- THE ROCKS
The Rocks is one of the most-visited parts of Sydney. It is
not hard to see why. Nestled at the foot of the Sydney
Harbour Bridge and on the western shores of Sydney
Cove, The Rocks is the foundation place of Sydney and
Australia, and of enormous historical signifiance. It is
often described as "Sydney's outdoors museum".
The Rocks is
the oldest
area of
Sydney and has recently undergone an
amazing metamorphosis, the old district being
transformed into a vibrant pocket of cafes and
restaurants and interesting tourist shops and
stalls. This has been achieved without
destroying the area's Old World charm and
historic buildings.
Most activities centre around walking, looking
and eating. The Rocks is Sydney's oldest
preserved colonial district so the main emphasis
is on the historical importance of the area. The
Rocks Visitors Centre, at 106 George Street, is a
logical and excellent starting point. This centre
has a wealth of information on points of interest
around The Rocks and provides free information
and literature, as well as having souvenirs and
momentos that can be purchased.
The real
enjoyment lies in simply walking around the
streets and soaking up the atmosphere.
On weekends and at festival times, there is
usually free entertainment, with outdoor
concerts and street theatre. Many of The
Rocks' pubs offer live music - jazz, folk and
pop. The Rocks Market operates every
weekend, from 10am to 5pm each day, and
until 6pm in summer months. Some 100 stalls
are set up under a series of sail-like
canopies, filling the lower end of George
Street . The stalls are filled with a wide
range of Australian gift ideas, homewares
and collectibles. Have fun!
- KING'S CROSS
King's Cross has for a long time been known to most Australians as the drugs and red light
capital of Australia. Most Australians who have visited Sydney at one time or another have
wandered through the Cross, if only for a look at how the "other half" live and play. In
recent years, however, this sleezy pocket of Sydney has started to evolve, albeit ever so
slowly, into a richly vibrant part of the city. The strip clubs, topless waitresses, adult
bookshops and tacky nightclubs are still there, but small, trendy cafes have sprung up on
the fringes of the Cross that are attracting a different type of visitor. The Cross is most sleazy
at night, when the bright lights come on and the action hots up. During the day it can look a
lot less threatening.
Visitors to the area should be careful, especially at night, as people do get mugged here.
The other thing to be careful of is the spikers outside nightclubs: they can be intimidating
and aggressive and been a problem in recent times.
You will see some pretty strange sights around the Cross, an area frequented by people
from all walks of life, and although generally it is OK to look, don't stare or make snide
remarks as this could land you in trouble. And we wouldn't want that, would we...?
- THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
I cannot even begin to describe here how beautiful these mountains are. If you have a full day off, it is definitely worth the trip!
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