Removals to Australia – Sydney
Most people across the world know about Sydney, with Bondi Beach, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge among the most famous of its attractions. But there’s a lot more to the city than that. Here The Moving Partnership, who help coordinate removals from the UK to Sydney, provide a handy guide to its history, main attractions, and how we can help you move there.
The History and Heritage
Sydney is Australia’s oldest and largest city, with a population of around 5 million. It is also the state capital of New South Wales.
The city is named after Lord Sydney, who was British home secretary when Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet arrived in January 1788, looking to establish a penal colony there. However, there is evidence of aborigines living in the area thousands of years before that.
In its early years, the city overcame drought and disease, as well as conflicts (between prisoners and the authorities, along with the local aboriginal population) to become a free society which fostered good links with the native population. No new convicts were shipped out from the UK after 1840.
Governor Lachlan Macquarie was behind this peaceful progress. The economy of the city was aided by trade with Europe through Sydney’s fast-growing port. Population growth was also fuelled by the discovery of gold in the mid-19th century and by the wartime economy (and after World War II) around 100 years later. The need for people to aid the economic recovery meant immigration was positively encouraged.
Getting There and Getting Around
Sydney Kingsford Smith international airport is around 9km south of the city, near Botany Bay. In total, 35 airlines fly out of the airport every day, linking the city with all other state capitals and with major cities on every other continent. You can get to the city centre easily by train or shuttle bus. There are two passenger terminals for ships, Circular Quay and White Bay, which are also where cruise ships berth.
As for public transport, there are double-decked commuter rail, metro, bus, ferry and light rail services, which will get you close to most places in the metropolitan area. Note that the metro service doesn’t go to that many tourist attractions, as it’s mainly a commuter line. The ferry may be a better bet, particularly if you want to see the harbour.
If you are driving, a lot of the major routes are underground. Motorways, bridges and tunnels all charge tolls, and city centre parking can be very expensive.
Cyclists are allowed virtually everywhere on the city’s roads, but the lanes are quite narrow, so the advice is to ride assertively.
The Main Attractions
The Olympic Park – built for the 2000 Olympic Games, is now home to parkland and sporting facilities. The stadium itself is used for rugby league (two teams are based there), cricket (although the major venue is still the Sydney Cricket Ground, or SCG), Aussie Rules Football, and various one-off events like pop concerts.
Taronga Zoo – is home to over 4,000 animals, including some endangered species. It overlooks the harbour and is just 12 minutes from the city centre by ferry.
The Royal Botanic Garden – which was established just over 200 years ago, is also close to the harbour and opera house. It has more than 7,500 types of plants.
For culture aficianados. Sydney is also home to the Art Gallery of New South Wales (close to the harbour, and admission is free) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (also known as MCA, it is located at Circular Quay, and free guided tours are available).
And the Household Names….
Sydney Harbour Bridge – which opened in 1932, was inspired by the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City. It accommodates motorists (but there’s a toll), rail passengers, and cyclists, but since the late 1980s, there has been a tunnel for vehicles as well to ease traffic on the bridge.
Sydney Opera House – which opened in 1973, has an iconic and distinctive shape made up of pre-cast concrete shells. It welcomes more than eight million visitors every year.
Bondi Beach – is the name of a suburb of the city, as well as the beach. It’s around four miles east of the city centre. The name Bondi is equivalent to surf in English. The south end of the beach is reserved for surfers, who appreciate the rip tide.
Shopping Around and Eating Out
Major malls include the Queen Victoria Building, which is probably the most picturesque, Sydney Tower Westfields, which is also in the Central Business District, and the Pitt Street Mall next to Westfields. All three have all the major brand name stores.
For something more independent, try one of the outdoor markets in The Rocks, or Paddy’s Markets in George Street; most suburbs will have their own as well. Here you should be able to purchase artisan goods, second-hand designer clothes and produce straight from farms.
Given the diverse ethnic population, you should have no problem finding your favourite cuisine in the city. However, there are still plenty of local dishes you should try. Given its coastal location, seafood is high on the list of local delicacies, with barramundi, prawns, and rock oysters all likely to be on the menu. Avocado is popular, too, as a breakfast staple.
Wine is now more popular than beer, with riesling, chardonnay, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc (whites) and shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and pinot noir (reds) all grown in the State.
Removals from the UK to Sydney with The Moving Partnership
If you are interested in moving house to anywhere in Australia, not just Sydney, then call us on 0808 280 3697.
Thanks to our network of contacts in the international removals industry, we can provide you with a competitively priced package which will be tailored to fit your exact needs. You can also follow this link and fill in the online form on the right side of the page.
