Sydney

A harbour city and the largest, oldest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia with an enviable reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful and liveable cities. Like New York, London and Berlin, this is a place that draws in anyone who’s got something interesting to say. Sydney is a major global city and one of the most important cities for finance in the Asia-Pacific. Sydney hosted the first Olympics of the new millennium, and continues to attract and host large international events.

Sydney is consistently rated as one of the world’s best cities. And when you’ll visit, you’ll soon understand why. Sydney enjoy a temperate climate, a reasonable cost of living and a great range of leisure choices, as well as high levels of safety, education and health care. All in all, lifestyle is second to none – which makes work, business and study so much easier.

Peak season:

It is comfortable for travelers to visit Sydney any time of year. There are over 300 sunny days each year in Sydney. Summer is the best time to enjoy Sydney’s beachside outdoor lifestyle as the temperatures usually reach around 26°C but it can be very hot. It can get humid sometimes, and have searing dry winds too, but they frequently end with a “southerly buster”, a cold front sweeping up from the south, bringing a clearly noticeable drop in temperature.

Autumn days are good for a beach visit, but you can’t count on it. It is a good time for visiting attractions, going to the zoo, catching ferries around the harbour without the summer crowds. Winters (June to August) are cool, not cold. July’s maximum temperatures is 17°C, and daytime temperatures rarely drop below 14°C, but night-time temperatures can fall to below 10°C.

Sights of Attractions:

Sydney Opera House: The Sydney Opera House is one of the most distinctive and famous 20th century buildings, and one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world. In its short lifetime, Sydney Opera House has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts centre and become a symbol of both Sydney and the Australian nation. The Sydney Opera House has about 1000 rooms, including five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls, four restaurants, six bars and numerous souvenir shops. It is a worth watch.

 

Sydney Harbour Bridge: This Bridge is a national icon and a natural focal point for Sydney, the harbour and the harbour-side areas, whether it is a cup of coffee, a meal, some accommodation or somewhere to shop, aim to assist visitors to find top quality businesses that will provide both good value and a memorable service. Sydney Harbour is one of the worlds finest, enjoy the view and its dynamic nature. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was an engineering masterpiece when it was opened in 1932 and remained for many years the tallest structure in Sydney. Even today, more than seventy years later, the Bridge still dominates the harbour skyline.

 

Watsons Bay: Sits on the end of the South Head peninsula Watsons Bays takes its name from the sheltered bay and berth on its western side, in Port Jackson. It provides amazing views from the harbour to the city of Sydney and the Harbour Bridge. The Gap is an ocean cliff on the eastern side with views to Manly, North Head, and the Pacific Ocean. It’s well worth the trip to Watsons Bay to eat at the restaurant or, alternatively, for a more informal meal, buy a take-away lunch from Doyles’ fish and chip outlet, located on the wharf, and eat it in the park and feed the seagulls.

Places to change money in Sydney:

 

The airport can be the worst possible place to do it. You’ll find it mystifying to see so many people lining up at airport currency exchange desks where they’ll be gouged with low rates and high commissions on top of that. Foreign exchange bureaux in the city are a little better, even if their commissions still exact a pound of flesh from nearest your bank book.

Travelers are increasingly warming to travel money cards also as the next best cash carrying thing. These cards are loaded up with foreign currency bought at that day’s exchange rate. You can then draw against that over the counter – like a credit card, or more accurately debit card – or withdraw cash at an ATM.

Advantage of using he Travel money card is that unlike credit cards, which charge up to 3.5% on every overseas purchase, there are no transaction fees for using travel money cards. ATM cash withdrawal fees are also cheaper with travel money cards than with ordinary bank-issued plastic – there’s usually just a small flat fee of a few dollars, and some cards charge no ATM fee at all, whereas most banks hit you up for $4 and an extra 2-3% levy.

Clothes to wear:

Packing a bag to travel Australia is quit difficult as every place has a different weather. Wear jeans,jackets, scarfs and a beany but don’t dress too warmly as the shops are heated. Sydney can be very rainy but can have nice weather. So pack light clothes. Umbrellas and a good jacket to travel around in are a must. Have fun buying clothes especially in Melbourne. The clothes are fanastic and the Queen Victoria markets(Melbourne) and the Paddington markets(Sydeny) have plenty of clothes to buy so don’t pack too much.

Legal Cautions:

 

You should have a correct visa for visiting or transiting in Australia. Visa and other entry and exit conditions (such as currency, vaccination records, and customs and quarantine regulations, including the legality of medications) change regularly. Contact the nearest embassy or consulate of the country you are traveling to for the most up-to-date information.

Make sure your passport has at least six months’ validity from your planned date of return to Australia. You should carry copies of a recent passport photo with you in case you need a replacement passport while overseas.

In Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra may be contacted on (02) 6261 3305.