Sydney Travel
The site for all you need in planning travel to and around Sydney Australia. Whether you are looking for information on accommodation or things to do, like visiting the harbour bridge or the opera house, you've come to the right place.
Celebrated as the Queen of the Pacific Rim, vast, vibrant Sydney is home to one of the world's most beautiful harbours, straddled by the iconic harbour bridge and with the imposing Opera House as the jewel in its crown.
The State capital of New South Wales, Sydney is a thriving centre for both business and the arts. The city has all the cosmopolitan amenities top shopping, excellent restaurants and buzzing nightlife. Carved between the mountains and the sea, it also offers the ultimate in the great outdoors. The Pacific Ocean swells onto golden beaches, while a seasonally shifting palette of colours unfolds further inland over the Blue Mountains. In addition to the harbour, famously adorned with sailing boats that mirror the distinctive curves of the Sydney Opera House.
All the exuberance and plate-glass sophistication nonetheless fail to compensate for a certain competitive edginess in the city's psyche. After the Australian Federation was created in 1901, the traditional bickering between Sydney and its arch rival, Melbourne, was settled in 1908, by making Canberra the new national capital.
However, until 1927, when the city of Canberra was completed, Melbourne remained the seat of national government. Nevertheless, Sydneysiders insist that their city remains the true capital of Australia and indeed, with a triumphant hosting of the 2000 Olympic Games, the world might even agree with this. But the rivalry with Melbourne persists a rivalry based more on style than on stature for, while Sydney is decidedly Anglo in its ethnic orientation, Melbourne is more continental, with a much more tangibly imported culture. To Melbourne, Sydney will always be hedonistic and shallow, just as to Sydney, Melbourne will always be grey and intellectual.
With the Olympics, Sydney came of age as one of the world's great cities. The games smooth running has been attributed to the thousands of local volunteers, whose helpful, welcoming attitude revealed (much to Sydney's own surprise) that beneath its somewhat vain and self-seeking surface there still exists a bedrock of traditional Australian virtues. But the Games did more than affect the city's mindset: they transformed its physical appearance. Streets and public areas were remodelled, long-neglected eyesores were removed and new street furniture erected, resulting in a city centre that is more pleasant and easier to navigate than ever before. Combine that with semitropical summers and mild winters and the result is an excellent city to visit at any time of the year.
WHEN TO GO
Sydney is comfortable to visit at any time of year, but unless you enjoy humidity, broken by the odd torrential downpour, keep away in summer. Autumn is delightful, especially around March and April, with clear, warm days and mild nights. In Spring (September to November) there's more chance of rain, but it usually clears quickly. Average temperatures are around 25°C (77°F), though it can get to over 40°C (104°F) in summer. By and large, Sydneysiders enjoy well over 300 sunny days a year.
GETTING THERE
Sydney Airport is 10km (6 miles) south of the city centre. The international and domestic terminals are a 4km (2.5 miles), bus or train ride apart. Getting to the city from Sydney Airport (or vice versa) is easiest by train or car. 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
GETTING AROUND
Sydney travel with the buses and ferries 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.
If you are seeking accommodation, sightseeing or things to do, use the Sydney Travel links on the menu above to find out more.
Enjoy your travel to the wonderful city of Sydney!
