DK Travel : Sydney

Sydney is blessed with stunning ocean beaches, magnificent national parks and a wonderful subtropical climate that makes the great outdoors irresistible to its four million inhabitants. The Eora people, the Aborigines who settled around Sydney Harbour, arrived approximately 50,000 years ago, while the white settlers arrived just over 200 years ago. Free settlers soon followed in the wake of the First Fleet of transported convicts, and after them several waves of migrants seeking a new life. Now, two centuries later, the once far-flung penal colony has matured into a culturally diverse, tolerant and mesmerizing city. Ideally located on the world’s most beautiful harbour, Sydney is as exciting and bustling as it is laid back and relaxing.

C’s Flash Back

King Street has plenty of second-hand clothes stores and this is the best of them, carefully divided for easy browsing.
Dame Joan Sutherland

Opera diva Joan Sutherland has lived in Potts Point for much of her long and prestigious career.
Danks Street Depot

Try the creamed eggs at this fabulous café located in a gallery complex (see 2 Danks Street).
Darling Harbour

Always good fun and right next to the Aquarium, Maritime and Powerhouse Museums. Stop by for a quick lunch or to buy Aussie souvenirs (see Darling Harbour & Chinatown).
Darling Harbour & Chinatown

Chinatown’s authentic bustle and flavour is the perfect counterpoint to the ritzy Darling Harbour precinct. An extension of the city centre, Darling Harbour offers numerous museums, bars, cafés and tourist attractions.
Darling Street

Darling Street runs from the wharf in Balmain East to Victoria Road in Rozelle. It’s a steady uphill climb from the wharf past narrow Victorian houses until you reach the friendly London Hotel, just before a large roundabout. En route you pass the childhood home of former New South Wales premier Neville Wran, No. 117, and the 1854 Watch House at No. 179, the oldest in Sydney. Find Gladstone Park past the roundabout, and St. Andrew’s across the road, which hosts the Balmain Markets every Saturday. From here on it’s boutiques, cafés, bookshops and salons all the way to the Victorian court house, Town Hall, Fire Station and Library (see Storytime Readings).
Darlinghurst Court House & Old Darlinghurst Gaol

Mortimer Lewis designed the central section of this Greek Revival court house in 1844, and James Barnet (see Macquarie Lighthouse) designed the side wings in 1880. The 1841 Old Darlinghurst Gaol behind the court house was also designed by Mortimer Lewis and added to by James Barnet. In its early years, public hangings were conducted inside the gaol. In 1914 it became an internment facility for WWI “enemy aliens”. It’s now the East Sydney TAFE College.
Darlinghurst Road

Darlinghurst Road runs from the court house to the Alamein Fountain. “The Wall”, a sandstone wall running beside the gaol, is a nocturnal beat for male prostitutes. The pleasant Green Park is thought to be named after a former hangman at the gaol, Alexander “The Strangler” Green. Beyond the park is a colourful strip of terrace houses, hotels and cafés that ends at William Street. In the 1920s and 30s the area beyond William Street had some bohemian charm, but since WWII it has been Australia’s most notorious red-light district.
Darlo Bar

A hip local hangout with a relaxed 1950s and 60s decor. Close to the Victoria and Oxford Street restaurants, it’s a good place to meet for a drink. Grab a drop from the bottle shop before leaving.
David Jones

Shopping at Sydney’s oldest department store is a glamorous experience. DJ’s stocks almost everything; pop in for a browse and a snack.