|
|
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.
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.
|
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.