The Powerhouse Museum is located in an old power station close to the centre of the city. It hosts both permanent and temporary exhibitions with an emphasis on interactivity. Exhibitions generally cover the fields of science, technology, design, history, decorative arts, transport, industry and space exploration. Open 7 days a week. Located at 500 Harris Street, Ultimo - Telephone (02) 9217 0111.

On Wednesday nights, the Art Gallery of NSW extends its opening hours, remaining open until 9pm. Besides the permanent and temporary exhibitions, the Gallery offers a program of free events (films, talks, performances, concerts, jazz, etc).

The Art Bar, the Gallery Shop and Research Library are also open. The nearby Domain Carpark is open until 9pm. Parking is also available along Art Gallery Road. A complimentary bus services runs from the Gallery to Martin Place every 15 minutes, from 7.15pm until after the last film/event. Located at Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney NSW 2000 - Telephone (02) 9225 1744. Visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales for pictures of Sydney art and various works of art.

Take a train or bus to Milsons Point or North Sydney station and walk down to Luna Park by the water. The ferry from Circular Quay also stops right on the wharf. Enter through the giant mouth of the grinning face which is visible from Circular Quay.

Luna Park has an interesting history, entrance is free and you can enjoy rides, food and fun. You get a different view to the Opera House and a close-up of the Harbour Bridge from here.

The Park is open from 11:00am Monday to Friday, and 10:00am on Saturday and Sunday. Located at 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point - Telephone (02) 9033 7676 - Luna Park Sydney.

Watching movies outdoors is part of summer in Sydney.

St George Open Air Cinema 

At the Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Road, Royal Botanical Gardens. The nearest train station is Martin Place. Nearest bus stop is in Elizabeth Street.

This option seats 1,500 viewers and features premieres, current releases, classics and documentaries. Advance bookings are recommended as it is often sold out. The screen on the water has the Opera House and harbour view as a stunning backdrop.

Licensed premises and self-service gourmet restaurant on site. Ponchos are provided if it rains. Usually operates from mid-January to mid-February every year - Telephone 1300 366 649.

Moonlight Cinema

In Centennial Park. Admission fee. Take a bus to Queens Park near Bondi Junction. Bring a blanket, a bean bag or pillow and your own picnic. Usually runs from December to March every year - Telephone 1300 551 908.

In September 2000, Sydney hosted the best ever Summer Olympic Games. Sydney Olympic Park is about 14km west of the city centre and 8km east of Parramatta. There is easy access by bus, train or ferry (phone 131 500 for timetables) and there is also a huge car park. 

Sydney Olympic Park and the adjoining Bicentennial Park are open for visitors and provide a wide range of tours, sports, entertainment, educational and cultural activities. Call 1300 889 388 or visit www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au.

This is the site of the first and the oldest continuous garden in Australia, established in 1788. There are heritage walks, guided tours, rare Wollemi pines, 35 fountains and sculptures, ponds, heritage trees, and over 1 million plant specimens - www.rbgsyd.gov.au.

Don a hat and sturdy shoes, and find out why coastal walks in Sydney are so popular.

Bondi to Bronte

A walk from beach to beach, via the lovely but treacherous Tamarama beach. Take bus # 380 from the city to Bondi Beach. Start at the South end of the beach, and go past the Iceberg Restaurant, Bar and pool, and continue along the path.

Birds like albatrosses, gulls, terns and shags can often be seen. Cross Tamarama beach and continue to adjoining Bronte Beach. Public toilets and refreshments are available at Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte. The walk takes about 45 minutes each way.

For three weeks in October, you will be able to enjoy the outdoor free exhibition 'Sculptures by the Sea' along this walk, an amusing, intriguing and fascinating display of over 100 pieces of art. Take bus #378 from Bronte back to the city.

The whole walk can also be done starting in Bronte and ending in Bondi. You can also extend the walk to the next beach, Coogee Beach (bus # 373 between Coogee and the city).

South Head Walk, The Gap and Macquarie Lighthouse

Take bus # 324 or 325 to Watsons Bay, walk through this charming sleepy fishing village and follow the signs by the water to the entrance of the National Park. Walk past old canons and fortifications to the Hornsby Lighthouse right on South Head, the entrance to the harbour. Have a peek at the nudist Lady Jane beach.

From Watsons Bay, you can also climb up to the Gap with its steep sandstone cliffs, and continue the well-marked path to Macquarie Lighthouse, Vaucluse and Dover Heights. The views over the coast and the ocean are spectacular.

Bradleys Head and Chowder Head Walk

Starting near Taronga Zoo ferry wharf, this 5km walk is an easy stroll through the bush of the Sydney Harbour National Park, with lovely views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. You will even discover some old fortifications and cannons set up as defence of Sydney and the mast of HMAS Sydney, a cruiser that took part in WW1.

At Bradleys Head there is also a stone column from the old Sydney Post Office, used to measure one nautical mile from the tower on Fort Denison. Further information on walks is found on http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ or call 1300 361 967.

Directory Assistance: Dial 1223

24hr Emergency Services: Dial 000 (Fire, Police, Ambulance)

Phone Cards: You can buy discount international phone cards from almost any newsagent. The cards can be used from phone booths or private telephones.

Mobile phones with SIM cards: Are available for rental at the airport with a pre-paid connection to a local service. They are also available from the phone companies' stores in the city (Telstra, Optus, Vodafone) and some post offices.

Public phones: To use the public phone booths, you will need coins or a prepaid phone card.

As a visitor to Sydney this is a show not to be missed. It is usually held for about 2 1/2 weeks over the Easter period. The Easter Show harks back to the early days of Australia's rural heritage when all the farmers in New South Wales came to Sydney each year to show off their best animals, produce, home cooked products and handicrafts.

The country folk also displayed their skills in areas such as horse riding, cattle herding, timber cutting and much more, all to the great delight of the Sydneysiders who flocked along each year to live a bit of the country life (and still do today).

Over the years other entertainment was added in a circus side-show like atmosphere of cotton candy and hotdogs. It is a lot of fun. You can check out more at the Easter Show website - www.eastershow.com.au.

Sydney is the New Years Eve capital of the world, with an estimated audience of some 600 million watching the famous fireworks on TV. Twice that night, at 21:00 hrs and midnight, the Harbour and the Bridge explode in colours and special light effects to welcome the New Year. The locals take family and picnic to viewing points all around the harbour and Circular Quay.

For thousands of young people from the cold Northern Hemisphere, spending New Year's Eve and Christmas on Bondi Beach has become the main attraction of their summer visit. Note that since December 2004, alcohol has been prohibited on the beach for these huge parties, and drinks can only be purchased in designated licensed areas, accessible against payment of a small admission fee.

Only a few cities in the world have a truly world-class reputation for hosting New Year's Eve celebrations, and Sydney is one of them. Citywide celebrations and entertainment are recognised for their innovation, colour and glamour. One of the highlights is the fireworks, launched from barges in the harbour and fixtures across the skyline including the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.

This year the City of Sydney will host a number of events including, Live Sites at Sydney Park, Bicentennial Park in Glebe and Embarkation Park in Kings Cross. Sydney Harbour comes alive from 8pm with the Harbour of Light Parade, 9pm Fireworks Display and culminating with the Midnight Fireworks and Sydney Harbour Bridge Display.

There are vantage points throughout the Harbour, it is free and for the whole family. Come and have a taste of the good times at Sydney on NY Eve '07'. Plan your evening, visit www.newyearseve.com.au or www.sydneynewyearseve.com.au (this site will only be live again around NY '07').

The Historic Houses Trust is one of the largest state museums in Australia and is entrusted with the care, conservation and management of 15 key historic buildings and sites in NSW. Discover Elizabeth Bay House, Government House, Hyde Park Barracks Museum, Justice and Police Museum, Museum of Sydney, Rose Seidler House, Susannah Place Museum or Vaucluse House. Details on each place can be found on www.hht.net.au.

Many pubs have free live music (rock, folk or pop), mostly on weekends. Domestic bands often play outdoors at Darling Harbour, Bondi Beach and Manly. During January, the thing to do on a Saturday night is to go to the Domain, armed with a blanket and a picnic, and listen to either Opera, Symphony or Jazz in the Park - free concerts shared with several thousands of people.

The most famous place for jazz is The Basement, with shows and concerts nearly every night. Book a dinner and show, or just go for the show and stand at the bar or in The Green Room. Located at The Basement, 29 Reiby Place, behind Circular Quay, Sydney - Telephone (02) 9251 2797 - tickets and information on www.thebasement.com.au.

Another fantastic place for jazz, blues, soul and roots (dinner and show, or show only) with a New Orleans ambience is The Vanguard,42 King Street, Newtown - Telephone (02) 9557 7992 - www.thevanguard.com.au.

Go hug a tree or climb a cliff as you walk around the waterfront of this spectacular city or picnic in one of the sprawling parks. For something a bit different, book one of the ranger escorted walks in Centennial or Bicentennial Parklands and they will show you things you would never see on your own.

Sydney has a host of stunning parks on its doorstep, from Lane Cove to Ku-Ring-Gai to the Royal National Park to the south. Discover sheltered beaches, hidden coves, rolling hills and lush habitats from heath and rainforest, to open woodland and estuarine systems.

Great places in Sydney to go bushwalking:

- Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk
- Manly to Spit Bridge Scenic Walkway
- Royal National Park
- Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
- Royal Botanic Gardens
- Centennial Parklands
- Chinese Garden of Friendship

Nature buffs who love the cuddly, slimy or spiky members of the fauna world, Sydney is the perfect place to get up close and personal with our animal friends.

It's always great fun to see our native animals like koalas, kangaroos and emus and in Sydney you can see them and lots more. You can catch a cable car at Taronga Zoo which takes you to the top of the zoo, then you can race back down to the harbour seeing lions, gorillas, monkeys and elephants along the way.

There are lots of other places where you can pat farm animals like sheep and goats or you can watch the animals being fed and maybe have your photo taken with a furry koala. Or even get really scared at one of aquariums where you can see giant stingrays and sharks swimming right above you.

Places to check out these amazing animals in Sydney:

- Taronga Zoo
- Sydney Aquarium
- Featherdale Wildlife Park
- Fairfield City Farm
- Koala Park Sanctuary
- Oceanworld Manly
- Waratah Park Earth Sanctuary
- Birds & Frogs - Bicentennial Park

A big city needs some big thrills and there's nothing more thrilling, hair-raising or breathtaking than these attractions!

At Luna Park, walk through Sydney's most famous face and into the magical world of a 1930's amusement park. The tallest building in Australia is here so go right to the top of Sydney Tower to get the best views. You can go on board a destroyer at Darling Harbour or squeeze through the tight tube of a submarine.

At the Observatory you can see the sky at night and try to count all the stars in the Southern Cross. Most of these places have special activities during school holiday so make sure you check their web sites to see what's coming up.

For some thrilling good times in Sydney, try: 

- Luna Park
- LG Imax Theatre
- Telstra Stadium Explore Tour
- Coca Cola Sportspace Tour
- Sydney Tower + Oz Trek
- The Rocks Market
- National Maritime Museum
- The Powerhouse Museum
- Sydney Observatory
- North Fort, Home of The National Artillery Museum
- Botany Bay National Park

Sydney is Australia's oldest city. so there's plenty of old stories and adventures from the past to discover. You can get the feeling of what life was like for a convict soldier living in the barracks, or what it was like living in The Rocks in the early days when there was a rat plague and people lived in tiny cottages.

In Sydney you can find a museum that shows you how big the skull of a Tyrannosaurus Rex is, or the weapons used by bushrangers. If you haven't ever been on an island, then you must visit Fort Denison and tour the Martello Tower or take a picnic to one of the other islands dotting Sydney Harbour.

And if you like to get spooked, then book the Quarantine Station's ghost walk for a night to remember. Or try The Rocks Walking Tour for a great fun way to discover what the convicts got up to in Sydney's early days.  

Places where you can experience the old Australian feel:

- The Rocks
- The Rocks Walking Tours
- Susannah Place Museum
- Justice & Police Museum
- Hyde Park Barracks
- Museum of Sydney
- Elizabeth Bay House
- Vaucluse House
- Rouse Hill Estate
- Elizabeth Farm
- Old Government House
- Quarantine Station - Ghost & Heritage Tours
- Australian Museum

Sydney Harbour is an amazing natural wonder. The famous harbour is one of our favourite playgrounds. Whether you climb over it, swim in it, walk along it, fly above it or picnic beside it, one thing is for sure, your Sydney Harbour experience will be fun!

You might know that Sydney Harbour is famous for quite a few things. The best thing is that you can actually climb over, up or on some of them! You can walk across the Harbour Bridge and even up one of the pylons to get the best views of the harbour.

Things you could try at the Sydney Harbour:

- Sydney Opera House
- Oz Jet Boating Sydney Harbour
- Sydney Jet
- Bridge Climb
- Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout
- Cruises Captain Cruise
- Fort Denison
- Shark Island
- Sydney Aquarium

It's pretty unusual for a big city like Sydney to be surrounded by so many great beaches and places to explore. We're lucky to have a national park right in the city where you can go for swims in harbour pools, discover hidden coves and play in the rock pools.

Our sand is the best so create your own crazy sandcastles at the beach or jump on a boogie board and catch some waves. Out at Sydney Olympic Park you can swim in the pool where famous swimmers like Ian Thorpe raced during the Sydney Olympics. On a really hot day it's wet and wild on the huge water slide and the giant blow up floats.

Places to catch the best of Sydney's sun, surf and sand:

- Bondi
- Coogee
- Manly
- Northern Beaches & Pittwater
- Cronulla Beach
- Sutherland - Kurnell
- Sydney Aquatic Centre