Downtown Sydney lies on the south side of Sydney Harbour. The oldest section of the city, an area called the Rocks, lies near the waterfront. Many of the historic buildings in the area have been restored, and it is now a major tourist attraction with shops, hotels, and restaurants. Southeast of the Rocks is the Darling Harbour area, which includes a casino, a large entertainment center, an exhibition hall, an aquarium, and many restaurants and hotels.

The city's main street, George Street, runs through downtown Sydney. The downtown area includes many high-rise office buildings. A series of parks, including Hyde Park, the Domain, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, lie east of the downtown area. Nearby Macquarie Street is the site of the Parliament House of New South Wales. The street also has many historic buildings, including some constructed by convicts in the early 1800's. One of the most famous of these buildings, the Hyde Park Barracks, originally housed convicts but is now a museum.

Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, which runs under the harbor, link the downtown area with suburbs on the north shore. Other suburbs spread south beyond Botany Bay, west to the Blue Mountains, and east to the Pacific coastline. Royal National Park, one of the oldest national parks in the world, is south of the city. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, north of the city, has rock paintings and carvings made by Aborigines, the original inhabitants of Australia.

More on Sydney :
Introduction | The city | Way of Life

Sydney's landmarks include the Sydney Opera House, with its white, shell-like structure, and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The opera house has facilities for symphony concerts, ballets, and theater productions. The bridge spans Sydney Harbour and links the downtown area with the suburbs to the north.

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