Visiting Sydney and Australia

If you've recently arrived in Sydney (or Australia) you probably know that Australia's animals and plants are unique. But where can you go to see them? And how do you find out more about Australia's culture?

We've provided some links to useful websites and organisations that will help you answer these questions.

Where to:

• find out more about Australia
• see Australian mammals and other fauna
• go bird-watching
• view marine life in aquariums
• watch whales and sharks
• see the night sky at an observatory
• visit caves and other geological formations
• participate in outdoor activities

How to:

• visit a museum
• see Australian art
• visit Aboriginal sites
• visit historic sites
• go on a tour - self-guided and guided
• visit National Parks, Reserves and Botanic Gardens
• visit World Heritage sites

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Find out more about Australia

• Terence Downunder
• About Australia - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

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See Australian mammals and other fauna

Sydney

• Bats/Whales/Marsupials/Rodents - Living Harbour
• Taronga Zoo
• Featherdale Wildlife Park
• Australian Reptile Park

New South Wales

• Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo
• Dingo Sanctuary, Bargo
• Mogo Zoo

Australia-wide

• National Zoo and Aquarium, Australian Capital Territory
• Alice Springs Desert Park, Northern Territory
• Fleay's Wildlife Park, Queensland

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Go bird-watching

Sydney

• Where to see birds - Living Harbour
• Cumberland Bird Observers' Club

Australia-wide

• Birdwatching links - Australian Museum Birds
• Birds Australia

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View marine life in aquariums

Sydney

• Sydney Aquarium
• Oceanworld, Manly
• Dive-Oz.com: SCUBA diving information site

Australia-wide

• Melbourne Aquarium, Victoria
• Reef HQ: Education Centre, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland
• Aquarium of Western Australia
• National Zoo and Aquarium, Australian Capital Territory
• Undersea World, Queensland

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Watch whales and sharks

Sydney

• Whale watching - Living Harbour

New South Wales

• Sapphirecoast NSW: Whale watching on the New South Wales South Coast

Australia-wide

• The Oceania Project: Whale Watching Information on the World-Wide-Web
• Whale Sharks, Western Australia
• Whale Shark Experience - Exmouth Tourist Bureau, Western Australia

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See the night sky at an observatory

Sydney

• Sydney Observatory
• Linden Observatory, Blue Mountains

New South Wales

• Siding Spring Observatory, near Warrumbungle National Park, Coonabarabran
• Koolang Observatory, Bucketty, Hunter Valley
• Bathurst Observatory, Bathurst
• Grove Creek Observatory, Trunkey

Australia-wide

• Canberra Space Dome and Observatory, Australian Capital Territory
• Ballaarat Observatory, Ballarat, Victoria
• Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, Brisbane, Queensland
• Perth Observatory, Western Australia

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Visit caves and other geological formations

New South Wales

• Jenolan, Abercrombie, Borenore and Wombeyan Caves - Jenolan Caves Reserve Trust
• Bald Rock National Park
• Kosciuszko National Park

Australia-wide

• Fossil Sites of Australia
• Australian Speleological Federation: national caving organisation in Australia
• Capricorn Caves, Queensland
• Naracoorte Caves National Park, South Australia
• Western Australian Speleology
• Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park: Caves of the Cape, Western Australia
• Special Places: Caves - Parks Victoria
• Mole Creek Karst National Park, Tasmania
• Hastings Caves State Reserve
• Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory
• Landforms - Geoscience Australia

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Participate in outdoor activities

New South Wales

• New South Wales sport and recreation organisations

Australia-wide

• Australian Outdoor Recreation Links
• Bushwalking in Australia
• Activities - Parks Victoria
• Recreation - Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
• Outdoor Recreation, Tasmania - Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife
• Naturebase: Tourism and Recreation, Western Australia

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Visit a museum

Sydney

• Australian Museum: natural history and cultural heritage
• Powerhouse Museum: science, technology and design
• Historic Houses Trust: historic houses and museums, including:
  • Museum of Sydney
  • Justice and Police Museum
  • Hyde Park Barracks Museum
• Australian National Maritime Museum

Australia-wide

• AMOL: Australian Museums and Galleries Online

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See Australian art

Sydney

• Art Gallery of New South Wales
• Museum of Contemporary Art

Australia-wide

• National Gallery of Australia
• AMOL: Australian Museums and Galleries Online

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Visit Aboriginal sites

Sydney

• Aboriginal People of Coastal Sydney - Living Harbour
• Indigenous Australia - Australian Museum

New South Wales

• Aboriginal sites of New South Wales - New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

Australia-wide

• Australian Heritage Directory: government agencies responsible for cultural heritage, including Aboriginal sites
• Special Places: Aboriginal heritage - Parks Victoria
• Cultural Heritage - Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
• Heritage - Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia

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Visit historic sites

Sydney

• Historic Houses Trust

New South Wales

• Cultural heritage - New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

Australia-wide

• Australian Heritage Directory: government agencies responsible for cultural heritage, including historic sites
• Special Places - Parks Victoria
• Cultural Heritage - Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
• Heritage - Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia

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Go on a tour - self-guided and guided

Sydney

• Sydney Buses and Ferries - State Transit

New South Wales

• National Parks Discovery walks and tours

Australia-wide

• Google Directory: Travel and Tourism
• Yahoo! Directory: Australia > Travel > Destination Guides
• Australian Tourist Guides

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Visit National Parks, Reserves and Botanic Gardens

Sydney

• National Parks in Sydney and surrounds - New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney: Includes Sydney Gardens and Domain, Mount Annan Botanic Garden, Western Sydney, and Mount Tomah Botanic Garden, Blue Mountains
• Centennial Parklands: includes Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park
• Bicentennial Park, Homebush Bay

New South Wales

• Explore the parks of New South Wales - New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service
• Marine Parks in New South Wales
• New South Wales State Parks
• Recreation - State Forests New South Wales

Australia-wide

• Parks and Reserves - Environment Australia
• Parks and Reserves Links - Environment Australia
• Special Places - Parks Victoria
• City of Melbourne: Parks and Gardens
• Bush, Parks and Reserves, Australian Capital Territory - Environment ACT
• Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Commission
• National Parks and Forests - Queensland Environmental Protection Agency
• Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia: Parks and Wildlife
• Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australia: Botanic Gardens
• Naturebase: National Parks and other places, Western Australia

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Visit World Heritage sites

Australia-wide

• Australia's World Heritage: location map - Environment Australia

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