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City Guide - Sydney - Key Attractions | ||
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Key Attractions Sydney Opera House: Few architectural feats match that of the Sydney Opera House. The roofs are the remaining legacy of Danish architect Jřrn Utzon who left the project halfway through its protracted, 14-year genesis and has never seen the completed building. Subsequent architects took up the challenge of designing the complex of some 1000 auditoria, theatres, restaurants and bars, which was finally opened in 1973. The four main auditoria - the Concert Hall, the Playhouse, the Opera Theatre and the Drama Theatre - stage a total of 3000 performances a year. Bennelong Point Tel: (02) 92 50 71 11 or (02) 92 50 72 50 (tours). Fax: (02) 92 51 39 43. E-mail: infodesk@soh.nsw.gov.au Web site: www.soh.nsw.gov.au Transport: CityRail/ferry Circular Quay; or bus 324, 438 or 440. Opening hours: (Box office) 0900-2030 Mon-Sat, and two hours before show Sun; (tours) 0900-1600 daily. Admission: A$20.90 (backstage tour), A$12.90 (front-of-house tour). Sydney Harbour Bridge: Not to be outdone by the imposing grandeur of the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is, in its own right, a feat of engineering genius. Affectionately known as 'the Coathanger', it took 1400 workers (16 of whom were killed in the process) eight years to complete the bridge. If the views from the Pylon Lookout across Sydney Harbour and over the Opera House are not spectacular enough, the BridgeClimb gives thrill-seekers the chance to walk to the top of the 50-storey-high bridge, over the cars and trains rumbling across the deck below, and down the other side. Crocodile Dundee Paul Hogan, a bridge-painter in a former lifetime, was one of the first to climb the bridge. Pylon Museum and Lookout Access: Stairs via Cumberland Street Tel: (02) 92 47 34 08. Fax: (02) 92 41 21 51. Transport: CityRail/ferry Circular Quay. Opening hours: 1000-1700 daily. Admission: A$2 (concessions available). Bridge Climb 5 Cumberland Street Tel: (02) 92 52 00 77. Fax: (02) 92 40 11 22. Web site: www.bridgeclimb.com Opening Hours: 0745-1855 Mon-Fri, 0805-1855 Sat and Sun. Admission: A$98-140 (concessions available). The Rocks: Nestled at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks - Sydney's historical birthplace - is a neighbourhood of winding streets, sandstone cottages and some of Sydney's oldest pubs. The site of the first landing from Plymouth, UK in 1788, the area is now a busy tourist enclave, with cafés, restaurants, galleries, museums and countless souvenir shops. Among the district's historic buildings are the Hero of Waterloo inn, built over a tunnel originally used for smuggling; the Sydney Observatory, on the site of the colony's first windmill; Cadman's Cottage, Sydney's oldest building, built in 1816; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Merchants' House, Garrison Church and Susannah Place. The Rocks Visitor Centre 18 Argyle Street Tel: (02) 92 51 55 00. Transport: CityRail/ferry Circular Quay. Opening hours: 0900-1800 daily. Darling Harbour: A former dockside area, this small harbour has been transformed into a major tourist site appealing predominantly to children. The vast, paved and landscaped recreation playground is packed with restaurants and shops as well as a number of tourist attractions including the Powerhouse Museum, Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium and the Chinese Garden of Friendship, a gift to Sydney from its Chinese sister city of Guangdong. Most of the restaurants are concentrated in Cockle Bay Wharf, on the city side of Darling Harbour, with its mix of budget outdoor eating and gourmet dining. Web site: www.darlingharbour.com Transport: CityRail Town Hall; monorail Darling Park or Harbourside; or ferry Darling Harbour. Bondi Beach: Whatever its reputation, Bondi remains one of the world's most perfect beaches, a white crescent of sand strung between two rocky headlands, just 15 minutes from the city centre. The waterfront scene with its street musicians, pool halls, 'surfie' shops, discos and clubs is ideal for a summer evening's prowl, or a lazy saunter past Campbell Parade's restaurants, cafés and Sunday markets. Swimmers should stick to the patrolled areas of North Bondi or Bondi Baths on the southern rocks. The coastal walk takes in the whole gamut of beach cultures, from the wild surf and gleaming bodies at Tamarama (aka Glamourama) to the palm-fringed views of Bronte and the soothing sea pools at Coogee. Web site: www.voyeurmagic.com.au Transport: Bus 380, 382 or L82; CityRail Bondi Junction, and then bus 380; or ferry from Circular Quay to Rose Bay, and then bus 380. Art Gallery of New South Wales: Featuring the Yiribana Gallery, the world's largest permanent exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia's foremost art museums. Among its most impressive exhibitions is its Australian art collection, extending from the early colonial period to the mid-twentieth century, with sculpture and painting exhibited together. Art Gallery Road, The Domain Tel: (02) 92 25 17 00. Fax: (02) 92 21 62 26. Web site: www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au Transport: CityRail Martin Place/St James; bus 441. Opening hours: 1000-1700 daily. Admission: Free.AMP Tower Standing 305m (1000ft) above Centrepoint, the AMP Tower is Sydney's tallest building with views over Sydney, the Olympic City and the Harbour, and as far as Terrigal Beach, 100km (62 miles) to the north. 100 Market Street Tel: (02) 92 31 10 00. Fax: (02) 92 31 12 00. Web site: www.centrepoint.com.au Transport: CityRail St James/Town Hall; monorail City Centre. Opening hours: 0930-2130 Mon-Fri, 0930-2330 Sat and Sun. Admission: S$9 adults (concessions available). Royal Botanic Gardens: Just a short walk from the Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens sit on a slope overlooking the harbour and cover 30 hectares (74 acres) in the heart of the city. Established in 1816, it is Australia's oldest scientific institution, and home to an extensive collection of some one million specimens. Highlights include the Sydney Tropical Centre and the Oriental Garden and there is a hop-on hop-off trackless train to get around them all. Macquarie Street (main entrance) Tel: (02) 92 31 81 11. Fax: (02) 92 31 80 54. Web site: www.rbgsyd.gov.au Transport: CityRail St James/Martin Place/Circular Quay. Opening hours: 0700 to sunset daily. Admission: Free. Olympic Park: One of the best ways to explore Sydney's Olympic Park is to sit back in the air-conditioned comfort of an STA bus as a guide explains the vision that has transformed a former rubbish tip into the most eco-friendly Olympic site yet. Once the Olympics are over, the Athletes Village, for instance, will be converted into the world's largest solar-powered suburb. The Sydney International Aquatic Centre (tel: (02) 97 52 36 66), and the Sydney International Athletic Centre (tel: (02) 97 52 34 44) are both open to the public. Homebush Bay Information Centre Tel: (02) 97 14 78 88. Fax: (02) 97 14 78 22. Web site: www.oca.nsw.gov.au/Homebushbay.htm Transport: Train to Strathfield, then bus 401 Homebush Bay; or train to Olympic Park. Opening hours: 0900-1700 daily. Admission: A$5 (concessions available). Taronga Zoo: The most desirable residence in Sydney is inhabited not by the upper echelons of society, but by a collection of seals, snow leopards, koalas, kangaroos and wallabies. Taronga Zoo's location, on Bradley's Head at Mossman, is one of the most beautiful vantage points on Sydney Harbour, situated on elevated land along the waterfront. Its newest attractions include the Gorilla Forest, the Orangutan Rainforest, Koala Encounters and Cats of Asia. Bradleys Head Road (main entrance) Tel: (02) 99 69 27 77. Fax: (02) 99 69 75 15. Web site: www.zoo.nsw.gov.au Transport: Ferry from Circular Quay; or bus 247. Opening hours: 0900-1700 daily. Admission: S$16 adults (concessions available). |