Sydney - Nightlife

Nightlife in Sydney is legendary. Oxford Street, the heart of Sydney's gay area, buzzes with cafes and clubs (gay, straight and mixed) while the established red-light districtspans out fromKings Cross. The Rocks, is more upmarket;drinks at the harbourside terraces are expensive but worth it for the views.

Sydney's night owls are predominantly designer clad. Bouncers at the more fashionable clubs enforce strict dress codes and ID checks. The days of the six o'clock swill are long gone - Sydney's licensing hours are extremely relaxed.

For up-to-date listings, free weekly entertainment guides Drum Media (www.drummedia.com.au) and 3D World (www.threedworld.com.au) are available at most city-centre bookshops and record stores, as is the gay and lesbian Sydney Star Observer (www.ssonet.com.au). The arts and entertainment magazine Time Out (www.timeoutsydney.com.au) is an excellent guide to what's on in the city. The Sydney Morning Herald (www.smh.com.au) also carries a comprehensive entertainment guide, 'Metro', in the Friday edition.