I've been to this picturesque harbour city a couple of times since the age of 3. I must say that it has changed quite a lot. This time round, I lived in Marrickville which is a suburb in Inner Western Sydney and there is a small shopping centre near where I lived called Marrickville Metro.
The Rocks
Taronga Zoo
It's been a long time and I can't really remember the details so I shall just touch on some of the places I visited. Let's start off with Taronga Zoo. It is one of the most beautiful, no make that the most beautiful zoo I've visited so far. It is sited on a slope overlooking the Sydney Harbour which to me is one of the most familiar sights of Sydney yet I never grow tired of seeing it. Arriving by ferry from Circular Quay, I took a cable car right to the top from which I began my walk through the zoo. The Zoo's fine with the animals placed in as natural an environment as possible and I can see that the animals are well taken care of. This makes it a pleasure to walk through the grounds. There are also friendly staff sited sporadically with special exhibits meant to enhance our knowledge of animals.
Sydney Opera House
Luna Park, The Rocks
I also visited Luna Park which i used to frequent when I was young but it was undergoing renovations then. I'm sure many people have seen and heard of the famed Opera House. I haven't been inside but I sure have many photos of it from the outside. It's still the same through the years, the Harbour Bridge too but the surroundings have changed. I can't remember what used to be what is now The Rocks as I was too young then but it is now bustling with shops and is a major tourist attraction. The buildings are quaint and charming as you can see in the picture above but I think this place basically caters to tourists .
Sydney Seaport Museum at Darling
Harbour
Darling Harbour
Darling Harbour's the place
to be at. There are so many attractions concentrated in this area. The
Powerhouse Musuem which is large and has many displays which I think are informative
and interesting. There is even a locomotive section whereby there are trains
on display so you can see how big a museum it is. The
Chinese Garden is quiet and serene but I think it is rather small. The Shopping
Centre nearby offers the usual stuff. The Sydney
Aquarium deserves a look even if you do not gravitate towards aquatic creatures
because I think it is quite well done, same for the Australian
National Maritime Musuem which does for ships what the Aquarium does for aquatic
creatures.
Queen Victoria Building, Strand Arcade
Strand Arcade
From here on it's a short walk into the city area whereby further attractions
abound like the Queen Victoria
Building which has a splendid exterior and interior. Expect to take
many pictures here. The Strand
Arcade on Pitt Street too is elegance personified. I can't identify what
style it belongs to but it is wonderfully restored.
Shopping, Sydney Tower
Now that we're on the topic of Pitt Street, it's the main shopping belt in Sydney with the AMP(Sydney) Tower on top of Centrepoint which is a shopping mall. The Tower I would say is definitely not something you should miss as it offers a panoramic view of Sydney and its outer reaches. The view is stunning. Chinatown on Dixon Street is just around the corner so too is Martin Street, the financial centre. Chinatown basically doesn't differ much from other Chinatowns around the world. You know, the usual Chinese restaurants, shops, etc but it's also one of the places I visit most .
I also visited a Vietnamese town in Cabramatta which is something like Chinatown. Australian Musuem in the city area deserves a visit too. There are displays on natural history, dinosaurs etc, the aboriginals and more.
Sydney Tower entrance card
Paddy's Market, King's Cross
Next I'll talk on Paddy's Market in Paddington. It's held once a week and it's a bazaar with stuff like second hand clothes on sale. After that take a walk down Paddington and Oxford Streets which is where you'll find cutting edge fashion and lotsa interesting stuff, some really bizarre.
The cross, which is King's Cross is another famous spot in Sydney or should i say infamous. It's the red-light district of Sydney and you can see hookers plying the streets even in the day though in the day they are mostly sleep-standing (is there such a term?). There are some good restaurants here. One notable one is Bourbon 'n' Beefsteak which i frequent quite often. The food's good and the portion's huge.
New Town, Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach
As i live in Marrickville which is near New Town, i go to New Town quite frequently to take the train. New Town's quite fashionable with cafes and bookstores. Parramatta Street is historic and is worth walking down. Bondi Beach is world-renowned and it is more often then not crowded except in winter but even then there are people there. When i lived in Annadale, i met the parents of my childhood friend at their deli but unfortunately he wasn't there. I hope to be back in Sydney soon.
