G'day mate! You'd be excused for thinking that this is the standard greeting down under, but sadly it's not the norm in reality (at least not in this city). In fact I only heard one during our initial stay there! Brace yourself for a lot of 'how ya goin' and 'no worries mate' and you'll be right at home.

With its idyllic weather, iconic structures, beaches, parks, massive food portions, laid-back lifestyle, turbo New Year's Eve fireworks display and one of the liveliest gay pride marches in the southern hemisphere, Sydney is an action-packed city. Like any famous city, it pays you well to explore the tourist highlights, but equally important is to get away from the hustle and bustle and find some of the real city in the suburbs and off the beaten track.

Whilst Sydney is relatively small by comparison to other major cities, the surrounding towns, beaches and national parks give it a broad range of appeal for any visitor. We had a great time on the beaches of Manly, Cronulla, Palm Beach, and Summer Bay (yep, you've guessed it, the set of Aussie soap 'Home and Away').

Generally speaking a great place to see albeit a mega journey to get there!