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Qantas Airways (800-227-4500) flies to Sydney from Los Angeles twice a day. The round-trip fare at Olympics time will be $1,594 coach, though a $7,052 business-class seat might be preferable for the 15-hour trip. One of the newer hotels is the Pier One Parkroyal (11 Hickson Rd., The Rocks; 011-61-2-8298-9999), on a restored wharf overlooking Walsh Bay. The interior of the hotel juxtaposes old bricks and beams with mega-modern decor--check out the glass-floored lobby. Across Circular Quay, opposite the botanical gardens, is another new hotel, The Quay Grand (61 Macquarie St.; 011-61-2-9256-4000), this one with suites that have balconies, kitchens, Jacuzzis and Internet access. The decor is bland, but the lively harborside ECQ Bar makes up for that. In Darlinghurst, The Medusa (267 Darlinghurst Rd.; 011-61-2-9331-1000) is a Victorian mansion turned into a hip boutique hotel. For more information, call the Australian Tourist Commission (800-333-0262).

--Kate Sekules