Hello World, Happy Travel Tuesday! I was in Sydney, Australia for the New Year’s Holiday.

Sydney is a cosmopolitan city surrounded by iconic beaches and world heritage sites. Besides being Australia’s largest city, Sydney is also its most visited. With an incredible variety of attractions and sights to see, including the very famous Bondi and Manly beaches, it’s easy to see why people come here and stay a while. 

HISTORY

From Local Histories

Sydney was founded in 1788 when the first fleet arrived in Australia from England. On 13 May 1787 a fleet of 11 ships set sail from Portsmouth, England. On board were 759 convicts, most of them men with sailors and marines to guard the prisoners. With them they took seeds, farm implements, livestock such as cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, horses and chickens and 2 years supply of food. The first colonists came ashore at Port Jackson on 26 January 1788. They were commanded by Captain Arthur Phillip (1738-1814).Sydney was named after Thomas Townshend – Lord Sydney (1733-1800). He became British Secretary of State in 1783 and recommended the British establish a colony in Australia. Sydney grew at a phenomenal rate through the 19th century even though transportation to New South Wales ended in 1840. During the 20th century Sydney continued its rapid growth. By 1900 Sydney had a population of 481,000. By 1921 it had reached 981,000 and by 1950 it was almost 1.7 million. By 1975 Sydney had a population of nearly 3 million. In the 21st century Sydney continued to flourish. Aurora Place was built in 2001. The Olympic Games were held in Sydney in 2000 and Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre opened in 2007. Meanwhile The Rocks Discovery Museum opened in 2005. Today Sydney is a multicultural city with many immigrants both from Europe and Asia. It is easily the largest city in Australia.

BEFORE TRAVELING TO SYDNEY

Visa: Most U.S. passport holders traveling to Australia for tourism or business purposes for less than 90 days can obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). The ETA is an electronic label-free visa and can be obtained at the ETA website for a small service fee.

Language: Australian English has a unique accent and vocabulary.According to the 2016 census, English is the only language spoken in the home for close to 70% of the population. The next most common languages spoken at home are: Mandarin (2.5%), Arabic(1.4%), Cantonese (1.2%), Vietnamese (1.2%) and Italian (1.2%).

Sydney is not a cheap place to visit:Sydney is not cheap at all! Australia in general is one of the more expensive countries in the world and Sydney is no exception there. Be prepared to pay a lot for transportation, accommodation and food.

You don’t have to tip:Leaving a tip at a bar or restaurant or tipping your taxi driver is not customary nor is it expected. Australian minimum wage is relatively high which means Australians don’t have to rely on tips as heavily as people do in some other countries.

Don’t forget to wear sunscreen:Sydney offers beautiful beaches, great parks and a lively harbor. And thanks to its great climate and many sunny days you will want to spend most of your time in Sydney outside. But the sun in Australian isn’t like the sun in other places. Since the 1960s, Australia’s ozone layer has depleted between 5-9%. That means you’ll burn, even on a cloudy day!

I flew in from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Sydney Airport (SYD)

I stayed at the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay. 

Terrific location, absolutely stunning view and the staffs were extremely kind and helpful. 

Sydney Harbour is one of the most recognizable and picturesque bodies of water in the world.

One of the famous attractions in Sydney: The Sydney Harbour Bridge, also known as the ‘Coathanger’, was opened on March 19th 1932 by Premier Jack Lang, after six years of construction. Made of steel the bridge contains 6 million hand driven rivets.

Sydney Tower Eye is Sydney’s tallest structure and the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Sydney Tower Eye SKYWALK offers the ultimate view of Sydney and beyond.

Sydney New Year’s Eve is an annual multi-tiered event held every New Year’s Eve over Sydney Harbour, centring on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Sydney Opera House is a masterpiece of late modern architecture by Jørn Utzon that pushed architecture and engineering to new limits, and which has had an enduring influence on late 20th century architecture and beyond. The design represents an extraordinary interpretation and response to the setting in Sydney Harbour.

Complimentary breakfast 

Bondi is one of Australia’s most iconic beaches.

I stayed at an airbnb, very close to the beach. I fell in love with the beautiful modern houses in the neighborhood.

The famous Bondi Baths have been a historical landmark of Bondi Beach for over 100 years. No trip to Sydney is complete without a visit to Bondi Icebergs!

Bondi to Bronte Coastal Walk. 

Sydney caught my eye and stole my heart within few days. I hope this post helps inspires you all to visit Sydney.

Do No Use My Photos Without Permission

Sydney caught my eye and stole my heart, so I