Sculptures By The Sea is back!

The crowds last weekend were crazy, so I went this evening instead.

Here are some photos I took of the Sculptures By The Sea 2009.

Continue reading

Want to hit the slopes while you’re in Australia?

Forewarned is forearmed – Australia is not one of the world’s best places to ski.

If you require evidence, just take note of the fact that Australia won its first ever Winter Olympics gold medal when everyone except Sydneysider Stephen Bradbury crashed in the 1000m short track speed skate final.

If you’re from Canada, the US, Europe or Japan, then you have better snow at home. If you’re from Egypt, we have better snow than you.

Continue reading

Sydney is a great place to learn to surf.

You can learn to surf literally across the road from your hostel. Or you could have a surf tour pick you up from your hostel and take you over sand dunes to an uncrowded beach just out of Sydney.

Finally, you can even take a 5 day tour from Sydney to Byron Bay that stops at many beaches along the way.

All schools cater for first time surfers and will provide you with surfboards and wetsuits.

Continue reading

Famous Australian Wines

Wine tours in the Hunter Valley (2.5 hours drive) are a great way to sample famous Australian wines in a truly beautiful part of the world.

You’ll get to sample legendary drops such as Lindemans, Hardy’s and McGuigan.

Day Trip From Sydney In A Luxury Mercedes Minivan

If you’ve got access to a car, you can drive to the Hunter and back in a day. If you’d rather join a tour, you can hook up with outfits such as Boutique Wine Tours. You’ll be picked up from your hotel and driven to the Hunter in a luxury Mercedes minivan. We’re talking TV, fridge and leather seats.

Continue reading

I’ve got two questions for you:

1) Are you interested in a short working holiday in Australia?

2) Do you have a passport from one of the following countries: Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan or the United Kingdom?

If you answered yes to both questions, you should read on, as this is the working holiday visa for you! (If you have a passport from the United States of America, Chile, Thailand or Turkey, you should look into this visa instead).

Continue reading

You’ll need some form of travel insurance for Australia. This is because health care will not be free if something untoward should happen to you.

Travel insurance for Australia will usually also protect you against theft of your credit cards, digital camera or other personal belongings.

There are some minor health concessions for certain passport holders when visiting Australia, but you’d still do well to take out a regular travel insurance policy.

Continue reading

Here’s how you get to Sydney’s 5 main tourist accomodation areas (Bondi Beach, Coogee Beach, Kings Cross, Manly Beach and the city centre) by public transport.

Bondi Beach Public Transport

There are frequent direct buses (e.g. the 333 or the 380) to Bondi Beach from the following locations: Bondi Junction, the city centre and North Bondi. There are connecting trains at Bondi Junction and the city centre.

There are no trains or ferries to Bondi Beach.

Continue reading

The Best Time To Visit Sydney Is…

Sydney has great weather for 9 months of the year, from August until April, although the best months are November until February inclusive. January and February are the best months for outdoor festivals and events (many of these are listed on the Free Things To Do In Sydney page).

How Hot Is A Sydney Summer?

In summer (December to February), the average temperatures are in the mid teens to the mid twenties if you measure in degrees Celsius. If you use Fahrenheit this equates to a range from the low sixties to the high seventies.
Continue reading

5 ways to snare cheap flights from London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted) to Sydney.

1. Look Online For New Seats Just After Midnight

At midnight, most airlines will clear out any tickets from their system that have been booked but not paid for by the due date. So a few minutes past 12 (in the time zone of the airline’s head office), you may find some new seats for sale that weren’t there at 11:59.

2. Take Advantage Of “Secret Sales”

Although it can be tempting to ask travel agents to book it all for you, the truth is that sometimes airlines need to get rid of seats urgently, yet cannot advertise this fact to avoid looking bad.
Continue reading

The two best downtown Sydney hostels are Sydney Central YHA and the Wake Up! Sydney Central. Which of these Sydney hostels should you stay in? This article will help you answer that question.

Continue reading