Sydney
Australia

Sydney from one of the Harbour Bridge support columns, south-east Australia. To the right of the Opera House is the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens and to the right is Circular Quay (the harbour's main ferry terminal) and the business district.

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Sydney, New South Wales, is one of the world's great cities, well-organised and well-developed but still very relaxed with several fine green spaces - most notably the cockatoo-frenzied Royal Botanic Gardens.

Australia's main cities are all designed in the same vein: spacious, attractive waterfronts, plenty of greenery and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks but Sydney hit the biggest seam with the world's largest natural harbour - and absolutely gorgeous it is too.

Trivia: the world's second largest harbour? Poole, south England. And by the way, Botany Bay, Captain Cook's first landing point, is now an industrial zone about 10kms south of Sydney.

The iconic Harbour Bridge with grey-suited climbers visible mid-left and low right.

There are many who have climbed the Harbour Bridge who claim that the cost is extortionate and out of proportion to the experience, but others would disagree, especially if they managed top peak out on a good day around sunset time. Whatever, this picture was taken from the top of one of the bridge's support towers and provided quite enough height thank you...

A capital city: Some deluded folk think Sydney is Australia's capital, or possibly Melbourne. Not at all, it's a city in Australia's south-east that few tourists visit (Bugcrew included), Canberra, purpose built because politicians could not afford to give the title to either of the two serious contenders - Sydney and Melbourne - for fear of dreadful sanctions from the great and good of the losing city.

Still, Sydney - aka 'Sin City' by locals though we can't imagine why, the sinny side must be well hidden - is unquestionably the city that tourists have to see, along with Uluru and Cairns for a minimum Australia experience. Melbourne, it's true, is very pleasant, but it lacks the harbour and being further south the climate is cooler - some even liken it to Britain's dire weather.

The Rocks weekend market.

Old Victorian buildings visible in many places around Australia face off the Rocks market tents, a tourist souvenir hotspot, while the Harbour Bridge crosses in the background.

Sydney Weather: And on the subject of weather...don't expect too much from Sydney. Rain is not uncommon in any season, nor sweater-inducing temperatures, though in all probability your shorts (short pants) will see considerable usage.

Just don't wear tiny tight shorts like too many of Sydney's older, pot-bellied underclass males - unless you're a fit young female of course. And if you yearn for guaranteed sunshine then the central east coast is your best bet, where 300 days of sunburn is apparently the norm.

A small part of the Darling Harbour complex, enjoyed by ibis as much as tourists.

Probably the best time to visit Sydney is March, April, Oct, Nov when temperatures are moderate and crowds are reduced by school terms, though if you are a show freak and organised enough to book ahead then January's Sydney Arts Festival month might suit you.

Sadly, without a mad 'Fringe' Festival that Scotland's Edinburgh does so well, Sydney's event is rather staid, lacking in fire and not worth making a special effort to attend.

Cheeky Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Although Australian wildlife is not generally as easy to find as one might imagine, birdlife flourishes everywhere, not least in Sydney, with ibis as common as pigeons and parrots, fruit bats and cockatoos screeching around the Royal Botanic Gardens, especially towards dusk.

Fruit bats in Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens. Click to see more Sydney Pictures

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