Sydney grew around Port Jackson, one of the largest natural harbours in the world — roughly 240 kilometres of shoreline folded into bays, headlands and inlets. Almost everything worth seeing sits on that water, which is why the ferry is the city's best sightseeing bargain.
The Opera House
The Danish architect Jørn Utzon won the design competition in 1957 with a drawing the judges had nearly discarded. Construction ran fourteen times over budget, funded largely by a state lottery, and Utzon resigned in 1966 before the building was finished. Queen Elizabeth II opened it on 20 October 1973.
The shells are clad in 1,056,006 tiles from Höganäs in Sweden — two shades, glossy white and matte cream, laid so the roof never glares in the sun. UNESCO added the building to the World Heritage List in 2007, one of the few modern structures inscribed while its architect was still alive. Guided tours run daily; the one-hour version reaches the concert hall interiors that the standard exterior photos never show.
Harbour Bridge
Opened on 19 March 1932, the arch spans 503 metres and rises 134 metres above the water. Sydneysiders call it the Coathanger. Six million hand-driven rivets hold it together. Since 1998 the BridgeClimb has taken visitors up the arch itself; if the price puts you off, the pedestrian walkway on the eastern side is free, and the Pylon Lookout costs a fraction.
Beaches
Bondi is a one-kilometre curve of sand half an hour from the centre, and the starting point of the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk — six kilometres of clifftop path past Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly. Allow two hours plus swimming stops. The Bondi Icebergs pool, cut into the rocks at the southern end, has been swum in since 1929 and fills with surf at high tide.
For a quieter beach take the Manly ferry from Circular Quay — thirty minutes across the harbour, and the finest cheap view of the Opera House and the bridge together.
The Rocks and the gardens
The colony landed here on 26 January 1788. The Rocks keeps its sandstone warehouses, narrow lanes and some of the oldest pubs in the country; a weekend market fills the streets. Ten minutes east, the Royal Botanic Garden (founded 1816) runs down to the water and ends at Mrs Macquarie's Chair, a bench carved from rock in 1810 and still the classic spot for a sunset photograph.
Practical notes
- Getting around: an Opal card or a contactless bank card works on trains, buses and ferries. Sunday travel is capped at a few dollars for the whole day.
- Ferries are ordinary public transport priced as such — no need for a harbour cruise.
- Sun: the UV index regularly reaches extreme. Australians shade up between 10am and 3pm for good reason.
- Time needed: three days for the city, four if you add the Blue Mountains.