knowledge australasia
Sydney
ttglive.com
What lies beyond the Opera House?
Most first-time visitors to Sydney will spend their time cruising the harbour and seeing the familiar city centre attractions. But what’s available for those wanting to experience something different? Dave Richardson discovers what the city offers repeat visitors
INNER CITY.
One of the best places to appreciate the diversity of Sydney is Balmain, with the bonus of getting there by ferry from the main departure point of Circular Quay. Any trip by ferry offers great views for a fraction of the price of a harbour cruise, with the Balmain boat heading west under the harbour bridge and reaching Balmain East pier 10 minutes later. The same service does a round trip taking in harbourside suburbs such as Greenwich, Woolwich and Cockatoo Island, which sounds attractive but is actually a rather grim former convict settlement.
Named after William Balmain, a Scottish surgeon who sailed with the First Fleet in 1788, Balmain is full of historic houses mainly from the 19th century. The area around East pier has a sleepy, almost villagey feel – but with the skyscrapers of the city centre in the background. Balmain was Sydney’s first suburb, with the Watch House dating from 1850. It was a jail and police house before becoming the exhibition space it is now. Today, along Darling Street you will find small galleries, bookshops and boutiques.
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Several suburbs are named after parts of London, including Paddington. “Paddo” is now one of the most fashionable districts, famous for its Victorian houses with cast-iron balconies.
Explore the side streets off Oxford Street and you’ll find lots of boutiques, and traditional trades such as hat and shoe makers. Snooty bridal shops are open “by appointment only”, while galleries range from Aboriginal art to one dedicated to Australian rock group AC/DC.
Also along Oxford Street, but only a mile from the city centre, is the heart of the gay and lesbian community – Darlinghurst. This is where the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade is held in March each year, drawing thousands of visitors from all over the world.
As the focal point of one of the world’s most “out” gay cities, Darlinghurst is certainly in-your-face. In contrast the once infamous Kings Cross red-light district is a shadow of its former self. The trade it was notorious for is now confined to one short stretch of Darlinghurst Road, with most of the surrounding area reclaimed by the moral majority.
But the stigma lives on, with some hotels and businesses in Kings Cross describing themselves as being in Potts Point – a more upmarket suburb a few blocks away. One of the main centres of youth culture is Newtown, a 15-minute train ride from the centre. The Sandringham Hotel (the “Sando”) is one of several live music venues, and Newtown is renowned for its street art. The multi-cultural character of Sydney is obvious here. King Street has more than 100 restaurants with every continent repre- sented, including Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, African, Mexican, South
Darlinghurst is home to the annual Mardi Gras festival
Tourism Australia
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