Sydney is the Rugby League capital of the southern hemisphere and each weekend the place grinds to a halt as thousands make the weekly pilgrimage to one of the many Premiership clubs who play in the city and the suburbs. The current Premiers, Wests Tiger,s can be found in the city, but I've always loved visiting Parramatta to watch the exciting Eels play. An excursion to the rugby allows you to witness an essential piece of Sydney culture.

Parramatta Eels RFC, Parramatta. Trains to Parramatta run from Sydney Central Station and the journey takes approx 20-30 mins. From Parramatta Station a free bus service runs to Parramatta Stadium. Taxis are also plentiful. Tickets available from Ticketek in Darling Harbour (www.tickettek.com.au)

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A supremely exciting end to end sport unique to this amazing country. Sydney is home to the Swans who, in September of this year won the Australian Rules Football Premiership for the first time since the 1930s. Watching a Swans match at the Sydney Cricket Ground is a MUST in any visit to this city. Tickets are available via Ticketek online or in the Darling Harbour complex

Sydney Cricket Ground, Moore Park.

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In the most multicultural Australian city, Western Sydney is a sprawling, flat hinterland where this migrant diversity comes most to the fore. From Southern Europeans to Chinese to Latin Americans. And of course Middle Easterners: the second most spoken language in Sydney is Arabic. What looks like ugly, architecturally bland and often down at heel suburbia is actually an amazing mosaic of 'uprooted' peoples.

Driving through these suburbs (Cabramatta, Bankstown etc), hanging out in their shopping malls or any of the large communtiy clubs (glorified casinos and concert venues set up by football, migrant or union groups) you'll experience an important aspect of Sydney's heartland that goes against the Anglo stereotype. A subtle pleasure - if not that obvious at first...

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Last time I was in Sydney I saw an excellent play by the Sydney Theatre Company, who are probably the city's best theatre company. The play was called The Republic of Myopia, and it was a take on nationalism.

It was housed in the new Sydney Theatre, which is in a sort of theatre district in the wharves of Walsh Bay. The theatre itself was a mixture of industrial meets contemporary chic, and I remember there were a couple of good restaurants nearby.

Walsh Bay is in Millers Point, on Hickson Road. There are several theatres here.

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The Historic Houses Trust manage a few museums around the city, and it's a good idea to check out the site before you go. In any case, their head office is in the historic Mint building on Macquarie Street, where you can buy tickets for their museums as well as look at the beautiful Georgian architecture.

The Trust manage some of Sydney's more fascinating colonial buildings, and will give you an insight into the difficulties posed to the early colony. There are two harbourside mansions in their 'collection' – Elizabeth Bay House, a fine regency villa, and Vaucluse House, that began life as a cottage in 1803. Both have educational displays and antiques on site, and in particular Vaucluse House is set within beautiful grounds.

They also manage the Museum of Sydney, which is in the city. This museum looks at the interesting history of Sydney from convict times through to the present. A short detour from the Museum of Sydney would be the Hyde Park Barracks, which shows life as a convict in the early 19th century.

Most venues have a book/gift shop, and some have cafes.

www.hht.net.au
The head office is at the Mint, 10 Macquarie Street.
Infoline 02 8239 2442

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When I asked two intelligent professional Sydneysiders they couldn't think of a cultural highlight, which doesn't look good does it? But the city does have some excellent galleries; the Art Gallery of NSW is one of the best.

Art Gallery Road, the Domain; www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/home/

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