View Sydney from the Pylon Lookout. Climb the 200 steps and see an exhibition about the construction of the Harbour Bridge. Enter the Bridge's eastern walkway from Cumberland St in The Rocks, walk to the south-eastern pylon. Spectacular views. Allow yourself at least 2 hours. Open everyday 10am-5pm. Tel: 9247 3408.

Centrepoint Tower.....

Soaring over 305 metres above the city, Centrepoint Tower is the tallest Observation Deck in the Southern Hemisphere.

On the Observation Deck visitors are treated to one of the most magnificent views of Sydney and its beautiful harbour.

Centrepoint Tower is one of the 'icons' of Sydney providing visitors with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and through to the Blue Mountains in the west. Open 7 days and nights. Tel: 9229 7444.

Opera House.....

One of the world's most recognisable buildings, Jorn Utzon's masterpiece is also home to some of the finest music, dance and drama in the world. The spectacular shells of the Sydney Opera House dominate Sydney's skyline. Officially opened in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has established a reputation as one of the world's premiere performing arts venues. It incorporates theatres, halls, shops and restaurants beneath its distinctive soaring shells. Regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the modern world, the Sydney Opera House offers a year-round programme of cultural highlights and events. For guided tours, or for shows, events, session times and booking details - call on: 9250 7111.

Martin Place.....

Large wide pedestrian mall in the centre of which is an amphitheatre where free concerts are held each weekday (12noon - 2pm). Opposite Sydney Hospital, Macquarie St.

Sydney Town Hall.....

The Grand Victorian Sydney Town Hall has been magnificently restored for Sydney's Sesqui-centenary.

An Information Bureau will keep you informed of major events, various theatres and concerts in Sydney. Open Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm. 483 George Street. Tel: 9265 9230.

Chinatown.....

The Centre of Chinatown is bordered by Hay, George, Goulburn and Harbour Streets with the main thoroughfare, Dixon Street. Begin your day as the Chinese community and Sydney locals do - with Yum Cha - an exotic moveable feast. Sunday is the best time to indulge in this tasty, leisurely pursuit. There are many wonderful gift shops and restaurants and food courts to choose from - just follow your nose! Great shopping includes an entire level in Market City shopping centre devoted to factory fashion outlets featuring international labels plus specialty shops. With many Australians now experimenting with Asian cooking at home, you'll find great rewards at the Asian grocers and supermarkets which are here. They stock all the authentic ingredients and fresh produce you need to produce a dazzlling Asian dinner. Open 9am until late every day.

Kings Cross.....

Originally named Queen's Cross in honour of Queen Victoria, Kings Cross today is one of Sydney's most famous landmarks. Everything is on offer from sex shops and streetwalkers to nightclubs and diamonds. Kings Cross never goes to sleep; every sailor whose ship docks in Sydney, and every tourist looking for adventure will eventually end up at one of the many outdoor restaurants watching the night time parade go by.

Oxford Street.....

Only a short bus trip or a leisurely stroll from the southern end of the city and you are on your way along Oxford Street. This busy, bustling street runs from Darlinghurst right through to Paddington. The full beat of the inner city crowd promenades along the footpaths here.

Eccentric, humourous, chic and original are the personalities that make up this exciting part of Sydney. Wonderful shops, galleries, restaurants and pubs line the street and in February each year, Australia's biggest parade wends its way along here when the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras lights up the city with more than 100 floats and a spectacular crowd of more than half a million.

The Rocks.....

With its beautifully restored houses and buildings and spectacular views across the harbour, The Rocks has to be the most prestigious address in Sydney. And the good news is that everyone can enjoy it!

Site of the First Fleet landing more than 200 years ago. The Rocks is one of Australia's most significant historic sites.

Now, after more than 20 years of restoration, visitors can wander through the network of cobbled streets and pathways and discover the unique charm and ambience of Sydney's old quarter - The Rocks. Great restaurants, cafes, unusual shops, historic buildings, an innovative weekend street market and, of course, the infamous pubs. Eat, drink and be merry in Sydney's oldest quarter. Free entertainment and special events every weekend - street theatre, live music, acrobats, dance and comedy! The best way to see all The Rocks has to offer is Rocks Walking Tours - drop in to The Rocks Visitors' Centre, 106 George Street, The Rocks - watch a video, pick up a free area map, and then go exploring. For general information - call on: 9255 1717.

Darling Harbour.....

Sydney's Darling Harbour, situated just minutes from central Sydney, is one of Australia's major tourist attractions. It is where Sydney celebrates throughout the year, whether it be for major events such as Australia Day (January 26th), New Year's Eve, the announcement of the 2000 Olympics or the major festivals presented each season by the Darling Harbour Authority.

Tourists aren't the only ones to enjoy its many features. It's the place where Sydneysiders go to stroll around the harbour foreshores, meet for a coffee or a meal at one of the numerous cafes and restaurants, or treat the family to a great day out.

Kids will especially love Sega World - it's open every day for serious fun. It features live entertainment, virtual reality, nine major rides and over 150 amusement games. For bookings and information - call on: 9273 9273.

The latest development here is near Sydney's rapidly growing Darling Park - and that's Cockle Bay Wharf, on the eastern shore, housing a string of top quality designer restaurants on the waterfront.

Darling Harbour has it all - world class facilities, great attractions and a stunning harbourside location. And you can get there easily by train, bus, ferry, the new light rail, or the Sydney Monorail. Don't miss it!

For information, call the Darling Harbour Information Centre on 9286 0111 or the Info Line on 1902 260 568.

Double Bay.....

An oasis of friendly elegance, Double Bay has upheld a tradition of quality and service unparalleled in Sydney.

The unique combination of business and leisure gives Double Bay a rare village - like quality that is a joy to experience. Although the pace is slower and more tranquil than the heart of the city, Double Bay is in step and in tune with the nuances and directions of international style.

Double Bay is as charming as it is beautiful, rich in quality and culture. With its cosmopolitan population there is a distinct flavour of European style in every element, bringing a warmth, vitality and generosity to the atmosphere.

There is plenty to do in Double Bay. Strolling along the streets and arcades, exploring the antique shops, art galleries and looking at the beautiful jewellery shops. But a trip there would not be complete without enjoying the wonderful fare of the delicatessens, cafes and restaurants.

It is hard to believe that Double Bay is only minutes from the centre of Sydney. You can get there by bus, train (Edgecliff Station), ferry, taxi, or car. Don't miss that wonderful world of Double Bay! Info Line: 9388 8205.

Randwick.....

With its fascinating range of historical buildings, its charming village - like shopping precincts and its vast and beautiful racecourse, Randwick's residents and traders still enjoy that strong sense of civic pride. Randwick Town Hall, a magnificent place to visit, was erected in 1882 to the design of Blackman and Parkes. This was also the year Simeon Pearce, who had named Randwick after his birthplace in Gloucestershire, England, served his sixth and final term as mayor. The domed clock tower over the Town Hall's central portico was a later addition and added to the grandeur of a building that represented strong civic pride at the time. For more info: 9398 9063.

Paddington.....

Paddington - Its History And Progress 1860-1910 was published by the Municipal Council of Paddington in 1910, the year that JS Dethridge invented a water meter for irrigation channels and famed escape artist Harry Houdini visited Australia and made one of the first flights with a powered machine. Introducing Paddington's 'early' history the first chapter begins: "There is no suburb around Sydney that is more popular than Paddington. Its streets and footpaths are well made and well kept and efficiently lighted at night time. It has three lines of trams, all which are well patronised. The houses are compact, well designed and, as a rule, possess every modern convenience. The rents are within the reach of the class of persons who desire to live in such a healthy locality, and who consist very largely of well-to-do people, and rarely do they desire to change their residence. But Paddington has only arrived at that happy condition since the place has been incorporated. Prior to that it was one of the most rugged and wild districts in the vicinity of Sydney, and presented all sorts of obstacles to settlement."

Many significant houses and buildings were victims of progress and Paddington as we know it might have disappeared entirely if not for the efforts of the Paddington Society.

Those buildings to have survived the whims of 'architectural progress' include the Victoria Barracks, Juniper Hall, Paddington Town Hall and Post Office, and a variety of pubs and churches, among them St. Francis' Roman Catholic Church on Oxford Street. Its predecessor, the first Roman Catholic Church in Paddington, was a weatherboard structure which was rapidly outgrown by its congregation. The 'new' church with its Tuscan Gothic character was opened in June, 1890.

Glebe.....

Glebe offers the intrepid Sydney explorer an opportunity to view some outstanding examples of Victorian architecture.

Go no further than the corner of St. John's Road, where you will find Romanesque references in the Edmund Blacket designed St. John's Church of England. Its tower, built later in 1911, designed by Blacket's son Cyril.

Diagonally opposite, the Glebe Point Road Post Office, completed in 1885, owes more to Classic Victorian Design. As does the impressive Court House building, completed in 1889 and proclaiming, like other Classically inspired constructions, the 'confidence and optimism' of the times.

Not that a visit to Glebe need be purely historical. Fine art abounds, whether post modern painting, photography or feral sculpture, colourful pottery or intriguing glass art. Books, new or old, musical manuscripts and art deco.

Alternative cinema, alternative therapies, personal beauty and exotic gifts. Fine food, whatever your tastes. Or perhaps cyber-cafe society is preferred. With its rich jumble of old and new you could do worse than stroll through The Glebe.

Newtown.....

In the past few years, Newtown has been transformed from a relatively quiet backwater to one of the most vibrant, coolest areas in Sydney. The alternative community have taken this suburb under their wing and created life where previously there was none.

The focal point of Newtown, King St., is a sprawling testament to this revival which has seen the area become almost hip in its own grungy way. Sparkling baubles, racks of finery, silvered roof and dangling ornaments, mirrors and lenses and objets d'art. All of that and more is yours to behold if you just walk south down King Street.

Exploring the galleries of inner-city Newtown is rewarding.

It is uncharted territory and offers the discerning art lover the opportunity to buy wonderful work at bargain basement prices in the clear knowledge that whether the acquisition is an investment, or purely for pleasure, it will appreciate in the years to come.

Parramatta.....

Parramatta is the Centre of Attractions in Sydney's Greater West. It's an exciting place to visit for fun and relaxation with the opening in recent years of high quality accommodation. Many visitors use Parramatta as their base to see surrounding places of interest; everything from theme parks, wildlife sanctuaries with koalas, river cruises, botanical gardens, markets, theatres, parks, water skiing in the Hawkesbury, bush walking in the Blue Mountains, boating and sailing at Penrith and specialty nurseries in the Hills district. A trip into Sydney on the Parramatta RiverCat, with the option of catching ferries to the Zoo, or one of Sydney's well known beaches is a popular day out.

Discovering the history of the earliest settlements in Australia - Parramatta, Windsor, Richmond and Liverpool is another favourite pastime, with many visitors seeking information on their family histories. When you want to know where to go and how to get there, call Parramatta Visitors Centre on 9630 3703.