Sydney Sentric City Guide -- Crowded World

SYDNEY :: NEW SOUTH WALES

SYDNEY IS THE CAPITAL OF NEW SOUTH WALES (NSW), AND THE LARGEST CITY IN AUSTRALIA. While Melbourne is a city of culture and education, Sydney is the business centre of the nation. It is known for the iconic Sydney Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge, a massive steel arch bridge. Visitors can climb to the top for panoramic views of the city.

Detailed Terrain Map of Sydney

Unlike Melbourne or Brisbane for that matter, Sydney revolves around its beaches and the most celebrated of them is Bondi Beach, a popular spot for surfing, sunbathing, and swimming. Bondi is also home to many cafes, restaurants, and shops. Foreign tourists might also be interested in Taronga Zoo, which is home to over 4,000 animals from around the world. Visitors can see koalas, kangaroos, and other native Australian animals, as well as animals from Africa, Asia, and South America.

If you interested in history, The Rocks is the site of Sydney's first European settlement. It was here in Port Jackson where the First Fleet arrived on January 28, 1788, to establish the colony of NSW. The settlement was originally named Sydney Cove after the British Home Secretary at the time, Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney. This date is now celebrated in Australia as Australia Day. It's now a popular tourist destination with many shops, restaurants, and galleries. My cousin runs a pub there, not the one in the photo below mind you, which I visited on Australia Day 2013 with another of my cousins.

Australia Day in The Rocks, 2013. Photo copyright Robert Sullivan!

Royal Botanic Garden: This beautiful garden is located in the heart of Sydney and features a wide variety of plants from around the world. It's a great place to relax and enjoy nature.

Market City, Chinatown, May 2013. Photo copyright Robert Sullivan!

Darling Harbour: This waterfront area is home to many attractions, including the SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and many restaurants and shops. Art Gallery of New South Wales: This museum has a large collection of Australian and international art, including works by many famous artists..

Like many big cities around the world, Sydney has become multicultural in recent decades. It now has an ethnic map as well as a physical one, with different nationalities attracted to different regions. Russians like it in Bondi, Manly, or the Sutherland Shire. Auburn is the center of the Turkish diaspora and boasts great Turkish food. Parramatta is hugely Indian. In the Sydney CBD, there is a whole precinct called Thai Town.

To complete the picture, gentrify the area with an assortment of old school pubs, selling a variety of Old World beers and other drinks (and the occasional aggressive drunk).

What do you have -- voila!, The Rocks! It is not the kind of place I went to often when I lived in Australia, but I can understand its appeal with tourists. As The Rocks Village website reported:
"Traditionally the home of the Aboriginal Cadigal people, the rocky sandstone ledge known as The Rocks is where mariners of the First Fleet stepped ashore on 26 January 1788 and British settlement of Australia was first established.
"Today it is Sydney's historic old town quarter, nestled between the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House." Nathalie, a visitor to Sydney, wrote: "I love The Rocks! The scenery is beautiful, the night`s view is the best... with the Opera House as well as the Bridge. And my favourite place of all is "Pancakes on the Rocks" -- the food is yum, and the service is friendly! But, there`s a warning, its so popular the line is super long!!!" Meanwhile, another visitor, E.K. Castle said: "The Rocks was one of the highlights of my visit to Sydney, where the great city began. The weekend market was so vibrant, and was certainly one not to be missed. The preservation of the old buildings is a must to show were history began in Australia."

FIRST A RUN-DOWN OF SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN SEE I THE ROCKS, ALL THE TYPICAL TOURIST STUFF, AND THEN, FOR A BIT OF SPICE, I WILL RELATE ONE OR TWO OF MY MOST RECENT EXPERIENCES THERE. First, those stats and recommendations about what to see in The Rocks:
++-+ EXPLORE the maze of cobblestone lanes for a wealth of historic sites, cafes, restaurants and markets.
--+- Shop for antiques, collectibles, souvenirs and a wide variety of original Australian art (Aboriginal pieces), crafts, fashions and designer jewellery (opals, etc).
++-+ Have a drink at Australia�fs oldest licensed hotel. Click here for a list and description of places where you can drink and party in The Rocks.
lking tours of this fascinating area.

Go to the American Express lounge at Circular Quay... and maybe get a discount! Membership has its privileges.

Reconnect with my faith at the Soka Gakkai Centre!

Aboriginal Australia

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