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Spirited Sydney
Sunny, sexy and sophisticated, Sydney is
the shining star of the southern hemisphere, says Tanaaz Sethna
 Even
if the welcome board at the airport had read ‘Welcome
to Australia’ instead of ‘Welcome to Sydney’,
it would have made hardly any difference. For make no mistake,
Sydney is the biggest gateway to Australia. The majority of
international visitors to Australia arrive (45 per cent) and
depart (48 per cent) from Sydney. Sydney Airport handles more
than 40 per cent of Australia’s international passenger
traffic - well over 20 million people a year. And a multi-billion
dollar expansion in 2000 has consolidated its position as
one of the world’s better airports. It isn’t a temple
of air transport on quite the grandeur-scale as Singapore
and Amsterdam (no pool, no gym, not quite the same degree
of duty-free madness), but it’s hardly a backwater bush
strip. The airport is technically called Kingsford Smith Airport,
so you may see the abbreviation Syd/KSA on your ticket or
itinerary. But because it’s in the Sydney suburb of Mascot,
about half an hour south of the main city-centre, it’s
often referred to as ‘Mascot’ or ‘Mascot Airport’
as well as Sydney Airport. There are separate terminals for
international and domestic travellers, with good connection
services between them for air travellers. It is the main international
and domestic airport of Australia. A ride ten kilometres south-west
of the airport will get you to the Central Business District
(CBD) and Sydney Harbour.
 Sydney
is the redoubtable economic powerhouse of the nation. To give
you an idea of its importance consider these facts: Sydney
attracts almost three-fifth (59 per cent) of international
business arrivals to Australia. The city also attracts the
most international holiday arrivals to Australia (41 per cent).
Overall, 55 per cent of international visitors to Australia
spend time in Sydney. Seven of the top 10 most popular Australian
tourism attractions are located within the city of Sydney.
More than half the international visitors to the city of Sydney
originate from Asia and more than one-third (35.5 per cent)
of international visitors to the city are travelling for business
purposes. In 1997, Sydney became the world’s number one
convention destination with more than 50,000 delegates and
46 conferences and meetings. In 2000, Sydney hosted 52 international
conventions, which placed it 5th, only behind London, Madrid,
Paris and Vienna.
Given its relatively small land area,
its density of activity, and the amount of export earnings
generated, the city of Sydney is probably, on a per hectare
basis, the most significant contributor to Australia’s
Balance of Payments and necessary export credits.
Apart from being the economic powerhouse
of the nation, Sydney is also a free-spirited and vibrant
city, built on the shores of the stunning Port Jackson. You
would have to die and go to heaven before you see a more spectacular
setting for a city. It’s a vital, self-regarding metropolis,
exuding both a devil-may-care urbanity and a slavish obsession
with global fads.
 Sydney
is the great outdoor and party city. It is the most popular
tourist destination in Australia, attracting four million
visitors annually. In 2002, there was a record seven million
‘guest-night’ stays in the city of Sydney, an average
of approximately 20,000 per night. Sydney was also voted “Best
City” for three consecutive years (1998-2000) by two
leading international travel publications. Landmarks include
the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, Darling Harbour, Circular
Quay and The Rocks area, site of the original Sydney. Beaches
are in easy reach of its cosmopolitan heart and the more popular
ones include Bondi and Manly. The Blue Mountains, an hour
west by train, are excellent for bushwalks, biking, waterfalls
and gum trees. The white-sailed Sydney Opera House, caught
mid-billow over the waters of Sydney Cove, and the Sydney
Harbour Bridge are the pride and joy of the city, but there’s
far more on offer. On a warm day, with a clear blue sky, there
is no better place on earth than the harbour in Sydney. You’ll
need days to discover the harbour, the city’s historic
enclaves, restaurants and cafes, Olympic venues, glamourous
beaches, museums and art galleries, and the national parks
and wildlife within the city and on its fringes. In all, they
make Sydney an essential Australian experience.
 Erstwhile
city of convicts, Sydney today is one of the most multicultural
cities in the world with people from 180 nations, speaking
140 languages. Approximately one-in-five Australians or four
million residents live in the Sydney metropolitan area. The
estimated residential population of the city of Sydney local
government area is just over 72,500, living in 42,000 private
dwellings. The working population of the city is currently
estimated at 2,93,000. Sydney has diverse demographics with
people from over one hundred countries contributing to its
population of nearly four million, and covering almost 1,120
square kilometres (700 square miles), is a remarkably easy
city to move around in. A large number of immigrants from
Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Lebanon and Turkey came after the
war and these have been supplemented by more recent influxes
of immigrants from Asia. This city is equal in size to London
and almost double that of New York City.
Beyond this built-up area there are
a further 8,000 square kilometres of largely natural parklands
which make up the Sydney statistical division. Within this,
the City of Sydney Local Government Area (LGA) spans approximately
11.7 square kilometres, including the Central Business District
(CBD).
 An
excellent train, bus and ferry service covers all points of
the greater metropolitan area. Roadways, although congested
in peak hour times, are generally well planned and driving
is not too harrowing an experience. Unless visitors to Sydney
are specifically seeking out friends in outlying areas, most
will have no real need to travel too far away from the central
city area and the harbour. Most Sydney tourist attractions
are either in or around the CBD, or at points around the harbour.
The exceptions are Bondi and Manly - surf beach in the suburbs
situated south and north of Sydney Heads.
The modern city of Sydney has in
its bosom the oldest buildings - The Mint Building on Macquarie
Street (1815) and Cadman’s Cottage at The Rocks (1816).
Sydney was host to the “best ever” Olympic Games
in 2000.
The Olympic Games confirmed the city’s
reputation as a civilised, fun-loving and friendly place.
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Stellar Suite Hotel Sydney
4 Wentworth Ave, New South Wales 2000, Sydney, Australia.
AU$115.00
Website: www.bestwestern.com
Pentura Hotel Sydney
300 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia.
AU$119.00
email: mike@pentura.com.au
Hyde Park Inn Sydney
271 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
AU$125.00
Website: www.hydeparkinn.com
Marriott Hotel Sydney
36 College Street Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia.
AU$223.00
Website: www.marriott.com
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Airport is the main international
and domestic airport. It is about 10 kilometres (six
miles) south-west of the Central Business District and
Sydney Harbour.
Climate
Lying in the temperate zone of Australia, Sydney experiences
four distinct seasons with summer running from December
to February and winter from June to August. Sydney enjoys
a temperate climate with a mild winter, and has more
than 340 sunny days a year.
Important addresses
Sydney Visitors Centre
106 George Street (near Circular Quay)
The New South Wales Travel Centre
11 York Street, just above Wynyard Station
You can also find information
booths at the top of Sydney Tower and at Darling Harbour,
both open seven days a week.
Health
Sydney, like most parts of Australia, presents no real
health risks for foreign visitors. Tap water is good.
Currency - Australian dollars.
Banking Hours
Generally 9.30am-4pm Monday to Thursday, and 9.30am-5pm
Friday, but some banks offer extended hours and some
are open on Saturday mornings. Travellers cheques are
widely accepted, as are major credit cards VISA, Mastercard
and (to a lesser extent) AMEX and Diners Card. Most
banks will engage in foreign currency exchange.
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If you’ve only got a week
or a few days in Sydney, your time would be best spent
by taking a walk around the wider CBD area, visiting
The Rocks or spending time on the harbour.
Sydney has something for everyone,
from the sophistication of the Sydney Opera House to
the seedy red light area Kings Cross with everything
in between. Theatre and cinema goers have lots to choose
from too. Free weekly entertainment guides are available
at most bookshops and record stores, or check online
listings at www.sydneyis.com. Festivals include film,
jazz, arts, kite flying and the month-long Gay &
Lesbian Mardi Gras which culminates in a costume parade
down Oxford Street and all-night party at the Fox Studios
in Moore Park. Whalewatching is possible at many places,
the most popular is Eden in New South Wales. White-water
rafting and/or canoeing are possible at Coff’s
Harbour on New South Wales’ Nymboida River, on
the upper Murray near Khancoban also in New South Wales.
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| Taking a
City Circle train, the Monorail or walking is the best
way of seeing city attractions, while buses and ferries
represent the best way to visit points and attractions
around the harbour. The government-run Explorer Buses
and Sydney Pass service represent an ideal and inexpensive
way to see most of the main tourist points around the
city and out to Bondi. For information on buses you could
check out bus kiosks in important malls or call the Sydney
Transport Infoline 131 500. Sydney Ferries, which are
also government run, provide an inexpensive way of seeing
the most beautiful harbour in the world. For more information
stop by the ferry kiosk at Circular Quay or call the Sydney
Transport Infoline 131 400. |
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With its luxurious department
stores, extensive shopping centres, and designer boutiques,
Sydney not only offers the most diverse shopping range
in Australia, but quite simply, the best of everything.
Find out why Sydney is amongst the world’s premier
shopping destinations.
Discover a more elegant shopping
experience in the CBD, when you step out of a richly
ornate Victorian arcade and into the striking modernity
of contemporary retail centres - such style, such contrast!
You’ll soon feel like you’re strolling through
Australia’s largest shopping precinct.
Whether you’re after a
unique ensemble from your favourite designer, or on
a bargain-hunting crusade, Sydney city offers something
for everyone. The most interesting places that present
the Australian visitor with a haven of choices are :
David Jones, Chifley Plaza, The Gallaries Victoria,
The Glass House, Grace Brothers, Imperial Arcade, King
Street Warf, Mid City centre,MLC Centre, Piccadilly
Centre, Queen Victoria Building, Strand Arcade,Town
hall square, Easy Streets at night, Westfield Centrepoint.
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Food lovers will be swept off
their feet at the stunning array of restaurants, bars
and cafes. So whether you’re looking for coffee,
cake and conversation, or three-course fine dining,
you’ll find it all in Sydney City.
For a late night dining venue
in the CBD, there are now more than 55 cafes, bars and
restaurants whose kitchens will remain open until midnight
at least three nights a week, as part of a new programme
initiated by the ‘City of Sydney’ called ‘Eat
Streets at Night’. Key CBD eat streets such as
Chinatown, the Spanish Quarter, Circular Quay, The Rocks,
Martin Place and Cockle Bay all feature in this exciting
new initiative. So whether it’s after a concert
at the Entertainment Centre, a show at the Capitol,
a concert at the Opera House or a movie at the George
Street Cinemas, choose from one of the many fabulous
dining spots now open late.
From intimate cafes to fine
dining restaurants that compete with the world’s
finest, you will find a feast of culinary delights,
both authentically Australian and from all around the
globe.
There’s plenty of choice
at Grace Bros: Cantinetta, an Italian-style cafe; Newsbar
a licensed bistro; Bitter Sweet for snacks and pastries
and fine dining with a full a la carte menu at the licensed
Grace restaurant. Under Grace Bros at Sydney Central
Plaza you will find the ever popular international food
court Cornucopia.
Visit the Piccadilly food court
or Salad Bar with unlimited lunch for $10. La Picadelle
Cafe on the ground floor serves breakfasts, lunches
and dinners. At Gowings Wynyard Store, visit one of
Sydney’s best kept secrets and enjoy rooftop dining
at the Boomerang Restaurant which serves a modern Australian
menu throughout the day.
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Air New Zealand connects to
Sydney ex-Mumbai, Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines
and Cathay Pacific connects from Mumbai and Delhi.
Air-India has a code share arrangement
with Qantas and connects from Mumbai and Delhi. All
these airlines have a stopover in a South-East Asian
destination, either Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur.
The flying time to Sydney including
stopover is about 16 hours and the excursion fare is
approximately Rs 34,000.
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