Travel and leisure
Features
Sydney in five senses
It doesn't matter how many times you've seen pictures of them in magazines, when you first set eyes on the magnificent Opera House with the Sydney Harbour Bridge towering behind it, they will take your breath away, writes Nicola Iseard
Sight
For uninterrupted, 360-degree views try the Skywalk at Sydney Tower. At 268m high, the walk takes visitors - equipped with harnesses - on a gentle, 95-minute journey around the outside of the tower's golden turret on a glass-floor platform. There are even more breathtaking sights in the nearby Blue Mountains. From the superb view of the Three Sisters from Echo Point, which looks out over the expansive Megalong Valley, to the picturesque trail through the forest past Wentworth Falls, they really take some beating.
Smell
The air around the Royal Botanical Gardens, in the heart of the city, is filled with floral aromas. Take a stroll around the Herb Garden and the Palace Rose Garden, which is filled with over 1,800 red, pink and white roses. Inside the Sydney Tropical Centre you can smell and touch exotic plants, including bat flowers, jade plants and, best of all, orchids. From fresh flowers to salty air - Sydney's coastline is peppered with more than 50 beaches, from posey Bondi Beach, east of downtown Sydney, to family magnet Cronulla in the south. There are many lovely coastal walks too (such as the Spit Bridge to Manly walk or the Cremorne Point walk), which are great for getting some fresh sea air after a hard day's sightseeing in the city.
Sound
Whether you're an avid music fan or not, catching an evening performance at the Sydney Opera House is a essential. There are five theaters in all; while opera performances take place in the 1,500-seat Opera Theatre, symphony orchestras play in the main 2,700-seat Concert Hall in which, thanks to built-in acoustics, music can be heard with a rich, mellow tone. After the show, enjoy a glass of bubbly at the stylish, open-air Opera Bar. For sounds of nature, the options are vast. Head to the rainforest area in the Royal Botanical Gardens and you're sure to see, and hear, some large, noisy fruit bats, hanging upside down. Meanwhile, sulphur-crested cockatoos can be heard in the reserve alongside Balmoral Beach and noisy whip birds and kookaburras, with their crazy laugh, sweep the forests of the Blue Mountains.
Taste
American, Asian, European or just a good ol' Aussie barbie - whatever cuisine you're after, Sydney has it all. There are over 3,000 restaurants dotted throughout the city. Most of the finest eateries are situated around Circular Quay, The Rocks and Darling Harbour. The latter has a wonderful, holiday atmosphere when evening falls, with tables spilling out onto the pavement. For wine lovers, there's no place quite like the Hunter Valley, just two hours north of the city. It boasts more that 50 wineries (from small family-run enterprises to the big boys, such as Lindemans), which offer cellar-door sales and, of course, tastings. Leave the car at your hotel and hop on board one of the organised tours - perfect if you get a little squiffy.
Touch
There are plenty of hands-on activities on offer in and around the city. If you fancy learning to sail there are several schools to choose from in the Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour and Port Hacking area. If swimming is more your thing, but you don't fancy braving the waves (Sydney is often hailed as the surf capital of Australia), many of Sydney's beaches have excellent tidal swimming pools, such as the famous, lane-marked Bondi Icebergs pool. For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb is one of the best; it takes you along catwalks, up ladders, and steadily to the summit of the bridge's famous arch.
* Nicola Iseard is the deputy travel editor of the Daily Express.