THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF SYDNEY
Sydney is known as a world famous cosmopolitan city, but venture just a short distance beyond the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the skyscrapers of the city centre, and there's a side to Sydney that most visitors - and even some residents - don't know about, and never take the time to discover.
Sydney is built in a natural basin, created aeons ago by streams and rivers that carved canyons and valleys out of giant slabs of sandstone that were once mountain tops. Millions of years of erosion has created a landscape riddled with caves and precipitous cliffs, over which a myriad water courses plunge into the drowned river valleys we know today as Port Jackson, Port Hacking, and the Parramatta, Georges and Hawkesbury Rivers.
In among these hills and valleys, there are many places of natural beauty that have escaped the advancement of suburbia. Some are in inner suburbs, most are easily accessible by public transport and all are waiting for you to discover and enjoy.
Sydney's Natural Bushland
Numerous pockets of natural bushland across the Sydney metropolitan area have managed to escape urban development, in most instances because of the difficulty of the terrain. Often in small valleys right on the city's doorstep, these reserves are some of Sydney's most treasured places of natural beauty.
Go there ...
The Creeks Of Sydney
An illustration of the vast number of watercourses that flowed through the Sydney Basin when Sydney was founded in 1788 is that the southern shoreline of the Parramatta River between Parramatta and Sydney is punctuated by many bays and coves into which flow some 27 creeks. We explore the suburbs of Sydney to find the many lost or little known rivers and creeks.
Inner West
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Greater West and North West
| Lane Cove River | Hawkesbury River |
Pittwater, Northern Beaches and Middle Harbour
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The Waterfalls of Sydney
Even though development has reduced many of Sydney's smaller watercourses to a trickle, even after heavy rain, many waterfalls, cascades and races over which they flow have survived the onslaught of suburbia. They range from streams that flow over rocky slopes and through secluded valleys to waterfalls that plunge off 30 metre high cliffs into the sea.
Sydney suburban Area | Sydney environs
Sydney's Beaches
Sydney is blessed with a wonderful choice when it comes to enjoying the surf, the sand and the summer sun. Whatever one seeks when relaxing at the beach, Sydney's beaches can deliver. There are beaches were the conditions are perfect for catching a wave; some provide safety for the family to enjoy, while others offer a choice of either surf, or the calm waters of an ocean rockpool. You can experience a first class dining experience at a beachside cafe or restaurant, or enjoy an intimate picnic for two at an isolated cove that few people know about and even fewer go. Visit our Beach by Beach guide to find out where to go for that perfect beach experience.
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