At a staggering 10,562 miles, the distance between the UK and Australia feels almost insurmountable. Clocking in at just under twenty four hours, being in a plane for that long is going to leave you with jetlag and maybe a stiff back, not to mention the havoc that crossing that many time zones will play on your body clock.

Despite the plane journey''s tediousness, though, you can now get a flight without having to spend too much. Travel agents and ticket vendors are in constant competition with each other to offer the most affordable flights possible, and considering there are so many choices, you''re more than likely to find something that will fit within your budget.

But everyone knows that the actual process of travelling is far from the most important aspect of a holiday, and what really matters isn''t how you get somewhere, but where you''re going to. And if it''s Australia that you''re going to visit, few places come more highly recommended than Sydney.

When thinking of sights and experiences which must not be missed in Sydney, the immediate one that will spring to everyone''s mind is the incredible Opera House. UNESCO recently named it a World Heritage Site, equating it with such excellent examples of human feats as The Statue of Liberty or Stonehenge.

The complex boasts seven performance venues, ranging from the main hall, with a capacity of 2,678, to the Utzon Room, a 210-seater flexible venue named after the man who designed the Opera House. Whether or not there is a show on in any of these spaces, the building certainly merits the visit as an example of fine late twentieth century Expressionist architecture.

Of all Sydney''s open air sights, it is perhaps the Royal Botanic Gardens that is the most mesmerising one of the lot. Originally founded as long ago as 1816, it now hosts what seem like limitless varieties of flowers and trees, as well as plenty of Australian wildlife such as the Grey Headed Flying Fox.

In such a hectic metropolis, an institution like the Royal Botanic Gardens really helps bring a sense of the natural world into the city. If, however, you are keen to move away from the parkland and towards the coast, there is nowhere in the world quite like the infamous kilometre of Bondi Beach.

Whether you just want to spend some time taking the sun or getting involved in a few of the water sports on offer, Bondi Beach is the ideal seaside holiday destination, and with the relaxed lifestyle practised by both holidaymakers and locals alike, it contributes to the kind of rich variety that makes Sydney such a special place.

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HILDEGARD SULLIVANT is a travel writer with a love of long distance travel. The recommend Flight Centre for cheap flights to Sydney http://www.flightcentre.co.uk/info/special/_australia/flights-to-sydney.