Armed with your golden ticket (the Opal card, which allows you to catch a train, bus, or ferry) and your own personal GPS and guidebook (your local host), you’ll be ready for a crash course in Sydney.

From figuring out the transport systems to getting schooled on the city’s best beaches (Manly Beach for sunbathing and surfing; Bondi for beachside bar-hopping with beautiful people), your host will be an invaluable tool for getting you relaxed and comfortable in one of the world’s sunniest cities.

Along the way, you’ll also get a lesson in hunting down the best food - the historic inner west suburbs are a great place to start - and learn the secrets only Sydneysiders know, like which ferry to take for the best sunset harbor views.

You’ll get to grips with Sydney’s fast-paced CBD and the inner west suburbs just a mile away. Why? If you can navigate the tightly-packed historic streets lined with bookshops, galleries, and narrow 19th-century terrace houses in Newtown and Glebe, then hop on a train to the pedestrian precinct of Darling Harbor, where sun-drenched waterfront restaurants and huge shopping complexes demand excellent crowd navigation skills, you’ll be an honorary Sydneysider in no time.

Of course, a big part of Sydney living is taking the ferry. Your local insider might guide you across the water to affluent Kirribilli, where a hidden restaurant under the Sydney Harbor Bridge has excellent seafood and a perfect view of the iconic Sydney Opera House.