Few cities in the world can claim to have as iconic a skyline as Sydney, particularly around the harbour area. As the backdrop to the Sydney Olympics in 2000 it gained the attention of the world and has become – more than ever – a must see for tourists to Australia.

Of course, much of the famous skyline of Sydney Harbour is due to the Sydney Opera House. Officially recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 it is not just an opera house, but rather one of the busiest entertainment spaces in the world with as many as 1,500 performances each year from the likes of the Sydney Theatre Company, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Ballet.

That said, it’s not all about the Opera House, in close proximity to the Opera House is Sydney Harbour Bridge, home to the annual New Year’s firework display and one of the most famous bridges in the world. In recent years visitors have been able to climb the south side of the bridge, with appropriate guides and safety equipment. The climb is not for the faint-hearted, but the view from the top is well worth the three and a half hours of effort.

A less well known attraction of the Sydney Harbour area are the forts that are dotted around the area. These were built in the mid 19^th century as a first line of defence against sea born attack and in addition to being above ground have a network of tunnels and catacombs and hidden chambers below the forts themselves. They’re not too expensive to visit and are definitely worth the entrance fee.

The last of the popular tourist destinations in – or more accurately, near - the Harbour area are the Botanic Gardens. The Gardens cover an area of around 30 hectares and are a great place to enjoy some peace and quiet in a bustling and vibrant city. The Palm Grove at the centre of the gardens is particularly noted as a feat of planning and foresight, but the whole area is a lovely place to chill out on a long day’s sightseeing.

Travelling to Australia has always been popular with British tourists and has never been cheaper than it is today. There are loads of cheap flights to Australia available through the likes of Flight Centre if you book early enough, and that’ll leave you plenty of money to spare on having an absolutely great time.

Most famous of all is Bondi Beach, some 7 kilometres out from the centre of Sydney's central business district. Don't worry about getting out there though, there are literally hundreds of ways of getting out from Sydney city centre. Bondi Beach is, amazingly, only one kilometre long, but probably the most famous kilometre in the world.

For the uninitiated, Bondi is not the easiest place to surf, it is rated 7 out of 10 for difficulty and is well known for the rip current that pulls across the beach. The current is known as the Backpacker's Express for good reason. Also, although there are horror stories about shark attacks, in the summer the beach has a very effective shark net, so don't worry about getting bitten, though you will need a lot of sun protection.

If you fancy something a little more laid back, the other main option is Manly Beach. Manly is a suburb of Sydney, well known for its rugby team, and the main method of access for the beach is via a thirty minute ferry ride, which is also a great way of getting a look at Sydney's waterfront. Manly is not just one stretch of sand, it's a whole network of beaches, and there are rock pools, but don't expect to see in them anything that you'd be used to seeing in the UK.

Manly is also a well known surfing beach, but again, it's not for the faint-hearted.

If you don't fancy actually going in the water, Sydney is also a great base for whale-watching. From mid May until early December it's very common to see Humpback Whales on their way through from Antarctica to the Coral Sea, and you can even sometimes see them in Sydney Harbour itself. There are lots of good lookout points for the whales, but if you really want to get up close and personal you'll need to pay for a boat ticket.

Sydney is the kind of place that you could easily visit on holiday and then find yourself wanting to stay forever, and the beaches are just one part of the allure of the place. If you can't quite see yourself moving over full time, it's a great place to go on holiday, and with many cheap flights to Sydney available at the moment through Flight Centre, it's never been less expensive to travel all the way round the world.