Exploring Sydney is not difficult to negotiate despite the fact that many of its roads developed from the bullock tracks of the early colony. The transport system is large and well integrated, and a transport information phone number provides callers with tips, connections and timetables. Buy composite tickets and avoid high costs of single fares. All the major attractions within the city can be reached easily on foot; to get to Darling Harbour take the Monorail, Light rail or ferry. For many of the outlying attractions such as manly, Taronga Zoo and the harbourside eastern suburbs, take a ferry ride and enjoy the harbour experience. If you are driving, an up-to-date road map is essential, given the number of changes. Beware of having to use the parking meters – they are very expensive.
One great way to get around the city is to jump on the
Red Explorer Bus. This route has 25 stops, offering an amazing insight into the history and majesty of Australia’s most popular city. From the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House to Darling Harbour and Kings Cross, with plenty in between. This service can be picked up at any stop along the route at approximately 18 minute intervals. The first departure from Circular Quay is at 8.40am and the last ‘round trip’ at 5.25pm. You can hop on or off this service at any of the distinctive “Red Explorer’ bus stops. If you prefer to stay on the bus, the full circuit will take around 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. Also an on board commentary details the attractions near each bus stop. The price is $30.00 as at May 2001.
The
Blue Bondi Explorer has 19 stops, taking you along a picturesque path through Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, out to Watsons Bay and on to cosmopolitan Bondi Beach. Then, sit back and view the rugged coastline and golden sands of Tamaram, Bronte and Coogee beaches. It’s the perfect way to take in some of Australia’s most famous coastline all year round, rain or shine. This bus departs from Circular Quay every day at approximately 30 minute intervals, with the first departure at 9.15am and the last ‘round trip’ leaves at 4.15pm. The ‘Blue Bondi Explorer’ gives you the flexibility to get on and off anywhere along the 30 kilometer circuit. Just look for the distinctive ‘Blue’ Explorer bus stops. The entire journey takes around 2 hours to complete if you stay on board and the on board informative commentary details the routes highlights – the historic places, attractions and scenic venues. There’s no need to book, just jump on board and buy your ticket at a cost of $30.00 from the driver.
Sydney’s Metro Monorailis one of only a few above ground rail systems in the world that operates through a major city. Opened July 1988, the Monorail was a gift to Sydney in celebration of Australia’s Bicentennail, and is now one of the most popular ways of getting about, moving over 4 million passengers per year.
Taking a
Harbour Cruise is another great way to see the sights of Sydney. There is 3 different cruise that the Sydney Ferries run. The first is a morning cruise, which takes you through the main reach of Sydney’s magnificent harbour, from Circular Quay eastward towards Watsons Bay. Hugging the southern shore of the harbour on the outbound leg you’ll enjoy the magnificent views of the Opera house, the Royal Botanical Gardens and historic islands including Fort Denison, once used as a prison and known to the eighteenth-century convict population as “Pinchgutt”. You’ll cruise past Woolloomooloo Bay, home to the Royal Australian Navy, visit beautiful bays and glide past picturesque suburbs like Rose Bay with its fine old houses and waterfront gardens. On the way back you’ll pass the old lighthouse at Bradleys Head, Sydney’s famous Taronga Zoo and the Australian Prime Minister’s Sydney residence, Kirribilli House. This tour takes 1 hour and leaves daily 10.00 and 11.15am.
The afternoon Harbour cruise departs 1.00pm returning 3.30pm. On this delightful Afternoon Cruise, you will voyage down the main harbour into just inside Sydney Heads, then explore the wonderful maze of waterways of Middle Harbour. Passing close by the Opera house and the Royal Botanical Gardens, you follow the southern shore, taking in the sights of Elizabeth Bay, Double Bay, Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, before passing between Middle Head and Grotto Point to finally enter and explore Middle Harbour. You will see many of Sydney’s most opulent waterfront homes and some of the popular harbour beaches. The upper reaches of Middle Harbour you will glide between sandstone hills densely covered in dark green bush, dotted here and there with impressive hillside homes.
Where as the Evening Harbour Lights Cruise departs Mondays to Saturday s at 8.00pm returning 9.30pm. This after-dark cruise takes you on a circuit of the main harbour, reaching eastward as far as Shark Island and westward to Goat Island. This is the relaxed way to se Sydney in its spectacular “evening dress” lights in rainbow colours, floodlights the illuminate such famous features as the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and a kaleidoscope of reflections on the rippling harbour surface.
All of these cruises have onboard food and beverages available and a commentary is provided throughout. Prices vary depending on which cruise you are taking.
For those of you who enjoy market's well the place then to head to is Paddy's Market. The market has over 1,000 stalls in two convenient locations, Haymarket and Flemington where you're sure to find a bargain or two as well as the traditional and the unusual. Haymarket is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and all public holidays. Flemington is open Friday and Sunday's only.
Kings Cross is the centre of Sydney's exciting nightlife and one of its oldest and most populated suburbs. By day its streets are full of residents and visitors going about the daily bustle of business and shopping. At night the colourful neon lights of the bars, nightclubs, restaurants and cabarets entice the crowds into a wide variety of fun filled adult entertainment.
In September 1993, after an exhausting bidding process, Sydney won the right to host the
Olympic Games in the year 2000. Almost immediately, preparations were under way for what was the biggest event ever staged in Australia, and the first major international event of the new millennium. The Olympic Games were held from 15th September to 1st October 2000. More than 10,000 athletes from 200 countries participated in 28 sports.
Five thousand support staff was on hand, and over 15,000 members of the media was there recording every athlete feat.
The work undertaken at Homebush Bay represents the largest remediation project in the history of Australia. Previously something of an industrial wasteland, the site has become a huge riverside recreational area, complete with swathes of parkland and a residential suburb. For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, all athletes will be housed at the one site. The Athletes Village situated on the western flank of Homebush Bay covers some 94 hectares, and will be comprised of 650 permanent homes and 500 modular homes. The sporting venues of Sydney’s Olympic Park will host 15 of the 28 sports. Head of the field is the Olympic Stadium, which, with its massive steel ‘wings’ and seating capacity of 110,00, is the biggest stadium in Olympic history. The Sydney International Aquatic Centre, the best in the world according to IOC head, Jean Samaranch, is already a popular leisure center with its two full length pools, diving pool and its kiddies’ pool which simulates raging rapids. Its normal spectator capacity is 4000, but during the Games this trebled due to a unique design by prominent architect Phillip Cox. The competition pool has 10 lanes, an anti-wave device and special heating to maintain temperatires at an optimum level for performance. Other venues included the State Hockey Centre, State Sports Centre, Tennis Centre and the Sydney Superdome. Homebush Bay is well worth taking a look at and you can either take a train, bus or ferry to find your way there. Tours are held daily for a reasonable cost.
