When most people think of Australia, they think of Sydney. The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are two of the most recognizable images of the modern world. While Sydney Harbour provides a perfect backdrop to the white ‘sails’ of the Sydney Opera House, the Opera House itself, with its distinct silhouette, has become a symbol of Sydney. This, however, is only one side of the city. Sydney is a place of many layers, like the sandstone upon which it is built. The visitor can explore these layers to gain a deeper understanding of Sydney and its history. They can discover how Sydney grew from a penal colony of several hundred people in 1788, to a modern city of over 4 million people today.
Facts
| Population |
20 million |
| Electricity |
220 Volt |
| Emergency numbers |
Ambulance: 120 Fire: 119 Police: 110 |
| Telephone |
Area code: (0)10 |
Embassy/Consulate
1. Australian Embassy, Immigration Section
Email： immigration.beijing@dfat.gov.au
Tel：(010) 5140 4424
Fax：(010) 5140 4164
Add.：21 Dongzhimenwai Dajie, Beijing 100600, China
Postal/Zip Code：100600
District：Beijing municipality, Tianjin municipality or Hebei province
2. Australian Consulate General Shanghai
Email： immigration.shanghai@dfat.gov.au
Tel： (021)6279 8098
Add.： Australian Consulate General Shanghai, Visa Office, Suite 401 Shanghai Centre 1376 Nanjing West Road, Shanghai
Postal/Zip Code： 200040
District：Shanghai, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Henan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet
3. Australian Consulate General Guangzhou
Email： visaenquiries.guangzhou@dfat.gov.au
Tel： (020) 38140250
Fax： (020) 38140251
Add.： Level 12, Development Centre, No.3 Linjiang Da Dao, Zhujiang New City, Tianhe District, Guangzhou ，China
Postal/Zip Code： 510623
District：Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hainan
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1. Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge reaches across Sydney Harbour, carrying rail, bicycle, vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the North Shore and Sydney central business district. The arching steel bridge is often referred to as "the coathanger" because of the design. It measures 134 meters (440 ft) from the top to the water level.
Address: 3 Cumberland Streee
Web: www.bridgeclimb.com
2. Cruise Around Sydney Harbour
The magnificent Port Jackson is one of Sydney’s great assets and it is best viewed from the seaward side. There are a number of midday cruises to choose from. Ferries depart from wharves 4 and 5 at Circular Quay.
Address: Sydney Harbour
Web: www.magisticcruises.com.au
3. Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour is situated in the western outskirts of the CBD. This large recreational and pedestrian precinct is administered independently of the local government by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority.
Address: Darling Harbour
Web: www.darlingharbour.com
4. Museum of Sydney
The museum of Sydney is an imaginative and interactive museum offering the visitor a journey back to the birth of Sydney. This is a good way to explore Sydney´s history.
Address: Crn Phillip and Bridge Streets
Web: www.hht.net.au
5. Sydney Tower
Sydney Tower is also called AMP Tower Centrepoint. You can’t get any higher in Sydney - the tower stands a total of 305 metres high. A dizzying lookout point where you can see for yourself that the residential suburbs stretch literally as far as the eye can see. There is also a revolving restaurant here.
Address: 100 Market Street
Web: www.sydneytower.com.au
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Thanks to Sydney´s large-scale immigration, all of the world’s cuisines are generally represented here. The current "typically" Australian cuisine, Mod Oz, blends fresh raw materials in a fusion of Asian and European culinary styles. In just a few decades, Australia has earned a place among the world’s leading wine-producing countries. "BYO," Bring Your Own, means that you can take your own wine to a restaurant - even to some that are licensed to serve alcohol.
1. Sydney Fish Markets
Peter’s Fish Market and Doyle’s are two of the restaurants at the city’s fish market where around 100 species of fish are available. Fish auction starts at 7 o’clock in the morning.
Web: www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au
2. Aqua Dining
Aqua Dining is an elegant, yet relaxed restaurant high above North Sydney Olympic Pool with a great view over the harbour and the famous Luna Park. There is a lot of seafood on the menu, but also something for those who prefer meat. There is aslo an extensive wine list with over 300 different wines.
Address: Cnr Paul & Northcliff Streets
Web: www.aquadining.com.au
3. 360 Bar and Dining
360 Bar and Dining is the restaurant in Sydney Tower with a revolving venue boasting gorgeous views of the city. The sophisticated restaurant has a menu consisting of modern Australian cuisine.
Address: Between Pitt & Castlereagh Streets
Web: www.trippaswhitegroup.com.au/our-venues/360-Bar-and-Dining/1
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Sydney offers fantastic shopping opportunities. It doesn’t matter what you are looking for- you will find it here. Most shops are open from 9 am-5.30 pm on weekdays, but on Thursdays you can shop until 9 pm.
1. Pitt Street Mall and George Street
Pitt Street Mall right in the centre of the city - at Sydney Tower - leads to several large shopping centres, such as The Strand, Centrepoint, Mid-City Centre, Sky Garden and Sydney Central Plaza with the city’s largest food court. Here are more shops than you can manage in a week. One passage leads to Queen Victoria Building, an elegant shopping and restaurant mall in a palatial one-time vegetable market dating from 1893, which now houses designer clothes and quality souvenirs. Galeries Victoria, 500 George Street, is one of the newer shopping temples.
2. Myer & David Jones
Shopping malls and small stores are the mainstay of Sydney’s shopping scene, but these two large department stores are holding their own.
3. Boomalli Aboriginal Artists
The shapes and the colours from aboriginal art are used in every conceivable context as décor and on souvenirs, and original works are sold in many galleries and shops. Boomalli is run by an aboriginal co-operative and sells paintings and books.
Address: 55 -59 Flood St
4. Oxford Street
One of the best shopping districts can be found along Oxford Street through Darlinghurst, Paddington and Woollahra. On the clothes racks you will find Japanese and Belgian sizes as well as Australian brands like Gary Castles and Nine West. Collette Dinnigan’s store is at 33 William Street, and a couple of doors further along, at number 39, there is Belinda Serper’s super-cool shoes and bags.
Address: 3 Oxford Street
5. Flea Market
Paddington Bazaar on Saturdays is the most popular flea market with an unrivalled collection of quality, bric-a-brac and pure junk.
Address: 395 Oxford Street
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1. Blue Hotel Sydney
Blue Hotel Sydney is ultra-stylish and housed in an old dockside warehouse. If it is important to live in the "right" place, this is it. In 2011 the hotel won first price by the Australian Hotels Association for Excellence.
Address: 6 Cowper Wharf Road
Web: www.tajhotels.com/sydney
2. Shangri-La Hotel
Shangri-La has all you could want and a bit more!. Here the idea of a "room with a view" takes on a new meaning. Rooms are available from $280, but if you want the magic view it will cost more.
Address: 176 Cumberland Street
Web: www.shangri-la.com/sydney
3. Aarons Hotel
Aarons hotel is located in the middle of Chinatown and close to Darling Harbour, as well as many other attractions and restaurants. They have nice and fresh rooms to a great price.
Address: 37 Ultimo Road
Web: www.aaronshotel.com.au
4. Bounce Sydney
Great hostel conveniently located right by the Central Station, providing upmarket accommodation mainly for budget travelers and backpackers. They have a lovely rooftop terrace and a BBQ area!
Address: 28 Chalmers Street
Web: www.bouncehotel.com.au
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1. Airport
Sydney International Airport (the official name is Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport) is located 8 km south of the city.Sydney Airport Rail Link leaves approximately every ten minutes for the city Centre and the journey takes only 13 minutes.
Taxis take about 30 minutes.
Click here for details
2. Public Transport
There are several different kinds of public transportation in Sydney; trams, buses, ferries and monorail. For more information see the website: www.131500.info
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