Sydney is one of the largest cities in the world (covering more than 668 miles) and  sits in a beautiful harbor whose waters flow into the South Pacific Ocean. The two icons of Sydney are (left) the Sydney Harbour Bridge and (right) the Sydney Opera House.  The picture on the left was taken from Circular Quay, which is the transport hub for ferries, buses and CityRail.  

Sydney began life as a penal colony and the first area settled was what is now known as The Rocks (three photos below).   Today it is a small area of colonial buildings, boutiques, galleries, hotels, restaurants and pub (right).

The Sydney Tower (below) is the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere.

Did you know that Sydney has an ice lounge?  5 degrees opened in November and has been a hit ever since! Above right:  chandeliers in the Ice Bar Lounge.  Everything is made out of ice, including the glasses!

Above:  Sydney Harbour Bridge and you can climb it!

The city of Sydney is a mixture of skyscrapers and historic buildings.   It also has many museums, some beautiful parks, and wonderful shopping.  Do not miss the Queen Victoria Building on the corner of Market and George Street, the Royal Arcade under the Hilton Hotel or the Imperial Arcade near the AMP Centerpoint Tower.  The Strand Arcade was built in 1892 and runs between Pitt Street Mall & George Street.  Paddy's Market (left)  has hundreds of stalls selling everything from cheap clothes and plants to chickens.

Transportation is excellent around Sydney.  The city has a ferry system, a metro monorail (above), light rail system, and CityRail which runs the urban and surburban trains.

Darling Harbour is another interesting area to explore in Sydney (two photos above). The harbour has a convention center, a huge waterfront promenade, the Sydney Aquarium, Wildlife World, an IMAX theater, Sega World Theme Park, the Australian Maritime Museum, the Powerhouse Museum plus Star City, which is Sydney's casino and theater complex.  

Centered around the ocean, it is not surprising that seafood restaurants abound in Sydney and Doyle's (above)  is one of the favorites.   Asian and Mediterrean cooking have had a major influence on Australian cuisine and you can find every type of cuisine imagineable.  

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The Australian Museum has a wonderful exhibit on the aboriginals recounting their history - (above - one of their exhibits).  To the right is a photo of our favorite gallery in The Rocks, The Gannon House.