JAMES HIPKISS tell you why living in a city could be paradise if it’s Sydney.

THOUGH I originate from the other side of the world from Sydney, Australia, I confess the city is one of the few I could happily stay in for the rest of my life.

However, what does it offer to the visitor, who gets off an eight-hour flight from KL to spend a week exploring?

Initially a pretty good climate for around 90 per cent of the year, a few weeks in mid-summer may be a little too hot, and a few weeks in winter a trifle cold and drizzly, but with over 300 sunny days a year, the climate leaves little to be desired.

The other striking first impression if your plane flies in over the city is that it is built around what is arguably the biggest natural harbour in the world, and therein lies some of its charm.
The harbour with its picturesque shoreline is in the heart of Sydney, so be sure to get a hotel close to the harbour with its fine views, and to be close to the areas where you will be doing much of your sightseeing and shopping.

Most of the hotels and attractions are in the districts on the south side of the harbour, each district having its own unique attributes.

The Rocks is the historic heart of Sydney, at the water’s edge, with many restored old buildings and contemporary ones too.

There are some fine five-star hotels here, and a few shops and upmarket restaurants.

A little further along the waterfront is Darling Harbour — a restored and reclaimed dock area now also with five-star hotels, seafood restaurants, the National Maritime Museum and Sydney Aquarium, and is well worth a visit.

A pretty and now very upmarket suburb running down towards the harbour’s edge is Paddington.

Streets filled with bijou little townhouses complete with Victorian wrought iron balconies, carefully restored by their yuppie owners; boutiques and fashionable bars and restaurants also make it worthy of a visit.

At the top of a nearby hill with breathtaking harbour views is Kings Cross.

Once a rough, red light district, and still a little rough at the edges, this neighbourhood has many good-value hotels from backpacker level upwards, the better ones being towards Potts Point.

A very busy nightlife is in evidence with plenty of cheap eateries, bars and clubs, some still with a reddish hue to them, others more sophisticated.

Nearby Darlinghurst once had a similar reputation, but has been somewhat gentrified by the city’s large gay community. It is also known as an area with a lot chic restaurants and bars, a “happening” district.

The other central region which tourists are likely to see is the downtown business district.

There are several good shopping streets there, including Castlereagh and Oxford Streets, Pitt Street Mall and the famous historic Queen Victoria Building, good for shopping on the rare rainy day.

Getting around Sydney is fortunately very easy. There is a great public transport system of buses, Cityrail trains, monorail, Metro light rail and the harbour ferries.

Rather than buying lots of separate tickets, opt for a weekly travel card or the “daytripper card”, which is valid on various forms of transport.

Other must-sees or must-dos that you can take advantage of with these travel cards include a ferry ride across the harbour to Manly (the harbour is spectacularly beautiful and Manly Beach or Bondi Beach is not to be missed).

Finish an evening with a visit to the famous Luna theme park on the north side of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The food is exceptional too. The variety, western, eastern, fusion, the quality will not disappoint. Australian chefs have in recent years developed an impressive reputation. Wine and beer drinkers are also more than well-catered for.

Then any money you have left you are sure to spend in the city’s many shops — from designer boutiques to craft shops to department stores.

Really, this city has it all. Did I not say I would be quite happy to live here?