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World Travel Guide > Guides > Oceania > Australia > New South Wales > Sydney

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Things to do in Sydney

Catch a show at Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is the premier performance venue for the Sydney Symphony, the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs, Opera Australia and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The Australian Ballet performs mainly traditional pieces during its summer and winter season at the Sydney Opera House. Similarly, the Sydney Dance Company, the city's leading contemporary dance group, performs at the opera house for two seasons per year.

Catch some surf at Australia's most famous beach

If you’re in Australia for any length of time, throwing yourself at the waves for at least one surfing lesson is a must. And where better to lose your surfing virginity than the iconic Bondi Beach? Lets Go Surfing (tel +612 9365 1800; www.letsgosurfing.com.au) is Bondi’s only licensed surfing school and offers equipment rental.

Dive down in Sydney Harbour

Explore the awesome underwater aquarium that is Sydney Harbour – complete with its historic shipwrecks and pristine reefs. There is a bounty of marine life too, including Port Jackson sharks, huge blue gropers and giant cuttlefish. Dive Centre Manly (tel +61 9977 4355; www.divesydney.com.au) offer shore, wreck and boat dives, as well as dive courses.

Explore Sydney's great outdoors

Lace up your hiking boots to see why Sydney is considered one of the world's most beautiful cities. The Bondi to Bronte cliff top walk is spectacular, especially during October's 'Sculptures by the Sea' event (http://sculpturebythesea.com), whilst the Spit to Manly trek is great for its swimming stops and cafe pit stops.

Paddle to one of Sydney's quietest beaches

With famous sandy stretches like Bondi, Manly and Coogee, Sydney is spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches. If you want to avoid the crowds, head to Store Beach. There is a catch: you’ll need to paddle half an hour to get there first. Manly Kayak Centre (tel +61 2 9976 5057;www.manlykayakcentre.com.au) can help.

A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

City Highlight: Sydney

Hugh Jackman said, “If I’m a lush at anything, it’s food and drink.” He’s a Sydney boy, and his hometown makes the tastebuds of food lovers salivate.

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Featured Hotels

Cambridge Hotel

Close to the restaurant and shopping areas of Oxford and Crown Streets is this moderately priced hotel with 149 modern rooms and an on-site Italian restaurant. Adjacent to the hotel is an area that used to be a notorious no-go zone in the 1920s frequented by the city’s worst criminals.

Park Hyatt

Occupying a unique position on the water's edge of Sydney's Harbour, The Park Hyatt has a wide range of rooms to choose from all offering deluxe amenities including shoeshine, turndown, robes, gym access and 24-hour butler service. The hotel's restaurant, the Harbour Kitchen & Bar, offers incredible views of the harbour and opera house through floor-to-ceiling folding glass doors. This Sydney hotel also features a spa, fitness centre and rooftop swimming pool.

Four Seasons

The original luxe Sydney hotel the Four Seasons boasts one of the best views around. Located in the historic Rock’s area overlooking the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge the hotel’s 531 luxurious guestrooms and suites all feature a 42- inch LCD television iPod/MP3 player connectivity and wireless internet access. The spa is one of the best in the city and facilities include steam sauna and Sydney’s largest heated outdoor pool.

Ovolo Woolloomooloo

One of the most boldly conceived hotels in Sydney, Ovolo Woolloomooloo (formerly Taj BLUE Hotel) occupies the renovated interior of an old loading wharf, jutting out into the harbour at Woolloomooloo Bay. Retaining the original exterior and many of the interior beams, the refit is an ingenious exercise in industrial chic. Business travellers are well catered for with luxury meeting spaces with amenities such as AV equipment, TV screens, and other high tech features.

Kirketon Hotel

Situated in Darlinghurst, the Kirketon Hotel is an intimate, 40-room boutique hotel set amid the bustling restaurant and nightclub district. Home to an award-winning bar and the Fu Manchu Asian restaurant, this is a stylish property featuring gold tones, caramel hues, free internet access and plush rain-effect showers.

The Woolbrokers Hotel

In the heart of Darling Harbour, Woolbrokers Hotel is located near some of Sydney’s main attractions, including the Sydney Aquarium, Harbourside shopping complex, and Sydney Wildlife World. The heritage building has been redesigned with 27 rooms to accommodate groups, families, or solo travellers.

Introducing Sydney

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