Surprise Me!
Have you ever looked on a map, seen a lookout marked and gone there, only to find the view has been obscured by trees that have grown up, or buildings erected since the lookout was built? We've checked out the lookouts and vantage points around Sydney, and share with you the best of them.
The story of Sydney begins in prehistoric times with the occupation of the district by Australian Aborigines, whose ancestors came to Australia between 15,000 and 45,000 years ago. The modern history of the city began with the arrival of a First Fleet of British ships in 1788 and the foundation of a penal colony by Great Britain.
It is believed that the Aboriginal peoples of Australia first arrived on the continent some 25,000 years ago from southeast Asia, either by canoes, or by the now submerged Saul Shelf which once joined Australia to mainland Asia. At the time of the arrival of the first white explorers, the Aboriginal population was in the vicinity of 300,000. Each tribe had its own language, with dialects of a common language being common where a tribal area was vast.
Sydney's cultural diversity has shaped the city and its suburbs in a major way. Many localities have the unique smells, sights and sounds, cultural, community and family events that typify the cultures and nationalities that are predominant there. In other places, restaurants and shops of diverse ethnic backgrounds form an intoxicating mix that provides both visitors and locals a smorgasbord of choice, often within a single street.