Sydney 2000 will be only the second Games to be held in the sounthern hemisphere Australia is one of only two countries to have participated in every one of the Modern Olympics since the Games were established in 1896 Australia's program for the cultural events of the 27th Olympiad will express humanity's quest for peace and harmony. Ric Birch, who coordinated ceremonies for Los Angeles and Barcelona, has been appointed Director of Ceremonies The torch relay will begin its journey on June 8 at Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park and arrive at the Olympic Stadium for the Games; opening ceremony on September 15. The first person to carry the torch will be athlete Nova Peris-Kneebone. Olly, Syd and Millie are the official mascots of the Sydney Olympics. Olly is a kookaburra, the largest of the knigfishers which eats small mammals, snakes and large insects.Syd is a platypus, a unique Australian mammal with the bill of a duck, the body of an otter and the tail of a which lays eggs, Millie is an echidna, found widely across Australia and often known as the sping anteater because it is covered with stout spines and bristly hair. The new Olympic Village is located on the site of a newly established residential site called Newington. The village occupies some 100 hectares adjoining Sydney Olympic Park. The Village is planned to accommodate 10 200 competitors and 5 100 delegation officials at the time of the Olympic Games. During the Games, the Village will contain 1 150 permanent dwellings and specially designed modular houses. Man advanced environmental features have been incorporated into the design of the Village, including use of solar power. The Village will offer a secure environment in keeping with the needs and expectations of participating delegations. Dining facilities catering for a broad range of international cultures, tastes and nutritional requirements will be provided. The athletes village will have a large communal kitchen, no athlete has his or her own kitchen. However, after the games, kitchens will be installed in every unit and then the units will be sold off. Shopping, information and commercial services required by residents will also be provided. In addition the Village will offer residents a wide range of leisure and recreational activities based on experiences from previous Games. The location of the Village will provide residents with convenient walking access for Sydney Olympic Park and for trips to Sydney’s many attractions. The Olympic Village will open on the 2nd of September 2000 and close on the 4th of October 2000. It will then undergo a transition to accommodate 7000 Paralympic Games athletes and officials from the 11th of October to the 1st November in 2000. The Olympic Games is the largest single broadcast event in the world. Approximately 220 countries will braodcast the Sydney Olympic Games, watched by more than 3.5 bilion people on television. The Media Village is situated in Sydney’s west. Lidcombe is the proposed location for the Media Village. It is planned that the Media Village will accommodate up to 6 000 accredited media representatives. The Media Village will provide services and accommodation from the 5th of September 2000 until the 4th of October in a mix of new, refurbished and modular buildings. The Sydney Torch relay will be one of the longest and most comprehensiveever undertaken for an Olympic Games. The torch will be carried by 10,000 Australians, each carrying it for up to one kilometer. The torch will be carried on foot, train, bicycle, stock horse, tram, reef cruiser, lear jet, rowing shell, canoe and Sydney ferry