Whether you are planning to move or just to visit the largest urban area in all of Australia, there are bound to be things you do not know about Sydney. It is comprised of some 600 neighbourhoods and it is home to more than 5 million people, so no wonder there are great places within the city limits you haven’t heard of before. If Sydney is your next destination, then here are a few things you should know about the economic hub of New South Wales and Australia’s most popular tourist destination.
Sydney’s beaches
Apart from the stunning Opera House and Sydney Harbor, the city’s beaches – more than 100 of them, are the crown jewel in Sydney’s tourist offer. They are all sandy and the most popular one by far is the world-famous Bondi beach. City dwellers come here after a long day at work to enjoy the landscape and escape the summer heat in the city. Tourists from abroad and other parts of Australia visit Sydney’s beaches for a surfing experience like no other on the planet.
The favourable weather
Another advantage that Sydney has in this arid country is its favourable local climate. The city is located in the south-east of the continent and it can boast a humid subtropical climate. This means that the winters are quite mild with cool nights and summers are comparably hot. The average temperature ranges from 26 in summer and 17 degrees Centigrade in winter. This mild difference in temperature is typical for this region of New South Wales, as further you go inland, the greater the air temperature disproportion.
A multicultural city
Admittedly, Sydney is an Australian city but in terms of nationality, it is quite diverse, as it is estimated that a third of its residents were born outside the country. This is reflected in some 250 languages being actively spoken every day, with English being the dominant lingo. This is because the English established a penal colony here in 1788 and stayed ever since, pushing away the native Aboriginal peoples. There are still building preserved from the colonial period but there are also skyscrapers in the city centre, marking the transition between the past and modern times.
What to do for entertainment?
In recent decades, Sydney’s vibrant nightlife has been gaining popularity with young Australians. There is no single street or neighbourhood that is more party-prone than others, as almost every part of the city has nightclubs. This is convenient as much of Sydney’s population lives in the hills surrounding the bay. Within these residential areas, there are numerous restaurants that offer candlelight diners with breathtaking views overlooking the entire metropolis. Here you can try local dishes and enjoy several musical genres while dining. Local companies like The Launch Squad source entertainers for all kinds of occasions, so even pubs and bars have live performances in the evening. You might have heard of local performers such as Glenn Esmond, Felicity Robinson acoustic duo or a Gun ‘n’ Rosses tribute band Lies ‘n’ Destruction.
Getting around the city
Since a large number of its citizens live in the suburbs, it is no wonder that Sydney has a highly developed transportation network. Buses, trains, and ferries can all be accessed using a pre-paid Opal Card which is universal and allow you to travel around the whole metro area. The price of an average ticket is not that high and it goes around 3.50 dollars. The downside to such a vast network of railroad and roads means that passengers often travel for hours to their destination, having to combine trains and buses which slows down their commute. When it comes to the bayside area, ferries are the way to go, although they are more expensive than other means of transport. They are usually taken by tourists who want to see the city from the sea.
Despite its downsides that every global metropolis has, Sydney is a charming city and truly the best that urban Australia has to offer, both for tourists and permanent residents. If you ever visit Sydney, having explored the city itself, you can hit the nearby Blue Mountains for a touch of nature.
