| 
    Awaiting Your Return From Shore |  Sydney 
    is the heart of New South Wales and the state’s capital. A bustling center 
    for industry and business and a major world port, it boasts 3.5 million 
    inhabitants. Spreading over some 670 square miles, the city seems to stretch 
    as far as the eye can see to the west, north and south. Where Sydney’s 
    metropolitan area ends, the wide open bush of New South Wales begins. 
 Sydney is located roughly the same distance from the equator as San Diego, 
    California, and enjoys an equally superb sunny climate. Its beautiful harbor 
    is studded with bays and inlets and crowned by the billowing sails of the 
    incomparable Opera House.
 
 In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed the Endeavor into Botany Bay, claiming 
    the east coast of the island continent for England and naming it New South 
    Wales. The timing was perfect as England was seeking a suitable venue for a 
    penal colony. On May 13, 1787, Captain Arthur Phillip was dispatched to this 
    new destination with some 1,000 convicts.
 
 Today this international metropolis has long outgrown the stigma of its 
    convict origins. Its harbor is undoubtedly the key to Sydney’s splendor. It 
    gives the city a pronounced maritime character and immense vitality. The 
    city is divided into Sydney proper on one side of the harbor and North 
    Sydney on the other; the famous Harbour Bridge spans the bay linking these 
    two metropolitan areas.
 
 Like many of the world’s major cities, Sydney is a contrast of old and new. 
    Soaring glass and steel skyscrapers and the dramatic Opera House are offset 
    by interesting historical buildings. Where Captain Arthur Phillip and his 
    convicts set foot on the shores of Sydney Cove in 1788, there is now a 
    beautifully restored area, called The Rocks. Within minutes you can walk 
    from the quay to the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and to one of Sydney’s 
    best viewing spots, the 48-story Australia Square Tower, where you can 
    survey the entire city in a convenient orientation course.
 
 Please Note: Exciting Silversea Land Programs are available for guests 
    beginning or ending their cruise in Sydney. Please see details at the end of 
    this book. At the Silversea Pre- and Post-Cruise hotel in Sydney, staff at 
    the Hospitality Desk will provide our guests with information on 
    sightseeing, dining and shopping during their stay in Sydney.
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    Awaiting Your Return 
    From Shore | 
  
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    Complimentary 
    Spirits Await | 
    
    Return to Your 
    Suite and Sail Away to The Next Adventure | 
    
    Entertainment 
    and Dancing Await You |