The Sydney Film
Festival Program Release
Did you feel the
rumble? Did you feel the ground shake? Did you notice a sudden, and
unexpected, gust of wind? No, me neither but it has happened, the Sydney
Film Festival has finally released its bulging film program to the world.
Soon movie stars, celebrities and film critics from around the globe
will gorge themselves on the Sydney Film Festival's cinematic delights.
Would you care to join them for a nibble?
The
Sydney Film Festival
The sad end of
the Sydney Monorail and the Monorail Pass- Darling Harbour, World Square
and Chinatown
I know people say
it looks ugly, I know people say it doesn't go anywhere, I know people
say it has had it's day but I'm for one are sad to see Monorail go.
If you are tempted to take a last ride consider buying the Monorail
Day Pass as it may save you a bit of cash. The Pass gives you unlimited
travel plus discounted entry on a number of Sydney attractions accessible
on route. The Sydney Monorail operates daily from 7am to 10pm, runs
every 5 minutes, never gets caught in traffic and rarely gets stuck
between stations. Maybe we should be extending it rather tearing it
down.
Sydney
Monorail
The Addams Family
- Capitol Theatre – from Sunday, 10th March
The
creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky Addams Family are coming to Sydney.
Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and Lurch
(gotta love Lurch) lurch into town. Horror upon horror though, and this
is truly horrific actually and I'm not even sure we should tell you
this, but Wednesday Addams is in love! As if that's not bad enough,
she is in love with a nice kid - it's just a nightmare..
The
Addams Family
Vivid Festival
- Sydney - Starts Friday, 24th May
Every year now
for the past 5, Sydney has been transformed from a beautiful emerald
harbour city into an even more dazzling rainbow city by an extravaganza
of light, colour and movement. If you have never seen Vivid before,
you just have to go; if you have, go again, it is different every year.
Friday, 24th May is when it all begins. If you can, get yourself down
to Circular Quay for the start of a very memorable couple of weeks.
Bring your camera.
Vivid
Festival
House Music -
Government House - Sunday, 26th May
House Music is
a feast of emerging Australian and overseas classical musicians including
Pacific Opera, Sydney Chamber Choir, concert pianist Clemens Leske,
Li-Wei Qin and Kristian Chong. As well as the House Music there will
be free sandwiches, free drinks and free parking.
House
Music
International
Ski Expo - Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour - Sunday, 2nd June
It is a little
curious that the Ski Expo is being held at the Maritime Museum, so there's
a mystery to solve even if planning for your next ski holiday is not
top of your to do list. Entry to the expo is FREE but they ask that
you RSVP.
International
Ski Expo
Ski
in Australia
Sydney Rock ‘n’
Roll & Alternative Market [Again!] - At Manning House and Manning
Bar, Manning Road, University of Sydney - Sunday, 2nd June
I know, I know,
we have gone on about these guys before, but they are such nice people!
This time around things could get really explosive with the 'Detonators'.
"Dancing shoes and drinking arms are compulsory for any good time
Detonators show".
Sydney
Rock ‘n’ Roll & Alternative Market
The Maids - Tuesday,
4th June to Saturday, 20th July
There a couple
of reasons to see 'The Maids'; one is Cate Blanchett and the other is
French actress Isabelle Huppert. They bring real life to the stage in
a story of sibling rivalry and class envy. Housemaids Solange and Claire
are feeling a little demoralised, unappreciated and undervalued (we
have all been there). So they start fantasising about getting rid of
their boss, their 'Madame'.
The
Maids
Queen's Birthday
Long-Weekend and the start of the Snow Season
A bit of notice
for a change as there's a long weekend coming up, in June actually,
just a few weeks away. Well we haven't had one since last month, which
might explain why May seems like such a long month. The Queen's Birthday
Long-Weekend also marks the start of Ski Season which is cool. You'll
find links below for things to do over the June Long-Weekend, Skiing
in Australia and little ramble about the Alpine Way in the Snowy Mountains.
Queen's
Birthday Long-Weekend
Ski
in Australia
Alpine
Way, Snowy Mountains
Elysium Antarctic
Visual Epic - Australian Maritime Museum to Sunday, 3rd November
I guess there are
a couple of ways of looking at the Elysium Antarctic Visual Epic. You
might look at the photos and think, yeah ok, just a bunch of nice photographs,
or might look at them and think 'Wow!’ Perhaps the best thing we can
do is to suggest you follow the link below and decide for yourself if
it is worth seeing in person or not.
Elysium
Antarctic Visual Epic
Rescue
- Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour - Saturday, 16th March - Sunday,
14th July
Fancy
a ride on a full-size helicopter simulator, a jet ski or finding your
way through a smoke-filled room? These Interactive exhibits at the Maritime
Museum at Darling Harbour are there to help kids learn some valuable
lessons about safety but they also promise to be hugely entertaining.
Rescue is supposed to be for kids from 5 to 12 but I suspect one or
two mums and dads might quite like a 'go'.
For more information:
Rescue
Vivid Sydney and
Sydney Film Festival - Wednesday, 5th June to Monday, 10th June
There are just
six days between the start of the Sydney Film Festival and the end of
Vivid where you can enjoy both festivals on the same day. We hope that
next year this 'window' will be extended. With one festival predominately
taking place outdoors, the other inside, they complement each other
really well. What a great time to be in Sydney. If you are going to
be here on holiday; you couldn't have timed it much better.
Sydney
Film Festival and Sydney Vivid Festival
Visit Brooklyn
on the Hawkesbury River and hitch a ride on the Riverboat Postman
The grand Hawkesbury
River, the watery divide between Sydney and the Central Coast, is much
driven over, less visited. This is a shame as it has dramatic and elegant
beauty to it and is steeped in history. You can get a sense of what
a wonderful place this is with a visit to Brooklyn, just off of the
F3 Freeway and a greater appreciation by getting yourself onboard a
cruise, hiring a boat or by going kayaking.
The
Hawkesbury River
Your Northern
Beaches Expo - Saturday, 25th May to Sunday, 26th May
Your Northern Beaches
Expo is not one, not two, not even three but, can you believe it, FOUR,
yes four expos all rolled into one. Not only do you get Home and Lifestyle,
Retired Life, and Outdoors Expos but also the brand new, never been
used before, No1 Deals Expo!
And there's more
And there's more;
apart from 'lots of fun, prizes and bargains' you can look forward to
'non-stop live entertainment' with fashion parades, bands, dance and
fitness performances and a jumping castle. Get a better life, get a
better home, improved lifestyle, happy children, save loads of money
and have fun at the same time.
Too good to miss?
This opportunity
is just too good to miss, but if it isn't, it is still a good excuse
to visit the beaches. As well as following the expo link below, check
out some of things you could do nearby (just rug-up a little).
For more information:
Your Northern Beaches
Expo
Things to do on
the Northern
Beaches
Vivid at the Australian
National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour – Friday, 24th May to Monday,
10th June - 6pm to midnight
Whoops, we missed
one; the Australian National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour has
(belatedly) joined the growing number of Sydney attractions to light
up during Vivid Sydney. "The roof top projection is inspired by
the colour, patterns, flavours and sounds of India to complement the
museum's exhibition, East of India".
For more information:
Vivid
Maritime Museum
Sydney Markets
Sydney100 has always
listed a number of Sydney's top markets. In addition to the old favourites,
many new markets have sprung up around town. An award winning local
market guide has been set up to keep us all advised of what's happening.
Consequently we have added them to the list as a catchall for any markets
worthy of a listing.
Sydney
Markets are listed at No. 98
Whale Watching
out of Sydney
The speediest whale
watching "cruise" is in town. Be quick, seats are going fast
- along with the rest of the boat :)
Speed
Whale Watching
Late Night Libraries
Have you been to
the library of late? Well you will be able to soon, not night club late
but it's all a bit raunchy for a library. As more and more books have
gone digital, libraries are reaching out more to get people in through
the front door.
Surry Hills Library
Surry Hills started
the late trend and its caught on with a number of other libraries opening
their doors for adults only entertainment. We could be laughing all
the way from the library with comedy, some weighty, serious topics with
some sex, violence and famous people thrown into the mix.
Your local Library
So ask your local
librarian what he, or she, has any late nights planned - you might like
the answer. 
Tours
of the Olympic Stadium
The London Olympic
Games maybe over, well actually it is definitely over, sorry, but you
can still watch the London Paralympics and / or visit the scene of Sydney's
triumphant games in 2000.
Best Games Ever
Widely considered
the 'best games ever' at the time, the Sydney Games provided the blueprint
and people for the successful London 2012 Games. Olympic
Park is listed at No. 48 on the top 100 list.
Spooky Sydney
Ok, it's still
a little chilly, but there are some things well suited to the cooler
weather. You could see a whale for instance, as they migrate during
the spring months. You could also see a ghost(?). Why are ghosts more
common in winter? Because they love the cold. How do we know this? What
do people say when they see a ghost? Suddenly, the air got colder..
:)
Sydney
Ghost Tours - listed at No. 42
Not Quite Cabaret
- Balmain
Not Quite Cabaret
has all the credentials of a great Thursday night out in Balmain.
This is beers and giggles of a different variety. There are a huge number
of cafes and restaurants in Balmain to grab a bite to eat from first.
You could even catch a ferry to get there.
Not
Quite Cabaret
Wicked Women -
Justice and Police Museum - Circular Quay to Sunday, 26th May 2013
Tara
Moss - Murder by the Book
Artist Rosemary
Valadon has come up with a sexier than Ned Kelly exhibition entitled
Wicked Women. It features portraits of actors, writers, lawyers and
other professional women, including author Tara Moss, all posing as
badass criminals and painted in a manner befitting the kitsch art of
the Pulp Fiction era. So why are criminals sexy and why don't we have
an exhibition of sexy cops? After all it is the Justice the Police
Museum - I guess that's for another time.
Justice
and Police Museum
Free old Movies
- Every last Sunday of the month - The Newington Armory Theatre - Sydney
Olympic Park
Chilling out and
watching an old movie on a lazy Sunday afternoon, particularly if it's
wet, is good for the soul. Cinewest is going for the "they don't
make ém like that anymore" variety. If it's not doing it
for you and/or it's stopped raining, there are far worse places to be
than Sydney Olympic Park. Go for a bike ride, skateboard, fire off an
arrow or fly on a trapeze. Back on the chill theme, you could just take
a stroll and catch the ferry back into town.
Free
old Movies
Art After Hours
- The Art Gallery of New South Wales - Every Wednesday - 5pm - 9pm
The late Wednesday
night opening features a free events program with films, talks, performances,
food and wine, alongside the exhibitions.
•All exhibitions
- permanent and temporary - are open.
•The ArtBar is open late and serves wine and an evening-themed
menu from 5pm.
•The Gallery Shop and Research Library are open until 8.45pm.
•The Members' Lounge is open and also serves evening refreshments.
•Parking: The Domain Carpark is open until 9pm. Parking is also
available along Art Gallery Road.
•Complimentary Bus - From the Gallery to Martin Place every 15
minutes, from 7.15pm until after the last film.
Art
After Hours - The Art Gallery of New South Wales
The
Australian Reptile Park
The Australian
Reptile Park is a mere hour's drive north of Sydney and yet many Sydneysiders
have never been. There are many Aussie animals to meet, along with all
the amazing reptiles. You might also decide to make use of the good
picnic and BBQ facilities and children's play park.
Australian
Reptile Park - listed at no. 30
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley
is a good spring thing to do for the warmth of the welcome at the wine
cellars, the elegant whites, the beautiful countryside with flowers
coming into bloom and the aussie wildlife. A Hunter Valley tour can
be a good compromise if there is no willing driver to take you.
The
Hunter Valley is listed at No. 25
The Wiggles are
back at the Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse
are attempting to keep everybody happy with this reincarnation of the
Wiggles Exhibition. Grown ups, and older kids, can investigate the rise
and rise of The Wiggles whilst the kids play and interact with high-tech
interactive exhibits. The fact that the Wiggles Exhibition is free with
museum entry might also please Mum and Dad.
Favourite Wiggle
Assuming everybody
has a favourite Wiggle, there is a room for each allowing the interested
grown-ups to conduct a straw poll on who is the most popular. There
may not be 'room' for the supporting cast, but Wags The Dog, Henry the
Octopus, Captain Feathersword and Dorothy the Dinosaur will all be represented.
The
Wiggles Exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum
Room on the Broom
If you have read
the books then you know this is going to be fun. The dog, bird and frog
all get taken for a ride, but a broomstick's not meant for five and
- SNAP! - they all tumble to the ground. Without her broom the witch
is at the mercy of a hungry dragon - who will save her? Now I have you
desperately wanting to know what happens next you will have to find
a child 3 years old or older to take you! 
Room on the Broom
is on at the:
Seymour
Centre - Chippendale - Wednesday, 3rd April - Friday, 5th April
Sydney
Opera House - Sunday, 14th April - Saturday, 27th April
The
Concourse Theatre, Chatswood - Monday, 24th June - Wednesday, 26th
June
Manly What's On
More than 5 million
visitors come to Manly each year to enjoy a wide range of events and
entertainment attractions. Manly is not only home to one of the finest
Pacific Ocean beaches in the world, but also many romantic restaurants,
waterside cafés, specialty stores and annual entertainment events.
The two major events
are the Manly Jazz Festival and the Manly Food and Wine Festival, but
there are many other events listed in the Manly Council 2013 Events
Calendar which will keep you coming back to Manly again and again.
Manly
What's On
Manly
things to do (No.1, 4, and 5)
Beast or Beauty
of Barangaroo?
What
Barangaroo will look like in 4 years time(?)
Not an event as
such but in the Tele and SMH so worth a mention. Not everybody loves
the idea of the development but you can walk and jog where no one could
easily walk / jog before so we listed the "Barangaroo Walk".
It is only at the bottom of the pile as it's not finished yet. Let us
know what you think of Barangaroo. Good, bad or just plain ugly. Maybe
we shouldn't list it at all..
Skip, Skip, Skip
to Woolloomooloo
But you could just
walk, all the way from Barangaroo in fact, or drive and when you get
there, swim it. The local water-hole, The Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool,
has had a bit of a refit. Beyond that, Woolloomooloo is an interesting
place with a mix of new, old and rich. From Finger Wharf, the hang out
of celebs and the well-heeled, to the local pubs and public housing
estates. Well worth a stroll, a swim, cappuccino or even lunch with
a spot of people watching.
Barangaroo
to Woolloomooloo
Sydney CBD
To see what's on
in the CBD in Sydney and Sydney's fringe you can't beat City of Sydney's
What's On List:
What's
On Courtesy of the City of Sydney
Royal
Botanic Gardens - Free Twice Daily Guided tours
Explore the world
of plants and the history of Sydney's magnificent Royal Botanic Gardens
with a knowledgeable Royal Botanic Gardens volunteer
guide. Tours are held daily at 10.30 am (except Christmas Day, Boxing
Day and Good Friday) and take approximately one and half hours to complete.
Head for the Information Booth outside the Gardens Shop at the Palm
Grove Centre.
Royal
Botanic Gardens - Free Guided tours
What's on North
of Sydney
It's been a long
week, been working hard, time for a break. Lets get out of Sydney and
head north:
North
of Sydney
More Sydney Entertainment
and Top Activities in Sydney
There are more
top Sydney entertainment and magical activities in Sydney for you to
enjoy. Just follow the link to Sydney
Festivals and the top
things to do in Sydney and discover more of what Sydney
has to offer.
Top
100 Things To Do In Sydney, Australia 
