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Rasheeda Bhagat

With its sandy beaches, quaint pubs, exquisite cuisine and friendly people, Sydney gives one the feeling of being welcome in a new place.

An aerial view of Sydney.

What better introduction of Sydney for an Indian than Aamir Khan's delightful film Dil Chahta Hai, where the hero and the heroine not only discover themselves but also showcase the beautiful mega city of Australia for Indian viewers?

A city of spectacular natural beauty, the first thing you learn about the megapolis is the Darling Harbour and the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge. Everybody who had visited Sydney had only one advice to offer... You must climb the Sydney bridge to get a spectacular view of the city. To be honest, one did make an attempt...

Actually we were a group of three journalists who were invited by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to discover the country and its trade, business and cultural ethos. Landing in Sydney on a weekend, and before the gruelling round of meetings began on Monday, we tried to grab as much of the "Sydney experience" as possible during an inadequate two days.

All of us were very keen to climb the bridge. But enthusiasm dampened a bit when we were told that the climb was a good 200 steps. But veterans of Himalayan treks and visits to some of the most difficult-to-access temples do not back off so easily. We were also told that the really daring climb is on the arch of the Bridge, where of course the visitors are harnessed properly as rigorous safety standards apply. But this takes a good three hours, is not for the faint hearted, and above all, needs to be booked in advance. (Advance booking can be done at www.bridgeclimb.com) .

So the bridge was definitely out, but not shopping for opal, another major attraction in Sydney. Interestingly, the lone woman in the group was not interested, but the men had no option. The shopping lists given to them by the spouses had Opal as item No. 1.

We soon learnt that Australia has on offer three kinds of opal — black, boulder and white. The first has a natural black potch base, giving the rainbow of emitted colours an overall dark hue. It is the rarity and intense dark colour that makes this the most expensive. Boulder opal, as its name denotes, is acquired from hard ironstone boulder, and is cut and polished; and the last variety has a milky white background, giving out more subtle tones of colour.

But much more exciting than shopping for opal or anything else is to stroll around the waterfront. Sydney is a city of waterways but easily the most stunning for the senses is the glittering water expanse of the Sydney Harbour also known as Darling Harbour. You could either take one of the many cruises available on this waterway, or simply relax in one of the numerous restaurants on the harbour side. If you are a non-vegetarian, then sea food is highly recommended... one discovered, for the first time, how delicious oysters can be, especially when washed down with some Australian white wine.

A visit to the Opera House is a must. Surrounded by water on all the three sides, this imposing building, which took an incredible 16 years (1957-73) to complete, is located in what is known as Bennelong Point, and is meant to look like a giant sailing ship. But to one familiar with the Bahai Lotus temple in Delhi, it will definitely bring memories of the imposing white building.

The busiest performing arts centre in the world, since its opening in 1973, the opera house, which is actually a complex of multiple theatres and halls, has attracted the best in world class talent year after year. In an average year, the Opera House presents theatre, musicals, opera, contemporary dance, ballet, every form of music from symphony concerts to jazz as well as exhibitions and films; averaging around 3,000 events a year and attracting an audience of about two million. Also, about 200,000 people take a guided tour of the complex each year. The Opera House operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day and Good Friday.

Gliding through its maze of theatres and halls, and getting an exposure to the technological marvels of sound and lighting which can make or mar any performance, one hardly realised that one had climbed about 200 steps while taking a guided tour of this mammoth complex. Our schedule didn't allow us to see an actual performance here and we had to wait till we reached Melbourne before seeing an actual opera!

Sydney is also famous for its Bondi beach, Australia's most famous strip of sand which is a km in length. It has had its share of controversy and protests from local residents regarding filming of a few episodes of Baywatch. And Australians love their beaches and public access to them so much that even during the Olympic Games of 2000, there was considerable opposition from local residents to the closure of half of Bondi Beach for six months prior to the Games to construct a temporary volleyball stadium on the beach, with a seating capacity of 10,000. What they were unhappy about most was getting access to the Pavillion, at the centre of Bondi, where activities ranging from kite flying and surfing competitions, to festivals, markets and galleries are held round the year.

Access to the beach is easy and it is well served by public transport, with the availability of buses being 10 minutes. With cloudy skies and temperature hovering around 14 deg. Celsius, there were not too many people at the beach. As our host James Dalton, from DFAT pointed out, during the summer months, and particularly Christmas time, when Sydney is nice and bright, unlike the rest of the world where it is freezing and snowing, this beach is packed. "Of course times have changed", said the young man in his mid-20s. "When we were kids, people left their money in their shoes and went for a swim into the sea. But you can't do that any longer." What we could do was enjoy the great variety of food the restaurants on the road opposite and the back streets tucked away behind the beach offer.

The Central district of Sydney, where our hotel was located, is a bustling place and also the best shopping district. But shopping in this place is pretty expensive, unless you are smart enough to zero down on bargains at chains like Woolworths or smaller shops advertising "closing down sales". At such places incredible bargains are waiting to be clinched.

As far as fashion or haute couture is concerned, Sydney is the place to be in. Walking down this area, you can see young men and women, particularly women, wearing some of the trendiest clothes that fashion capitals of the world can boast of.

This area is also bustling with pubs which can provide a great way to spend an evening... some of the smaller pubs remind you of the famous English pubs, particularly in the smaller towns of Britain. And the range of beers to choose from is really mindboggling...

But easily the best part of any Australian city is its people, warm, friendly and ready to help out with directions or any other inquiry with a smile. And Sydney is no exception to the feeling of being welcome in a new place.

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