near [[Sydney/Sydney Olympic Park|Sydney Olympic Park[/url]] at the corner of Homebush Bay Drive and Underwood Road. By public transport, take the 525/526 bus from Strathfield Station to the last bus stop on Underwood Road.
*Warringah Mall [url=http://www.warringahmall.com.au/home.amx]]is a large cheerful mall on the [[Sydney/Northern Beaches|Northern Beaches[/url]] on a sprawling complex that includes dolphin-featured waterfalls and sunny courtyards
Prices are inflated in convenience stores and in tourist areas, and it is worth seeking out the supermarkets - even in the city centre. The main Supermarket Chains in Sydney are Woolworths [url=http://www.woolworths.com.au],]Coles [url=http://www.coles.com.au[/url]]and Aldi [http://www.aldi.com.au[/url]. See the local guides for locations.
Sydney postcards are least expensive at post offices (AUD 0.75), where you can buy stamps from as well. Do look in Paddy's Markets. Convenience and souvenir stores may sell a wider range of (more expensive) postcards, but generally they do not sell stamps. An overseas stamp for a postcard costs AUD 1.60 [http://www.auspost.com.au/pac/].
Prices in Sydney's restaurants vary. Breakfast at a standard cafe (food plus a coffee or juice) can cost anywhere up to $20 for a full English breakfast or other substantial meal. A main meal in a mid-range restaurant is around $25-35. Upper mid-range averages around $35-45. At the real top-end places a dinner for two with wine can run up to $400-500 and beyond.
For the more budget-conscious, Sydney's multicultural demography means plenty of quality ethnic cuisine for cheap prices, particular Asian restaurants. Many restaurants particularly in the city will also offer "lunch specials". For example, a good Korean "set lunch" can be found for less than $15. A bowl of noodles in Chinatown will run you $8 or $9. Some Thai curry with rice at any of the many restaurants all over Sydney will cost about $10.
Newtown in Sydney's inner-west (approx 4km from the CBD) is renowned for its inexpensive cafes and restaurants on King St, in particular Thai food. It is highly popular among students from the nearby Sydney University.
For an Asian bent, head to Chinatown for authentic Asian cheap eats. As well as restaurants, there are numerous food courts scattered throughout Chinatown packed with Asian eateries where the rock bottom priced food (but no less tasty) can be found. Plonk down at a laminate table shoulder to shoulder with hungry locals for some bubble tea and a sizzing plate of delicious Asian food. If you have a little money to spend, yum cha (dim sum) for lunch at one of the many Cantonese restaurants around Sydney is a regular ritual for many Sydney siders. Yum cha can be had in Chinatown (avoid the touristy al fresco places on Dixon St, go to East Ocean or Marigold instead), the city (Zilver, Sky Phoenix and others) and most urban centres around Sydney. Expect queues on weekends and brusque service all days - it's all part of the charm of yum cha. Some yum cha restaurants have now abandoned the trolleys, and instead give you a menu to tick your items which will be brought to your table. Some only have trolleys for specials or on weekends.
Cafés serving breakfast start opening at 06:00 and breakfast is usually served until 11:00 or, occasionally, all day. Orders for lunch start at about noon and continue until about 15:00. Many cafes will start closing late afternoon, although a few may remain open for dinner.
Restaurants usually open for dinner around 17:00-18:00 and while there are exceptions (usually concentrated in areas with active nightlife), last orders for dinner are typically taken around 22:00. Restaurants in business areas open for lunch as well. It's common for restaurants in suburban locations to sometimes be closed on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday nights.
It is more expensive to get a sit down meal in the evening, than it is for lunch.
While not as popular as in [wiki=464f18360a31a99b8003db4c668244c0]Buenos Aires[/wiki], there are a growing number of underground or home restaurants in Sydney that enable you to eat with locals.
Just about every suburb in Sydney has a restaurant or two, a cafe or coffee shop, and a place that sells takeaway food.
However, there are are a number of places in Sydney where you can window shop through many restaurants and make your choice.
All of [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki] is like this, there are restaurants of every variety all along the waterfront. East Circular Quay in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki] is similar, along with the International Passenger Terminal on the west of Circular Quay - however many of the restaurants in this area are expensive and loved more for the view than the quality of the food. There are (pricey) exceptions, such as Cafe Sydney, Aria and Sailors Thai.
In the [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]east of the city[/wiki], Victoria Street in Darlinghurst and Crown Street in Surry Hills (between Oxford and Cleveland Streets) has a large range of funky cafes, small bars, pubs, patisseries and restaurants. Darlinghurst and Surry Hills has it all, from cheap Asian take-aways to high end restaurants. Many trendy restaurants in this area don't take bookings; often you wait at the bar for a table. These suburbs are popular with hipsters, yuppies and the gay community.
Just east of the city is Woolloomooloo Wharf which boasts a fantastic view across the harbour and several upmarket restaurants, including excellent steak, Chinese, Italian and seafood restaurants. Perfect for lunch on a sunny day.
[wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23#Newtown]King Street, Newtown[/wiki], centred on the railway station, has a constantly changing selection of good value restaurants, pubs, cafes and bars. You can find many various types of cuisine here; mainly cheap Thai, but also Vietnamese, Italian, Turkish, Japanese and modern Australian. This area isn't touristy, but popular with students from the nearby Sydney University. The area has its own alternative style, which makes for great people watching.
On the [wiki=0c27ea7001b1c89c9e67361cbb37e4a3#Eat]Lower North Shore[/wiki] Willoughby Road at Crows Nest, has honest and consistently good Indian, Japanese, Thai, steak, a handful of small bars. Military Road through Cremorne and Neutral Bay have a smattering of decent restaurants, mostly Japanese. Kirribilli has a few nice cafes and restaurants, and a short after dinner stroll will take you by some of the best views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
[wiki=87d70523b1a4aea1337b21aab894fc3b#Eat]Parramatta[/wiki], to the west, has an eating strip, many with alfresco options. Harris Park nearby is Sydney's Little India with a good number of very affordable, authentic Indian restaurants.
In the North West district, Castle Hill has many restaurants on Terminus St as well as at "The Piazza" which is adjacent to Castle Towers shopping centre and features a pleasant, lively atmosphere with a fountain in the centre of the ring of restaurants.
Sydney is also home to some of the world's best restaurants.
If you are wanting to try Sydney's finest rated restaurants during your visit, make a booking well in advance at Quay or ARIA in the [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a#Eat]The Rocks[/wiki]; Tetsuya’s, Est in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b#Eat]City Centre[/wiki]; Marque in the [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]City East[/wiki] or Pier in the [wiki=1d04d63b495ebb144bc8ae342dbf4325]Eastern Suburbs[/wiki].
Neil Perry is one of Sydney's celebrity chefs, and runs Rockpool at [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a#Eat]The Rocks[/wiki]. He also has the Rockpool Bar and Grill in the city, not far from Circular Quay, with Spice Temple downstairs.
If you want to splurge on the location make an advance booking at Guillaume at Bennelong Restaurant in the Opera House. You may be lucky on a weekday and get a walk-up table at one of the restaurants in Campbells Cove in the [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a#Eat]The Rocks[/wiki].
If you want to have fine dining away from the central Sydney, try Jonah's in the far [wiki=40546ef6f08e269874d927fd1abe1c81]Northern Beaches[/wiki] - go for lunch, the view is stunning. Alternative, Berowra Waters Inn is an experience unlike any other and a top pick for devouring excellent European / Modern Australian cooking overlooking a natural bushland waterway in northern Sydney. (You will need to arrange a car, or, for the jet set, take a sea plane!)
While Australia's cafe culture may have its roots in Melbourne, Sydney has well and truly taken up the joys of good coffee and tasty, easy food. The best cafes are usually in the inner city and the inner west. Many Sydneysiders take great joy in good coffee, and the very best places for this will be the likes of Campos Coffee on Missenden Road in Newtown, Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville, Mecca Espresso in Ultimo or King Street in the City, Single Origin Roasters near Elizabeth St in Surry Hills, or The Source Espresso Bar in Mosman. Other well-known favourites include Three Blue Ducks in Bronte (also open for dinner and run by ex-head chef of Michelin starred Tetsuya's), Bourke Street Bakery in Surry Hills (where a very good bakery is crammed into a tiny corner terrace), and Black Star Pastry in Newtown. You can expect to line up for any of these, though the wait is worth it.
Sydney's strong cafe culture is matched by its penchant for morning and all-day breakfasts. A visit to Sydney is not complete without having breakfast at one of the many beach-side cafes in the Eastern Beaches (Coogee and Bronte in particular; in Bondi you will find the better cafes along Bondi Rd heading down to the beach or in the streets back from Campbell Parade), the Northern Beaches (Manly in particular, but also Freshwater or Dee Why) and at Cronulla, in the city's south. If you do get to a beachside cafe for breakfast, a quintessential Australian breakfast is Corn Fritters with Bacon and Poached Eggs.
Thanks to Sydney's (or rather, Australia's) multicultural mix, "modern Australian" is usually characterised by a fusion of cuisines. Think entrées spiced with a Thai-inspired chilli dressing, mains with a hint of a Chinese-style ginger-based marinade or sunny Tuscan flavours- all in the same menu. Many of Australia's celebrity chefs are of ethnic backgrounds, and many have trained overseas, bringing with them a world of experience back home.
* Visit the Sydney Fish Markets in Pyrmont (within walking distance of [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki]) for a lunch of fresh seafood of almost any description. Sadly the cooked seafood on offer is overpriced, greasy and frankly an embarrassment. Avoid. For a proper seafood lunch at the fish markets, bypass these shops and go directly to one of the many fishmongers. Pick out the best freshly shucked oysters, cooked Balmain Bug or lobster tails, glistening prawns and sashimi. Take it out to tables outside and enjoy getting your hands dirty. Otherwise, head upstairs to Fisherman's Wharf Chinese Restaurant for some wonderful Cantonese seafood or yum cha.
* Hit a steakhouse and try Australia's world-famous prime Angus beef.
Alternatively, many CBD pubs offer $6 to $10 steak "meal deals", provided that you also order a particular alcoholic drink at the same time.
For those who are after authentic multicultural culinary experiences, there are unique "food districts" scattered around the greater city. The range of food available is huge and isn't necessarily expensive. It is usually possible to find a restaurant of any nationality, specialising in almost any cuisine.
* Eat Chinese (Cantonese) in [wiki=adb24723f38233f964f917d6494ae7da]Chinatown[/wiki] Chatswood on the [wiki=0c27ea7001b1c89c9e67361cbb37e4a3]North Shore[/wiki]. "Noodle markets" are also held in Chinatown every Friday, starting from around 17:30. Many Chinatown restaurants hold open-air stalls, selling everything from finger food, to stir-fry noodles, to Chinese-style desserts. For more northern Chinese flavours, including Shanghainese and Pekingnese, head to Ashfield and Strathfield in the [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Sydney/Inner West[/wiki]- both easily accessible via public transport. Some outer suburbs are particularly known for their Chinese restaurants - recommended examples are Eastwood (north-west), Parramatta (west) and Hurstville in Sydney's [wiki=598431256cad108a6e6d5821ab487151]southern suburbs[/wiki] which all have a number of restaurants offering more home-style Chinese food. They are all accessible by public transport.
* Eat Uyghur on Dixon Street, Haymarket (Chinatown)- fiery, flavour-bursting food originating from the Turkic regions of Central Asia.
* Eat Thai in one of the many low priced Thai outlets in Newtown's King Street in the [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Inner West[/wiki], or around "Thaitown" in the city (around Campbell St, near Chinatown).
* Eat Italian in one of the restaurants in Leichhardt's Norton Street, or nearby Ramsay Street, Haberfield in the [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Inner West[/wiki]. Or in Stanley St in East Sydney - a walk from the CBD.
* Eat Spanish in Liverpool Street in the city.
* Eat Portuguese in Petersham in the Inner West.
* Eat Indian in one of the many restaurants in the [wiki=87297f93d390af86287e07b4cb7de2fd]Outer West[/wiki] with all types of Indian cuisine (North Indian, South Indian, Vegetarian, meat, etc.)
* Eat Korean in Liverpool & Pitt St in City, Strathfield, Eastwood and Campsie.
* Eat Japanese in Neutral Bay or Crows Nest.
* Eat Nepalese in Glebe Point Road, Glebe, in the Inner West or Crows Nest.
* Eat Turkish in Auburn (Outer West). Closer to the city, there try Enmore Rd Enmore / South King St Newtown in the Inner West. Get your Sucuklu and Pastirmali here.
* Eat Lebanese in Cleveland Street. Baba Ghanouj, Lahem Begin and Baclawa here. Salam Alaikum. For the very best Lebanese, head out to the Middle Eastern enclaves of Greenacre or Lakemba.
* Eat Vietnamese in Marrickville. The most authentic Vietnamese can be experienced in [wiki=569c00165865bd7bd7a96dc1b9fbf273]Cabramatta[/wiki] or Bankstown. If you have the time, Cabramatta particularly is a fascinating and worthwhile day trip. So awash is the suburb with Vietnamese restaurants groceries, butchers, craft shops, clothing stores and restaurants - not to mention Vietnamese people - you'd swear you were walking around Saigon rather than Sydney.
* Eat Kosher in [wiki=9e682711d3e7fbaf311ad64ba77b09ec]Bondi[/wiki]. Many great restaurants throughout the area.
* Eat Indonesian in Anzac Parade, Kensington, Kingsford & Maroubra.
Take away food in Sydney can be as cheap as buying the ingredients and making it yourself, and many stores specialise in take-away food. There will usually be a picnic table, park or beach nearby to eat whatever you can select. Quintessential Aussie takeaways include the meat pie (minced beef with gravy sauce in a crusty pastry shell), sausage roll (sausage mince in a puff pastry casing), usually topped generously with tomato sauce/ketchup, and fish and chips (inherited from the British to be sure but loved by all Australians).
Most restaurants will do take-away food as well, but almost certainly at a premium to the cost of buying food from a take-away. Outside of the city an occasional restaurant may offer a 10% discount for take-away.
Vegetarians are well catered for. Every restaurant will usually have at least one vegetarian dish. Indian restaurants can be relied upon to provide a wider selection. The trendy [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c]East Sydney[/wiki] and [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Inner West[/wiki] suburbs have many choices, Cabramatta in the western suburbs have many Asian Buddhist cuisine restaurants that are vegan and vegetarian.
There is an awareness of gluten-free and dairy-free diets in Sydney, and again the more trendier inner city suburbs are more likely to cater for these diets.
It seems every weekend, there is a food festival on in one of the suburbs of Sydney. Usually the idea is that restaurants take part, providing smaller portions of their signature dishes around $7-$12 a plate.
The largest food festival, the [url=http://www.siff.com.au/]Sydney International Food Festival[/url], which showcases Sydney's food culture is in October, which includes the night noodle markets operating in Hyde Park in the [wiki=0d62834ac23a118081111a80e1749f9b]City Centre[/wiki]
The general rule on [wiki=4442e4af0916f53a07fb8ca9a49b98ed#Tipping]tipping in Australia[/wiki] is that it is not compulsory and generally not expected. This remains true for most cafes, and for counter service in Sydney. However for a full service restaurant in a tourist areas and mid to higher end restaurants a tip would be expected by the waitstaff. However, most Australians will still not tip, and you should feel free to follow their lead should you wish to. Some snootier waiters may raise an eyebrow, but nobody will follow you or give you a hard time. Otherwise a 10% tip added to the bill or rounding the bill up to the nearest $10, $20 or $50 to a maximum of 10% (depending on the size of the bill!) will usually meet their expectations. They may be expecting a little more if you have an American accent, as they are well aware of what Americans tip at home.
The national minimum wage in Australia (as at July 2015) is $17.29 an hour, so unlike their counterparts in some other countries, Australian hospitality workers do not rely on tips to survive.
Australians are casual. While most people make an effort to dress up for fancier restaurants, there is no requirement and both restaurants and diners alike are relaxed about dress standards. There are no restaurants in Sydney that require jackets for men for instance, and jeans (nice - no holes) are common in even the most expensive and posh Sydney restaurants. Wear what you feel comfortable in.
The Good Food Guide, published by the Sydney Morning Herald, is a well-regarded restaurant guide on the Sydney food circuit. The guide uses a reviewing and scoring system similar to the Michelin publications overseas. While the majority of restaurants included are in Sydney, a number of regional NSW restaurants are also included. The GFG can be picked up at any good book store.
* Timeout Sydney has a regular section on eating out in Sydney, with emphasis on affordable destinations. There is a paper publication as well as a web site.
* Most major Sydney newspapers feature regular restaurant reviews and food-related news to help you stay on top of local food scene. Check out Good Food [wiki=e2cb86f8ecb0cb7ac62bfc5ac4f65b6c]url=http://www.goodfood.com.au/[/wiki]]in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Daily Telegraph [[url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/food[/url]],]and The Australian [[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/executive-living/food-drink[/url]].
* There are also numerous blogs on the internet devoted to food and eating in Sydney written by a clique of dedicated, self-confessed Sydney foodies. These websites can be a good source of information from an everyday diner's perspective. They are great for the scoop on lesser known gems and foodie destinations, as well as covering other topics such as events, cooking and shopping. Some recommended blogs: Grab Your Fork [wiki=f12f9a983eb2ea2f1a62bf0cde868ec0]url=http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com[/wiki];]I'm Still Hungry [[url=http://imstillhungry.net/[/url]];]B-Kyu [[url=http://www.b-kyu.com/[/url]]]; ChocolateSuze [[url=http://www.chocolatesuze.com/[/url]];]Chew Your Chow [[url=http://chewyourchow.blogspot.com.au/[/url]];]Not Quite Nigella [[url=http://www.notquitenigella.com/[/url]];]2 Hungry Guys [[url=http://2hungryguys.com.au/[/url]];]The Pursuit of Food Perfection [[http://thepursuitoffoodperfection.wordpress.com/[/url]].
* For the well-heeled and truly gourmet, the glossy pages of Gourmet Traveller magazine cover the latest in Sydney food fashion and the upmarket restaurant scene.
* Zomato.com is a website similar to Yelp! in the USA, containing reviews and rankings of restaurants by the masses.
*[url=http://concreteplayground.com/sydney/]Concrete Playground[/url] is a digital city guide that's useful for finding restaurants, events and attractions.
These are usually near to major hostel areas, and will find a lot of fellow budget travellers in pubs in the Eastern Suburbs Beaches like [wiki=5fa4df7c90d618e91c025f9a7d7fd0f2#Drink]Bondi Beach[/wiki] and Kings Cross in the [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c#Drink]City East[/wiki]. The World Bar in Kings Cross is an institutional venue for travellers partying in Sydney, with Tuesday and Thursday nights being very popular with backpackers. If you're after the fun, backpacker style of party, check out Scu Bar (Haymarket) on a Monday night, Side Bar (Haymarket, also Mondays), Scary Canary (City, Wednesdays) or The World Bar (Kings Cross, Thursdays).
Hot Damn at the Exchange Hotel on Oxford Street is an alternative music institution spread out over a number of levels and bars and is regularly at capacity. Here you can expect here a good mix of all types of alternative rock music - ranging from pop-punk to dub-step, and hardcore/screamo. Greenwood Hotel in North Sydney is very popular on Thursday nights with the fresh-out-of-school crowd. Perfect for you if you fit into that category, avoid if you do not.
Sydney's students drink in the [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23#Drink]Inner West[/wiki]. Try student bars Manning at Sydney Uni, the Roundhouse at UNSW and the Loft at UTS which all offer pleasant, hassle free environments, and noone checks if you're a student. Manning Bar is also great for a meal as they have their Manning BBQ. The Clare opposite UTS on Broadway, though very ratty looking, is a similarly popular place for students. There are many great bars and pubs on Broadway, such as the Lansdowne Hotel which also offers cheap lunch meals for $5-6 on some days of the week.
The biggest clubs in Sydney include the sprawling Ivy on George St in the city, Marquee at The Star casino in Pyrmont, Home Bar at Cockle Bay, and Arq at Taylor Square. Kings Cross has countless clubs, though these vary in size. World Bar
The state government made changes to liquor licensing laws in previous years, which has seen an explosion in the number of small bars throughout the greater city. The sheer number of them mean there will always be a new latest and trendiest bar to go to - for the most up to date ones, check out the [url=http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/]TimeOut Sydney[/url] website. Most of them are well hidden in office building basements, or in laneways, or frequently both, and the only way you'll find them is by seeing the queue to get in. Be wary though: on Friday and Saturday nights these places will more than likely be packed out. For the best experience, head along on a weeknight. After-work crowds will mean there is some life to the place, but you won't have to wait in a queue just to get in.
A great example of the quality of these types of establishments is Baxter Inn, off Clarence Street in the city, which was voted the #8 bar in the world in 2013, by Drinks International.
A good majority of these small bars also have a theme to them, such as Vasco on Cleveland St (a very fun Rock and Roll bar), Tio's (Guatemalan Owl Cerveceria), Lobo Plantation (colonial plantation, minus the racism), and The Barbershop (Barbershop-cum-bar, and you can actually get your hair cut). Other heavyweights in the small bar league include Shady Pines Saloon in Darlinghurst, 121 BC in Surry Hills, Mary's in Newtown, Bulletin Place in the City, and Frankie's Pizza also in the City. Many of the more established small bars are in the CBD and inner-city, mostly Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. Don't be shy about visiting some of the more up-and-coming suburbs, either. Marrickville and Redfern are rapidly gentrifying, and with it, a slew of very interesting bars are popping up along their main commercial strips. In Manly, on the Northern Beaches, and throughout Mosman and Cremorne on the Lower North Shore there is a cluster of very formidable and popular bars.
In some ways Irish pubs are a global phenomenon, but they've certainly taken Sydney by storm. Irish pubs are concentrated in both [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a#Drink]The Rocks[/wiki] area and the [wiki=adb24723f38233f964f917d6494ae7da#Drink]southern area of the city[/wiki]. They are outrageously popular on the 17th March for St Patrick's Day.
These cater to the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d#Drink]city[/wiki] crowd: lawyers, financiers and brokers and are very busy Friday nights when the city workers are let loose for the week. They're usually a bit quieter on the weekends. Great after-work places in the CBD include The Glenmore & The Australian Hotel in The Rocks, as well as Baxter Inn on Clarence Street, and Sweeney's Hotel opposite Town Hall. Be sure to check out the rooftop bars at Sweeney's and the Glenmore.
Sydney's gay scene is concentrated on Oxford Street in [wiki=6fb7b7450aa2df3994f066a03bd5082c#Drink]City East[/wiki] although it still has a large range of pubs and clubs for all ranges of sexuality and is a prominent nightspot for many party-goers. Sydney's queer community also can often be found on King Street in Newtown which offers a more relaxed place to gather and far fewer yobs. Generally speaking, King Street, Newtown is more popular with Lesbians & female-identifying, while Oxford Street is much more popular Gay Men and those who are male-identifying.
You can expect Drag shows in just about any of Oxford Street's gay bars. Stonewall Hotel has these on the hour on busier nights, while Thursday nights at Arq have an amateur "Drag for Dollars" event. The Imperial in Erskineville is also worth checking out for its shows, though is a little bit off the beaten track - but still only a short stroll from Erskineville or Newtown station.
Sydney's microbreweries are in the Rocks and the City Centre. Noteworthy mentions around here include the King St Brewhouse at King Street Wharf, and the Lord Nelson on Kent St in The Rocks. Harts in The Rocks is also a great spot for beer-- they serve a wide variety of craft beers in pints or schooners. In Newtown, the Young Henrys brewery is open early in the day for tastings.
Most bars and clubs in Sydney will simply return your change, and no tip is expected. Some more upmarket bars will return your change on a tray. Most Sydneysiders will simply collect the change from the tray, however feel free to leave the coins on the tray if you would like to tip. Working out a percentage of the drink cost, or tip per drink is never required.
The potential for alcohol-related violence is an unfortunate reality of Sydney's drinking scene in some parts of the city. Problems are typically caused by young, aggressive, drunk males, with most problems occurring after midnight in hotspots such as King's Cross and the CBD. Some attacks are random and unprovoked, even causing death in some instances where the victim has been caught off-guard by a "king hit", fallen and hit their head on the pavement.
Sydney is a safe city and the likelihood of something happening to you is very small. Due to the increased occurrences of such incidents in recent years, police presence has also been markedly scaled up in problem areas. However it is worth exercising caution while out drinking late anywhere in Sydney. Avoid large groups of rowdy, obviously drunk men. If you are provoked, walk away. If the things escalate call the police immediately on 000.
Sydney has a wide range of backpackers' hostels - popular districts for these include the southern half of the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]CBD[/wiki] and [wiki=adb24723f38233f964f917d6494ae7da]Haymarket[/wiki], Glebe and [wiki=feb571ec5de137b5b6875e97d17486bf]Kings Cross[/wiki], the [wiki=1d04d63b495ebb144bc8ae342dbf4325]Eastern Suburbs[/wiki] ([wiki=9e682711d3e7fbaf311ad64ba77b09ec]Bondi[/wiki], [wiki=76f871d9a374e1de04b78e8490908916]Coogee[/wiki]) and the [wiki=40546ef6f08e269874d927fd1abe1c81]Northern Beaches[/wiki] ([wiki=eff34a3583519576128af6940cb47c4a]Manly[/wiki]). Backpackers in campervans or tents can find accommodation on Sydneys north side 10km drive from the city at [wiki=88319c796b637730a1b3fc13440819cd#Sleep]Lane Cove National Park[/wiki].
You find many mid-range accommodation providers within the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]CBD[/wiki] (mostly in the southern Haymarket end), and within a short distance of the city by public transport, including in [wiki=fcfcb2e4d1ab60956238fdce5f84e4bf]North Sydney[/wiki], the [wiki=b1e37fe0f2f0bdb94eeb1f8df3ddfe23]Inner West[/wiki] and the [wiki=8cf67f12a1cd6315f819ff9c3144d8bd]North Shore[/wiki]. Sometimes a cheaper motel style accommodation can be obtained on the roads leading into Sydney, particular in [wiki=d2ff93540034cddf2159747140d60ed4]South Western Sydney[/wiki]
There are luxurious hotels that can be found all over Sydney. The most expensive hotels are generally located in the [wiki=e984d6e74f78766abfd6635014c3874d]CBD[/wiki] and the [wiki=f87230ef09b60b8329de5e8f7bb6fd5a]Rocks district[/wiki], near the business hub of Sydney, close to many restaurants, often featuring spectacular harbour views. Some other high quality hotels are located in [wiki=751d952822903f0516f1c68498a5f638]Darling Harbour[/wiki]. You may check the list below for specific locations.
Please visit one of the various Sydney districts described in the Districts section above to see the accommodation listings.
Serviced, short-term apartments are widely available throughout Sydney and are available for stays as short as one night. Amenities typically include kitchen, washer and dryer, and separate bedrooms. A range of properties exist from budget to five-star.
Please visit one of the various Sydney districts described in the Districts section above to see the accommodation listings.
Be on the lookout for the usual big city petty crime problems, though pickpocketing and theft is much less common then in cities in Europe or Asia. Lock your car, and keep valuables safe or hidden. People begging may ask for money or cigarettes, but they are generally harmless. They will often make up the usual stories about needing a train fare etc. Simply say "Sorry, no" and they will usually leave you alone.
Sydney has some of the violent crime issues that plague major cities, however, in general, no special precautions are required visiting the typical tourist areas during the day.
Most assaults in Sydney take place in or near pubs and nightclubs at night, and involve alcohol. Most involve young males as perpetrators and victims. Most robberies occur in nearby quiet laneways, or parks close to pubs and nightclubs at night. The most common perpetrators or robberies are drug addicts. For this reason, take care around King Cross, The Rocks, Oxford St, and the George St Cinema District, especially late at night on Fridays and Saturday nights. There has been an increase of reported alcohol related violence in Kings Cross, king hits followed by death have been widely reported in the local media, avoid that area. Avoid Redfern station late at night. Even changing trains at night is best done at Central rather than Redfern. Women should take extra care at bars and keep an alert companion at hand, especially in the central hostel area, and take precautions against [wiki=e8a4b3e3fbb964f518003d131d94d87e]spiked drinks[/wiki].
Some areas Sydney have a reputation, generally gained by news reports of motorcycle and other gang related violence. However, if you want to venture out into these areas during the day, there is no exceptional risk. If you're planning to head way off the tourist trail to some suburban pub or nightclub for a night out, seek some local advice. It may be a nice pub, but it pays to be informed. Areas around railway stations tend to be hang-outs for youth gangs in Western Sydney, particularly on Friday and Saturday night. Stay in company, and don't engage.
After 9PM, smaller outer suburban stations can be very quiet, and many are totally unstaffed after this time. The trains can also be empty when they get towards the end of the line at this time. Don't expect a taxi to be waiting at every station--only the major ones will have a well patronised taxi rank.
Travel in the carriage closest to the guard's compartment, which is marked with a blue light on the outside of the train. Drunk people are common on trains late at night, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. If you ever feel concerned for your safety on any train, you can call 1800 657 926 to speak with Sydney Trains security, then can sometimes arrange for a transit patrol to board the train and provide assistance. It is generally more advisable to seek assistance from the guard however as Transit Officers are few and far between. In more modern trains, you can press the button in the entry area to speak with the guard. Every train station has an orange emergency help point monitored by CCTV that connects to Sydney Trains security, usually towards the centre of the platform.
Nightride buses, which replace trains after midnight, can arrange for a taxi to meet you when you get off. Ask the driver.
As Sydney is notoriously well-known for its adult entertainment, beware of a variation on the 'clip joint' [wiki=d531b19a2cc65a72f5880c6c9917a22d]scam[/wiki] in Kings Cross, where bouncers will haggle with you to enter a strip club. Once inside, you will be pressured to buy (overpriced) drinks from the bar, the place will be deserted and you may be propositioned by prostitutes. If you choose to visit such types of venues, be sure to do some research beforehand into where you want to go, a quick Google search will usually help. Good venues will normally have a website and the ladies working there will not offer sex, as there are plenty of legal brothels and 'massage parlours' across Sydney.
Other than that, there are very few tourist scams present in Sydney.
If you are going to the beach, take the same precautions as you do anywhere in Australia. See [wiki=4442e4af0916f53a07fb8ca9a49b98ed#Beach going]Beach going[/wiki].
The biggest thing to remember when swimming at any Sydney beach is swim between the yellow and red flags. These flags are places by the lifeguards and indicate the safest place to swim at the beach away from dangerous currents. If you get into trouble while swimming, try to remain in one spot and raise your hand straight up into the air (do not wave). The lifeguards will rescue you if necessary.
Sydney is generally sunny and UV radiation is higher than in the places where many tourists come from (Europe and North America). Make sure to wear a hat, sunglasses, and apply sunscreen (minimum SPF 30+) regularly.
Sydney has no really dangerous jellyfish. Bluebottles (Portugese Man-Of-War) are blueish-purple stingers that hit the Sydney beaches a couple of days every summer, when the wind direction is right. They have an air-bladder that floats on the water, and stinging tenticles. Often the air-bladder can be no bigger than a coin. You will see the evidence of them with their air-bags washed up on the beach if they are present. They can give a painful sting - even when on the beach - but it won't keep everyone out of the water. Apply a heat pack if you can, or ice, or salt water. The best way to remove the pain is to run the affected area under the hottest water you can stand. Vinegar is useless. Sometimes small transparent jellyfish appear in the harbour and estuaries. You can usually avoid any groups of them, but they are mostly harmless. More rarely larger purple jellyfish are in the harbour and other estuaries. If you see these in the estuaries, best to stay out of their way. Probably more of an issue to water skiers than to swimmers.
Sydney ocean beaches all have shark mesh nets around 100 metres out to sea, and are regularly patrolled by air for sharks. A shark alarm will sound if any are sighted, and you should get out of the water. The risk of shark attack swimming on a patrolled beach between the flags is virtually nil. Shark attacks are rare on Sydney beaches, but they have occurred, although there have been no fatal attacks for 45 years. Advice is to avoid swimming in murky water after storms, or at dusk or at dawn, and to swim in the netted enclosures within the harbour and other estuaries.
Take note of the general issues regarding [wiki=4442e4af0916f53a07fb8ca9a49b98ed#Stay safe]staying safe in Australia[/wiki].
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* Make sure to use the facilities before going through security as there are none in the Consulate itself. There are shops in the malls below offering passport photos and a post office where you can buy pre-paid, tracked, envelopes.
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* Luggage repair services.
* Newspapers. Sydney has two major dailies: The Sydney Morning Herald [url=http://www.smh.com.au],]which is considered the city's newspaper of record, and a populist, generally right-leaning tabloid, The Daily Telegraph[url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au[/url].]Leafing through the Herald can be a good way to get an idea of what's happening in the city, and of attempting to understand the complicated morass that is Sydney politics. Newsagents also stock The Australian[url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au[/url],]a right-leaning national broadsheet, and The Australian Financial Review[http://www.afr.com[/url], as well as one or more local suburban papers (usually weekly, although larger ones publish more often