User:SHB2000/Sydney and surrounds

No trip to New South Wales is ever complete without visiting its magnificent capital, Sydney. In fact, almost two-thirds of visitors to the state never leave it. While most of the state's natural highlights lie outside the Greater Sydney region, there are still many great places that you can visit without having to venture out too far.

Regions
By far, Sydney and its suburbs that extend kilometres out forms a vibrant "region". It's the starting point for not just most visitors to the city or even state, but it's the main gateway to Australia. Thanks to Sydney's extensive albeit dated train network, many of these destinations can be reached via train within 1–2 hours. All regions but the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra are connected via a freeway, though the Western Motorway (M4) ends right at the foothills of the Blue Mountains and the Princes Motorway (M1) starts at Sydney's very southern border.

Cities

 * – the vibrant busling state capital and the largest city in Oceania
 * and – the childhood home of cricketer Don Bradman
 * – the centrepiece of the Central Coast
 * – a tourist-oriented town at the peak of the Blue Mountains with an elevation of over 1000 metres
 * – perched at the very edge of the Blue Mountains
 * – the 'gong's satellite city centred around a fairly large lake
 * – NSW's third largest city
 * – a city halfway between Sydney and Newcastle