- Where to find: Sydney NSW 2000, Australia;
- Website: darlingharbour.com;
- Phone: +61 2 9240 8500
Most tourists immediately after their arrival in Sydney go to Darling Harbor - one of the most famous areas of this metropolis, where you can find entertainment for every taste and discover Australia of the XXI century. It is located in the western part of the central business district of the city and extends to the north of Chinatown on both sides of the Cockle Bay to the Pyrmont suburb in the west of Sydney.
History of the region
The construction of Darling Harbor began in the 80s of the twentieth century. Here were erected multi-storey buildings, which gradually surrounded skyscrapers, casinos, restaurants, entertainment centers. In 1988, in honor of the two hundredth anniversary of Australia, the authorities solemnly opened the ring monorail road, still popular with locals and visitors alike.
The area is named after Lieutenant-General Ralph Darling, who was Governor of New South Wales from 1825 to 1831. Previously, it was known as Long Cav, but in 1826 it received its present name.
Area Attractions
In the southern part of the district is a small Chinese quarter - Chinatown, which attracts travelers with an abundance of souvenir shops and street cafes, where you can taste many authentic dishes. Also in local eateries you will be offered to appreciate the unmatched taste of a variety of Chinese tea. Another attraction of Chinatown is the Chinese Garden, which is considered a symbol of friendship between Sydney and Chinese Guangzhou.
Darling Harbor - an excellent place for family pastime thanks to a beautiful pedestrian promenade, a lot of fountains and recreation centers. Tourists will certainly be interested to visit the most interesting places in the area. Among them:
- The oceanarium. Its visitors will be able to get the most complete picture of the underwater world of the oceans washing the Australian continent. Here you will get acquainted with the majority of the inhabitants of the local coastal waters: seals, sharks, rays, reptiles, sea lions and eels. One of the biggest exhibitions is devoted entirely to the flora and fauna of the Great Barrier Reef. Fans of acute visits can not pass the tunnel under the aquarium, where sharks and large fish swim.
- The Maritime Museum. A magnet attracting tourists here is a magnificent collection of ships, dated by different epochs. All of them are at the quay of King Street Wharf. Here you will see Stein ferry, built in 1938 and equipped with a steam engine, an Aboriginal canoe and fishing boats, a real warship, an underwater submarine and even a model of the Endeavor ship, once Captain Cook landed on the shores of Australia.
- Pedestrian bridge, located in the center of the district. From it you can admire the superb view of the surrounding area.
- Harborside Shopping Center. It became a real tourist destination after opening the only one in the area for the Kingpin alley and the M9 Laser Skirmish attraction (Australia's first jet flight simulator).
- Market Paddy's Markets.
- Park Tumbalong. It is planted almost all the trees that grow on the territory of the country, and after a long walk you can relax in the shade of numerous fountains.
- Sydney Hall for exhibitions and conferences.
- Entertainment complex with The Star casino is the second largest casino in Australia, where fans of excitement can play both table games and slot machines.
- Hotel with SPA The Darling.
- The Powerhouse Museum. This is a real science museum, the collection of which contains the most remarkable exhibits, which are a product of modern technologies and related to applied art, science, transport, social communications, furniture, media, computer technologies, space, history of steam engines.
- Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.
- Zoo Wild Life, when you visit, you will get to know animals and birds, whose homeland is Australia. All of them live in conditions that are as close as possible to the natural habitat.
- IMAX cinema with one of the biggest screens in the world, where every hour Hollywood blockbusters go.
Infrastructure
There are a lot of cafes, restaurants and hotels in this area. If your budget is limited, you should pay attention to the four-star hotel One Darling. More sophisticated guests will be satisfied with the comfortable Novotel hotel, where the guests of the city are attracted by the Ternary restaurant with Asian cuisine, a wine bar, comfortable rooms with Wi-Fi and cable TV, as well as a swimming pool, gym and tennis court. Restaurant Hurricane is known among gourmets for its delicious steaks, delicious desserts and cocktails.
How to get there?
To get to know Darling Harbor, exit at Town Hall metro station, then turn right onto Druit Street, walk two blocks down and turn right onto Sussex Street. After that, go through the block to Market Street, turn left and go along the pedestrian bridge. You can also take a monorail on the corner of Pitt and Market Streets.
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