Fun facts about Sydney, Australia

There is no harbor quite like the one in Sydney, Australia. When you sail in on a Princess® cruise, you can see two of Australia’s most recognizable landmarks from the water: the Sydney Opera House, with its gleaming white sails, and the steel arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

And those famous silhouettes are only the beginning. From an Opera House design that began with an international competition to a bridge held together by millions of rivets, some of the best fun facts about Sydney, Australia are hiding in plain sight. Discover the stories behind the skyline, shoreline and culture, then see them for yourself on cruises to Sydney.

The Sydney Opera House began with a competition and a design unlike anything Sydney had seen before. In 1957, Danish architect Jørn Utzon was announced as the winner of an international design competition that attracted 233 entries from around 30 countries.

Getting there was considerably more complicated. The project was initially estimated to cost A$7 million, but the final price reached A$102 million. Construction took 14 years, with the Opera House officially opening in 1973.

Guests arriving by ship get an especially fitting introduction when those unmistakable white roof shells appear across the harbor before the day ashore has even begun. The Sydney Sights and Opera House excursion takes guests inside the landmark for a closer look at its architecture and story, while Sydney Australia excursions offer more ways to experience the city beyond its famous waterfront.

It’s easy to see how the Sydney Harbour Bridge earned its nickname: “The Coathanger.” Its enormous curved steel arch stretches across the harbor, connecting Sydney’s central business district with the North Shore. When the bridge opened in 1932, it was an engineering achievement on a remarkable scale.

About 6 million hand-driven rivets hold its steelwork together, and its main arch spans 503 meters (1,650 feet). Today, it remains one of the world’s longest steel arch bridges.

Its scale also looks different from the water. As ships move through Sydney Harbour, the bridge rises above the waterfront, giving guests an up-close view of the structure that has framed the city’s skyline for nearly a century.

Sydney’s famous harbor is only the beginning of its relationship with the water. The city and surrounding coastline have more than 100 beaches, ranging from sheltered harbor coves to broad stretches of sand facing the Pacific.

Bondi Beach may be the name travelers know best, with its crescent of golden sand just a few miles from central Sydney. Across the harbor, Manly has both an ocean beach and a lively waterfront neighborhood, which you reach by one of Sydney’s classic harbor routes. 

Manly has a place in surfing history, too. In 1964, its beach hosted the first World Surfboard Championships, drawing competitors from around the world to compete for the inaugural world titles. Australia’s Bernard “Midget” Farrelly won the men’s championship, while Australian Phyllis O’Donell took the women’s title.

The Manly & North Sydney Sights excursion brings guests to this side of the city by coach, crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the way to North Head and free time at Manly Beach.

While English is the most widely spoken language, Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Greek are among the many languages spoken in homes across Greater Sydney. That mix reflects generations of migration that have shaped the city’s neighborhoods, restaurants and cultural traditions.

Sydney also knows how to put its landmarks to work after dark. Each year, Vivid Sydney brings light installations, music, food and creative events across the city, with the Sydney Opera House among the buildings transformed by large-scale projections. The festival typically runs for several weeks across May and June.

New Year’s Eve brings even bigger numbers. More than 1 million people gather around Sydney Harbour for the celebration, where fireworks are launched from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and other points around the harbor. The midnight show typically lasts about 12 minutes and uses around 9 tonnes (about 10 tons) of fireworks. Hundreds of millions more are estimated to watch around the world.

There’s considerably more beneath Sydney Harbour than passing boats. Researchers have documented more than 3,000 marine species in its waters, including hundreds of species of fish. Grey nurse sharks and weedy seadragons are among the more unexpected residents, while green sea turtles and Australian fur seals also make their home in the harbor.

One particularly local resident is White’s seahorse, also known as the Sydney seahorse. Growing up to 16 cm (6.3 inches) long, the species is found along Australia’s east coast, but its largest known populations occur in Sydney Harbour and Port Stephens.

The wildlife continues on land just south of Sydney. Royal National Park sits about 32 km (20 miles) from the city and has recorded more than 200 bird species. Visitors may also spot wallabies, possums and sugar gliders among its rainforest, coastal heathland and eucalyptus forest.

In The Rocks, Cadman's Cottage dates to 1816, making it the oldest building in the neighborhood and the third-oldest building in Sydney city. The sandstone cottage originally stood right at the water’s edge and served as headquarters for government boats until 1846. Land reclamation later pushed the shoreline farther away, leaving the cottage as a marker of where Sydney Cove once met the land.

For a considerably higher perspective, look to Sydney Tower. When it opened in 1981, the tower became the tallest structure in Sydney, and today it stands 309 meters (1,014 feet) tall. Its observation deck sits 250 meters (820 feet) above street level, with views extending across the city, harbor and coastline.

Sydney gives you plenty to talk about long after you leave the harbor. Maybe it’s the morning spent beneath the Opera House’s soaring rooflines, the ferry ride toward Manly or the sandstone streets of The Rocks that sticks with you. Better yet, aboard Princess, these moments can be part of a much bigger journey along Australia’s coast.

See where Sydney could fit into your next Australia cruise with Princess.