A new skyscraper being erected in Sydney will look slightly different to its surroundings.

The hotel will soar to 31 storeys but will be just five-and-a-half metres wide.

Sydney firm Durbach Block Jaggers beat two others with their winning design to be built on the narrow block on Pitt Street.

"We knew it was very narrow, we didn't realise it was probably the narrowest in Australia and possibly the narrowest in the whole world," Neil Jagger told 9News.

The tower will be 100 metres tall and will contain more than 170 hotel rooms. They will be compact, but the foyer will not.

"The street room will be very exaggerated and tall – so, it's three storeys high, the full width of the site, it has multiple levels of cafes, restaurants, concierge and bar and so forth," Camilla Block said.

The site is so narrow not even a crane can fit on the block, so old world building techniques need to come into play.

"In a weird way it's a very conventional way of building. It's almost an old-fashioned way of building because it's handmade – each couple of floors have to be done by hand, there's no crane," Mr Jagger explained.

If it gains council approval, construction on the $150 million tower could start later this year and be completed in 2023.

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Australia's houses are now more expensive than they have been at any time in history, just 12 months after the country was locked down due to a global pandemic.

Domain's quarterly House Price report showed that for the 2020 December quarter, Australia's national average price for a house was $852,940.

That's an increase of 5.8 per cent year-on-year and a dramatic 4.1 per cent lift in just one quarter.

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The nation's average was driven up by every single capital except Darwin and Perth posting record high house prices as buyers flood the market.

Sydney remains the most expensive market to buy a house, where the average for the city sits in excess of a wallet-squealing $1.2 million.

Melbourne is a close second with an average house price of $936,073, followed by Canberra ($855,530), Brisbane ($616,387) and Adelaide ($574,264).

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The top eight is then rounded out by Hobart ($533,845 – a record 12.4 per cent year-on-year increase), Perth ($563,214) and Darwin ($533,845).

Domain's Senior Research Analyst Dr Nicola Powell said while the value of houses jumped exponentially, the value of units climbed only modestly.

"National house prices reached a record high at the end of 2020. The 4.1 per cent gain over the December quarter to $852,940 marks the steepest quarterly jump in four years," Dr Powell said.

"House prices across all capital cities are now at new peaks, apart from Darwin and Perth.

"National unit prices increased a more modest 1.3 per cent over the December quarter to $574,245 and now are only 1.4 per cent below the mid-2017 peak and could surpass this high over the next quarter."

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According to Dr Powell, the reasons for the strong rebound of the housing market are numerous.

Take Melbourne for example – despite enduring the worst pandemic lockdown of any capital city, its year-on-year growth was a considerable 3.9 per cent.

"Despite the economic shock of COVID-19, Melbourne's housing market has defied the odds," Dr Powell said.

"Significant government stimulus, mortgage holidays, tumbling interest rates and a pause in market activity during lockdown provided support.

"First home buyers have stomped back into the market utilising incentives, low mortgage rates and a deeper savings pot as COVID restrictions reduce discretionary spending."

READ MORE: Sydney's 2021 property hotspots predicted

Domain House Price Report: December Quarter 2020

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Tennis stars in hotel quarantine were expected to be released today after spending 14 days in isolation, but not all will get their taste of freedom as soon as they thought.

Hotel Quarantine Victoria revealed late this afternoon there would be a staggered approach in releasing players – with those in a hard lockdown after arriving on flights with a positive case told they must stay in their rooms an extra day.

World No. 50 Tennys Sandgren took to social media to air his fury.

"I just found out we're not going to be able to leave the room 'til midnight which will put us at close to 15 days in this room," he said.

"It's also another day we can't practice.

"That's play Saturday, Sunday, Monday and play a match Tuesday – a match, a competitive tennis match.

"After 16 days off we get three days hitting and then a tennis match," he vented on Instagram.

The American mocked Tennis Australia and said fellow players in hard quarantine started their isolation on "day zero" – not day one as per normal quarantine rules.

Premier Daniel Andrews said he understood quarantine was difficult, but it was necessary for anyone entering the state from overseas.

"The system has worked no different to the way it works for everyone else, particularly those who've been deemed close contacts by virtue of the flights they were on."

More than 960 competitors and their support staff have been isolating for the past fortnight.

Players and officials will be released room by room and only after final health checks.

In total, there have been nine COVID infections, leading to the hard lockdown of 72 people.

CQV in a statement said the departure of staff and players would last over the weekend.

"Australian Open quarantine residents are expected to depart this evening, with further residents to depart on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"Departure dates and numbers may be subject to change," the statement read.

"Australian Open residents must have returned a negative test result and be non-symptomatic prior to exiting mandatory quarantine.

"Australian Open residents identified as close contacts must have returned a negative test result and have received a medical clearance prior to exiting mandatory quarantine.

"Australian Open residents who tested positive must remain in isolation until they receive a medical clearance to exit."

The tournament will kick off on February 8.

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A mother has discovered hundreds of spiders crawling the walls of her daughter's room at their home on Sydney's Northern Beaches.

About 10am yesterday Claudia's daughter called her into her bedroom at Collaroy Plateau after uncovering the clutter, believed to be Huntsmen, behind curtains.

"There were some spiders on the window, and I pulled some curtains back," Claudia told nine.com.au.

She said behind the curtain on one side of the room was about 50 or 60 spiders.

Claudia's daughter then told her mother to look at the other side of the room where a larger clutter had gathered.

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"We just left them there because they are baby huntsman, I actually like huntsman, so I was like, I'm not going to do anything," the makeup artist from Germany said.

"They're just going to walk away… let nature be."

Claudia said her daughter joked she wouldn't sleep in the room again. However, she did sleep in the room, choosing to sleep at the opposite end of her bed.

Claudia said she tries not to panic in situations, however, the family did have a panicked moment when they attempted to leave the window open for the spiders yesterday.

The windy weather blew the spiders back inside, leaving some hanging on their webs. Claudia and her daughter then scrambled to collect them all with little glasses.

Today, the spiders left in the room had gone.

he incredible sight compelled Claudia to film the spiders and post it online. She said the response to her video has been "absolutely insane".

"People were like burn the house down, everyone was freaking out," she said.

Comments to the spider video ranged from the popular suggestion to "burn the house down" and run to phoning exterminators.

While Claudia sees the humour in the suggestion to burn down their house, it's a little too close for comfort.

Her family home burnt down last year with friends setting up a crowdfunding page to help the family financially.

"We lost our house to a fire," she said.

A fire started in the garage of Claudia's previous home. It was a Sunday morning and she describes being woken up by "funny noises".

"I walked half asleep back to the house and flames coming in," she recalled.

"I screamed to the kids to get out, I screamed fire."

"It's been very traumatising, a lot of people were really helpful with accommodation… and furniture."

A rogue chimpanzee escaped its enclosure at Sydney's Toronga Zoo this morning.

The chimp was spotted sitting calmly outside its exhibit just before 6am today.

An emergency response unit was called, however no intervention was necessary as the ape made its own way back to the enclosure within a couple of minutes.

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The Zoo remained open today, however Taronga's Chimp troop has been shut temporarily until a full investigation is completed into how the escapee managed to leave the enclosure.

"Taronga has strict safety protocols in place for such an incident. All people on site were immediately directed to enter secure areas until the situation was resolved," Taronga Zoo said in a statement.

"Taronga is pleased to report that all people and animals, including the adventurous chimp, are all safe," Taronga Zoo said in a statement to 9News.

The animal is now being monitored by specialist zoo keepers and vets.

Australia has extended its suspension of the safe travel bubble with New Zealand for a further 72 hours.

The decision was made after another two cases of the South African strain of coronavirus were detected in returned travellers in Auckland.

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"This recommendation has been made to the Australian Government," Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd said.

"The government has accepted the advice, and so the travel pause on green zone flights from New Zealand to Australia has been extended for a further 72 hours until 2pm on Sunday, 31 January."

Anyone who has arrived from New Zealand since January 9 is urged to get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.

Professor Kidd confirmed a small number of people who were in hotel quarantine at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland, where the positive COVID-19 cases were detected, made their way to Australia before the lockdown was implemented.

"A small number of people who were in hotel quarantine in the Pullman Hotel in Auckland at the same time as these other cases have since travelled to Australia on green zone flights before the pause was introduced on Monday afternoon," Professor Kidd said.

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"All these people are being followed up by the health authorities in the state where they landed.

"We know that 12 people who were in quarantine at the Pullman Hotel have arrived in Sydney.

"Three of these people have travelled onto Hong Kong and the authorities there have been advised.

"Two of these people travelled onto Queensland and the authorities there have also been advised."

Professor Kidd said the remainder are being followed up in NSW and are being tested.

"In particular, if you were in hotel quarantine or were a guest or a staff member at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland, between 9 January and 14 January, please isolate at your home, arrange to get tested for COVID-19 and follow the advice of the health authorities in your state," he said.

Earlier, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the final call on when to reopen the Trans-Tasman travel bubble was a matter for Australian officials.

"I maintain the same position I always have, which is confidence in our systems," Ms Ardern said this morning.

"I also totally acknowledge it is a decision for the Australians."

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New Zealand's Minister for COVID Response Chris Hipkins says no further returned travellers will enter the Pullman Hotel until more is known.

The hotel will reopen to overseas arrivals once the New Zealand Government is confident there is no risk of a further spread of infection.

The facility will undergo a deep clean before it opens again to guests.