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Sydney
Harbour — Centre of Activity
The
end of the year is wintertime for folks living in the Northern Hemisphere.
For those of you who looking to extend this summer’s heat wave a
little longer, take a look at what Sydney (right) has to offer.
Outdoors in Sydney
Being the middle of
summer, you will have a wide choice of outdoor things to do when
you arrive. Rainfall is at its lowest between September and January,
and peak temperatures last from November until February. You can
get by with light clothing, but do take note of the public campaign
of “slip, slop, slap” — slip on a long sleeved shirt to cover your
arms, slop on sunblock cream and slap on a hat to shade your neck.
The sun can be fierce in summer.
If you are bringing
kids along, you can make a visit to Taronga Zoo. The zoo
is located on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour. It is 12 minutes
by ferry from Circular Quay in the heart of Sydney city.
Alternatively, you can choose to take a bus or rent a car to get
here. The best exhibits of this zoo are the indigenous wildlife
of the Australian subcontinent — duck-billed Platypus, Wombats,
Kangaroos and Koalas. There are some exhibits that allow you to
get close to the animals, such as a Giraffe feeding station.
You can also take in an overview of the zoo from the sky with the
Sky Safari cable car.
The Bridge,
Opera House and Harbourside Parks
The most prominent architectural
landmarks of Sydney are the Harbour Bridge and the Opera
House. Harbour Bridge has come into its own in recent years
with the BridgeClimb, where you get to experience a climb to the
top of the Bridge over traffic and the harbour waters. The tour
takes about 3 ½ hours and starts at ten minute intervals.
For a limited time from November this year until January next year,
dawn climbs will also be offered, starting at around 3.45 am and
enabling visitors to view the break of dawn from the most impressive
vantage point in Sydney.
The Opera House, designed
by Danish architect Jørn Utzon in 1957, remains a landmark which
set new standards in modern architecture. The building pushed the
envelope of structural engineering with its all-roof, no-wall design.
You can visit the Opera House for a guided tour everyday between
8.30 am to 5.00 pm, except Christmas and Good Friday. The
actual performances are held on one of six stages, ranging from
the grand Concert Hall and Opera Theatre to the outdoor Forecourt,
where performances are held with the Harbour as a backdrop.
Sydney’s parks are located in the area around the Opera House. Here,
you can walk, jog or cycle on the same paths used for the triathlon
competition during the 2000 Olympics, circling the Royal Botanic
Gardens on the seafront and skirting Hyde Park further
inland.
Out to sea around Sydney
You
are likely to get acquainted with the ferry terminal in Circular
Quay, as that will be the launchpad for many of your excursions
to the various seafront attractions around Sydney, such as Manly
Beach and the Zoo, which can be reached by ferry. Or you could
just take a sightseeing tour of the harbour from the water itself,
with completely different perspectives on the Bridge, Opera House
and views of the famous beaches around of Sydney.
The beach is virtually
a symbol of Sydney. With famous beaches Bondi to the South and Manly
to the North, you are never more than half an hour away from the
beach here in Sydney. The Australian Surf Lifesaver is an
institution known around the world, with their red and yellow caps.
Many of the modern lifesaving techniques, including those that you
see on Baywatch, were pioneered and perfected on the beaches here.
The lifesavers put on a show with Carnivals that run from November
to May. Here you can watch them practice their craft in competitions
with each other, dressed in colourful uniforms and performing heroic
drills with their heavy boats and reel and line equipment.
Further
Information:
Taronga Zoo is open
every day with entrance fees at AUS$ 25 for adults, AUS$ 13.50 for
children 13-15 years old, and free for children under 4. Discounts
for senior citizens and pensioners available.
Tickets for the Harbour
Bridge climb can be booked at www.bridgeclimb.com/booktickets_frs.htm.
You need to specify whether you will be climbing at dawn (limited
period only), daytime, twilight or night.
Opera House tours need
to be arranged by booking through this e-mail address: tourism@sydneyoperahouse.com.
They run from 8.30 am to 5 pm daily, except Christmas and Good Friday.
Book Sydney Hotels
here
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