Sydney is a sprawling city of over 4 million people, spread over a vast coastal basin, with Sydney Harbour as its centrepiece. Wherever you're stayng,  one of the easiest ways to get a feeling for the geography and all the main points of interest is to start right at the very top - the top of Sydney Tower that is. And What's On in Sydney readers can save 15% off regular admission with the coupon on this web site. The entrance to Sydney Tower is located at Centrepoint, on the corner of Pitt and Market Streets. Once you're up on the observation deck, 250 metres above street level, sweeping views stretch out before you.
To the north lies the Harbour Bridge with Circular Quay and the Opera House immediately on its right. You will see all the commuter ferries coming and going including the regular services to Taronga Zoo and Manly beach. Circular Quay is also where most of the popular Harbour cruises operate from. The Rocks - which  you will see nestled between the Bridge and Circular Quay - was the site of Sydney's original colonial settlement but is now a beautifully restored precinct of interesting designer boutiques, galleries, restaurants and bistros.
Looking towards the ocean the view takes in the Harbour and eastern suburbs, with Kings Cross and Double Bay in the foreground, and Bondi Beach in the distance. As you look further towards the south you will see Botany Bay and Sydney Airport. In the west you'll be able to pick out the distinctive curved roofline of Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.
 These days if you like a bit of a challenge you can do more than just look out from the comfort of the observation deck of restaurants at the top of Sydney Tower. At Skywalk you can actually walk around the outside of the Tower. Dressed in a special protective suit and harnessed to a safety rail, you will be escorted along the purpose-built external platforms by trained guides who point out all the city's geographical, historical and cultural landmarks from this high adrenaline vantage point. Then comes the real test. If you're game enough you can venture out onto moving glass-floored platforms directly above the city streets 260 metres below. It's like walking on air! Called Skywalk, this challenging high-altitude adventure offers day dusk and night walks every day.
Now that you've got the city mapped out in your mind, it's time to grab a bus for Circular Quay and the Opera House, and start exploring.
Superbly located on a promontory that stretches out into the Harbour, the Sydney Opera House is just a short stroll from The Rocks and Circular Quay.
Guided tours operate from 8.30am to 5pm daily.
 Once you're down in the Circular Quay area you will have to make a choice - turn left for The Rocks or right for the Opera House. If you've got most of the day to play with we'd suggest heading for The Rocks first. It's only a relatively small area but you can happily spend an hour or so exploring all the nooks and crannies of this beautifully preserved remnant of Sydney's colourful colonial past. The best place to start is at the Sydney Visitor Centre at the corner of Argyle and Playfair Steets, The Rocks. They will provide you with detailed maps of the area and lots of helpful information about The Rocks in particular and Sydney in general.
 By the time you finish your walking tour of The Rocks it should be about lunchtime. Assuming you'll want to head to the other side of Circular Quay to check out the Opera House in the afternoon, we've found a great way to give your feet a rest and satisfy your hunger pangs while you're still doing the sightseeing thing. It's Matilda Cruises' luncheon
cruise. The cruise leaves from the pontoon
on the eastern side of Circular Quay
at 12.35pm every day and offers a sensational
seafood buffet lunch while you're feasting
your eyes on the delights of Sydney
Harbour.
 If you need to give your feet a rest but want to explore more of the city you can then hop aboard a bright red Sydney Explorer bus. Ride the whole route, or get on and off as many times as you like at any of 26 stops along the way. The complete circuit takes around 1 hr 40 minutes and is the best connection to most of Sydney's main visitor attractions. Sydney Explorer buses operate a continuous loop at approximately 18 minute intervals all day, with the first bus leaving Circular Quay at 8.40am (the route is shown in pink on the map on this web site). The last 'round trip' leaves Circular Quay at 5.22pm daily. You can join the bus at any of the stops along the way and purchase a full-day ticket or a 3, 5 or 7-day SydneyPass from the driver.
 A sister service - the Bondi Explorer - runs at roughly 30-minute intervals, also from Circular Quay. The bright blue Bondi Explorer shows you the more scenic side of the city as it traces a picturesque path through Sydney's affluent Eastern Suburbs to Watsons Bay and on to Bondi, Bronte and Coogee beaches before returning to the city via Moore Park and Oxford Street. Like the Sydney Explorer, the Bondi Explorer has an on-board commentary, and you can leave and rejoin the bus at any of the 19 stops along the way. It's the perfect way to take in some of Sydney's most beautiful coastline, rain or shine. And it certainly beats walking all the way to Bondi.
 As with the red Sydney Explorer you can buy a one-day ticket on board or you can purchase a 3, 5 or 7-day SydneyPass which also includes Harbour ferry cruises, unrestricted use of all Government buses, trains and ferries in the Sydney metropolitan area plus access to the Airport Express service.
For more information phone 131 500.
If you are feeling reasonably energetic, you can hop off the Sydney Explorer at the Argyle Street stop in The Rocks and climb the 200 steps to the Lookout on top of the south-eastern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
In addition to the two Explorer Bus services there are special combined tickets which are ideal if you want to explore more of the city, or if you're staying in the suburbs. DayTripper is an all-in-one ticket that gives you unlimited travel within the suburban area on all CityRail trains, Sydney Buses and Sydney Ferries (except premium services and cruises). There is also a special CityHopper rail ticket perfect for getting around the city centre fast. For full details of all public transport options call the Transport Infoline 131 500
 One
of the first things on most
people’s ‘must
see’ lists in Sydney is a visit
to the Sydney
Opera House. Of course you
can just go down and take a
photo of the outside of the building, but
to really discover the secrets of what goes on behind the curtain it’s much
better to take one of the guided tours.
There are now two tour options. The
standard 1-hour Tour gives you
a great insight into the daily life and
unseen workings of this amazing building.
It costs $23 and operates in English at half-hour
intervals every day between 9am and 5pm and in Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin at 11am and 2.30pm (although there's 2.30pm tour on Saturdays).
There’s
now a special 2-hour Backstage
Tour, where among other things you will
visit the scenery dock, sit in the orchestra pit
and even get to stand onstage where legends like Dame Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti have performed. This tour costs $140 and
involves an early start to the day – it
operates at 7am only but as a
special treat it also includes a
full breakfast in the performers’ exclusive
'Green Room'. But as well as being a tourist icon, the Sydney Opera House
is also one of the world's busiest performing arts centres.
Performances are many and varied, but you're sure to find something that suits your taste and budget any week of the year. From ballet, opera, drama and symphony through to comedy, contemporary music and cabaret, there's always plenty happening at the Opera house. If you're a visitor, the best option is to select one of the special Performance Packages, which includes a guided tour, a twilight cocktail cruise or dinner at one of the Opera House's famous restaurants, plus a ticket to a performance of your choice. Naturally performances vary week by week, as does seat availablity, but the friendly staff at the Sydney Opera House will do their best to organise exactly what's best for you. Call them on 9250
7250 for details and
bookings.
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