The good, bad and ugly sides to Sydney, where beautiful beaches are sometimes spoiled by sharks
- Australia’s biggest city has more than 100 beaches, but keep your eyes peeled for unwelcome visitors, and good luck getting around on an outdated public transport system
The Good
The first event at the Sydney 2000 Olympics was the women’s triathlon. It wasn’t a high-profile sport at the time but there were two good reasons for opening the Games with the endurance race. First, Australia was confident of a gold medal-winning performance from local favourite Michellie Jones, and second, the world would be watching.
Carefully choreographed helicopter footage captured the competitors as they dived into Sydney Harbour and splashed past the Royal Botanic Garden, with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge providing an unbeatable backdrop.
Jones finished second on the day but dramatic images of cobalt-blue waters and iconic Sydney sights were soon being shown on television news bulletins around the world. The gold medal went to a Swiss athlete but the capital of New South Wales stole the show. It still does.
Sydney has more than 100 beaches – only a city blessed with so many coves and bays could inspire travel articles titled “23 of the Best Beaches for Kids” or “13 Terrific Beaches with Great Playgrounds”. Bondi is the alpha, of course. The much-photographed crescent of blonde sand draws swimmers, sunbathers and surfers, and has evolved into a hip dining destination in recent years. The calm waters at Balmoral Beach are ideal for families with young children and can easily be reached via a scenic 6km (3.7-mile) bush walk from Taronga Zoo, which is a short ferry ride from Circular Quay.
To explore more of Sydney’s stunning coastline, the clifftop coastal path between Bondi and Coogee leads walkers past Gordons Bay, Clovelly, Bronte and Tamarama beaches, and takes about two hours. Dawn is a popular time to set off. On average, the city enjoys 338 cloudless sunrises a year, so there’s usually no need for a brolly.
