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Key Attractions
Sydney Opera House
Few architectural feats match that of the Sydney Opera House. The roofs are the remaining legacy of Danish architect Jřrn Utzon, who left the project halfway through its protracted 14-year genesis and has never seen the completed building. Subsequent architects took up the challenge of designing the complex of some 1000 auditoria, theatres, restaurants and bars, which finally opened in 1973. The four main auditoria - the Concert Hall, the Playhouse, the Opera Theatre and the Drama Theatre - stage a total of 3000 performances a year.
Bennelong Point
Tel: (02) 9250 7111 or (02) 9250 7250 (tours). Fax: (02) 9221 8072.
E-mail: infodesk@soh.nsw.gov.au
Website: www.soh.nsw.gov.au
Transport: CityRail/ferry Circular Quay; bus 324, 325 or 438.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0900-2030 (box office), plus two hours before Sun show. Daily 0830-1700 (tours).
Admission: A$24 (backstage tour), A$14.70 (front-of-house tour).
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Not to be outdone by the imposing grandeur of the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is, in its own right, a feat of engineering genius. Affectionately known as 'the Coathanger', it took 1400 workers (16 of whom were killed in the process) eight years to complete the bridge. If the views from the Pylon Lookout across Sydney Harbour and over the Opera House are not spectacular enough, the Bridge Climb gives thrill-seekers the chance to walk to the top of the 50-storey-high bridge, over the cars and trains rumbling across the deck below, and down the other side. Paul 'Crocodile Dundee' Hogan, a bridge-painter in a former lifetime, was one of the first to climb the bridge.
Pylon Museum and Lookout
Access: Stairs via Cumberland Street
Tel: (02) 8274 7777. Fax: (02) 9240 1101.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission: A$5 (concessions available).
Bridge Climb
5 Cumberland Street
Tel: (02) 8274 7777. Fax: (02) 9240 1122.
Website: www.bridgeclimb.com
Opening hours: Daily 0700-1900.
Admission: A$125-170 (concessions available).
Transport: CityRail/ferry Circular Quay.
The Rocks
Nestled at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks - Sydney's historical birthplace - is a neighbourhood of winding streets, sandstone cottages and some of Sydney's oldest pubs. The site of the first landing from Plymouth (England) in 1788, the area is now a busy tourist enclave, with cafés, restaurants, galleries, museums and countless souvenir shops. Among the district's historic buildings are the Hero of Waterloo inn, built over a tunnel originally used for smuggling; the Sydney Observatory, on the site of the colony's first windmill; Cadman's Cottage, Sydney's oldest building, built in 1816; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Merchants' House, Garrison Church and Susannah Place.
Transport: CityRail/ferry Circular Quay.
Darling Harbour
A former dockside area, this small harbour has been transformed into a major tourist site appealing predominantly to children. The vast, paved and landscaped recreation playground is packed with restaurants and shops, as well as a number of tourist attractions, including the Powerhouse Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium, Sega World, Panasonic IMAX Theatre and the Chinese Garden of Friendship, a gift to Sydney from its Chinese sister city of Guangdong. Most of the restaurants are concentrated in Cockle Bay Wharf, on the city side of Darling Harbour, with its mix of budget outdoor eating and gourmet dining.
Website: www.darlingharbour.com
Transport: CityRail Town Hall; monorail Darling Park or Harbourside; ferry Darling Harbour.
Bondi Beach
Whatever its reputation, Bondi remains one of the world's most perfect beaches, a white crescent of sand strung between two rocky headlands, just 15 minutes from the city centre. The waterfront scene with its street musicians, pool halls, 'surfie' shops, discos and clubs is ideal for a summer evening's prowl or a lazy saunter past Campbell Parade's restaurants, cafés and Sunday markets. Swimmers should stick to the patrolled areas of North Bondi or Bondi Baths on the southern rocks. The coastal walk takes in the whole gamut of beach cultures, from the wild surf and gleaming bodies at Tamarama (aka Glamourama) to the palm-fringed views of Bronte and the soothing sea pools at Coogee.
Website: www.voyeurmagic.com.au
Transport: Bus 380, 382 or L82; CityRail Bondi Junction and then bus 380; ferry from Circular Quay to Rose Bay and then bus 380.
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Featuring the Yiribana Gallery, the world's largest permanent exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia's foremost art museums. Among its most impressive exhibitions is its Australian art collection, extending from the early colonial period to the mid-twentieth century, with sculpture and painting exhibited together.
Art Gallery Road, The Domain
Tel: (02) 9225 1700. Fax: (02) 9221 6226.
Website: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Transport: CityRail Martin Place/St James; bus 441.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission: Free.
AMP Tower
Standing 305m (1000ft) above Centrepoint, the AMP Tower is Sydney's tallest building with views over Sydney, the Olympic City and the Harbour, and as far as Terrigal Beach, 100km (62 miles) to the north.
100 Market Street
Tel: (02) 9231 1000. Fax: (02) 9231 1200.
Website: www.centrepoint.com.au
Transport: CityRail St James/Town Hall; monorail City Centre.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2145.
Admission: A$19.80 (concessions available).
Royal Botanic Gardens
Just a short walk from the Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens sit on a slope overlooking the harbour and cover 30 hectares (74 acres) in the heart of the city. Established in 1816, it is Australia's oldest scientific institution and home to over one million specimens. Highlights include the Sydney Tropical Centre and the Oriental Garden and there is a hop-on hop-off trackless train to get around them all.
Macquarie Street (main entrance)
Tel: (02) 9231 8111. Fax: (02) 9231 8054.
Website: www.rbgsyd.gov.au
Transport: CityRail St James/Martin Place/Circular Quay.
Opening hours: Daily 0700-sunset.
Admission: Free.
Olympic Park
One of the best ways to see Sydney's Olympic Park is to sit back in the air-conditioned comfort of an Explorer bus as a guide explains the vision that has transformed a former rubbish tip into the most eco-friendly Olympic site yet. The Sydney International Aquatic Centre (tel: (02) 9752 3666), and the Sydney International Athletic Centre (tel: (02) 9752 3444) are both open to the public.
Homebush Bay Visitors Centre
1 Herb Elliot Avenue, Homebush Bay
Tel: (02) 9714 7888. Fax: (02) 9714 7822.
Website: www.oca.nsw.gov.au
Transport: Train to Strathfield, then bus 401 to Homebush Bay; train to Olympic Park.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission: A$10 (tours); concessions available.
Taronga Zoo
The most desirable residence in Sydney is inhabited not by the upper echelons of society but by a collection of seals, snow leopards, koalas, kangaroos and wallabies. Taronga Zoo's location, on Bradley's Head at Mosman, is one of the most beautiful vantage points on Sydney Harbour, situated on elevated land along the waterfront. Its newest attractions include the Gorilla Forest, the Orangutan Rainforest, Koala Encounters and Cats of Asia.
Bradleys Head Road (main entrance)
Tel: (02) 9969 2777. Fax: (02) 9978 4500.
Website: www.zoo.nsw.gov.au
Transport: Ferry from Circular Quay; bus 247.
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.
Admission: A$21 (concessions available).
Fox Studios Australia
Built on the site of the old showgrounds, Fox Studios has hosted the filming of The Matrix (1999), Moulin Rouge (2001) and Star Wars: Episode II (2002). The adjoining theme park includes shops, cinemas, museums, restaurants and attractions including Titanic: The Experience, the original Babe: Pig in the City set and the Hall of Cool Stuff featuring famous movie props and costumes.
Lang Road, Moore Park
Tel: (02) 9383 4000. Fax: (02) 9383 4101.
Website: www.foxstudios.com.au
Transport: Bus 335 or 339.
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700.
Admission: Free; A$24.95 (backlot tours).
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General
