The Land of Oz: All out Down Under

Image by Dushan and Miae via Flickr

I'd not be adding to the text, lest I subtract from it.

Read on...
-----

All out Down Under

Vivid Sydney comes to life

by He Peiwen

IF YOU'RE the kind of traveller who wants to go beyond simply scratching the surface of a city and really get to know its heart and soul, Vivid Sydney might just be the festival for you.

Taking place from May 27 to June 21, Vivid Sydney is a large-scale annual festival - the largest of its kind in Australia - that showcases the city's arts, cultural and creative scene.

Taking place at Hyde Park, Macquarie Street, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House, the programme includes massive light installation and projection shows, as well as performances, exhibitions, discussions and presentations by those in the music, arts and creative industries.

The highlight of this second instalment of the festival is Vivid LIVE, which takes place over two weeks from May 28 to June 11, and brings together music, dance, film, theatre and comedy under one famous roof.

Part of Vivid LIVE is the highly popular illumination of the Opera House's iconic sails. Images of the spectacular sight were broadcasted to more than 200 countries and seen by over 60 million people last year.

This time, the curators of Vivid LIVE are legendary Velvet Underground founder Lou Reed and performance artist Laurie Anderson. Drawing together their different backgrounds in music and performance and visual arts, the couple has been working towards a selection of works that promise to capture the imagination.

Said Anderson: "The point is to present a lot of things that you wouldn't normally go to but gives people the chance to jump off their street. It will be kind of like a big crazy menu - it will have the things we like in it but it will definitely be really eclectic." He Peiwen


From TODAY, Travel - Thursday, 27-May-2010
All out Down Under
-----

Related articles by Zemanta

• Canine audience is bow-wowed by festival (independent.co.uk)
• new Laurie Anderson album stream + July tour dates (brooklynvegan.com)
• Sydney Opera House hosts concert for dogs (telegraph.co.uk)
• Lou Reed To Bring Rickie Lee Jones To Sydney Opera House (undercover.com.au)
• Lighting the Sails (coolhunting.com)
• Vivid Sydney - A Celebration of Music, Lights and Ideas (australia-travel.suite101.com)
• Sails of Sydney Opera House Illumanted for Vivid Sydney (shoppingblog.com)
• Dogs Dig Laurie Anderson's 'Music for Dogs,' Appropriately (artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Dogs Dig Laurie Anderson's 'Music for Dogs,' Appropriately (artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com)
• Dogs to be treated to concert by Lou Reed at Sydney Opera House (news.bbc.co.uk)

Australia: Soft rocks

Down under, you'll get to enjoy yourself, either in the city, or in the outback...

As the TV ad says: "So, what are you waiting for?"
-----

Soft Rocks
by Lance Ng
travel@mediacorp.com.sg


IF YOU'RE not already relaxed when you reach Sydney, a day in The Rocks area will ensure that you see a different side of this busy metropolis.

Morning

Start your day with breakfast at The Rocks. The site of Australia's first European settlement fringing Sydney Cove not only has historic charm, it offers fantastic views of the city's most famous building, the Sydney Opera House.

Many cafes are housed in historical buildings or set in courtyards. Vintage Restaurant (R2 Nurses Walk), decked out in a fusion of historical and modern styles, offers delicious breakfast items that include eggs benedict, pancakes, sandwiches and omelettes.

You can have a lighter breakfast at Tara Tea Rooms, which is situated in a cosy courtyard behind Irish Design Shop (33 George Street). It's well-known for its scones, which come in 10 flavours.

After breakfast, walk to Circular Quay for a Sydney Harbour cruise on Captain Cook Cruises. The Harbour Express option departs every 45 minutes and takes about one-and-a-half hours to complete. You'll get a hop-on, hop-off day pass that allows you to stop at seven harbour attractions. A guide will explain the history of each attraction, giving you an overview of Sydney Harbour while the city's famous landmarks, Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, glow in the morning sun.

Noon

Have lunch at Pancakes On The Rocks (4, Hickson Road, Metcalfe Bond Arcade), well-known among Sydneysiders. The eatery serves Western/Mediterranean items, though it's famous for its crepes and pancakes.

Portions are substantial. My favourite is the chicken and mushroom crepe topped with a crunchy coating of parmesan cheese.

I walk off my lunch with The Rocks Walking Tour (23 Playfair Street). Knowledgeable guides dispense intriguing nuggets of history, such as how The Rocks got its name (an abundance of sandstone was used for the construction of buildings) or the material used to pave the streets (culled from the ballasts of ships).

The tour winds through shaded cobblestone alleys among sandstone buildings, so you can easily appreciate the district's old charm - a sharp contrast to the state-of-the-art skyscrapers just a stone's throw away. The daily tour starts at 12.30pm and 2.30pm, and is priced at $30 for adults.

After having gone under the Harbour Bridge during the morning cruise, climb to the top of the bridge with Bridge Climb Sydney (3 Cumberland Street) to experience the "Climb Of Your Life". Those who do not exercise regularly will find the three-and-a-half hour climb a bit of a workout, but the panoramic view at the peak of the bridge is worth the sweat. On a clear day, you can see past the cityscape, all the way to Blue Mountains. The climb costs A$198 ($245).

Night

The Waterfront (27 Circular Quay West, Campbells Wharf, Campbells Cove) serves a luxurious seafood dinner while allowing diners a precious view of the Sydney Opera House. The restaurant is located across Sydney Cove from the landmark. If you go during Vivid Sydney, the city's annual light-art festival held from May 27 to June 21 this year, you will see the Opera House's sails splashed with colourful patterns in an eye-popping light show.

Spend the rest of the evening at one of the welcoming pubs at The Rocks. The pub at Observer Hotel (69, George Street) offers fantastic live musical performances and beer at only A$5.50 per pint.



From TODAY, Travel
Soft Rocks
-----

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sydney: things to do and how to get there (telegraph.co.uk)
• Laurie Anderson unleashes Music for Dogs on Sydney (guardian.co.uk)
• Cold Shoulder [Snap Judgment] (jezebel.com)
• Sassy, sexy Sydney (thestar.com)
• Vivid Sydney - A Celebration of Music, Lights and Ideas (australia-travel.suite101.com)
• 4 reviews of Sydney Harbour Bridge (rateitall.com)
• Regina Spektor Tells Musical Stories At Sold-Out Sydney Opera House (mtv.com)
• Kangaroos and Koalas in Sydney (australia-travel.suite101.com)
• Sails of Sydney Opera House Illumanted for Vivid Sydney (shoppingblog.com)
• Lou Reed To Bring Rickie Lee Jones To Sydney Opera House (undercover.com.au)