The New South Wales capital, Sydney is its most populous, with some 4.6 million people calling it home.

Sydney is famous for its harbour, beaches and iconic landmarks (the Opera House, Bondi Beach, Darling Harbour) and is Australia’s oldest city.

Its Australia’s most expensive city and often features on the list of the most expensive cities in the world. Sydney has vast amounts of natural beauty, a huge cultural beating heart and epic entertainment scene. It hosts the famous Sydney Mardi-Gras (Australia’s biggest LGBT parade). Its been named the sixth best city for students with several world-class universities.

Its winters are reasonably mild and summers are pleasant, hot but not too hot. Its renowned for its beautiful parks, well maintained beaches and sporting excellence – not to mention ranking 6th on the EIU’s world’s most liveable cities list.

Population: 4,500,000 people
Climate: temperate, humid climate with abundant sunshine.
First Home Buyer Award: $10,000
Top draw cards: largest Australian city with top job opportunities
Public Transport: buses, trains and cars

The Economy

Sydney attracts more immigrants than any other Australian city. Large numbers of relocating Australians are also drawn by career opportunities in Sydney. Around 40,000 new people move to Sydney each year and around 15,000 new homes are built to accommodate them.

Current growth markets are information technology, education, health services, building trades and engineering. The Reserve Bank and Australian Stock Exchange are located in Sydney, along with other big business, so its a big draw card for professionals. In 2015 the unemployment rate was slightly less than the Australian average of about 6.1%.

Sydney Pros:

• Weather is great
• Wining, dining, shopping, and café-hopping
• Beautiful beaches
• Family friendly
• Great education opportunities
• Cosmopolitan, culturally diverse
• Excellent health

Sydney Cons:

• Expensive!
• Notorious traffic

Every year, approximately 40,000, people move to Sydney. Most of whom are immigrants from other countries. If you are also moving to Sydney, then you can be sure of an amazing time in this city. However, you must know the below basics about the city before visiting or moving, as a knowing more about Sydney will help you with an easy and smooth move to this outstanding city.

Introduction to Sydney

Sydney, the most populous city of Australia, is undeniably one of the most gorgeous modern cities of the present times. This state capital of New South Wales has also been rightly labeled as the Harbor city. Its far-reaching harbor views, striking and exciting architecture combined with year round warm weather makes this city a great place to visit or settle in. It is also the oldest, largest and the most multicultural city in Australia with a desirable reputation of being one of the world’s most sought after destinations and livable cities.

Districts of Sydney

Eastern Beaches of Sydney

The Golden Eastern Beaches of Sydney extends from the relaxed Coogee beach to the denser and lively Bondi beach, and is one of Sydney’s best tourist attractions. The Eastern Beaches is located near the City Centre and boasts of amazing swimming, surfing, shopping, Alfresco dining and walking avenues. The Tamarama Beach, native to a delightful cove, is situated towards the south of the Bondi beach and is a popular destination in the city. The family friendly Bronte Beach is adjacent to the Tamarama beach and has a lot of games and other outdoor activities, while the Clovelly beach is a quieter area and is popular among divers. The most famous Coogee beach is 2.5 miles south and has similar activities to the Bondi beach but is much smaller.

Darling Harbor and Chinatown

Darling Harbor and Chinatown is quite a charming area with its modern buildings and old-fashioned market centre that bestows the visitor with a thrilling experience. Chinatown is heavily concentrated with Spanish cafeterias and dining restaurants that cater to a busy nightlife. The Haymarket, restored Paddy’s Markets and Dixon St. Mall are all part of the Chinatown area, while Darling Harbor, a large water park, is located towards the north west of Sydney and Cockle Bay that is quite renowned for its flourishing factories, shipyards and warehouses.

City Centre, The Rocks and Circular Quay

West of Sydney Cove, is Sydney’s City Centre which was regarded as the earliest non-Aboriginal settlement. It includes the Rocks and spherical Quay that starts at the heart of the city and was earlier the centre of the colony’s marine businesses, housing large factories and warehouses. As time went by, Sydney’s Circular Quay lost the establishments on shipping and other modern facilities that were taken up by businessmen, who yielded to building large mansions in the Fort Street area. Today, renovation and restoration of Circular Quay and the Rocks have re-started tourism and has become the main exit point for ferries on route from Sydney’s bus stations to the city circle.

Darlinghurst to Potts Point

Darlinghurst, situated between Oxford Street and William Street, is the most popular city with nightclubs, shopping facilities, bars and outstanding restaurants. Stanley Street is another key area in Darlinghurst, popularly referred to as Sydney’s Little Italy. Luxury hotels, fashion boutiques and youth hostels are commonly seen on Kings Cross, while Potts Points is a hugely up market area.

Inner West

Amidst all of Sydney’s most enjoyable areas, is the Inner West district that was once renowned for its working class but today houses historic buildings and real estates. Running through the entire length of the peninsula is Darling Street situated in the Balmain area of Sydney. World-class, genuine Italian cafes and eateries are located in the suburb of Leichhardt and close to the University of Sydney is Glebe, with middle class restaurants, hotels and shops. Newtown lies south of the University of Sydney and is known to have a bustling nightlife with its streets.

Surry Hills and East Sydney

In the South of Darlinghurst is the Surry Hills region that is a flourishing area with lavish shops, cafes, boutiques, and restaurants.

Paddington and Woollahra

The Paddington area, located 2.5 miles from Sydney, occupies the city’s Oxford Street and has plenty of streets surrounding this area such as the up market terraces, Saturday market bazaar and Victorian buildings. Located east of Oxford Street, is Tony Queen Street situated near to the City’s Centennial Park; it is lined up with some of the most exclusive cafes, restaurants, boutiques, local gift shops and antique stores. The Woollahra area of the city is an ideal place to go walking, shopping and sight seeing.

Greater Sydney

Greater Sydney features housing developments and oceanfront suburbs (mainly the Palm Beach area) that meet the Pacific Ocean and towns such as Campbelltown and Liverpool. A large proportion of historical buildings and famous landmarks are located in the Parramatta area and the northern beach Curl, Bilgola, Freshwater Narrabeen and Collaroy.

Climate of Sydney

Sydney enjoys an amazing climate almost throughout the year. Summers can be hot, with the temperatures touching around 40 C for few days, but nevertheless the summer months from December to February are ideal for outdoor and beachside activities as the average temperature during Summer is around 26 C. March to May is autumn in Sydney, and these months are mildly warm, and hence you might sometimes need warm clothing, especially in the evenings. Winter, June to August, is pleasantly cool, with the daytime temperatures ranging between 14 C to 17 C. Spring is also pleasant in Sydney, thus making the months of September to November ideal for exploring attractions, cycling and bushwalking.

Must See in Sydney

As a visitor or resident of Sydney, you are thronged to the many delights of this amazing city. If you are on a trip to Sydney, you must not miss to visit the Circular Quay to observe the Opera house and the Harbor Bridge. Moreover, if you are here in this magnificent adorning Australian city, you must make sure to stroll around the eloquent harbor and its surroundings. Plan your trip and start in the morning by visiting the Sydney Harbor Bridge that provides a picturesque bond between the Sydney’s north and the heart of Sydney. For tourists who wish to be intimidated by this magnificent structure, free Pylon tour, walkways allow visitors to pass the bridge. The Sydney Opera House bestows the visitors and residents with the opportunity to experience the restaurants, Opera’s Ballets, Plays and Orchestral Recitals. Overflowing with history, culture, nature, art, cuisine, fashion, design, it is set subsequently to miles of ocean coastline and sandy beaches. There has been wide spread immigration to Sydney which had led to a multi-ethnic society.

More Information on Sydney

As mentioned earlier, Sydney is one of the most amazing cities in the world to visit and settle in, especially if you like to be a part of an incredible multicultural society.

If you are looking for more on information on moving to Sydney you can visit http://wikitravel.org/en/Sydney, which includes information on getting into Sydney, getting around, what to see, do, buy, eat, cafes, drink, sleep, contact and staying safe in Sydney.

You might be interested in…

The below posts might interest you:

• Moving to Australia process
• Buying a house in Australia
• Medicare Australia

Still, got unanswered questions?

If you’ve read the above content and the answer to your question isn’t there, please write a comment below and I’ll research the answer for you. Please note, if the answer to your question is in the content above, I will not reply. Sorry, I just get too many questions these days and I can’t keep up.

Can I help you find something else?

If you need advice on moving to Australia from New Zealand, I’ve created a helpful little questionnaire to point you in the right direction. It takes less than 30 seconds, so give it a go!