Sydney City

Introduction
White beaches, blue harbours, gilded lifestyles and lots of flash. Sydney is Australia's oldest city, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the country's capital in everything but name. It's blessed with sun-drenched natural attractions, dizzy skyscrapers, delicious and daring restaurants, superb shopping and friendly folk.

Although it's come a long way from its convict beginnings, Sydney still has a rough and ready energy, and offers an invigorating blend of the old and the new, the raw and the refined. While high culture attracts some to the Opera House, gaudy nightlife attracts others to Kings Cross.
'No one in Sydney ever wastes time debating the meaning of life - it's getting yourself a water frontage.' - David Williamson, Emerald City

Sydney wasn't a planned city and its layout is further complicated by its hills and the numerous inlets of the harbour, its focal point. The centre of Sydney is on the south shore of the harbour, about 7km (4mi) inland from the harbour heads. Skyscrapers in the Central Business District (CBD) vie for dominance and harbour views, but the city's relentlessness is softened by shady Hyde Park and the Domain parkland to the east, Darling Harbour to the west and the main harbour to the north. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the harbour tunnel link the city centre with the satellite CBD of North Sydney and the suburbs of the North Shore. Sydney Airport is about 10km (6mi) south of the city centre. Central station, Sydney's main train station, is in the south of the city centre, and the main bus terminal is located outside it.

From the spectacular to the even more spectacular. Sydney Harbour's sandstone headlands, dramatic cliffs and stunning beaches define the city. But whichever way you look, from the white sails of the harbour to the arc of the Coathanger to the toned flesh on Bondi, Sydney is serious eye-candy.

Destination Facts
Mayor: Clover Moore
Time zone: GMT +10 (Eastern Standard Time).
Area: 2103
Coordinates: -33.8897743225 latitude and 151.028198242 longitude
Population: 4475000
Daylight Saving:
From first Sunday in October to first Sunday in April
Area codes: 02
Mobile: GSM, CDMA

Getting there and away
Sydney Airport is 10km (6mi) south of the city centre. The international and domestic terminals are a 4km (2.5mi), bus or train ride apart. Getting to the city from Sydney Airport (or vice versa) is easiest by train or car. To confirm arrival/departure times call airlines directly or log on to the airport website's 'Quick Flight Search' (www.sydneyairport.com.au). Interstate and regional bus travellers arrive at Sydney Coach Terminal outside Central Station. Major bus companies have offices nearby. Sydney's main rail terminus for Countrylink interstate and regional services is Central Station (tel: 13 22 32). Call for information, arrival/departure times and bookings.

Getting around
The buses and ferries of Sydney offer some of the cheapest and most rewarding sightseeing in Australia. A ferry trip to Manly passes the stunning harbour sites and heads onto the ocean past Sydney's famous North Shore beaches, and a bus trip to Vaucluse offers some of the best views of the harbour and surrounds. Public transport in Sydney is an integrated system and one ticket can get you travelling by bus, ferry or train to almost any part of the city.

Weather
March-April or October-November are a delight, with clear, warm days and mild nights. Sydney is blessed with a temperate climate and averages summer temperatures of around 25° C (77° F). It can get up to 40° C (104° F) on a hot day, and high humidity can make it oppressive, but torrential downpours often break the heat between October and March. Winters are cool rather than cold. Beach lovers unperturbed by the hazards of lizard skin and melanomas should come between December and February.