Sydney Australia a city of nearly four and a half million people was voted world’s best city in 2007 by magazine Condé Nast Traveller’s readers, beating New York and Paris. Sydney won out on the overall rating – performing very well on cleanliness, user friendliness and beauty. This is not surprising to locals who delight in their stunning ocean beaches, their waterways, surrounding bushland and climate.
Culturally they are well provided for – Sydney’s Opera House is a modern World Heritage site and is home to many local and overseas productions of opera, drama and music. After 35 years there is talk of refurbishing the Opera Hall, whilst another school of thought says it would be cheaper to build a new one at another location or adjacent.
Former Australian Prime Minister, now turned urban commentator, Paul Keating says the Danish architect Joern Utzon’s three shells are a wonderment in an urban setting when viewed from the west and should be untouched externally. The harbourside Opera Bar is a popular local meeting place to gaze at Sydney’s skyline and catch up with some funky music.
