Sydney is Australia’s largest and most cosmopolitan city and is the capital of New South Wales, the most heavily populated state of Australia. The city is situated on one of the world's most beautiful and famous harbour. Sydney also boasts beautiful beaches, fantastic shops, restaurants, history and culture.

Sydney's many highlights include the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, Centrepoint Tower, The Rocks, the stunning harbour and the white sands of Bondi, Manly and beyond. Sydney is also home to beautiful National Parks, the Royal Botanic Gardens; many harbour front picnic locations and heritage areas.

Central Sydney is compact and mostly accessible on foot. Circular Quay is the water gateway to Sydney, and is close to The Rocks, the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens. A little further away is the main shopping district and Darling Harbour. The CBD of Sydney is very easy to get around with the parallel streets being long and tightly spaced.

Travelling East will bring you to Kings Cross and Paddington. Further on you pass through green and wealthy suburbs before reaching splendid beaches including Bondi. Sydney's urban sprawl has pushed west to Penrith at the foot of the Blue Mountains.

The northern and southern suburbs of Sydney are divided by the Harbour. To travel between the two you can use the famous Harbour Bridge, the underwater tunnel or enjoy a spectacular ferry ride. Sydney's northern suburbs are renowned for their parks and tree-lined streets. A spectacular coastline leads north from Manly to Palm beach.

Just south of Sydney central is Botany Bay, where Captain James Cook first anchored in 1770. The Royal National Park with its wildlife, walking trails and unspoiled beaches marks Sydney’s southern boundary.

The first white settlement of Australia was made in Sydney in 1788 when Captain Phillip landed with the First Fleet of convicts and settlers at Sydney Cove.

New South Wales lies in the temperate zone and the climate is generally free from extremes of heat and cold. The greatest heat is usually experienced in the north west and out back regions of NSW. The coldest region is the Snowy Mountains, where winter frosts and snow are experienced over long periods. Rainfall varies widely over the state, gradually diminishing to an annual average of 180 mm in the far north west.

The climate along the coast is temperate and slightly humid in NSW and the temperatures get cooler the further south you travel along the coast. The deserts of the outback regions experience hot days and cold nights. Irregular floods and droughts occur in the north and western regions, some times due to the El Nino effect.