Sydney

Sydney  is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people.^[1] Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.^[4]

The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleetas a penal colony. The city is built on hills surrounding Port Jackson which is commonly known as Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge feature prominently. The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and beaches including the famous Bondi Beach. Within the city are many notable parks, including Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Sydney ranks among the top 10 world centres. In 2010, Sydney was ranked 7th in Asia and 28th globally for economic innovation in the Innovation Cities Top 100 Index by innovation agency 2thinknow. Sydney also ranks among the top 10 most liveable cities in the worldaccording to Mercer Human Resource Consulting, The Economist and Monocle^[11][12][13] and is considered among the top fashion capitals in the world. It was also ranked in the top 10 Global University Cities according to RMIT University.

1 Visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales and wander the stately halls of Australia's foremost cultural institution. Check out the permanent collections of Australian, European and Asian art, and if possible time your visit to coincide with the famously divisive Archibald Prize or the inspiring work of NSW's high school graduates in ArtExpress. 
 

2 Be enamoured with all things Chinese at White Rabbit. Opened in 2009, the gallery showcases a private Australian collection of contemporary Chinese Art in a refurbished four-storey knitting factory. The exhibits include painting, drawing and photography as well as outlandish, large-scale sculptural works. Explore the collection, then get dumplings and tea in the gallery's tea house.
 

3 Treat yourself to a show at the Sydney Opera House. Danish architect Jørn Utzon's famous sails have made the Sydney Opera House one of the most recognisable performing arts venues in the world. Head down to Bennelong Point for the best opera, music and theatre in the country. There are also backstage tours on offer, or if you don't feel like shelling out, it's free to sit on the steps by the water and marvel at those 1,056,000 pearly, self-cleaning Swedish tiles.

4 Enjoy some quiet time in the Royal Botanic Gardens. A glorious inner-city oasis, the gardens cater to cranky office workers who come to unwind amidst the foliage, conservatorium students who seek inspiration from the glories of nature, and lovers who wander arm-in-arm among the lawns, ponds and gardens. Topped off with spectacular harbour views, it is the perfect spot for an al fresco lunch or some much needed time out.

5 Feel like the king of the world on a BridgeClimb. Like some sort of urban mountaineer you will get to take in the most beautiful harbour in the world from atop one of its most famous structures. This is no sedate elevator ride to the summit but an adventure for those not averse to some serious heights.

6 All aboard the Manly Ferry. As far as public transport options go, you really cannot beat gadding about the harbour with the sea breeze running through your hair and a million-dollar view every second of the way. Strike out from Circular Quay for the beach, a little shopping and some excellent dining options, though the real prize is the journey itself.

7 Get your feet wet at Bondi Beach. Go head to head with the rolling breakers at one of the most famous beaches in the country, where the Australian trifecta of sun, surf and sand come together in perfect harmony. Attracting celebrities and backpackers in equal droves, Bondi is an enduring vision of the Australian way of life, coming alive with surfers, sunblock, and seagulls all in attendance. 

8 Pack for a picnic at Nielsen Park. With its abundance of shady trees, gentle waters, panoramic views and the excellent Nielsen Park Café & Restaurant, it’s the perfect picnic spot. It’s also a favourite New Year’s Eve viewing point for the harbour fireworks.

9 Indulge your inner tourist at Darling Harbour. Boasting the Sydney Aquarium, Wild Life Sydney, Australian National Maritime Museum, Chinese Garden of Friendship and the IMAX cinema, Darling Harbour is always abuzz with activity. You can shop at the Harbourside shopping centre, grab some lunch by the water or slip into one of the many bars and pubs at Cockle Bay and King St Wharves.

10 Get up close with a koala at Taronga Zoo. Overlooking the harbour on the Sydney's North Shore, Taronga Zoo boasts the full range of Australia's weird and wonderful wildlife, as well as some of the planet's more exotic inhabitants. You can spend the whole day moseying around the grounds, taking in the bird and seal shows, feeding times and, depending on the season, some new additions in the form of impossibly cute baby animals.

11 Treat your tastebuds at Porteño. The second venture for Sydney chefs Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz - following the enormously successful Bodega - this is the go-to spot for carnivores in this fair city. You can't come to Porteño and not order something from one of the whole beasts cooked over a fruitwood fire on a metal brace that looks like a medieval torture instrument. Try a bit of Suffolk lamb shin or some of the amazing crisp-skinned suckling pig, and wash it down with one of bar manager Julian Serna's cocktails. Amazing!

12 Kick up your heels at Shady Pines Saloon. The tiny alley bar is the top of everyone's list and it's not hard to see why. The place is decked out like an old western bar, the drinks are fantastic, the service is positively chipper and you can snack on free peanuts that you shell at your table. The only thing not to like is the wait time to get inside. It would appear that the secret's out.

13 Brunch in Surry Hills. Café culture is a big part of Sydney life and the only dilemma is choosing which standout eatery you should visit today. Try the famous scrambled eggs at Bills, Japanese-Australian fusion at Café Ish, Bourke St Bakery's mouthwatering baked goods or the unbeatable sambos at Four Ate Five. It's up to you and your stomach to decide.

14 Cheer, cheer the red and the white at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The SCG - or the "G" as it's lovingly known by locals - is the home of two very Australian pastimes, drinking beers and watching sport. During summer there is no better way to spend your weekend than camping out in the stands for a one-day cricket match - just remember to bring sunblock - or in winter you can rug up with a pie and a beer per quarter for a Sydney Swans game.

15 Explore the world's natural history at the Australian Museum. It houses the nation's most important animal, mineral, fossil and anthropological collections. If you aren't averse to a little bling then the crystal room is for you with gems, semi-precious stones and mineral deposits, or for the inside scoop head for the skeleton room with displays of mammals, sea creatures and even a Homo sapiens, complete with dog, cat, mouse and canary.

16 Check out Sydney's extralegal exploits at the Justice and Police Museum. Given Sydney's history as a convict colony and our fondness for larrikins, underdogs and anit-authoritarian figures is it any wonder we have a whole museum dedicated to those who lived outside the law? See death masks of some of Australia’s more infamous crims, as well as mugshots, assorted deadly weapons and newspaper reports of sensational wrongdoings.

17 Party hard in the gay capital of the southern hemisphere on Oxford Street. Operating as the city's queer hub, Oxford St is home to the bulk of Sydney's GLBTI bars and clubs, so whether you are after fetish nights, drag shows, sex on premises venues or just your bog standard gay bar, you are guaranteed to find it in Darlinghurst.

18 Walk on the wild side in Kings Cross, Sydney's red light district. The Cross may be home to the seedier side of Sydney's nightlife but it also where you will find some of the best bars, restaurants and clubs in the city. You are as likely to come across street-walkers and fringe dwellers as the bright young things who feed off the frenetic energy of the late-night district - but do take care and don't wander off into back alleys late at night. It's not called an underbelly for nothing.

19 See a Sydney Theatre Company show. For star factor you cannot beat a production by the STC. Under the careful eye of artistic directors Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton, the theatre company has gone from strength to strength, staging classic works using big name talent and packing out houses in the process. Recent productions have starred Bryan Brown, Joel Edgerton, Hugo Weaving and Jackie Weaver, not to mention Blanchett herself, and have breathed new life into the Sydney Theatre scene.

20 Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains. Hemming in the Sydney basin, the majestic Blue Mountains are only a train ride away. Strike out for Katoomba where you can ride the Skyway cable car out over the Jamison Valley, descend the steepest rail incline into the valley below on the Railway or give your legs a work out trekking down the Giant Staircase next to the Three Sisters rock formation. You can do it all in one day or better still, make a weekend of it.