Even sports-mad Aussies will rarely have seen the like: 10,000 athletes, 28 disciplines, 635 sessions of sport between September 15-October 1, and an awful lot of fireworks. They will be cycling in Centennial Park, sailing from Rushcutters Bay and playing beach volleyball at Bondi. It is fitting that the 27th Olympic Games is being held in one of the most successful sporting nations on earth, and it is a big deal for a city that is already shining brightly.
Sydney's economy is booming, tourist numbers have rocketed over the past few years, and more and more foreigners are arriving to live and work. Sydney has a certain magnetism charged by a fabulous climate and a wealth of activities and fine restaurants and cafés. For a large city (roughly 4m), it is pleasantly and genuinely friendly. In January 2001, it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the federation of Australia. But first there is the small matter of the Olympics.
Some of the estimated 5.5 million tickets that went on sale for events are still available. Finding out what's left is difficult. Tickets for the big athletics finals, swimming, water polo, gymnastics, basketball, tennis, the opening and closing ceremonies are almost impossible to come by.
Sportsworld, the UK's officially-appointed Olympic tour operator, says booking levels have already exceeded the overall number achieved for the last Games, in Atlanta in 1996. Its website has an outline guide to the popularity of certain disciplines. Sportsworld has assigned five travel agents to sell their packages: Austravel, Quest Worldwide, Travelbag, Bridge the World and Boomerang.
Read the small print for restrictions, and check whether you are in a hotel or a shared apartment. Such has been the scramble for accommodation that many of the city's 40,000-plus hotel and motel rooms have been booked for months.
Sportsworld's website also has guide prices and details about what you get for your money. Those who book through one of the five assigned agents will receive a pre-determined cocktail of event tickets. They will know which sports they are going to see but not necessarily which sessions until they get to Sydney. Die-hard fans who book direct through Sportsworld can pick their sport and session. The only other way to get tickets for events is to risk it and try to buy them from a ticket booth after you land in Sydney.
Those travelling to the Paralympic Games (October 18-29) are quids in as accommodation and tickets are a fraction of the price. Sportsworld is offering a five-night package in a three-star hotel for £1,065 and 12 nights in a four-star hotel for £1,475 (flying Emirates). A day pass to the Paralympics will cost £6, and £72 for an opening ceremony ticket.
Getting around
Last month, Sydney airport was a mess: drilling drowned out the departure announcements and a layer of brick dust had settled on the duty-free toy koalas. However, the authorities promise that by September it will look fabulous.
It is also going to have to be super efficient to handle not only the predicted 720,000 international and domestic passengers but the 250 horses for equestrian events and 1,000 wheelchairs for the Paralympic Games.
Just landed
A new rail link between the airport and central station in the city will begin operating before the Games and will provide a swift transfer for passengers. Green and yellow buses run from the airport to the city centre and to Bondi (approx £4). A blue 353 bus goes to the eastern beaches of Maroubra and Coogee (approx £3). Taxis are plentiful (approx £8 to the city centre).
On the right track
Most sporting events take place at the vast Olympic complex at Homebush Bay, 12 miles west of the city centre. The Cityrail network will operate 24 hours a day during the Games.
Olympic ticket holders can travel free on the Olympic transport system for the day of their event and until 4am the following day. After attending an Olympic competition, spectators can travel to festivities elsewhere and still travel free back to their accommodation. Sadly, Olympic tickets do not include free travel on Sydney's ferries. A fleet of 3,350 buses will complement the rail network serving the city and Olympic venues.
Beat the heat
It might only be spring in Sydney, but temperatures in September can climb to the high 20s C (mid 80F) and the sun is always strong. A day pack should include sunscreen, sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and a bottle of water.
Olympic widows
If you don't share your partner's passion for watching javelins fly through the air and you really couldn't care less who wins the baseball, then leave the crowds behind and have a sport-free day out. There is more than enough to keep Olympic widows happy.
Start with a ride on a ferry from Circular Quay, past the Opera House and across the harbour to Taronga Zoo. From there, easy bush walks wind through glades of Red Gums to Bradley's Head with stunning views back across the water to the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.
During the Games, an arts festival is being staged that will include displays of colonial art and the Aboriginal art awards. A full programme is on the Official Olympic Website.
Modern art fans will gravitate to the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay while those wanting to discover a bit of Australian history will head for the Powerhouse Museum.
The Opera House is always worth a tour. Some singers have refused to perform until the acoustics are sorted out but, from the outside at least, it is one of the world's truly wonderful structures. Close by are the Botanical Gardens with plenty of open spaces in which to enjoy a picnic. If you are staying in the Eastern Beaches, then try the clifftop walk between Bronte and Bondi. Further afield, day tours are available to the Hunter Valley, the wine-growing region two hours north of Sydney.
Post-race party
Sydney is a gourmet's delight. It has recently been ranked in the top culinary cities in the world. Praise indeed, considering Australia was not long ago rated a food and cultural desert. The choice is vast and the quality high.
With a strong pound in your pocket, even some of the higher-priced establishments might be within reach. Among the starched tablecloths and minimalist design of Salt in trendy Darlinghurst, diners will find the most exciting menu and some of the most imaginative and delicious food in the city.
For great views of Sydney by night, try the sky-high Summit restaurant at the top of the Australia Square building.
A more secluded spot for a romantic evening is the Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay in Glebe, where the red snapper pie is a tasty favourite.
Among the best cafés are the Bronte Bite at Bronte (Eastern Beaches), the Globe on Coogee Bay Road in Coogee (Eastern Beaches), and the Tropicana in Darlinghurst.
For drinks, try the Paddington on Oxford Street for cheerful Aussie banter, Mint in Martin Place for smart Martinis and hip decor, and Pontoon on Darling Harbour for good beer and chips.
Rumour has it that the closing ceremony will take place in part in the Olympic stadium but the real show will be down at the harbour with fireworks to make the spectacular millennium bash look like a genteel Guy Fawkes garden party.
Rest period
After the competition is over, try a post-Olympic weekend break on the south coast of New South Wales. Lindy and Rob Nedwich run the charming self-contained Tomaga Hill Cottage five hours' drive south of Sydney, near the seaside town of Bateman's Bay.
The countryside south of Sydney turns remarkably English after a couple of hours and the cottage lies in stunning scenery with hills to the west forested with eucalyptus and white cedar, and the wild Tasman Sea to the east, and many beaches along this fringe of Pacific coast are deserted for most of the year.
On the drive down, stop off at Jervis Bay - a beautiful wide inlet with several beaches, said to have the whitest sand in Australia.
Pebbly Beach makes another good stop, to meet the kangaroos. They are wild but so accustomed to visitors that they are placid as long as you keep food away from them.
Rob, a keen surfer, will point out the best waves to catch, but for those who would rather stay on dry land there are bush walks and the pretty country towns of Mogo and Moruya have inexhaustible supplies of antique shops and galleries.
The practicals
Visas required for UK nationals (max stay 3 months) available from travel agents or Australian High Commission (020 7379 4334 or www.australia.org.uk). Quickest flight time from the UK is 23 hours with one touch down for refuelling usually in Singapore and Bangkok. Official Sydney 2000 Olympic site: www.olympics.com.eng. Australia Travellers' Guide with Olympics from Australian Tourist Commission (0906 863 3235 or www.australia.com).
