Recreation in Sydney

Sydneysiders thrive on outdoor recreation, and their city serves them well. Sydney radiates energy, vitality, and physical beauty.

The city’s harbors and ocean beaches offer an ideal setting for yachting, sailing, surfing, swimming, and scuba diving.

Bondi Beach to the east of the CBD and Manly Beach to the north of Port Jackson are popular recreation areas.

Maroubra and Narrabeen beaches are two of the best beaches for ocean surfing, a way of life for some Sydneysiders.

A ring of national parks around Sydney offers spectacular settings for outdoor activities such as bushwalking (hiking).

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to the north contains ancient Aboriginal sandstone engravings; Royal National Park to the south covers 15,000 hectares (37,100 acres) of the Sydney Basin sandstone country and a long stretch of coastline; and the Blue Mountains National Park to the west is a sanctuary for koala bears and other native wildlife.

The greater Blue Mountains area was designated as a World Heritage Site in November 2000.

Areas of original bushland have also been preserved in the metropolitan area in the Lane Cove and Garigal national parks, as well as in a number of smaller reserves.

Sydney Harbour National Park encompasses most of the harbor islands and several headlands, including North Head.

The Taronga Park Zoological Gardens have outdoor-habitat exhibits of endangered animal species and Australian wildlife, all situated on a large site along the Sydney Harbour shore.

The Royal Botanic Gardens and Centennial Park are more formal areas of parkland near the CBD.

Most of these areas are used extensively for picnics and barbecues as well as for more active pursuits.

Major sporting facilities are centered in two areas: in and near Moore Park to the southeast of the CBD and at Homebush Bay to the west.

Thousands of fans of cricket and rugby football attend weekend games at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium, both in Moore Park.

A horseracing track, Randwick Racecourse, is nearby. Homebush Bay saw massive redevelopment for the 2000 Olympics.

The overall budget for the Olympics was A$8 billion, including construction costs. Facilities built for the event include Stadium Australia, the main venue of the Olympics; the Sydney International Aquatic Center; tennis, hockey, and archery complexes; the Superdome for concerts and various indoor sports, including basketball; and the new Showgrounds, which replaced the old Showgrounds in the Moore Park area, for sporting and cultural events.

Other Olympic venues were also constructed in various suburban locations, notably the State Rowing Center at Penrith Lakes in the outer west.

Sydney’s second major horseracing venue is at Rosehill, near Homebush Bay.