City Information

Sydney is a flexible city to visit because of its pleasant climate. For this reason, choosing the best time to vacation will depend more on your needs and demands rather than on Sydney's temporal temperament. Summer, the most crowded time of year, begins in December and ends in February and holds an average maximum of 26°C (79°F) and an average minimum of 19°C (68°F). The tourist head count takes a drop in spring (September to November), when rain becomes mildly prevalent. However, since Australia is known as the driest continent on earth, rain will not become an issue. As for fall, it offers tranquility along with an average temperature of 19 °C (66°F). The coolest days are found in June, when winter sets in with an average temperature of 12°C (54°F).

The currency used in Australia is the Australian Dollar. Notes include A$5, A$10, A$20, A$50, A$100 and so on. On the other hand, coins include: 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, and A$1, and A$2. Foreign currency can be changed at the airport, banks, and Bureau de Change venues.

There are three types of tourist visas offered by the Australian government.

Since then, Sydney has grown to become Australia's largest city with a population of just over two million people. Sydney also has the seventh largest foreign-born population in the world (ahead of London and Paris). These foreign-born residents come mainly from the United Kingdom, China, and New Zealand. Moreover, the immigrant population in Sydney is at about 32 per cent of the whole. Shocking, however, is the low percentage of Aborigines, Australia's indigenous people, who make-up only one percent. Sydney is said to have the largest concentration of Aborigines in Australia, yet they are not found wandering about often and are implicitly discriminated against.

January 1- New Year’s Day January 26- Australia Day March 21 - Good Friday March 22 - Easter Saturday March 24 - Easter Monday April 25- Anzac Day June 11- Queen’s Birthday October 1- Labor Day December 25- Christmas December 26- Boxing Day

Location: New South Wales, Australia.; · Dialing code: 61; Emergency Numbers:

Make sure you have a valid passport before traveling anywhere. Also, be sure to check the visa requirements if there are any.

Yet, such culture and magnificence was not always accredited to Sydney, for it once was a destination for convicted criminals. For instance, interest spurred in Australia after the British explorer James Cook landed in New South Wales in 1770. Soon after, on January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillips founded Sydney Cove in Port Jackson and established a penal colony (a place where convicted criminals are detained). January 26 is now known as Australia Day, which is Australia's national holiday.

Perhaps it is Sydney's allure that makes most people confuse it for the capital of Australia. For those misinformed, take heed that Canberra is the capital city of Australia and Sydney is the capital of New South Wales (one of six Australian States). Yet, do not blush if you were ignorant of this fact, for it can be very easy to be unaware of such tidbits especially when Sydney attracts so much attention for being Australia's cultural and business hub. For instance, Sydney is home to the Australian Stock Exchange and is considered the economic capital of the nation. It also offers chic shopping, top-notch restaurants, and a booming nightlife. A main destination for such activities is Darling Harbor.