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In the shadow of the Central Business District (CBD), Circular Quay is the epicentre of tourist activity within the inner city. Flanked by the Harbour Bridge and The Rocks on one side and the conspicuous Opera House on the other, and yet collectively and almost disconcertingly all within waving distance across the bustling harbour to the North Shore, it is one of the most stunning locations in Australia. For the visitor it is a place to satisfy all the expectations of scale, a place to bombard the senses, to be entertained by (or run a mile from) street performers, or to depart by ferry or train to a whole host of other attractions. The Rocks deserves equal celebration. A historic enclave that for decades was the notorious hub of the emerging colony, it has, after considerable renovation since the 1960s, become a major tourist attraction in itself. Many visitors find the city centre, the modern and corporate face of Sydney, a chaotic place. It is chilled by modern high rises and disturbed by the collective din of corporate Australia. Yet despite that it is still worth taking the plunge and joining the purposeful floods of humanity through its gargantuan corridors to discover its hidden gems. Most notable are the scattered historic buildings that, though dwarfed by the mighty, have survived and stood up to the city’s ceaseless modern development. Created with much aplomb to celebrate Sydney’s Bicentennial in 1988, Darling Harbour has been revitalized to such an extent and with so much success, that even the waves seem to clap with appreciation. Here, day and night, ferries and jetcats (Sydney's high-speed catamarans) bring hordes of visitors to marvel at its modern architecture and its high-profile aquatically themed attractions, or to revel in its casino and trendy waterside bars and restaurants. Framed beautifully against a backdrop of the glistening CBD, it is intricately colourful, urban and angular – right down to the last ripple of each landscaped fountain. The western fringe of Darling Harbour heralds the start of Chinatown, perhaps the city’s most notable living monument to its cosmopolitan populous. Separated by Sydney University (which adds spice) and situated just to the west of Darling Harbour, the enclaves of Glebe and Newtown are renowned for their exotic and bizarre range of shops and their eclectic, cosmopolitan cafés and restaurants. Nearby Leichhardt possesses a particular mediterranean appeal and has been dubbed Sydney’s ‘Little Italy'. To the north the once seedy suburb of Balmain has seen a makeover in recent years with a desire to join the party. Further west are the contrasting attractions of the Homebush Olympic Park and the historic ‘town within the city’ – Parramatta. While the soils of Homebush sprouted some of the nation’s finest modern architecture in order to stage the 2000 Olympic Games, it was the soils of Parramatta that saved the wretched souls of the First Fleet facing starvation in Port Jackson in 1790. Neatly divided from the CBD by the leafy avenues and grandiose attractions in and around Hyde Park and the Domain are the inner-city suburbs of Woolloomooloo, Potts Point Darlinghurst, Surry Hills and King’s Cross – Sydney’s ‘nightlife capital’, somewhat overrated and facing stiff competition. Fringing ‘The Cross’, Darlinghurst, Potts Point and Woolloomooloo are all blessed with some fine restaurants, cafés and pubs, while Oxford Street provides the focus and social epicentre of Sydney’s famously overt gay community and the main venue for the annual Sydney Mardis Gras. Further east Oxford Street then fringes Paddington, one of Sydney’s most attractive suburbs: a place where quiet, leafy streets lined with tiny Victorian terrace houses possess an elfinesque appeal, yet at the same time a giant price tag. Beyond Paddington land gives way to ocean and the popular and laid-back beachside suburbs of Bondi, Bronte and Coogee. Australia’s most famous swathe of sand, Bondi, with its scantily clad, sickeningly tanned sun worshippers and stalwart Sydney surf set needs little introduction but the lesser-known beaches fronting Bronte and Coogee are almost equally appealing. North of the harbour Sydney’s ‘other half’ stretches all the way to the boundaries of the Ku-ring-gai National Park. The big attraction are the northern beaches, with Manly, near the Sydney harbour entrance, a self-contained beachside resort providing the perfect day trip from the city centre. Fringing the harbour inland lies some of the city’s most sought-after real estate nestled in the pretty and well-heeled suburbs of Mosman, Balmoral and Cremorne. Further west, beyond the unremarkable and uncelebrated western suburbs (Sydney’s poorest communities), are the majestic Blue Mountains, one of Australia’s largest and most beautiful national parks. To the north of the city the Hawkesbury River Region has less precipitous rural scenery and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park adds Aboriginal rock art to sandstone and bush walks. To the south, the Royal National Park, Australia’s oldest, is fringed by beautiful beaches, while Botany Bay National Park, bordering the fringes of the city, is the historic site of captain Cooks first landing in April 1770.
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