Surfing in Sydney

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.