• Sydney is not the capital of Australia as many think, but it is the capital of the state of NSW
• Sydney has a population of 3.7 million people, but that number is constantly growing
• 1 in 5 Australians come from Sydney
• 6 in 10 people from New South Wales live in Sydney
• The Co-ordinates of Sydney are 33 degrees south, 151 degrees east
• From north to south it is 65 km
• From east to west it is 58 km

Humans have occupied Sydney for at least 45,000, but Europeans didn’t occupy it until 1788. The first humans in Sydney were the Aboriginals, Australia’s indigenous people. The British arrived in 1788 and settled at Sydney Cove. Britain sent convicts to Sydney, a penal colony for 60 years, but Australia has moved far from the days of rations and convicts. Federation was on January 1, 1901. In 1932, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened, the Opera House opened in 1973 and Sydney won the bid for the 2000 Olympic games in 1993.

Sydney, located 7km (4 miles) inland from the heads on the south shore. The CDB is a thriving place full of tall building, but also filled with beautiful places like Hyde Park and the Domain where many city workers relax in the sun during their lunchbreak. The climate of Sydney is fairly warm with the average summer temperature about 25°C (77°F), but on some of the hottest days, the temperature can reach 45°C (112°F). The best times to visit Sydney are from March – April and October – November. For beach goers, December – February is the best time. If planning a trip down under for the Olympic games in 2000, then it is advised to pack both shorts and long pants for September, the month with the least rainfall.

Sydney has many attractions, both scenic and interesting. These include Sydney Harbour’s headlands, cliffs, bays and beaches which can be experienced by a Ferry trip, a swim at Nielsen’s Park, a walk from Manly to Spit Bridge, a meal at Balmoral, Rose Bay or Circular Quay or even a cruise on the Bounty, a trip around The Rocks, Sydney’s oldest area which has weekend markets, the Earth Exchange (a geological museum) and many old buildings, facades and alleyways to explore. Circular Quay features the Museum of Contemporary Art, parks, buskers and many restaurants while the Opera House hosts a variety of cultural events like ballet, classical ballet, opera, film, theatre and on the weekend free music and markets. The Domain and Royal Botanic Gardens provide scenic and recreational areas for sports, or just enjoying your lunch in the sun. Darling Harbour has many exciting places for everyone to visit with Sydney Aquarium, IMAX, the National Maritime Museum, water sculpture, Powerhouse museum and Chinese Gardens. Then there is Bondi beach and the Royal National Park.

Some of the activities that can be undertaken in Sydney are surfing, canoeing, windsurfing, sailing, giving, swimming, bushwalking, body surfing, jogging, horse riding and roller blading. Sydney also hosts many other cultural events and festivities. There is the City to surf (a huge race open to anyone), the ferry races, Sydney to Hobart yacht race, Sydney festival period, the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Royal Easter show, New Year’s Eve and many many more.

Getting around Sydney is extremely easy. The airport is Charles Kingsford Smith Airport at Mascot. Transport to and from the airport as well as around the city consists of taxis, ferries, buses, light rail, coaches and trains. Transport from the airport to Olympic Park will be even easier in the near future with the construction of a direct rail link.