Sights and Attractions 2
April 23rd 2007 04:48
Category: Sights and Attractions
Port Jackson (from Wikipedia)
The Sydney Harbour, or Port Jackson, as it is actually named, is the largest natural harbour in the world, both in terms of geographic area and capacity.
It is beautiful, and even relative to other notable harbour cities in the world, the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean seem incomparable as they lap softly onto Australian soil. The Harbour is one of the most heavily visited locations in Australia, and as a result, a thriving tourism industry has evolved around Sydney Harbour.
The unmistakable outline of the Sydney Opera House is visible from various points in the Harbour, and is a defining landmark. Opened in 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II, the Opera House had its conception as an idea in the late 1940s, but it was not until 1954 that the NSW government called for designs of a new opera house.
The Sydney Opera House is nearly unique in its design  like giant opened clamshells precariously perched on a rocky shore, its bright white tiles easily seen from the fleet of sailboats in the harbour. The design has never been used again, perhaps due to the sheer audacity it would take to attempt to emulate such a unique building.
The Harbour Bridge was a massive undertaking when it was built in the 1920s, especially considering that part of the construction occurred after the Great Depression, and is still considered one of the great bridges in the world  the widest and the largest steel-arch bridge on Earth.
In Port Jackson, everything is available for a price: catch a play at the Opera House, climb the Harbour Bridge to the top, take a jet boat tour of the Harbour, ride a ferry across the bay, or just take pictures in Circular Quay. There are certainly a lot of distractions here.
Sydneysiders, however, have grown accustomed to the Harbour and, as beautiful as it is, will tell you that the real attractions of Sydney are found around the city, tucked away like a lost pen found in a jacket pocket.
In the city, there are a multitude of museums and art galleries that show the cultural highlights of Australian life and many are free or have reduced prices on certain days. The Art Gallery of New South Wales is an excellent gallery full of paintings done by Australian artists  from the original colonist era to recent times! Prominent exhibitions also make their appearance here, and the museum has special programs in the summer, two excellent reasons to go back again.
Sydney has one of the best climates in the world for relaxation, with long, hot and sunny summers, and cool winters, and itÂs during the summer that youÂll find the beaches bustling with people and excitement. [/LINK="http://www.voyeurmagic.com.au/"]Bondi Beach[/LINK] is SydneyÂs most famous beach, a bus ride from the city centre, and has deliriously soft white sand, crashing waves, and a beach community that could compel you to give up your real life and pursue happiness on the beach.
Manly Beach
Again, Sydneysiders have their own beach preferences, with the northern Manly Beach and southern Cronulla taking the lionÂs share of votes, but other popular beaches include Coogee and Bronte, both of which are reasonably close to the city and are accessible by bus or train. Travelers from around the world come to Sydney to share in the delightful surf culture, and enjoy the excellent weather.
Travelers looking to get into the mountains will be thrilled to take a train into the Blue Mountains, the Âmountain range that separates Sydney from the inner Australian country. Hiking and cycling are popular pastimes here, and the smell of the eucalyptus forests will reinvigorate hikers as they make their way to see the Three Sisters, a rock formation that was considered sacred by the local Aboriginal tribes.
Sydney is a spectacular city, and outside of Port Jackson and the monuments in the Harbour, some people may feel that there are not many things to see in Sydney. Sydney is not New York or Paris, or even Tokyo - Sydney is a city to visit for its atmosphere and charm, the relaxed, casual lifestyle, blended harmoniously with an uptempo, bustling big-city vibe.
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