Sydney Journals

Bill in Australia - SYDNEY

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A November 2001 trip to Sydney by billmoy

Darling Harbour Photo - Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia More Photos
Quote: What makes Sydney one of the most attractive and cosmopolitan cities in the world is its string of scenic harbors.

Bill in Australia - SYDNEY

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Overview

Sydney Photo - Sydney, Australia
Quote:
Sydney has seemingly surpassed Melbourne as the showcase city of Australia (although there may be plenty of arguments against such a statement from pro-Melbourne folks). The 2000 Summer Olympics placed Sydney squarely in the international spotlight, even as the city has been rated by various surveys as one of the most enjoyable cities in the world to visit and to live in. The glorious shoreline features the "coathanger" Sydney Harbour Bridge (the city's great landmark during the mid 1900's) and the seagull-white Sydney Opera House (the definitive architectural symbol of the city since its completion). I toured the Olympics Park, located several miles west of central Sydney in Homebush Bay. The g...Read More

Sheraton On The Park

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Hotel

Sheraton on the Park Photo - Sheraton On The Park, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
Sheraton on the Park is a very deluxe hotel located across from Hyde Park in central Sydney. This was formerly one of the Sheraton "Luxury Collection" properties. I do not know when or why it was downgraded to a "regular" Sheraton, but this hotel sure felt luxurious to me and deserves its higher rating again. There seems to be grandiose and expensive-looking artworks everywhere. The lobby is fancy, with a curving stair in the center of it. The hotel consists of 22 floors and 558 rooms. The staff is respectfully courteous and attentive. There is a nice fitness center with an indoor pool, jacuzzi and steam room. Taking a dunk in the pool was a good way to wake up for me! Even if you do not use the...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 12, 2002

Sheraton On The Park
161 ELIZABETH ST
Sydney, Australia 2000
61-2-92866000

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney

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Hotel | "LeMeridien"

Sydney Photo - Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
This is a very nice and contemporary hotel located on a quiet side street in central Sydney, within walking distance of bustling areas such as Circular Quay and the Rocks. The LeMeridien is housed in a modern high-rise with 34 stories and 415 rooms. The hotel is built on a small site, with a small driveway on the ground level for vehicle dropoffs. The lobby has a comfortably sleek and bright design. Each floor plan is small, so you will not have to wander down long hallways before reaching your room. There is a fitness center with an indoor pool, jacuzzi, spa and steam room. The rooms are certainly comfortable enough. The slick bathroom has a tub and separate shower st...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 12, 2002

Amora Hotel Jamison Sydney
11 Jamison Street
Sydney, NSW, Australia
(02) 9696 2500

Harry's Cafe de Wheels

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Restaurant

Quote:
The typical fast food item in Australia is the meat pie, which looks like your average chicken pot pie in your grocer's freezer. The fillings in (and on top of) the pies can be almost anything. You can get traditional fillings like chicken, lamb or beef, or you can go wild and have salmon, kangaroo, emu or crocodile. There is also a bizarre variation called the "pie floater". Perhaps the most famous pie stand in Sydney is Harry's Cafe de Wheels, a local wharfside institution which serves a typical pie floater with mashed green peas and a ladling of brown gravy. It is green and lumpy and messy, but surprisingly tasty. I went for lunch and there was an impressive crowd of locals eating meat pies ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 8, 2002

Harry's Cafe de Wheels
562 Harris Street
Sydney, Australia
+61 (02) 9357 3074

Lillipilli in The Rocks

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Restaurant

Quote:
This restaurant is the perfect place to go for someone who wants to experience a bit of local Australian cuisine and culture all rolled into one. It is tucked away in the Rocks neighborhood, a lively area and an appropriate location for this slightly touristy restaurant. The interior is bright and cheerfully decorated, with a little stage area (more on this later). The menu consists of items that are featured in native Australia but are highly unusual for the American palate. If you have taste buds that are geared to accepting only burgers or fried chicken, you are in the wrong place! Depending on when you are visiting, you can order exotic game like kangaroo, emu, crocodile, wallaby, possum, st...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 29, 2002

Lillipilli in The Rocks
1 Globe Street
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9251 6988

Festival Cafe

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Restaurant

Festival Cafe Photo - Festival Cafe, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
My friend and I were looking for a nice but casual restaurant to have our last dinner in Sydney. We wandered about Darling Harbour and looked at various dining options (some high-end, some closer to fast-food) until we finally wound up at the Festival Cafe in the Harbourside shopping center. It was a pleasant enough evening, so we sat on the outside patio facing Cockle Bay (there is also the regular indoor dining room). I thought it was going to rain at first (it had rained quite a bit during the day), but we took a chance and had a pleasant meal amidst the jovial surroundings. This is a prime viewing spot for people watching along the promenades below. We could see and hear various fireworks, w...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 28, 2002

Festival Cafe
Shop 437, Harbourside
Sydney, Australia
+61 2 9281-8727

Sydney Opera House

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Attraction

Sydney Opera House Photo - Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
I have wanted to see the Sydney Opera House for ages, and seeing it in person did not disappoint. Practically the symbol of modern Sydney for years, the SOH is perched on a spit of land that juts out dramatically into the water. You can take an interesting tour of the interiors, but it is the exciting exteriors (concrete shells bedecked with over one million ceramic tiles) that establish the reputation for this architectural masterpiece. If you do not take the tour, at least try to walk around the entire building to enjoy different views of the details. Seeing the graceful white vaults glistening against a blue sky on a sunny day as a skywriter is flying overhead is a truly memorable experience. ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on March 12, 2002

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney, Australia 2000
+61 (2) 9250 7111

Sydney Harbour Bridge

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Attraction

Sydney Harbour Bridge Photo - Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
The dark-metaled Sydney Harbour Bridge, an engineering marvel constructed between 1923 and 1932, pairs well with the landmark Opera House nearby. This imposing bridge (nicknamed the "coathanger" because of its profile)is approximately 400 feet high, 1500 feet long, and 52,800 tons in weight. It dramatically spans over the harbor from Dawes Point at the south to Milsons Point to the north. The bridge is equipped for various traffic: pedestrians, cars, trains, and now bridge climbers. For a hefty fee, you can now sign up for "BridgeClimb" and trek to the very top of the bridge. Groups of climbers (usually about ten people) are led by a tour guide along the slow and careful journey across the top a...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 12, 2002

Sydney Harbour Bridge
5 Cumberland Street, The Rocks
Sydney, Australia 2000
+61 (2) 8274 7777

Darling Harbour

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Attraction

Darling Harbour Photo - Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
"Darling Harbour" is a fairly new tourism district surrounding the bodies of water called Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay. This entertainment district features a mindboggling assortment of museums, shops, restaurants, hotels, convention centers, plazas, fountains. There is not one specific feature that defines Darling Harbour, but all the pieces fit together to create a festive atmosphere for locals and tourists alike. It is a treat to dine at an outdoor cafe, to soak up the sights and sounds of Sydney. Fireworks, music, crowds of people milling about. The Sydney Aquarium and the Australian National Maritime Museum greet visitors if one is coming in by ferry. Just south of these two museums, two...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 8, 2002

Darling Harbour
King Street Wharf
Sydney, Australia 2000
+61 (2) 9240 8500

Queen Victoria Building

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Attraction

Queen Victoria Building Photo - Queen Victoria Building, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
The Queen Victoria Building, a large building stocked with boutique shops, art galleries and dining establishments, was designed by George McRae in 1898 to replace the old Sydney markets. The Romanesque building, which fills an entire city block in central Sydney, has been renovated in great detail to maintain the quality of the mosaic tile, the stained glass, and so on. Even if you are not shopping for anything, it is fun to take a look around inside and out. The plaza outside features a statue of Queen Victoria and the Royal Wishing Well. Inside, there is a replicated display of Queen Victoria's crown jewels, with a fetching statue of the youthful monarch at the time of her coronatio...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 8, 2002

Queen Victoria Building
455 George Street
Sydney, Australia 2000
+61 (0)2 9265 6869

Olympic Stadium

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Attraction | "Sydney Olympic Park"

Sydney Olympic Park Photo - Olympic Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
The 2000 Summer Olympic Games were held in Sydney in September 2000, and they were generally regarded as a smashing success. The location of the new structures supporting the major events of the Games is Homebush Bay. A very pleasant way to approach Homebush Bay is to ride a RiverCat ferry up the Parramatta River from Circular Quay in central Sydney. The mini-cruise on the upper level during a sunny and breezy day was exhilarating, although my sunglasses were periodically caked with salt deposits thanks to the sea spray. Because of the blustery conditions, the poor skipper of the ship had a hard time docking at the smaller ports along the way, but we cheered him on as if we were witnessing a yac...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 8, 2004

Olympic Stadium
Homebush
Sydney, Australia

Sydney Tower

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Attraction

Sydney Tower Photo - Sydney Tower, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
This observation tower has had various names over the years since it debuted in 1981. It is part of the Centrepoint shopping complex, and it was formerly known as the AMP Tower Centrepoint or just AMP Tower. Now it has the simply generic moniker of Sydney Tower. It seems that since my visit in late 2001, they have removed the bizarre figures on top of the tower that looked like giant leftover figures from sporting trophies. This now gives the golden turret of the tower a cleaner look, although as is the case with most observation towers around the world, this one will not exactly win any design awards. 56 cables help to stabilize the tower, which is the tallest structure in Sydney at 305 meters ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 8, 2004

Sydney Tower
100 Market Street
Sydney, Australia

Royal Botanic Gardens

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Attraction

Royal Botanic Gardens Photo - Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
The Royal Botanic Gardens is a lush oasis of greenery that lies in the fabric of the city of Sydney. It is at the edge of Sydney Harbour near or surrounding landmarks like the Sydney Opera House, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and Parliament House. The Domain is a popular recreation area just south of the Gardens, and it could be rationalized that it is an extension of them. While the Royal Botanic Gardens is the result of an organization founded to cultivate plants from Australia and elsewhere, the Domain is more of a city park utilized by locals as their collective front lawn. The Royal Botanic Gardens includes the National Herbarium of New South Wales, the Sydney Tropical Centre, the Ro...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on March 8, 2004

Royal Botanic Gardens
Mrs. Macquaries Road
Sydney, New South Wales 2000
61 (0)2 9231 8111

Art Gallery of New South Wales

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Attraction

Art Gallery of New South Wales Photo - Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Quote:
The Art Gallery of New South Wales has a prominent location within The Domain and right across the way from the Royal Botanic Gardens. If you are in the area, pop in for a look, as the entrance fee is free. They are open late until 9pm on Wednesdays. The design of the original neoclassical building seems like the product of an uncomfortable relationship shared between the architects Walter Liberty Vernon and John Horbury Hunt over the span of years from 1896 to 1909. Later modern additions (opening in 1970 and in 1988) designed by architect Andrew Anderson essentially doubled the gallery space of the institution. The architecture of the entire complex is not particularly memorable, but this qual...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on March 8, 2004

Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery Road
Sydney, Australia 2000
+61 (0)2 9225 1744