Built on hills surrounding one of the world’s largest
natural harbors, Sydney is Australia’s oldest and
most populous city. Sydney, which is named
after British Home Secretary Lord Sydney, was
founded in January 1788 as a penal colony. Life
was harsh at first, but as conditions improved,
free settlers began to arrive, especially after
gold was discovered west of Sydney in the 1850s.
Chinese immigrants also began to arrive, and
were later followed by Italians, Greeks, Lebanese
and Vietnamese, turning Sydney into the
multicultural metropolis it is today.
While Sydney is a sprawling city of over
four million, most of its main attractions are
located around beautiful Sydney Harbour. On
the south side in Central Sydney lie the city’s
two most iconic sights: Sydney Opera House and
Sydney Harbour Bridge. After admiring the Opera
House’s stunning sail-like roof, visit the nearby
Royal Botanic Gardens, where you can view
native tropical plants in the pyramid-shaped
greenhouse. And after checking out Sydney
Harbour Bridge, the world’s largest steel arch
bridge—or climbing it if you dare—take a stroll
through The Rocks to see the pretty sandstone
buildings that gave this historic district its name.
To the west in Darling Harbour, you can
acquaint yourself with Australian sea life at
the Sydney Aquarium and relax at the Chinese
Garden bordering the city’s bustling Chinatown.
And on the city’s eastern edge are the red-light
district of Kings Cross, which boasts some of
Sydney’s best nightclubs and restaurants, and
Paddington, an upscale neighborhood of Victorian
terrace houses and chic boutiques.
North of Sydney Harbour is another of the city’s
top attractions: Taronga Zoo, where you can see
koalas, kangaroos and platypuses.
And don’t forget Sydney’s famous beaches.
While Sydney Harbour is lined with nice urban
beaches, the best are to be found on the city’s
Pacific coast. Manly Beach, the southernmost
of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, can be reached on
a scenic ferry ride from downtown Circular
Quay. And at world-famous Bondi Beach in the
Eastern Suburbs, you can swim, surf or hike
on the spectacular five-mile Coastal Walk.
