Interesting Facts

- The first settlers of the city were the British in 1788. They arrived with around 400 settlers and some 750 convicts who were sentenced to work in Australia for petty crimes such as stealing food.

- The city is also the place where the first television station in Australia opened in 1956.

- The construction of the famous Sydney Opera House began in 1959 and was officially inaugurated in 1973.

- The highest building in the southern hemisphere, the Sydney Tower, is 324.8 meters above sea level.

- The city is also home to the oldest newspaper in the southern hemisphere, the Sydney Herald (1831).

- Trams in Sydney were retired from services on 26 February 1961.

- The Olympic of 2000 was held in Sydney.

II. Destinations And Sightseeing

A. Art Gallery of New South Wales

It is one of the best public galleries in Sydney and has permanent displays of Australian, European, Asian and tribal art including some of the famous works by Lloyd Rees, Margaret Preston and Brett Whiteley. The ‘Yiribana' section of the gallery has an excellent collection of Aboriginal and Islander art along with the Archibald portrait prize collection.

B. Royal Botanic Gardens

The garden was established in 1816 and is one of the most preferred picnic spots, jogging route and place to take a casual walk for the people of Sydney. The garden is home to a wonderful collection of South Pacific plant life, a traditional rose garden, and a colony of bats. It also offers a panoramic view of the Sydney Harbor.

C. Museum of Contemporary Art

The museum is located in front of the Circular Quay West and is housed in a grand Art Deco building. The museum displays a vast collection of contemporary art from Australia and around the world including paintings, sculpture, installations, and movies. It also hosts short-term exhibitions on a variety of themes. You can buy postcards and gifts from the shop located inside the museum and have food at the on-sight café.

D. Bondi Beach

Bondi beach is famous all over Australia and is located along the shores of Sydney. It offers an assortment of recreational activities, suitable for every budget and every age. People are attracted towards the beach due to its clean and warm waters and sandy stretches. The beach is easily accessible by buses, trains and taxis. The parking around the beach if normally very crowded, which makes the buses and trains the most preferred medium of getting to Bondi beach.

A number of surfing schools operate in the area and also offer surfing equipment on rent. It is one of the best places for scuba diving in Australia as it is part of a series of steep cliff walls. The beach is most lively in the summers but the town itself is active all throughout the year. Apart from the beach, the local market at the town's public school grounds also attracts many visitors where you can buy local art, food, or clothing. Many small shops and boutiques are located along the beachfront.

Dining is not a problem at Bondi beach as the area has plenty of restaurants and cafes that are open throughout the day. Most are these eating joints are clustered on the Campbell Parade. Many of these restaurants have ‘BYO' signs, which means ‘ bring your own alcohol'. Some of these restaurants charge a very moderate corkage fee if you drink inside the restaurant's premises.

E. Sydney Harbor Bridge

It is one of the most popular attractions in Sydney, which stands at a towering height of 134 meters above the harbor waters, making it the tallest steel bridge in the world. The vaulted structure is one of the most photographed landmarks in the world and acts as an international symbol for Australia along with the Sydney Opera House. It took ten years to build the bridge and was completed on March 19, 1932.

Getting to the bridge is easy from any location in Sydney as a number of buses and trains make regular stops near the bridge. Apart from being a sightseeing destination, it also hosts a number of fun events such as the Bridge Climb, where visitors are allowed to climb a series of catwalks, ladders, and stairs to take in the gorgeous view from the top of the bridge. These climbs are conducted every ten minutes in groups of twelve. However, you will have to pass a blood alcohol test and climb on a simulator for experiencing the elevation changes that you are likely to feel at the top of the bridge. Climbing trips are conducted all throughout the day, at sunset and even during the night.

Any visit to the bridge is incomplete without going to the Pylon Lookout, which is located at the southern end of the bridge. Here you can learn some of the most interesting facts about the construction and history of one of the most popular steel bridges in the world. You will be surprised to know that the top of the bridge is in constant motion due to incoming winds. You will also discover that the bridge can rise and fall a distance of about 180 millimeters depending on temperature changes.

If you are driving to the bridge from the northern side and planning to go south then do not forget to bring some change as there is a toll booth that charges a few dollars. A ride from the southern side to the northern side is free. If you do not want to drive, you can simply walk the whole length of the bridge or ride on a bicycle. Walking and biking on the bridge is free in both the directions and there are separate lanes for bikers.

F. The Sydney Opera House

It is one of the most familiar buildings in the world and represents Sydney as well as Australia. The view of the Opera House is an unforgettable sight as it rests majestically on Bennelong Point, reaching down to the Sydney Harbor. The plan to build the opera was initiated way back in 1950 by John Utzon. The interesting thing to know is that John Utzon was way ahead of the construction technology available at that time an it was only in 1973 that his ideas could be implemented for building the Opera House. The Opera House was inaugurated on October 20,1973 by Queen Elizabeth II and the first show was ‘War and Peace'.

The Opera House conducts over two hundred thousand tours every year and has more than one thousand rooms. Over two million guests including locals and tourists visit it every year for viewing the diverse mix of dance, theatre, and musical performances that are presented year round. Getting to the place is easy as many hotels offer direct shuttle services to the opera house. Buses, commuter trains, and harbor ferries are also available that make frequent stops at the Circular Quay, which is just a five minute walk to the Opera House.

You can also have your meals at the Opera House as a few restaurants and bars are located inside the complex. The bars offer a panoramic view of the Sydney Harbor along with an assortment of creative cocktails and wonderful cuisine. Another place where you can have a meal is the Guillaume at Bennelong that offers meals before and after the show. Bistro and espresso stands also offer snacks during the day and during show intervals.

It is recommended that you book your tickets in advance, which can be purchased online or from the Sydney Opera House box office during the day. If you are planning to go to more than one show, do not forget to take advantage of the discount offered for buying tickets to multiple shows. Even if you are not interested in the shows, make sure that you visit the place, as it is a marvel in architectural design and engineering.

G. Taronga Zoo

The zoo was officially opened for the public on October 7, 1916. It was earlier situated on the Billy Goat Swamp in Moore Park but was shifted to its current location after the Zoo's secretary visited Germany and observed how the animals at the Hamburg Zoo were allowed to wander around freely. The zoo is currently situated in the Taronga Park. The zoo often teams up with other zoos in the city for enhancing breeding and animal treatment practices.

The zoo attracts both adults as well as children as it has plenty to offer in terms of amazing creatures and a wealth of information. Getting to the zoo is easy as many buses and commuter trains make frequent stops near the zoo. You can also use your own transportation as the Sydney Zoo ground has parking space for about five hundred cars. The latest mode of transportation available is the Sky Safari cable car that operates daily between the zoo wharf and the top zoo entrance.

The zoo is quite large and is divided into several different sectors such as the Giraffe House, the Aquarium, and the Tiger Pits among others. Visiting all the sections can take an entire day so plan accordingly. The zoo has more than 340 species of wildlife and over 2600 individual animals. Some of the most popular animals kept at the zoo include kangaroos, storks, tree frogs, emus, koalas, pelicans, wallabies, and exotic snakes. The zoo also has the distinction of being the second zoo in Australia to breed the Platypus.