I first came to Sydney Australia from Malaysia in February 1982 to attend high school and university. I stayed for 5 years as an overseas student on a student visa until the end of 1986 when I graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Economics degree. 

Back in those days, Sydney was already a beautiful city and had so much to offer to the visitor – carefree lifestyle, beach culture, great Aussie BBQ and steaks, fantastic weather with beautiful warm and sunny days where one can embark on just about any sort of outdoor activity from kayaking, fishing, biking to snow skiing in winter. What more can one ask for? Well, a lot more, and moving back to Sydney in 1998, this time as a permanent resident, this beautiful place has evolved to become one of the premier cities in the Asia – Oceanic region.

There are almost 150,000 people who become permanent residents of Australia each year. For anyone contemplating on moving to Sydney, here are my top reasons for doing so:

1. Food culture and carefree lifestyle

Having been away for 12 years before moving back to Sydney in 1998, this is one aspect of Sydney that has evolved. Being in close proximity to its Asian neighbours, Sydney and Australia has benefited from a significant influx of Asian migrants over the last 20 years to complement the early Anglo-Celtic migrants from Europe. Today, metropolitan Sydney is a melting pot of world-class and international cuisine. You name it, Sydney’s got it – traditional and modern Italian, Greek, German, French and Swiss to start with from continental Europe.

The Brits that move to Sydney feel right at home in the English style pubs that offer Sydney’s version of fish and chips, hearty beef burgers and steak sandwiches. Being close to Asia means that Sydney and Australia have benefited from the influences and flavours of many Asian cuisines which include Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian to name just a few.

The Sydney Fish Markets have grown to become among the largest seafood market in the southern hemisphere.

The wave of new chefs and young professionals in the hospitality industry has elevated these cuisines to new heights with their own take on what is now called Modern Australian cuisine - a mix of European and Asian influences with elements of Australia, using the best and freshest of ingredients this country has to offer. An array of world-class restaurants with iconic Sydney views have also took centre stage in Sydney’s food scene.

2.       Multiculturalism

Sydney and Australia have embraced multiculturalism through a migration policy which sees more than 150,000 skilled and business migrants arriving in Australia each year. This had added new dimensions to the Australian economy in terms of developing a highly skilled labour force and enriching the cultural heritage of Australia which now include people from all corners of the world. 40% of Sydney’s residents are migrants from outside of Australia.

The Sydney Olympics in 2000 cemented this city as a world-class destination where the combination of modern infrastructure, cool and temperate climate, natural beauty of harbour gave Sydney the unanimous choice to host the summer games. Sydney attracts the largest number of migrants than any other Australian capital city. Many are attracted to this city because of career prospects in its dynamic economy.

3. Outdoor and carefree lifestyle

Sydney is built around one of the world’s most beautiful harbours. It landscapes include beaches, bays, headlands and vast open spaces. This natural setting makes Sydney a very conducive place for outdoor activities and its residents are generally keen to spend weekends and leisure time on bushwalks, swimming and cycling among many other activities. The weekend and summer BBQs in the backyard is a quintessential Sydney and Australian past-time.The coastal highways make it easy to drive either up or down the coast along the eastern seaboard which offer other activities such as fishing, rock-climbing and camping..

4. Weather and climate

Sydney enjoys a temperate climate which means the city enjoys more than 240 days of sunny weather each year. Winter temperatures are mild, between 9 – 17 Celsius (or 49 – 63 Fahrenheit). On a sunny winter day, it is quite usual to see surfers at Sydney's Bondi beach taking on the waves. This climate has contributed to the outdoor lifestyle and strong sporting heritage of Australia.

5. Public transport

An efficient public transport system in Sydney include an integrated rail, bus and ferry network which connect the Sydney CBD with all of its metropolitan areas, extending both north and south along the coastal areas as well as towards the west into the Blue Mountains region

6. Housing affordability and job prospects

Average house prices in Sydney ranges from approximately A$380,000 in western Sydney to approximately A$1,000,000 in more affluent suburbs which are close to the coastal landscapes. Despite the current global economic crisis, Australia avoided a recession and unemployment in Australia remained at 5.8% which is the lowest among OECD countries. The four major banks of Australia are financially very strong and have not been adversely affected at all by the crisis.

More information about Sydney and Australian real estate.

7. Education system

In recent years, the education system in Sydney has grown to cater for the ever increasing influx of overseas students who recognise that having a good qualification from one of Australia’s higher learning institutions greatly increases job prospects in the future. Sydney now have more than a dozen universities, technical colleges, vocational schools which offer courses from the natural sciences to engineering, medicine and commerce. Apart from tourism, education is a major source of export income for the state economy of New South Wales.

8. Child and handicap friendly environment

Sydney is a conducive city for young families, the elderly and the handicap. Government policy has been effective in ensuring the needs of these groups are given priority in all public domains as well as requirements for private businesses to cater to the same.

Corporate sailing in Sydney, Australia

• Corporate sailing with clients can be a great alternative to corporate golf. Corporate sailing does not involve any skill on the part of the participants, who are free to mingle and build relationships, on a skippered yatch often sailing in spectacular harbour views.

Living in Sydney, Australia

• I first came to Sydney in the early 80s from Malaysia to attend high school and university. As a student with a budget, Sydney life was very different at that time compared to what it is now 25 years later.

Sculptures by the Sea

• Each year in spring time, Bondi beach is host to the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition which is free of charge and open to the general public. In this exhibition, hundreds of artistic sculptures are placed along the beach and the rocks from where the Bondi to Bronte walk path begins.

5 reasons to live in Watsons Bay

• If you can have a glorious day in the sun with a view of sailboats gently rocking in simmering waters while lunching on fresh oysters and a glass of bubbly, why in the world would you need 4 other reasons to live in Watsons Bay?

A Walk in Paradise ~ Sydney's Botanic Gardens

• In every major city in the world today, be it London, New York, Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo or Beijing, there must be a place within its city quarters where locals can go for a quick sandwich on a park bench, take a slow walk to unwind or simply read a book under the sun for no good reason. In Sydney Australia, the Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens is that place.

Top 5 Outdoor Wedding Venues in Sydney

• Every bridal couple’s dream is to have a wedding that is both special and meaningful, an event that would share lasting memories with family and friends for a lifetime. Having lived in Sydney for many years, I have discovered that bridal couples are spoilt for choice in making their wedding day a little different to the traditional church or indoor wedding.