Travel Guides | Sydney Travel Guide
Sydney Travel Guide
Olympic gold
The 2000 Olympics only added to the city’s reputation and its architectural wealth. Record-breaking amounts of money were spent on inner-city rejuvenation, transportation and modern sports venues, providing the infrastructure and the stage for what were dubbed the best games ever. Many cynics expected a huge slump after the great global event – some kind of ‘post-traumatic hype disorder’ – but it never occurred. Baked to perfection under the Aussie sun, with a sweet topping of sea, surf and culture, it seems Sydney life just went back to normal.
Problems, icons and matchsticks
Sure, the city has its problems and in some ways is just like any other: drugs (the dark side of its glamorous party image), crime, bushfires and a ceaseless urban sprawl. There is an arrogant tendency to forget the city’s relationship with the mighty continent and the superficially seamless cosmopolitan mix has hidden fractiousness. Take away the instantly recognisable icons of the Opera House, the harbour and the mighty bridge, call the place ‘Bob’ and things might be different. Sydney, however, has a great deal more to offer: fascinating museums and art galleries, international cuisine, surfing beaches, world-renowned festivals, 24-hour entertainment, state-of-the-art sports venues and a whole host of exciting activities. Then there are some of its lesser-known secrets: its colony of outrageously big bats, a talking dog, a 10-metre matchstick, and even the odd penguin in the glittering waters off Circular Quay.
Coming of age
Much has been made in the global media of Sydney's new-found maturity in the wake of its universal Olympic adulation. Ask a Sydneysider about the city, however, and they will probably tell you that the things that make Sydney great haven't really changed. It may no longer be young, but it doesn't especially want to grow old.
|
