Small Boutique hotels in SYDNEY

Sydney Opera House opened its doors in 1973 and, despite a tempestuous route to completion, has since become the symbol of this hip multicultural city. Resembling a fleet of sailboats, its white arcing rooftops mark the entrance to Sydney Harbour in conjunction with the equally emblematic Harbour Bridge, nicknamed 'The Coathanger'.

Sydney is a city that likes to socialise and Oxford Street is where many of the hip bars, clubs and boutique hotels can be found. Bohemian Darlinghurst has some excellent independent fashion outlets as well as small luxury hotels. While for art galleries and antique shops, head for Woollahra.

Sydney is also known for its beach culture and with 23 beaches north of the harbour, 25 to the south and 11 in the harbour itself, it is hardly surprising. The bold, bronzed Bondi Beach is the most famous internationally, but the mellow, scenic Bronte to the south, and the village feel and endless sands of Manly in the north, are well worth the extra mile.

Beyond Sydney are the Blue Mountains, actually a plateau with a series of canyons that were considered insurmountable for years. Today, they are a World Heritage Site and offer fabulous trekking, mountain biking and climbing opportunities, although the famous Three Sisters are now out of bounds.