Australia: Ballarat, Victoria

Score: 64

"Some of the great attractions are the old gold mines. I found the sound-and-light presentation to be exceedingly good and imaginative."

"The evening sound-and-light show is dated and now seems rather silly to most visitors. Local accommodation is fine and food is great."

"Should be one of greatest European colonial cultural sites in Australia—instead it's a theme park."

"The whole city is clean; good air quality. However, difficult for tourists to get around—bus system is not adequate."

"Wildlife is in danger of disappearing."

Australia: Sydney Harbor

Score: 75

"The Harbour is one of the great heritage places of the world, where old and new combine into a visually and contextually stimulating experience."

"Access is one of the things managed best here, with visitors able to do everything from sailing to climbing the Harbour Bridge."

"One of the great waterfronts of the world. Sydney Opera House one of the masterworks of architecture and Sydney Harbour Bridge a great engineering feat."

"Regeneration of the Rocks, Darling Harbour, the Powerhouse, etc., are all textbook good practice, with effective new buildings, strong cultural identity and social life, and good use of tourism."

"On a sunny day there are very few urban sights so refreshing as Sydney Harbor. Street performers light up the paths and squares. A negative is the controversial new modernist development next to the Opera House. It looks out of place with its steel and glass architecture."

"Vibrant space for tourists and residents. Historic elements seem well integrated into the new development but tend to blend too well. Their significance is lost."

"Does not have a good track record for recognizing or looking after the historic sites around its harbor, with the possible exception of Fort Denison. As a lifelong Sydneysider, I am only now, in my sixth decade, coming to discover some of the historic sites, almost by accident. This is partly due to the fact that the public—locals and tourists alike—have for years been denied access to large parts of the harbor foreshores."