Sydney Royal Easter Show

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The show that Sydney has come to love

 

An annual event that many Sydney families and others do not want to miss. That's right the Sydney Royal Easter Show held at the Sydney Showgrounds at Sydney Olympic Park. There is plenty to do, and yes, you do need to plan ahead. From personal experience a ShowLink package is the way to go, especially as your return train ticket to Olympic Park station also includes entry into the show.

If you're a cat or a dog lover, there are opportunities to view the beautiful pets on show for medals. Depending on the time of day you come to the show, you might get a chance to watch these pets being judged. Otherwise there are many other judging opportunities and farm animals to view. For families, The Sunday Telegraph Animal Walk is rather a hit. A chance beckons to milk a cow in the Dairy Farmers Milking Barn. Aren't those yellow chicks adorable? Watch them waddle and swim. Watch sheep being sheared. Other activities in this animal land include pigs, goats, cats, dogs, a food farm and a working dairy with a farmyard nursery.

There will also be a variety of different activities for the kids where they can ride a pony. Meet and greet opportunities come with some popular children's characters such as Shaun the Sheep, Puss in Boots, Bananas in Pyjamas as well as Alvin the Chipmunk. The evening program for kids includes Darcy's Quest.

What about those rides? Some of you may feel a little sick, yet the show isn't the show without going on at least one of them. The Rainbow? Colourful yet it can make you feel a little dizzy.

The weird and wonderful will also be performing at this year's show. Think the Psycho Sideshow at the Big Top Amphitheatre.

Never a dull moment.

Of course, wood-chopping performances for awards will be seen and show jumping in the main arena. Plus see a variety of foods being judged.

For the adults and foodies alike, it will seem like MasterChef LIVE and the Good Food and Wine Show meet and become friends at the lifestyle exhibitions. Food showbags are also available, and a chance to sample some delicious foods. The $2 cheese toasties are ever so popular. For those who love their retail therapy beyond the showbags, they will also be taken care of.

For those who are religious, you can still attend a church service on Easter Sunday at the show.

The full showbag list will be announced soon and the Bertie Beetle showbag for 2013 is set to be extraordinary. Why? The Bertie Beetle showbag (a favourite for many Sydneysiders) has been around for almost 50 years. To naturally celebrate there will definitely be a Bertie Beetle anniversary showbag available at 2013's show. This mammoth showbag will contain around 50 (how appropriate) mouth watering chocolates, together with a Bertie Beetle egg cup.

 

Like always, for the night time sessions the fireworks will be going off. Plus cheaper entry kicks in after 5pm on weekdays. Plenty to do, just be sensible and plan ahead. Ensure you have adequate snacks and water on hand. Early bird tickets are available to purchase online until the 6th of March 2013.

Happy Easter Sydney.

Madame Tussauds to Create One Direction Wax Figures for World Tour

IT'S THE next best thing to seeing them in real life - the One Direction boys have been immortalised as wax figures at Madame Tussauds.

The world famous wax museum has announced that they are gearing up to debut the One Direction figures next month.

The waxy creations will first appear in London before taking a tour around the globe, set to hit Sydney in October.

"We're just kind of a bit overwhelmed. We've been to Madame Tussauds and seen the kind of people who are in there. It's crazy to think that we will up there with them", an excited Harry Styles said.

"I think it's going to be quite weird to see yourself as a wax figure. But it's an amazing honour to be there. If you look at some of the names that are in there, we are very proud," Louis Tomlinson added.

"We have been overwhelmed by requests for us to feature One Direction," Global Head of Marketing, Liz Wells says.


"The boys have been top of the most wanted personalities list in London, New York and Sydney for the last 12 months, so we are delighted we can now satisfy public demand by bringing their figures to each of these cities in a special 'world tour', which will eventually take in more locations.

"Louis, Liam, Harry, Zayn and Niall have been involved throughout the sculpting process... taking hundreds of precise measurements and discussing the style their figures will be portrayed in", Wells adds.

From start to finish the creation process will take four months and each figure will cost Madame Tussauds $220,000 to make.

Aussie fans will be stoked to hear that, once the sculptures reach Sydney on October 24 they will be here for a three month stay until January 28, 2014.

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Taste of Sydney 2013

 

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Sydney's favourite pop-up food festival at Centennial Park

Taste of Sydney Rekorderlig Cider Bar

The culinary term "degustation" has been defined as the careful and appreciative tasting of various foods, with the focus on stimulating the gustatory system via high culinary art among good company. In other words it is the stimulation of the sensory system responsible for taste. How convenient that the aptly named Taste of Sydney food festival is upon us once again. Unlike a usual degustation which regularly consists of eight or more small courses accompanied by matching wines, the Taste of Sydney food festival allows you consume as many courses as you like. Better still, guests can construct their own menu mixing and matching between the various outdoor pop-up restaurants. The additional benefit is that you are at the same time able to sample the picturesque surrounds of Sydney's centennial parklands.

Pina Colada from Sensology Cocktail Class at Taste of Sydney

Previous editions of the Taste of Sydney festival have been extremely successful. It really has become the definitive pop-up restaurant food festival in Australia. The concept allows each corner of Sydney's culinary world to come together and mingle as well as share ideas. More importantly it offers guests the opportunity to sample some of the more gastronomic delights that Sydney has to offer via some of the best restaurants in town.

Some of the restaurants already announced to join this year's Taste of Sydney line-up include:
- 4Fourteen
- Ananas Bar & Brasserie
- Biota Dining
- Efendy
- Four in Hand
- Jonah's
- L'étoile
- Muse Dining
- Popolo
- Porteno
- Saké Restaurant & Bar
- Three Blue Ducks
- The Cut Bar & Grill
- The Woods
- Malaysia Kitchen Pop Up

Although most of these venues have notable mentions in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide for 2013, only four of these restaurants are prestigious winners of the infamous one and two hat awards. The first that needs to be mentioned is Jonah's Restaurant, which is an 80 year old institution in Sydney's northern beaches. Pacific Ocean views compliments of its proximity to Whale Beach, along with retro interior complement its fine dining experience. Typical main menu prices at Jonah's are usually $45. Best of all you can stay overnight.

Charlie & Co. Gourmet Burgers at Taste of Sydney

Probably the most distinguished of the hat winning restaurants to feature at this years Taste of Sydney are 4Fourteen and Four in Hand. Under the guidance of Irish super chef Colin Fassnidge, 4Fourteen has recently been awarded one hat in the Good Food Guide. Moreover, Colin Fassnidge has maintained Four in Hand's impressive two hat status for 2013. With a clever fine dining take on the British gastropub melding with a reputation for stellar service, Four in Hand will no doubt be a crowd favourite at this years Taste of Sydney food festival.

Specialty bars located around Taste of Sydney

Last but not least Sake Restaurant & Bar will be making its mark on this years festival. Sake has again maintained its one hat status in 2013, which was initially awarded when it first opened its doors. Under the guidance of sushi samurai Shaun Pressland, Sake has set the standard for Japanese in the Rocks area of Sydney. The menu has been inspired by the work of Nobu Matsuhisa, who has the reputation of being the rock god of the sushi world. This is no surprise considering Shaun Pressland has worked under Nobu Matsuhisa in the past. Typical main menu prices at Sake are usually $31.

Atmosphere at the Taste of Sydney food festival

Additional restaurants will be announced as the event draws nearer. Celebrity chef Manu Feildel from L'etoile, will no doubt be making his presence felt yet again this year. Typically the suave chef spends most of his time chatting to the ladies and signing books rather than manning his post in the kitchen. So be warned, guests may be in for a bit of a wait to get served at the L'etoile pop-up restaurant. However it is all in the fun of the festival. There are fantastic people to meet in the line while you wait, accompanied by great music and entertainment in the background.

Live music at Taste of Sydney

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Highlights of this year's festival will include the Rekorderlig Cider Bar, which is notoriously the hub of the Taste of Sydney festival. The bar will be aiming to inspire the Swedish way of life, showcasing a range of Swedish cider flavours including apple, pear, wild berries, apple-blackcurrant, and the favourite zesty strawberry-lime. It is also the ultimate location to relax and absorb the live music and atmosphere at the festival. Sydney's top bartenders will also be demonstrating innovative ways of serving the different flavours on offer.

Sensology Cocktail Classes at Taste of Sydney

Sensology's 'The Art of Cocktail Making' classes are another fantastic experience at the festival. Expert mixologists from around Sydney will be demonstrating the brilliant art of cocktail making. Attending guests are fitted with aprons and are provided with all the tools of the trade. Bar kits are even offered at the conclusion of the classes at exclusive discounted prices. Best of all, guests will be able to consume their drinks at the conclusion of the class. The bar staff are also extremely lenient with the notoriously high number of guests who are heavy handed when constructing their concoctions. Classes are spread throughout the day at various intervals and cost $10. Each interval offers guests the opportunity to learn a different cocktail. Cocktails range from Mojitos all the way to Pina Coladas.

Various bars located around Taste of Sydney

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All guests attending the Taste of Sydney food festival are required to exchange their money for the local currency known as crowns. This exchange can occur at the various banks around the festival or can be pre-purchased from Ticketek in booklets of $30 or $50. In this particular case 1 dollar is equivalent to 1 crown. However it can feel like travelling to a foreign country where both currencies are at parity, yet the consumer price index is dramatically higher at your chosen travel destination. In other words, the price for sampling culinary delights at Taste of Sydney can feel inflated at times. Being forced to buy set amounts of crowns in values such as $30 and $50 also makes it more difficult. Don't be surprised if you have an odd amount of crowns left over at the end of the day, which is contributed to by the pricing variation of dishes at the various restaurants. This is something that should be refined for future festivals. Hopefully a system like this guarantees the highest level of cookery available in addition to the utilisation of the best available produce on offer.

Taste of Sydney Chef and Kitchen Demonstrations

Restaurant dishes are priced between 6 and 12 crowns. Servings are tapas sized, which in theory offers guests the opportunity to try everything on offer. However don't be fooled. Some of the dishes can be extremely filling, especially by the time you consume your third or fourth course. Keeping this in mind, you are better off to go for the dishes and restaurants that you want to try the most first. Taste of Sydney is not only about consuming food and wine. There are also a multitude of educational experiences on offer. Top chefs will be demonstrating innovative ways of preparing food at the Bertolli Taste Kitchen stage and Dilmah Chef's Skillery stage. Moreover, there will be wine tasting available the Wine Theatre. Also if you are feeling extremely generous you are able to purchase VIP tickets for $100 each. These include express entry to the event, access to the VIP Lounge, $30 worth of crowns and two complementary drinks. Although the best value for money would have to be the Premium Crown ticket which can be pre-purchased from Ticketek. This gives you general admission entry into the festival and includes $30 worth of crowns all for $50. This will actually save you $5 at the door.

Taste of Sydney VIP Lounge

The Taste of Sydney food festival is the must attend event this March for all the self proclaimed foodies out there. The festival starts Thursday March 14th with an afternoon session running from 5:30pm until 9:30pm. This session time also applies for Friday March 15th and Saturday March 16th. There will be additional lunch time sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday running from 12pm until 4pm, with the last session on Sunday March 17th finishing at 5pm. The event is guaranteed to be a fun day out and will be the perfect opportunity to celebrate the end of summer.

Top 10 Free Museums in Sydney

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Fun and interesting for families and kids

If you need some ideas on where to bring your families and kids for a fun and educational outing, why not try these free admission museums in Sydney!

1. Nicholson Museum (Archeology)

Source: Wikipedia

Home to the largest collection of antiques in Australia, the museum features classical collection, near eastern collection, Egyptian collection, Cypriot collection and European collection. It is located in the historic Main Quadrangle at the University of Sydney. The current exhibition is about Aphrodite's Island - Australian Archeologists in Cyprus.
Opening Hours:
10am - 4.30pm weekdays
12pm - 4pm 1st Saturday of every month
Closed on Sundays, Public holidays and other Saturdays.
Street address: Located at the southern entrance of The Quadrangle.

2. Sydney Jewish Museum (Jewish)

By Sardaka, Source: Wikipedia

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FREE ADMISSION ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH
It is primarily to document and teach the history of Jewish people and the Holocaust in Australia. The major features include exhibition of the culture & continuity and The Holocaust, a gallery, gift shop, war memorial forecourt, 100-seat theatrette, classroom facilities and sanctum of remembrance.
Opening hours:
10am - 4pm, Sunday - Thursday
10am - 2pm, Friday
Closed on Saturdays and Jewish Holy Days. Schedule
Street Address: 148 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

3. The Australian National Maritime Museum (Maritime)

Source: Australian National Maritime Museum

FREE ENTRY TO THE GALLERIES & EXHIBITIONS on the FIRST THURSDAY of the month (excluding the public & school holidays).
Located in Sydney's most popular tourists spot - Darling Harbour, the museum houses exhibitions which aim to explore Australia's links with the sea through commerce, defence, immigration, adventure etc, and how these activities have influenced the the development of Australia. There are many weekend and holiday programs for children and adults.
Opening Hours:
9.30am - 5.00pm (6.00pm in January) Daily
Closed 25 December (Christmas day)
Street address: 2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia

4. Museum of Contemporary art (Art)

By Greg O'Beirne, Source: Wikipedia

It is the house solely dedicated to exhibiting a collection of contemporary art pieces from across Australia and around the world. Various talks, events and programs are available for the public.
Opening hours:
10am - 5pm, Mon - Wed
10am - 9pm, Thu
10am - 5pm, Fri - Sun
Street Address: 140 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney, Australia

5. Sydney Observatory - Day visit (Science)

By Greg O'Beirne, Source: Wikipedia

Listed as a heritage and recognised as an item of 'state significance' by NSW government, it is the oldest observatory in Australia. Today, it plays an important role in astronomy education and public telescope viewing. Visitors can explore the observatory on a self-guided day visit looking at the exhibits on the ground and first floors, as well as the gardens without charge.
Opening hours:
10am - 5pm, daily except New Year's Eve
Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Good Friday
Street address: Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks


6. The Rocks Discovery Museum
A family friendly museum where visitors can explore the stories of Sydney's past in pre-European days to the present. It is home to a collection of unique images and archaeological artefacts found in The Rocks. The exhibits are filled with interactive fun which brings the history to life. A great place for family outing and holiday fun.
Opening hours:
10am - 5pm, Daily
Closed on Good Friday and Christmas Day
Street address: Kendall Lane, The Rocks (enter via Argyle Street)

7. Museum of Australian Currency Notes (Numismatic)

Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

The museum was opened to the public in 2005 by the Reserve Bank of Australia in Martin Place. It tells the story of how Australia's currency notes reflect the economic and political development through a number of stages.
Opening hours:
10.00am - 4.00pm Mon-Fri
Closed on Public holidays and NSW Bank holidays.
Street Address: 65 Martin Place, Sydney NSW 2000

8. The Mint (Numismatic)

By J Bar, Source: Wikipedia

It was the former mint in Sydney and the oldest public building in Sydney CBD. The building was first built as General Hospital and The Dispensary which was then turned into a mint and coining factory. Thereafter, it was being used as government offices, law courts and museum. The building is now the head office of the Historic Houses Trust which also houses the Caroline Simpson Library & research collection, a gift shop, and cafe.
Opening hours:
9am - 5pm, Mon - Fri
Street Address: 10 Macquarie St, Sydney, NSW 2000

9. Australian Tennis Museum (Sport)

Source: Australian Tennis Museum

FREE ENTRY but please consider a gold coin donation.
Started by several tennis enthusiasts in 1983, the museum collects and preserves Australian tennis memorabilia. It was officially opened in 2005 at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre. It is a fun and enjoyable way of learning the history of Australian tennis, especially for tennis fans.
Opening hours:
9am - 4pm Tuesdays
9am - 4pm Thursdays
Or by appointment
Closed on other days and in December each year
Street Address: Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, Rod Laver Drive, Sydney Olympic Park

10. Government House (Historic House)

Source: Historic Houses Trust

The government house which is located in the Royal Botanical Garden is currently used for state vice-regal function and events. It is also accessible to the public for guided tours, educational programs and public programs, including concerts, exhibitions, festivals, lectures, symposium and performances. Students are welcomed to special education programs to learn about law-making, citizenship, and government. The house showcases an interesting collection of soft furnishing and built fabrics used in various section of the building.
Opening hours:
House:
10.30am – 3pm, Friday – Sunday and public holidays (house access by guided tour only | Tickets distributed at the gatehouse
Closed Good Friday, Christmas day and New Year's Day
Ground:
10am – 4pm Daily
Street Address: Royal Botanic Gardens, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

Check the website for opening times prior to visit as the house might be closed for vice-regal functions and other state events)