These two neighbourhoods in the inner city are trend central. Sydney's inner-city is always interesting, but Darlinghurst and Surry Hills are an easy walk from the city centre. I just love wondering round the back streets finding a mixture of cafes and art galleries and interesting shops. There is also something about the architecture. The old stone houses, and the new apartment blocks – it's a great, exciting mix.

The main shopping street of Surry Hills is Crown Street, and it is here you will find inventive homeware stores. Some of Sydney's best restaurants are here as well.

Walk up Oxford Street from Hyde Park, and on the left is Darlinghurst, and on the right is Surry Hills

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Cabramatta is the centre of the Asian community in Western Sydney, most notably the Vietnamese. Here you can find the most eclectic array of asian food, from Vietnamese through to Laosian. The cost of eating here is amazingly cheap for the quality of food, too.

Up until recently the area was given a lot of bad press, but people have become to realise that the food and shopping (fabrics, ethnic supermarkets, electrical goods) make Cabramatta a different Sydney experience.

Cityrail to Cabramatta – about 30 minutes.

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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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