Darling Harbour Sydney
A "Must" Visit Will Guarantee A Fantastic Time

Darling Harbour Sydney is one place you should never give a miss when visiting the Harbour City. Where else can you find Australian wildlife almost right in the heart of the city than this harbour complex of shopping malls, restaurants, entertainment venues, boats, parks and gardens rolled into one?

Darling Harbour Sydney is alarge pedestrian area designed for recreational activities and is an immaculate area for visitors and locals to use. The whole area is maintained by the local government and they ensure that it is kept at its best for everyone to enjoy.

Darling Harbour Sydney was named after Lieutenant Ralph Darling who was the seventh governor of New South Wales from the years 1825 to 1831. This harbour complex was originally part of the larger commercial port of Sydney which included the railway goods yards.

The eastern part of Darling Harbour became known as the "hungry mile" during the Great Depression. This was because of the sheer quantity of people who would walk up and down the harbour walls searching for work.

Darling Harbour was originally called Cockle Bay. This was due to the discovery of cockles by the early settlers.

The Darling Harbour Sydney complex was completed and opened in 1988. Before this time, it was simply a collection of run down and disused warehouses and harbour buildings.

The harbour complex is now one of the best Sydney attractions and attracts thousands of visitors every week. There are a mixture of hotels, museums, restaurants, cafes and shops within the harbour all of which are top quality and a pleasure to visit. Many of the hotels have stunning views of Sydney harbour and visitors will love all of the great facilities they have to offer.

The main tourist attractions in Darling Harbour are the National Maritime Museum, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney wildlife World, Chinese Gardens. There are also many free outdoor activities and concerts for tourists and locals to enjoy.

• The Chinese Gardens are an amazing attraction in the Darling Harbour complex. The gardens were built as a Chinese Garden of Friendship. They were modeled on the typical gardens in China and especially the exclusive Ming Gardens.

  These gardens offer a look into Chinese culture and heritage and were opened in 1988 as part of the Bicentennial celebrations and were used to represent the bond Australia has with China.

  The gardens are amazing and the design means you have to explore every element of them to truly appreciate the beauty and work that went into them. They have a fantastic tea room within the Chinese gardens that offers traditional Chinese tea and refreshments.



• The National Maritime Museum within Darling Harbour Sydney hub is a fantastic place to visit and explore. There are some amazing displays and exhibits.

  The welcome wall is the most prominent of the displays. The wall is made from bronze and displays all of the names of immigrants who have arrived from overseas and have settled in Australia.

  The museum travels through Sydney history and depicts all of Australia's long maritime history. There are also a number of art exhibits in the museum for visitors to explore. You will love seeing all of the different displays and you will leave feeling better informed.



• The Sydney Aquarium is truly breathtaking. From the minute you enter this great building, you will be amazed bythe quantity of animals and displays. The Aquarium has over 11,500 animals and over 650 different species.

  The highlight of the day is the floating oceanarium which is a total of 145 meters. Visitors can walk through this display and feel like they are in fact with the animals.

  There is also an underwater viewing tank and you can see sharks and rays swimming over your head. By looking through acrylic panels, you can be up close and personal with the sharks.

  The Aquarium has a fantastic seal enclosure and you can watch them both below and above the water. It is great to see them playing naturally and with no fear of the visitors.

  

  The children will love the pool where they can touch the crustaceans that live in the local shoreline.

• Equally impressive is the Sydney Wildlife World next door. You don't have to go to the Australian outback to be up close with the native animals. Rex, it's "main attraction" would be delighted to meet you!

Darling Harbour Sydney offers so much things to do and see that you will return time and time again to experiencenew things. You do not have to visit one of the more popular attractions. You can simply visit and wander whilst taking in the scenery and amazing people.

The nightlife is vibrant and exciting whilst the daytimes are relaxedwhich gives you a great opportunity to explore the shops and boutiques. Darling Harbour Sydney has something for every one of all ages and no one will be bored whilst visiting.

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