Sydney

My purpose of visiting Sydney was to apply for a US visa at the US consolate, and so my visit was rather short -- just two days. Having travelled from Brisbane, my first impression was Sydney is beautiful, energetic but more crowded and expensive than Brisbane.

Sydney is the capital of state of New South Wales and the largest city in terms of area and population in Australia. The Central Business District (CBD) where most of the corporate, financial and retail companies are located, is the main hub of the city. Sydney is home for the famous Sydney Opera House, a performing arts centre located at the Sydney Harbour and close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Royal Botanic Gardens in the CBD. It was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and opened in 1973. In 2007, the Opera House was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For a visitor, the CBD is an excellent location to shop, eat and leisurely walk around enjoying Sydney lifestyle. The Queen Victoria Building constructed as a "marvellous centre for trade" in 1898 is now a huge shopping centre, and resembles the Harrods building in London.

Sydney train stations are also a wonder to look at. Many of them are quite old, resembling the tube stations in London, though there is more wood-work in the Sydney stations. The St James station, opened in 1927 and leading out to St James Church, is one such station.

Being a short visit, I have only this much to say. Hopefully I'll get to Sydney for a longer visit soon and narrate my experience.