Sydney's Southern Suburbs contain many hidden jewels, and there are certainly some areas that are well worth exploring. Leichhardt's Norton Street is famous for it's varied selection of fantastic multicultural tastes and flavours. Here you can dine on virtually any taste and budget, relax and soak in the atmosphere of one of Sydney's premier restaurant strips. It is well worth a visit, and is located only a few kilometres from Sydney's CBD.

To the South of Sydney lies Botany Bay, host to modern Australia, with Captain Cook's well documented landing at Kurnell in 1770. Chances are that you have flown over Kurnell on your way into or out of Sydney, as the site sits opposite Sydney's Mascot International Airport, right next to the Kurnell Oil Refinery. A bit sad really, when you think about it... When the first convicts and settlers arrived in 1788, Botany Bay was deemed unsuitable as a settlement area due to the unprotected nature of the bay, and the first white settlement was established a little further North at Port Jackson, a site nestled in the body of water that is now known as Sydney Harbour.

For an ideal and convenient location close to the airport, you can take a few kilometers' drive South around the western fringes of Botany Bay along The Grand Parade to Brighton Le Sands. With a myriad of restaurants, cafes and eateries, the area comes alive at night, and it can be often quite difficult to find a decent parking spot. In the middle of Brighton Le Sands sits the Novotel Brighton Beach, a four star resort type hotel which has magnificent facilites and views over the bay and towards the city skyline. Or you can just sit on your balcony or on the beach and watch the planes come and go over the water...

As an aside, for cycling enthusiasts, recent years have seen many cycling tracks take shape around Sydney, with some great rides available from the Brighton Le Sands area, taking you past and around the airport, even connecting through to the Homebush Bay / Olympic Park precinct if you are really keen! It is a great way to see some of the local Sydney areas at your own pace and time.

Further to the South lies the Sutherland Shire, one of the largest geographical council areas in Sydney. Stretching from Sandy Point (near Liverpool) in the west through to Cronulla and Kurnell in the east, the main areas of the "Shire" sit between the waters of the Georges River, and the Port Hacking River to the South. Here you can find one of Sydney's original waterfront suburb developments, Sylvania Waters, made famous through the early reality TV series by the same name. Westfield Miranda (still known by locals as "Miranda Fair") sits in the suburb of Miranda, with a wide variety of department stores and specialised shopping available under one roof. The beachside suburb of Cronulla has undergone some extensive upgrades to it's infastructure in recent years, and offers some great beachside eateries and accommodation, including the four star Rydges Cronulla hotel, and the Quest Apartments.

Shire areas have also been used for backdrops in many movies and TV series over the years. I have already mentioned Sylvania Waters. Areas in and around Cronulla were used for the recent TV series "White Collar Blue" on the TEN network. Unforunately, sand mining has decimated the area over recent decades, however some may remember the Cronulla / Kurnell sandhills being used for memorable movies such as "Mad Max - Beyond Thunderdome", as well as a number of TV commercials over the years. And who could forget the memorable "Puberty Blues", also filmed around the Cronulla area..

On the other side of the Port Hacking river lies one of Australia's original National Parks, The Royal National Park. Although ravaged by some pretty severe bushfires over the last decade, the park is abundant in native flora and fauna and is well worth a visit. You can do some great scenic drives through the Park to Stanwell Tops, with some great secluded beaches and bushwalks available on the way. Or just park yourself at Audley, hire a boat from the historic boatshed, and enjoy the day with a picnic and a nice leisurely row up the river after lunch, taking in the sights and sounds of the local wildlife. Or you could park the car at the Loftus Tram Museum and catch a historic tram into the park. Be aware that you will need to do a short trek down to Audley from the station, and the hike back up the hill can be quite disheartening after a nice relaxing picnic!

In the North East corner of the Royal National Park, you will find the communities of Bundeena and Maianbar, which lie opposite Cronulla on the Port Hacking. For a great day trip, you can catch a 20 minute ferry ride from Cronulla (it is rare, but I have actually seen dolphins on this trip across the river), and spend the day just relaxing on the quiet sandy beaches, or just soak in the peaceful atmosphere of these communities by the river.