Things
to do on Australia Day in Sydney
What to do
on Australia Day in Sydney?
Australia
Day - Thursday, 26th January
Australia
Day is the official national day of Australia. Australia Day is celebrated
every year on the 26th January. The 26th January is the date the First
Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove, from Britain, in 1788. Note this is arrival
in Sydney, not Melbourne or Brisbane or anywhere else in Australia. From
day one, visitors to Australia knew exactly where the best place was to
go, Sydney. Some things never change.
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Sydney's Australia
Day Celebrations
Woggan-ma-gule (the
meeting of the waters) Morning
Ceremony - Farm Cove, Royal Botanic Gardens. 8–8.30am. It's free
to get in.
The Woggan-ma-gule,
or meeting of the waters, is a traditional Aboriginal ceremony used to
commence the days proceeding. Enjoy the Aboriginal song and dance that
helps to give the day some depth and feeling.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park dishes
up a range of entertainment, kids activities and the annual Lord Mayor's
Citizenship Ceremony . On the Main Stage we get Spot on at 10am, followed
half hourly by Miffy, The WotWots and (the headline act) Bananas in Pyjamas.
They then do it all over again so hard core fans can see them twice.
Hyde Park Kids Playground
The Kids Play boasts
the “Big Squeeze”, an obstacle course with squeeze tubes,
climbing walls, slides and biff bash tunnels. Alternatively, there is
the Circus Playground which is an interactive circus workshop environment.
The kids can learn how to juggle, walk on stilts, hula hoop, twirl various
things and make it across walking beams. "Under the supervision of
circus instructors the whole family can play and learn in an informal,
fun & safe environment".
Darling Harbour
Australia Day
Darling Harbour's
celebrations usually start around mid-morning with Kids' entertainment
and ends in a bang with a huge fireworks display over the harbour.
The Darling Harbour
Free Australia Day program includes:
Children's Stage, The Village
Green, Darling Quarter - 11.30am - 4.30pm
It's all going to
go off with Playschool Superstar Jay Laga'aia, indigenous musical group
Circular Rhythm, ARIA Award-winning children's show Chrissy's Island Family
and the non-stop energy of African musicians Afro Beats.
World Music and Dance, Palm
Cove - 12pm - 6.30pm
Experience some of
the best world music with Afro Moses and Moses O'Jah; Celtic favourites
and originals from Seltic Sirens; Assyrian party music from Azadoota;
and gypsy, Cuban and Zimbabwean dance music courtesy of Marsala.
Australia Day Spectacular,
Cockle Bay - 7pm - 9pm
Its doesn't get much
bigger on Australia Day than the Australia Day Spectacular. Boat parades,
an action-packed Water Police rescue, a multimedia symphony of light,
sound and music and a breathtaking finale of fireworks. Happy Australia
Day!
Australia Day on
the Rocks, 11-30am - 8-30pm
What do you get if
you mix music with the The Rocks? Just sweet music. Nine hours of it in
fact and all for free. Enjoy the live music from more than 50 singers
and songwriters from all around Australia. There will be three open-air
stages producing some great sounds of pop, rock, funk, soul, folk and
blues music. If you ears don't like the sound of one stage just move on
to the next. Performers
are said to include Archie Roach, Blue King Brown, Cat Empire's Harry
James Angus, Rescue Ships, Steve Smyth, Busby Marou and Emma Louise.
Australia Day on
Sydney Harbour
First up, find a
comfortable vantage point, as you may be there for a while, and relax
and enjoy the costumed boats cruise past during the Best Dressed Vessels
Competition (11am – 2pm), see Sydney's favourite public transport
vessels go head to head in the Ferrython (11am–12 noon) and catch
the Awesome Forces Search & Rescue Display (12.15pm –12-30pm,
Farm Cove and 12.45pm - 1pm, Athol Bay). It all keeps happening with the
176th Australia Day Regatta sailing off at 1-15pm and the RAAF's 18 Hornets
at 2pm and the Red Berets splash down at 2-30pm.
and there's more
(Sydney Harbour Australia Day Celebrations that is)
There's the Jazz
on the Water Concert that starts at 3pm, Tiger Moths at 3-30pm and prior
to all this is the Body Science Great Aussie Swim from 8-30am to 10.00am.
The question that comes to mind is, how are we suppose to see it all?
There is so much on we might miss something. Ah well, just ship up and
enjoy and whatever you do see. It will all be good fun and there will
be a great vibe around the crowds - Happy Australia Day!
Front Row seats
to Sydney Harbour's fireworks and Light Show spectacular
One of the best and
most relaxing places to be on Australia Day is Sydney Harbour. A good
cruise should give you a front row seat to all the action without you
having to worry about much more than "should I have another glass?"
Where is the place
to see the Australia Day action on Sydney Harbour?
If you are looking
for a good vantage point to see all the Australia Day action on Sydney
Harbour my personal favourite is currently listed at 43 on the Top 100
Things To Do In Sydney.
Sydney Tower Eye
Sky Walk
As part of your Sydney
Australia Day experience get a birds eye view of the celebrations.
Suspended over Sydney
Tower's edge you will experience sensational 360 degree views of Sydney.
At a height of 260 metres above street level Sydney Tower is the same
height as the Eiffel Tower. Being twice as high as the Sydney Harbour
Bridge this is the best view in town (and its a cheaper and easier than
Bridge Climb).
You are guaranteed
to have an amazing experience and see spectacular views of the city, voted
the most beautiful in the world.
Australia Day at
the Park
All kinds of goings
on will be going on in Parks and Reserves all around Sydney.
Parramatta
Parramatta Park is
once again the centre of activity for 2012, kicking off at daybreak with
an impressive fleet of hot-air balloons (or not quite so impressive mob
of disappointed balloonists if the weather is not right) then it's trapeze
and acrobatic shows, followed by the Big Backyard, offering all day fun
with many "cool zones to discover".
Helix the Giant
Snail (an endangered species?)
You will have to
keep your wits about you as the old colonials will be firing their muskets,
potentially, at Helix the giant snail. So it all might get a little crazy
but fear not, for as the sun begins to set upon proceedings, you can relax
and enjoy a family friendly concert. To finish there will be with a fireworks
finale that will justify the decision not to travel into town.
Australia Day at
Olympic Park, 2pm - 9pm
The biggest park
celebrations will be the free festival at Olympic Park. In past years,
it has resembled the Easter Show with farm animals and many other attractions.
We are talking sheep
shearing, sheep dogs and whip cracking shows. Free amusement rides, pony
rides, face painting as well as art and craft workshops and a community
cultural bazaar to name but a few. Will there be fireworks? Are sheep
daggy? This is Sydney, so yes there will be a "spectacular fireworks
finale, so be sure not to miss that to finish off a great day at 8.50pm".
GIO Oz Day 10k -
Alfred Street, The Rocks, Thursday, 26th January
Witness the world's
most elite wheelchair athletes in action around the Rocks in the morning
of Australia Day. The highest calibre of competitors from around the globe
will be taking part and it is a free event for spectators.
The race will start
and finish on Alfred Street and travel throughout The Rocks district.
Athletes will complete two laps of a 5km course along areas of the foreshore
including George St, The Rocks, and Hickson Road.
The race will commence
at 9am. The first competitors are expected to reach the finish line in
just over 20 minutes, so don't be late.
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100 things to do in Sydney |
Things
to do on Australia Day In Sydney, Australia - 26th January 2012
