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Sydney Attractions
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Australian Museum |
Established in 1827, Australia's first museum has a remarkable
reputation in the field of natural history and indigenous
studies. Here
you can check out spiders and other creepy crawlies, dinosaurs,
fascinating studies on Aboriginal life, art and more. Trace 4
million
years of human history with the Tracks Through Time and
Skeletons
exhibit.
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Blue Mountains |
Rising from the coastal plain about 50 miles from Sydney are the
famed
Blue Mountains, creating a backdrop almost as spectacular as the
harbor. Eucalyptus trees by the thousands constantly release
fine
droplets of oil into the atmosphere, reflecting blue light rays
to
create the azure haze. Blue Mountains National Park is
surrounded by
resort villages for longer stays, yet mere day-trips from Sydney
can be
rewarding. Trains for the mountains leave several times daily
from
Sydney’s Central Railway Station.
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Bondi Beach & More |
Tan, swim or surf along famed Bondi Beach, renowned for bronzed
skimpily clad bathers, and only minutes from Sydney’s center. To
the
north are more calming beaches with names like Dee Why, Manly
and Curl
Curl.
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Chinese Garden of Friendship |
This horticultural and architectural masterpiece, designed by
specialists from Guangdong Province, is the largest and most
elaborate
outside China. A two-story pavilion serves a hub for lakes,
waterfalls,
tranquil walkways and bridges. A dragon wall symbolizes the bond
between New South Wales and Guangdong, and a tea house is open
daily
serving traditional Chinese tea, cakes and other refreshments.
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Flight & Lunch to Cottage Point Inn |
About 20 minute’s flying time from Sydney
Harbour lies the Cottage
Point Inn within Ku-Ring-Gai National Park. After arrival at
this
secluded tranquil site, flight-lunch package participants enjoy
a
three-course a la carte meal in the restaurant before reboarding
the
aircraft for a journey back to Sydney that includes a circuit of
the
Harbour near the famed bridge and Opera House.
Art Gallery Road.
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Government House |
Constructed between 1837 and 1845, Government
House is the most
sophisticated example of a Gothic Revival building in New South
Wales.
State rooms house an extensive collection of 19th and 20th
century
furnishings.
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Paddington Street Market |
The Paddington Street Market, unfolding on
Saturdays around Paddington
Church, typically yields more than 250 stalls with a notable
array of
flea market finds from bowls made of Australian timber or labels
from
emerging designers to chemical-free fruit, veggies, and nuts
from
organic farms.
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The Rocks |
With grim origins as a penal colony, The Rocks
today serves as nirvana
for anyone appreciating cobbled streets and waterfront
warehousing
transformed into shops and galleries. The Rocks Market, with
more than
170 stalls, unfolds weekends at the northern end of George
Street. The
Rocks is within easy walking distance to hotels such as the
Regent
Sydney and Circular Quay, the city’s major transport hub for
bus, train
and ferry services.
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Taronga Zoo |
Apart from koalas and meerkats to dingos and
more on some 75 acres of
bushland park, the hillside Taronga Zoo (a short ferry ride from
Circular Quay) has a spectacular view of Sydney Harbour. Check
out the
platypus house or the rainforest aviary. The underground
building turns
day into night for observing Australia’s nocturnal creatures in
action.
Try taking the Sky Funicular to the top and working your way
down to
the pier.
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Woolloomooloo |
Once a waterfront district slum north of King’s
Cross, urban renewal
has transformed Woolloomooloo’s terraced dwellings into chic
studios
for artisans and others. Among favored watering holes in the
‘Loo is
the pub at The Old Fitzroy Hotel (129 Dowling Street), where
décor
leans toward mismatched vintage furnishings against a backdrop
of brick
walls with inset bottles, and clientele (a mixed bag of locals
and
tourists) thirsts for draft on tap by the middie, schooner, pint
and
half-pint.
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