Sydney, Sydney, Sydney

Sydney gets "divided" into four areas, all bustling with tourists attractions, museums, and panoramic views. The Rocks, City Centre, Kings Cross, and The Domain all have a flavor that's all their own.


The Rocks (or Circular Quay) are the portions that get published more magazines and travel brochures than you can look at in a lifetime. Everyone knows about the Sydney Opera House, along with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and there's no doubt they steal all the attention. Other smaller attractions are buildings that still stand from the early days of Australia, like Garrison Church, which was the colony's first religious establishment. Sydney's modern culture is captivated in the Museum of Contemporary Art and Writer's Walk, where famous quotes quotes from famous Australians are embedded in the bricks you walk on - leading to the highest incidence of knee scrapes in the country from tripping while trying to read and walk at the same time.

The Rocks....view of hotels, restaurants and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background.

City Centre, as its name suggests, is the commercial and business hub of Sydney. You can imagine what it's like during the day.....guys in suits talking on cell phones so loudly that the entire street knows the conversation. At night though, King Street Wharf is the place to be. Bars, restaurants and everything else make it a great place for nightlife, and is typically one of the biggest celebrations of New Year's in Australia. But if you want to see it during the day, you'll find the city's first skyscraper, Culwulla Chambers. Sydney Tower dominates the landscape now and is equivalent to the Empire State Building in a way. Everyone wants to go to the top, look over the edge, fear for their life, and come back down the elevator in the fetal position on the floor. City Centre is home to shops, shops, shops, and more shops (like the Strand Arcade and Sydney Central Plaza, to name a few). Darling Harbour is another hot spot, where the Sydney Aquarium lies. Hyde Park offers a relaxing getaway from city life and is nestled nearly downtown. Plus, Sydney's version of Chinatown is in the district (and you can imgaine, it's just like ours - food and knock-off clothing).

Bright lights...just like I said!

The real escape from fast-paced city livin' is at The Domain (and Botanic Gardens). Obviously, there's lots of plants, flowers, shrubs, trees....pretty much any type of leafy vegetation a guy could ask for! One neat tid-bit is the Sydney Tropical Center, where tropical ecosystems are maintained in these pyramid/prism type structures.

I can't tell if they're going for an Egyptian look or not

Remember the movie "Gangs of New York"? Apparently, that's what Kings Cross used to be like back in the day. Today, they have gotten rid of the gangs (you know....to keep a good image). Elizabeth Bay provides some awesome views, along with the Elizabeth Bay House, which they say is immaculate, on the inside. History tells us that the owner of said house fell on some rough financial times, so the interior was done to the highest degree....but he skimped on the outside. Beare Park is another "inner-city" park that gets you away from asphalt, but this one offers harbour views on top of it!

Ohhhh....pretty

If you're going to venture out of Sydney, to the 'burbs, you have to go see Bondi Beach. Women in bikini's...what's not to like. But seriously, the water is clear and great and who doesn't like the beach. Plus Sydney's Olympic Park (from the 2000 games) sits outside the city limits and its not very often someone gets to see one of those.


Getting around Sydney is pretty easy. Unless I steal a car while we're over there, driving is not an option. But, there's taxis and trams. The bus system is pretty widespread and can get you wherever your heart desires. Why not take the bus to a Sydney sporting event?! You can watch cricket and try to figure out the rules and point behind that game, or rugby where sweaty men jump in a pile and fight for a ball. A guy could also golf, and why not, since Australia is home to the world's best choke artist, Greg Norman.