Travel guide: 24 hours in Sydney, Australia

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Situated on the south east coast of Australia, Sydney is one of the world's most beautiful and metropolitan cities. With moderate temperatures year round, (mild winters and warm summers), this city down under is the perfect vacation destination. Did you know that the warmest month in Sydney is January? So when you're suffering the mind-numbing, bone-chilling effects of a sub-zero winter climate and daydreaming of a sunny escape, consider Sydney.

There's plenty to do in Sydney but here are our favourite ways to kill 24 hours in this fine city. The rest, intrepid traveler, is up to you! But before you pack your bags and hop a plane, do be sure to pick up a copy of Bill Bryson's outrageously funny book In a Sunburned Country. This incredible book is both historical and hysterical -- the perfect reading material if you're headed to Australia! Interested in planning your own Australian adventure? Visit aussieweek.com to get started!

Where to stay
The Four Seasons Sydney is lavish and luxurious -- and its location? It can't be beat! If you can, get a room on one of the hotel's top floors, facing out onto the Sydney Harbour. The view is spectacular and waking up in the morning to see the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge outside your window will leave a lasting impression. The service is impeccable and you'll feel delightfully pampered throughout your stay. While you're there, don't forget to treat yourself to a relaxing treatment at the spa. When you finally drag yourself outside the hotel, you'll find that you're surrounded by some of the city's best sites (the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, of course) as well as lots of al fresco, harbour-side cafes and shops to explore. For more information, visit: fourseasons.com/sydney

Where to shop
No vacation is complete without running to the nearest ATM immediately upon landing, and stuffing your Louis Vuitton wallet full with a crisp new currency that's just begging to be spent. And besides, we all know that foreign currency is, well, it's kind of like play money. No matter, before you get too carried away, check out this online, universal currency converter before you hit the shops like a tornado. OK -- ready, set, shop? Here goes: Shopping gets a historic twist in The Queen Victoria Building, a shopping centre opened in 1898 (wow!) to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It hasn't been a shopping mecca for the past hundred years. Rather, it underwent an extensive overhaul in the 1980s, to return the structure to its original grandeur. Today, the shopping complex has an incredible collection of over 190 designer label stores, specialty shops and places to rest your feet and grab a bite to eat as you refuel for Shopping: Part Two. For more information, check out: qvb.com.au


Photos courtesy of Natalie Bahadur