Sydney

Get in

250px|thumb|right|Sydney Airport with city skyline in background

See

thumbnail|Harbour Bridge hiding behind the Opera House

Most of the Sydney landmarks can be seen in the City Centre with the iconic Sydney Opera House as well as visiting the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Tower, St Mary's Cathedral, Royal Botanic Gardens and the State Library of New South Wales. thumbnail|Art gallery of New South Wales Right next to the centre is the historic district of The Rocks where you see Sydney's heritage as well as walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Darling Harbour is west of the City Centre and offers plenty of attractions such as the National Maritime Museum, Sydney Fish Market, Sydney Wildlife World, Sydney Aquarium and the Powerhouse Museum.

Cross the Harbour Bridge to reach the Lower North Shore where you can visit Luna Park. Taronga Zoo can be reached by a dedicated ferry from Circular Quay.

Take the ferry further out to Manly where you can visit the famous beach and walk to Middle Head passes many coastal artillery fortifications built into the cliffs of Sydney Harbour during the late nineteenth century.

thumb|La Perouse Head out in the sun to visit the Eastern Suburbs where you can find the world famous Bondi beach, as well as many other beaches and La Perouse.

Sydney offers many opportunities to discover indigenous heritage, with rock carvings, dancing and art galleries to explore.

Sydney is known for its dozens of vibrant suburbs, which reflect upon the beauty and diversity of the city all because of its character.

Buy

See the Sydney District Pages for things to buy in the CBD, and other Sydney districts.

Most stores will accept VISA/Mastercard credit cards, and only a few take only cash. American Express is generally accepted only at larger stores.

Eat

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 eats, particularly Asian restaurants in Chinatown where 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 sizzling plate of delicious Asian food. Many restaurants 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 University of Sydney.

Drink

thumb|The Lord Nelson Hotel in [[Sydney/The Rocks|The Rocks, one of several claimants to be the oldest pub in Sydney]]

Sydney has an enormous number of places to drink and party. There is a burgeoning scene for quirky and unique small bars, and the city's cultural life has enjoyed a refreshing growth in night-time choices. There's a litany of clubs and venues for entertainment, and as with most Australian cities, Sydney has a strong live music scene. The majority of pubs and smaller clubs close before 3AM and some as early as midnight, particularly if there are nearby residents. A limited number of venues have 24-hour licenses.

Busy venues will have door staff checking photo identification to determine that you are over 18. Admission is also commonly refused to those who seem visibly drunk. More popular venues have discriminatory door practices, the most common of which is refusing entry to groups of men who are not accompanied by women. Some pubs and most clubs will admit children accompanied by adults as long as they don't approach the bar or enter an area where there is gambling, particularly earlier in the evening. Check with staff at the venue. Some pubs don't provide a nice environment for children some nights.

Many places have at least a basic dress code, enforced all hours in the city, and usually after 7PM in the suburbs. For most generic pubs, men should wear closed toe shoes (not running sneakers), full-length pants, and a shirt with sleeves (not a singlet). For…

Sleep

thumb|Crown Sydney, Sydney's tallest building and home to one of its most expensive hotels

Sydney has hundreds of accommodation options in the central Sydney area to consider, from backpackers hotels to five star hotels with harbour and Opera House views. However, there are options out of the CBD too.

If you are travelling on business, there may be business style accommodation near to where you are working, and there is usually no need to stay in the city. There are options around the commercial areas at the airport in Southern Sydney, around Macquarie Park in the North West, and at Parramatta.

If you are travelling with a car, then finding a place to park, and getting into and out of the city can be a hassle. The Hume Highway in Sydney's South West has the standard roadside motels where you can park by your room, with the service station or fast food outlet next door.

If you are into camping, the closest camping to the CBD is on the Cockatoo Island in the harbour. You can pitch a tent in Lane Cove National Park, less than 10 km from the CBD, around 750m from the train station at North Ryde.

If you are into the beach, Manly and Bondi are the two obvious places to consider. From Manly 25 minutes on the ferry has you right in the centre of Sydney. Some of the lesser known suburbs have accommodation options. Cronulla has beachfront accommodation, facilities and is the only beachside suburb of Sydney with a train station (45 minutes from downtown).

Stay safe

See also staying safe in Australia

The Australia-wide emergency number is 000, with the ambulance service, fire department and police being available through this number.

Stay healthy

If you need an ambulance, call 000.

Medical centres with general practitioners are available for minor ailments without an appointment around the city and suburbs. Expect to wait around an hour or so to see a doctor. Upfront charges are usually around $75 for a standard 15-minute consultation, and most centres accept credit cards. Many medical centres remain open until 10PM or so, and a few remain open 24 hours. Those with an Australian Medicare card will find many medical centres in Sydney that "bulk-bill".

Most hospitals in Sydney have emergency departments, but check before attending as some do not. Those emergency departments are open 24 hours. See the Australia article for more details on health charges.

Many pharmacies stay open after normal business hours, often in proximity to medical centres, and there are a few that stay open 24 hours. You can call to find the location of your closest after hours pharmacy.

Connect

See the Sydney district guides for local information, or the Australia guide for broader options.

Go next

There are a number of good one or two day trips from Sydney:

Drive across the B59 Bells Line of Road over the Blue Mountains to the Western Plains. Buy produce (apples, pears, chestnuts and berries) from the orchard vendors at the side of the road if driving over in autumn. A few of these orchards also offer pick-your-own. Towns to stop by include Lithgow, which is at the foot of the mountains; Bathurst, home to the Mount Panorama motor racetrack, and Orange (3 hours from Sydney), a beautiful rustic town with a great (cold climate) wine district and several fantastic restaurants by eminent chefs, and which is fast becoming a wine-and-foodie region of New South Wales to upstage the Hunter Valley. Travel up into the wilderness area of the Blue Mountains. There are a number of good day walks in the Katoomba area, or you could tour Jenolan Caves. Royal National Park, in the south of Sydney and accessible by train has nice 1 to 2 day walks. Newnes Glen in Wollemi National Park. Kanangra Boyd National Park. Take a tour of the Hunter Valley wineries. Wollongong is a lovely small city south of Sydney, accessible by driving south down the A1/M1 (Princes Mwy) or taking an hourly train. Head up to Gosford or Woy Woy for some quieter, but picturesque beaches. Both of these towns are accessible by the Central Coast and Newcastle train. Head up to the regional city of Newcastle by train and take in some of the Victorian architecture and fantastic city beaches.

Or if you are moving on:

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