"SYDNEY "THE HARBOUR CITY"" a Sydney Travel Page by DennyP

SYDNEY....So much is said on these pages about Sydney by VT travellers its difficult to add to...Sydney for the tourist really revolves around its harbour and beaches..but for the traveller with more time to seek out a bit more..There is a lot to see and do..Sydney is a city of some four million people..but Sydney certainly is more than the city and the harbour..I live in the Western suburbs of Sydney in Parramatta .The western Suburbs of Sydney is huge and has one eighth of the whole of Australias population..with many large suburbs with city classification..There is certainly a lot happenning in the west..
Catch a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly for a good ferry trip this is the first of the many northern beaches. The northern beaches stretch from Manly all the way to Palm Beach with some dozen marvellous surfing beaches..and the many southern beaches have their share of notoriety as well..ie: Bondi .. Coogee The beaches are very clean and most have surf clubs and are patrolled by surf lifesavers.. I beleive it is a very clean city and is really easy to get around in...it has a good transport system with ferry boats travelling to many destinations on the harbour ..and is a cheap way to get about as most ferries are met by busses at the respective wharves getting lost isn't easy..(ferries offer the best photo opportunities)...people are most helpful and Aussies don't mind being approached..The train system is good and will take you anywhere around the city and out..and there is a good bus system as well..there are some trams (trolleys) returning now and a monorail that does a"loop" of the CBD...Trains run from the airport to city centre and The Central Train station one can catch a train to any state on the mainland...
When travelling and often meeting fellow travellers that have visited OZ ..I always ask what they thought was the prominent stand out feature for them in Sydney....and the answer is invariably...the people,..how clean it is.. and also how safe they felt out at night..the friendliness and openess of Aussies and their .."no worries" attitude....of course Sydney has its problems like any big city with over four million people..but there is always something to see and do whatever your interests may be whatever you are into..Live music...bar and pub scene..many different and good restaurants...cheap pub food..live theatre...and Opera. .Museums..Sporting events..and YES, there still is a drive in movie Theatre...I would say, I must agree when people say to me ..."this is a very liveable city"...and has been mentioned a few times in travel mags as the most popular harbour and city in the world...and I can see why...

DARLING HARBOUR and COCKLE BAY..is an oasis in the city...a great place to sit.. have a coffee and watch the people..can be a nice cool respite after the heat in the city...there are many restaurants and shops in this precinct to see..you will also see a retired ferry here The "SOUTH STEYNE" (they were named after the northern beaches) that used to do the Manly run and finished up here when retired.. was purchased.. and is now a restaurant ....it is one of the old types of large Ferries that were built on the Clyde in Scotland and sailed out here to be put into service on the Manly run..They were used on that particular service as they could handle the large ocean swells that come from the Pacific Ocean through the entrance to the harbour("The Heads") when the weather was extreme...they could also carry large amounts of passengers..and had a live band ....great to get a coffee..and read your paper on the way to work instead of coping with the the traffic stress and parking..A ferry also can be caught here to travel to other parts of the Harbour..The Maratime Museum is located in this precinct as is the Aquarium and the new...Wildlife Park...This is also the location to board some cruise boats that ply the harbour just a little further north...ie:Kings Street Wharf..

SYDNEY'S Taronga Park Zoo is in the most wonderful location and I always recommend anyone visiting Sydney to take a look.....get on a ferry .@ no.6 wharf at Circular Quay if coming from the city...ferries arrive and depart every 45 minutes.....a short and relaxing ride ...and an extremely good zoo that is heavily into Conservation and different animal breeding programmes. ...Visit the Koala bear house..walk amongst the many different species of Kangaroos and wallabies..see all the local animal inhabitants that are so popular with visitors...lots of new exhibits in new accomodation buildings.....always so much building and improvements happening at Taronga Park....visit the"Nocturnal House"..and the Platypus exhibit..great photo opportunities of the city's panorama from there also...The best real estate in the whole city...