Sydney, like most parts of Australia, presents no real health risks for foreign visitors. Tap water is good, restaurants and eating places are required by law to maintain a high standard of food preparation, and the city is generally clean. Smog is less of a problem than with cities such as London, Hong Kong and Bangkok, but is still quite high. Exposure to the sun can be a problem for those who are fair-skinned. Also, those with little experience in swimming in the surf should be cautious when swimming at Sydney's famous surf beaches, Bondi and Manly, and should always swim between the warning flags erected by lifeguards. Medical costs in Australia are not exhorbitant like in the United States and Europe, but travel insurance is still recommended.

Handy to Know:

Electricity voltage: 240. Units of measure: metric. Public phones: 50-cent local calls (Sydney metropolitan area). Phone directory assistance: 1223 (Sydney area), 1223 (Australia), 1225 (International). Phone international dial out prefix code: 0011 Coffee: around $3.50 a cup, sometimes less, quite often more in tourist areas. Petrol (gas) in cents per litre: approximately 120 (as at September 2006) Emergency phone number for police, ambulance and fire is 000.

Sydney is also one of the safest cities to live in, with a reputation for fine eating. Two Sydney restaurants have been named in the world's top 50 for 2006, with Tetsuya's ranked fifth and Rockpool coming in at 30th.

The Restaurant Magazine awards were unveiled to the cream of the culinary world at a ceremony at London's Science Museum on Monday. The Fat Duck, in the village of Bray, west of London, which is famed for its curious signature dishes such as "snail porridge", was knocked from its perch as the world's best restaurant, with the accolade heading south to Spain.

El Bulli, near Rosas, northern Spain, regained the title it won at the inaugural World's 50 best restaurants awards in 2002, swapping places with The Fat Duck. Tetsuya's and Rockpool owners Tetsuya Wakuda and Neil Perry were at the awards to hear their restaurants named among the world's best.

Tetsuya's fifth ranking was down one place from last year, but his assistant Vicki Wilde said he was ecstatic with the result.

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