Sydney

Parks and Recreation

The steel and concrete of Sydney's urban landscape are relieved by a number of city parks. Three contiguous parks are located in the eastern part of the Central Business District: the Royal Botanic Gardens, established in 1816 and covering 30 hectares (74 acres), mark the site of Sydney's first farm. They include a rose garden, a lake, tropical greenhouses with an extensive collection of plants from the South Pacific, a bat colony, and a cactus garden. To the south lies a large park known as the Domain, which serves as a popular setting for picnics, lunch breaks, public speakers of all kinds, and a variety of free events. Further south, and bisected by Park Street, is Hyde Park, which includes formal gardens, fountains, and walkways, and is also a popular lunch-time spot for urban workers. Smaller parks in the central city include Wynyard Park, Lang Park, First Fleet Park, and Observatory Park.

South and east of the Central Business District, Centennial Park in Paddington is Sydney's largest park, at 220 hectares (544 acres). In addition to picnicking and swimming in its lake, visitors can take advantage of both bicycling and bridle paths or rent inline skates. Adjacent Moore Park, bordering Surry Hills, has walking and bicycling trails, a golf course, and playing fields. It is also the location of the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium. The most recent addition to Moore Park is Fox Studios' Bent Street entertainment complex, which gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at movie and television production, including movie props and other memorabilia, special effects, and animation.

Sydney Olympic Park was in the suburb of Homebush Bay, located 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) west of the central city, built for the 2000 Olympic Games. The park encompassed Sydney International Athletic Centre, Sydney International Aquatic Centre, as well as the Leisure Garden featuring a variety of natural habitats. In addition to its own urban and suburban parks, Sydney is ringed by national parks. The Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park is located to the north, and the Royal National Park is situated to the south. To the west is the Blue Mountain National Park, and even more parks ring the region further away.

Sydney's waterfront location makes it a paradise for water sports. Residents and visitors can enjoy canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving, surfing, and swimming at any of more than 30 beaches. Other popular outdoor activities include bicycling, golf, horseback riding, walking and jogging, rock climbing, squash, and tennis. A unique recreational sport launched in 1998 is climbing the 503-meter-long (1,650-foot-long) arch of the Harbour Bridge. Climbers sign a release form and undergo an orientation session before beginning the two-hour trek. The summit of the bridge affords a panoramic view of the harbor.