Bondi, a bustling mecca for locals and international tourists alike, is perhaps the most famous beach of all. Only minutes from the centre of the city its fine sweep of sand is known for its skimpily-clad surf lifesavers and topless bathers. Also here is a fine restaurant and cafe strip where you come to see and be seen.

Next along the coast is Tamarama Beach - also known as 'Glamourama' after its bathing beauties dressed in the latest skimpy costumes, followed by Bronte, popular with bathers.

Further south is Clovelly Beach, which sports a large pool carved into the surrounding rock and perfect for a dip if the sea looks too rough.

North of the Harbour Bridge you'll find Manly, a long curve of golden sand edged with Norfolk Pines which fill up at dusk with colourful flocks of lorikeets. Manly's best reached by a ferry from Circular Quay, or the rapid Jetcat, which will hurry you there in only 15 minutes. If you look out to sea to your right you'll spot tiny Shelly Beach, where you can snorkel safe from the waves.

From Manly, local buses lead to the northern beaches of Curl Curl, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Mona Vale, Newport and Avalon - all famous for their laid-back lifestyle and surf. Eventually you'll reach Palm Beach, a long and beautiful strip of sand edging onto a golf course and dunes.

Many beaches edge onto harbour waters, but the most popular of them all is gorgeous Balmoral. Strung with cafes and a couple of fine restaurants, Balmoral is a trendy and scenic north-shore suburb with a resident flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos.

Between Darlinghurst and Kings Cross is the Victoria Street strip - by day a popular coffee venue. Try varieties of Italian sandwich at Bar Coluzzi or across the road at the Tropicana, also known for its annual short film festival.

The area around Taylor Square is the epicentre of Gay Sydney. Here, once a year, the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras passes by, a gaudy, giddy, gyrating parade that has become the focus for the lively arts and lifestyle culture created by the active and out-there gay community of the city.

See drag shows and dance late into the night at the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville. Otherwise try a local gay-orientated nightclub, like the Taxi Club or Midnight Shift on Oxford Street.

Non-gay nightclubs are also congregated along Oxford Street, as well as Kings Cross and Darlinghurst. One of the most popular at present is Home, at Cockle Bay on the city side of Darling Harbour.

If it's jazz you fancy then try Soup Plus on George Street, where you can tuck into bistro food while you listen to the sweet melodies coming from a sax. Another option is The Basement near Circular Quay, which manages to squeeze in blues, folk and funk as well as world-class jazz acts.

As for pubs and bars, Sydney's 24 hour drinking laws mean you'll always find one open somewhere or other. Popular areas for a drink or two include the city centre and The Rocks - where you can find Sydney's oldest pubs, the Hero of Waterloo and the Lord Nelson Hotel. Otherwise, try Oxford Street and Kings Cross, or the beachside suburbs of Bondi and Manly.

With its wonderful climate and carefree lifestyle, Sydney has inspired some stunning young designers who have taken the multi-layered cultural influences and translated them into fashion.

The Mercedes Australian Fashion Week in Sydney sets the stage and has proved to be a highly successful venture, marketing Australian fashion to the world. Designers such as Collette Dinnigan and Akira Isogawa have become globally acclaimed.

Stroll up and down Oxford Street, Paddington, to see the funkiest designers. For more formal fashion, Double Bay is the place to shop. A trawl through the city arcades and streets - Skygarden, the MLC Centre, Chifley Square, Martin Place, the new Grace Bros fashion floor - should bedazzle the shopper with alternatives.

Down at Bondi, view the best of Australian surf and beach wear that has blazed new trend trails internationally. If you can't find a 'cossie' (swimming costume) in Campbell Parade, there's something wrong. Don't miss the Mambo store for the ultimate in surf chic.

Sydney is a also an architectural dream. Many homes overlook the water or nestle in the bush, and are cantilevered over cliffs or dug back into the scenery (featuring light and space, layers of texture and looking outwards to the environment). This Australian architectural idiom was pioneered by Sydney architect Glenn Murcutt. It has been translated and adapted by many who have followed him.

From the ocean you enter the harbour through The Heads, dramatic cliff portals between Circular Quay in the city and the beachside suburb of Manly. The tops of The Heads are covered by Sydney Harbour National Park, which stretches along the rugged harbourside for kilometres. This haven for native plants and birds really surprises visitors.

Visitors are also struck by the harbour's beauty, especially at night when the high-rise towers around Circular Quay, the girders of the Harbour Bridge and the 'sails' of the Opera House are all lit up. It's then that the harbour waters take on a magical swirl of reflected colours - red, blue, green.

Green-and-yellow ferries ply the harbour until late in the evening, looking like wind-up bath toys as they trundle off to suburbs far and wide. Sleek tourist craft, tall ships rigged with sails, giant container vessels, water taxis and private yachts flit around too, watched by sunbathers on the harbour beaches.

In the centre of the harbour is a series of islands, the most well known being Fort Denison, with its tiny sandstone castle, which once housed the worst of Sydney's convicts.

At Cadmans Cottage, The Rocks, you'll find the Sydney Harbour National Park Information Centre where you can arrange a visit to Fort Denison and other islands.

Shark Island (located between Bradleys Head and Rose Bay) has panoramic views from Sydney Harbour Bridge to Manly and The Heads, and Clark Island is a tiny piece of untouched Australian bushland, with winding tracks through gum trees and natural rocky outcrops.

Hotels tend to be scattered in certain areas of the city, but all give good access to the main centres of shopping and entertainment.

Top class hotels are mostly located around the harbour at Circular Quay and The Rocks, in the city centre itself, or around Darling Harbour and the Kings Cross/Double Bay area. All these areas are well serviced by public transport.

The beachside suburbs, particularly Bondi and Manly, also have their fair share of places to stay. In both suburbs you can find top class hotels as well as smaller boutique accommodation. Manly is known for its backpacker hostels.

Backpacker hostels also congregate around Kings Cross and the student areas of Glebe and Newtown. One of the best is the Sydney Central YHA, near Central Station, which has its own pool and sauna.

Serviced apartments are concentrated around Circular Quay and The Rocks, though good-value apartment complexes run by Medina are located all over the city.

Finally, if you've arrived without booking anything then try the Sydney Visitors Centre - Sydney Airport desk, in the arrivals hall of the airport's International Terminal. It negotiates deals with many of Sydney's hotels (but not hostels) and offers discounts on rooms that haven't been filled that day - you can save up to 50 per cent on a room this way.