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Australia
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New South Wales > Sydney
By Jessica Lloyd
An exciting international city
 Climb the Harbour bridge, enjoy meals on the water in vibrant Darling
Harbour or visit the beautiful Blue Mountains. You will never run out of
things to do in Sydney. There is always
something going on - festivals, markets, fireworks, nightlife and sports
events. The backdrop to this city is the Pacific Ocean, with rugged
coastline providing a drop of nature to keep the inhabitants in the real
world. The zoo is one of the best in the world, the opera house is an
architectural achievement and the shopping is fantastic.
Ambience
Sydney is a fast paced city, and among other interesting things, is the gay
capital of the world. Oxford Street has an interesting rainbow coloured
atmosphere, with boutique fashion stores all the way along, and lots of bars
and clubs. It is nearby to the red light district, famous and always wild,
Kings Cross. If you see the huge Coke sign, you're there - this sign is now
so famous even if Coca-cola wanted to take it down, they wouldn't be
allowed. It is a landmark. Here you will find restaurants, night clubs,
bars, pubs, strip clubs, brothels and all kinds of 'colourful' characters.
Drunks beware - getting too drunk around here can end in disaster in more
ways than one! It has a great ambience and a lot to be proud of.
The hosting of the Olympic games in 2000 was a logistical triumph - it was
hosted without any visible hitches and everything went according to plan.
The remains of this are man holes with Olympic rings on them, and the faded
colours of the magical atmosphere are still stuck to some shop windows. The
transport system is adequate though the trains and buses are a little worse
for wear, a reminder that everything costs money and the transport
department is in strife. Everything is equipped to deal with hundreds of
thousands of people, like Darling Harbour or the Domain. Major events can be
hosted anywhere here which makes it an exciting and busy place to life or
visit.
Night Life
Sydney never sleeps, you'll find clubs and bar open 24/7 with most activity
centred around Darlinghurst and the city. On the streets, you'll find
hookers and pimps, drag queens. From the big hotels to Kings Cross, there is
something for everyone.
Beach
Life
The beaches are clean and the surf is good on most of the beaches, so
wherever you decide to get in, the water is always good. Sydney-siders crowd
to the beaches because its so hot and horrible some days, its the only
sensible place to be, except inside with the air con on high! Bondi is
Sydney's' most famous beach, along with Manly and Maroobra. Australians
normally grow up around water because the temperature is so high in summer -
the ocean is the favourite hangout and you will be hard pressed to find an
Australian who can't swim.
All kinds of water sports are available and often you will find art displays
and festivals near the water. Open air concerts on the beach are common and
there is always some promoter around with a loudspeaker and free stuff. The
water is super clean in Sydney now, due to the massive clean up that took
place before the 2000 Olympic Games, so clean in fact, whales occasionally
enter the Harbour during their yearly migrations; this is an absolute credit
to the clean up job - whales don't like dirty water.
Darling Harbour
 The waterfront is a great place to hang out, but if you're looking for a
cheap night out this isn't the best place to go. If great views, food and
service are on your agenda then Darling Harbour is the place to be. With
many trendy night clubs, like Sydney's largest dance club Home, there is
always something happening down here even when there is nothing happening.
The colourful lights reflecting off the water on a balmy night are eye candy
- when there is actually something going on this place is full of people,
music, dancing and food. Festivals are held down here, with expo's and trade
shows being held in the huge, purpose built centres.
Temperature
In summer temperatures can get up to 40 degrees Celsius, and the heat is
stifling. My advice? Make sure you have air conditioning and a pool where
ever you decide to stay. The heat is unbearable at times, for 3 days at a
time until it pours with rain and its all over. This happens regularly in
summertime. Winter is cool, but far from cold. A jacket is necessary outside
and your nose may get a little cool, but overall it is not what most people
would call really cold. Countryside towns often get freezing and can snow,
but Sydney doesn't.
 People
Sydney-siders definitely have their own sense of style and flavour. Fashion
is important, as are some of the more wonderfully superficial things our
1st-world countries have to offer everybody - such as nice cars, expensive
houses and fake tans. The bottle blonde with the over-done tan is a common
sight here, I don't think they realise that they all look the same as each
other! Some of the men are as predictable, with gym-bodies being the norm -
as nice as they are, when you see them all the time they lose their magic.
Plus most of the owners of these beautiful bodies are gay, which is good, if
you are gay! Being so hot here, people are desensitised to mostly naked
bodies - spend a day at the beach and you will be too. It's a fantastic
place to perve!
 Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world, with the waterfront
apartments and houses all going well into the millions. For a house or
apartment on say, Bronte Beach, you are looking at at least 3 million
dollars. Sydney is a great city to be young, rich and beautiful in. There is
a massive international population in Sydney, with the major groups being
Greeks, Indians, Lebanese and Asians. This means there is a large range of
cuisines available, and the owners of the thousands of convenience stores
around Sydney are one of the above, without fail. Taxi drivers are friendly,
and you can find many Australian drivers, not just the usual suspects.
Sydney is a fantastic place to visit, with everything you might wish for all
here, and in abundance. Beautiful landscape, friendly people, excellent food
and an array of activities to suit almost. A must-see on your Australian
visit.
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