Cockatoo Island's vast abandoned factories, unused alleyways and shipping docks provides an…read moreexciting location for visitors to see a huge range of Street Art in one location. And because of its dynamic and live nature, the art will change and evolve, giving visitors something different to see throughout the course of the festival which runs from 4 November - 11 December, 2011. We are delighted one Sunday that the weather is perfect and that public transport for a Fun Day ticket is only $5 so we take advantage of this offer and catch the ferry over to Cockatoo Island for the street art display called Outpost. When we arrive we are met with a colourful cup wall and a huge expansive chalkboard floor which our toddler runs too and grabs chalk from the baskets to begin her own graffiti. On hot days because of the asphalt it can be incredibly hot so make sure young one are covered up and it wouldn't hurt to have cover for yourself. Children scoot and skate around us as this place is perfect for this kind of activity. We then choose to walk down the working tunnel which leads to the Turbine Hall. It makes for a wonderful experience to see art from Ben Frost, Everfresh and The Beastman. We exit and go into the Turbine Hall where the Kidzoom Home project shows a movie installation and three commodore pile up installation inside. On the other side we sit in one of the many cafes and have a refreshing drink and coffee. Our Toddler decides she is off and goes into the junk room with other kids to construct her own sculpture she loves it. Following this we go into a big room with hanging t-shirts and profiles on different graphic artists and then go over to the X Box room to do some dancing. This exhibition is progressive, dynamic and worth those who are keen to take the short trip from Circular Quay for the day. Relax with a cocktail in the Cockatoo Island Bar at the end of the day. Verdict: One in a million experience that you must go and see.

(Explored 12/12/24 TH @ 4:00pm, 12/26/24 TH @ 10:00am, and several times over a decade ago): This…read moreharbour neighbourhood will rock your socks off! The Rocks was a quintessential goodbye and welcoming point for those embarking or disembarking by cruise ship in Sydney Harbour and a focal historic neighbourhood where many came to dine, drink, shop, or just walk around in the fresh open air with a kiss of salt water sprinkled onto your skin. My first experience was very similar to this one, and it all started on a cruise with Princess Cruises. My travel companion and I arrived a couple of days early to settle in and roamed around before the cruise began. Then, at the end of the cruise, we stuck around for nearly a week to welcome in 2025. Would this return visit years later rock as it did my first time around!? PURCHASE We tried our best to support the local economy by visiting several pubs and restaurants as we surrounded ourselves with the locals and whatever came our way. Each of these experiences would be explored further with their own respective reviews. SERVICE There was no specific service to speak of that directly affected The Rocks as a whole. Rather, collectively all of the businesses we supported had wonderful service. The area was well-kept, and although there was a constant flow of slow traffic down the narrow streets, each was safe to cross. PARKING (FREE) I honestly had no idea nor took notice of the parking situation although I saw some vehicles parked here and there along the surrounding streets. We simply walked, took the train from/to the Circular Quay Station (it was right there!) or took an Uber - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE I couldn't say what streets bordered or determined the parameters of The Rocks area, but you had a collection of old buildings that housed pubs (Fortune Of War Hotel), breweries/restaurants (The Endeavour Tap Rooms), a breakfast spot (Shuk The Rocks), the Museum Of Contemporary Art Sydney https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=j_J8UYvByj8QDV_ZnbqrRQ for some culture, a slew of art galleries https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=YtAakzygb5ZdKBfVAJrJ_g and retail shops, Sydney Harbour with view of iconic Sydney Opera House https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=P1RzLfk-zcbziYGOeoTrhg and Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the cruise terminal https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=6i9FoQ8M7O0m8JnpyZQvwQ for some ocean voyages. It was Christmas time, so there were plenty of decorations https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&select=z3gi2JSNDyfjJ7aG6G0ZWg everywhere. Obviously, there was plenty of natural lighting with a plethora of street and business electric lights throughout when the sun went down. Even if you didn't partake in any of these options, simply people-watching was more than enough fun to pass the time as you lazed away - enjoy! ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL The Rocks was a fun place to spend the day and enjoy the local flavors around you. There was something for everyone (I personally loved the pubs, eateries, and cruise terminal), and you could spend as much or as little money and still have a good time. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience varied BEFORE any discounts/tip). And, many of the businesses accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Sydney's oldest neighborhood…read more Walk along the cobblestone paved streets and narrow laneways. Explore the markets, the museums and the galleries. This is where Sydney was born in 1788. The newly arrived convicts set up shops, pubs and homes. The Fortune of War pub opened almost 200 years ago in 1828. Imagine the hardships that those early settlers faced. Today, many of those original historic buildings have been restored. The renovations have turned what was once dilapidated into a popular tourist area.

The remit for Mosman market appears to be handmade and beautiful - we don't really care if it's…read moreorganic or not. It is definitely the place to head to if you're looking for a gift. Priority is given to hand crafted and home produced goods and this ensures that the goods on sale are unique and usually of a high quality. This arts and crafts market suits the affluent demographic of the area perfectly and there is always a lot of foot traffic; though how many are actually buying is another matte,r as the stall holders tend to remain constant, so once you've seen the offerings it can get a little tiresome. Many stalls focus on children's clothing, accessories and toys -think Cath Kidson/Penny Scanlan - lots of flowery bonnets, retro cowboy/spaceman designs and wooden toys. There's jewellery in a range of price brackets and styles: from dainty silver earrings to chunky resin necklaces. I once bought the most delightful butterfly wing earrings that had been 'frozen' in resin (not good for ones Karma though I'm pretty sure). Artists that display here tend to be pretty conservative or focus on photography of the local area. There's clothing, leather goods, soy candles as well as food stalls selling pretty cupcakes, chutneys and relishes, olive oils from the Hunter and organic honey. There are a small number of fast food outlets one selling Dutch Pancakes that are just sensational. Mosman Markets occur on the Mosman Square and Village Green on the first Saturday of every month, pretty much come rain hail or shine; they're a hardy bunch the Mosman Marketers though they didn't have it too touch today, in beautiful 26 degree autumn day. Nice to kick back and relax to the jazz band that play around mid-morning.

No wonder this is one of the more exclusive suburbs in Sydney. It has everything you could want:…read moregreat parks, restaurants, cafes, exercise facilities, leafy back streets and a ferry terminal. If you come here early on weekday mornings, you see a steady stream of smart business men and women on their way to work. Surely this must be the best commute in the world...although still difficult to leave the serenity of aptly-named Rose Bay behind.

The busiest point in Sydney (As determined by Dennis Bones in 2012)…read more Its the interconnect between the arcades under the QVB, The Galleries Victoria and town hall station. Go here between 8am and 930am to see everyone in Australia transit this one spot. Bonus points if you can count all the goldfish.

Plenty of shopping and cafes just off the circular Quay tourist area by the ferries. A fun place…read moreto walk around and explore to many different cafes and shops. Make sure to look down stairs for hidden gems .

Right, I'mma just get this out there: I love Taylor Square. There, I said it…read more Now just, just hold on a tic before bringing the weight of your serious judgements down upon me will you? Let me tell you why. Because the people watching (my fave past-time) is just seriously off the Richter, yo. Here's who you're guaranteed to see: - Harmless talk-to-themself hobos. - Natty gay couples in matching vests and the shiniest patent leather shoes you ever saw - A hammered girl with kebab all over her. -A junkie couple having an argument over whose turn it is to ask someone for a cigarette - Pretty teenage girls who don't know how to walk in high heels but are trying - Intimidatingly large groups of guys watching the pretty teenage girls with a sort of mildly manic desperation - A random guy in a tux. Always. See? Grab an outside table at The Courthouse and watch the carnival of humanity. If you see a weird guy there doing the same thing don't worry, it's probably just me.

Frankly, I don't think enough people know about Bondi rock…read more Despite this being one of the world's most popular and frequented beaches, how many visitors make the effort to discover just why a whacking great slab of rock is sitting perched on the rock platform at the northern end of the beach? Well, I am going to tell you why - and hope you make the effort to pop down there next time you're at the beach, 'cos I reckon it's fascinating. In 1912, there was a mighty storm. Sea traffic was called to a halt, and beaches all along the NSW shore - even into Sydney Harbour - experienced significant erosion. Once the storm cleared, this 235 ton block of rock was discovered on the shore platform. No other explanation has ever been forthcoming, except that the pure power of the waves generated by the storm lifted the enormous boulder up and left it there. Interesting? I think so. Maybe some of the rock fishermen who insist on braving the shore without life vests and harnesses should be taken there!

Who knew that a rock could be so shrouded in secrecy, so entangled in enigma, so clothed in…read morecontroversy? And furthermore, where have these elusive mermaids gone? Let me back up. There's a rock. It's big. It's called The Big Rock and it's at the heal of Bondi's boot, the thumb of Bondi's Shaka sign, the tip of Ben Buckler's, well, you get the idea. And lo, there's a brass plaque! It reads: "Municipality of Waverley. This rock weighing 235 tons was washed from the sea during a storm on 15 July 1912. (January 1933. J. S. MacKinnon. Town Clerk)" So for you mathletes out there, it's been just over 100 years since the savage storm dredged up this hunk of earth from its watery abode and, like a carelessly-chewed chunk of steak, violently spit it out in a brute force majeure oceanic Heimlich maneuver. But I did a little internet digging (it's been a long week, mmmkay?) and learned that this claim is in question. And it makes sense. I mean, it's not just a creative name - it's a *big* rock. And the fact that, from the pages of the 1912 Daily Telegraph, this "huge rock was displaced and rolled some distance" is a tough sell, despite how bad the "monsoonal conditions from a cyclonic disturbance" could've been. So in 2002, the cutting edge Bondi View dropped a hot, high-profile take down piece, rife with rebuttal analyses, exposing the rock for what it truly is: a fraud. Turns out, it's not worth the minerals in a migmatite - the story just doesn't hold water. The famed felsite falsity fell from the headland at Ben Buckler and furthermore (furthermore!!!) it was languidly lounging there as long ago as 1888. Or so says the breakthrough piece of investigative journalism: "The Big Rock: exploding the myth." Oh, but there's more. You see, laying lying rocks aren't metamorphosized in a vacuum - there are ripples of repercussions. And the cosmic consequences weren't felt harder by anyone other than Lynette and Jan, the portendingly doomed Bondi Mermaids. Installed on the artist's own dime in 1960, these ladies lapped up the life of luxury atop the rock that soon bore their name. But in 1974, a green-eyed storm with an ax to grind from years of being told it "just wasn't tempestuous enough" sought redemption in the form of a meretricious mermaidnapping - Mermaid Jan lost her tail and her arm and Mermaid Lynette was swept to sea never to be seen again. ("I'll never let go Jan" rumoured to be the final sea-salted words from her caramelized lips. Unconfirmed, but probable.) Arm and taleless, Jan tried to stay strong with a short lived, yet surprisingly illustrious career of singing Siren songs of sacrifice and selling seashells by the seashore, but Waverley Council had tempted fate long enough and two years later, removed her for safe keeping. So with a sordid past, The Big Rock looms from its prestigious vantage point, bearing the 235 ton weight of being the source of contemptuous controversy, Siren sacrifice and oceanic atonement and shaking in its brass-plaqued boots anytime the wind picks up and the sky spoils into bad banana baby food.

Putting aside the headache it is to try and drive to this area and find parking during this crazy…read moreevent, Vivid was pretty damn cool. We went on the Starship Sydney, which despite the amount of people on board, still had plenty of space for great views of all lights. I'm especially impressed how Sydney coordinates all the different displays, especially the bridge which baffles my mind. Overall, it was just an awesome experience for a reasonable price. And loved having a couple drinks during the cruise as well.

Vivid is an annual arts festival in Sydney held yearly in late-May and through most of June. It was…read morestarted in 2009 so it is relatively new. I didn't know about this festival until I learned about it the week before I traveled it to Sydney. It is apparently one of the biggest festivals of the year there. The 2016 event was the most successful one to date as it drew over 2.3 million visitors. The festival is most known for its art installations around Sydney that are lighted up at night for the festival. It is like a Christmas lights festival in the middle of the year. The most popular landmark to see lighted up is the iconic Sydney Opera House. Other attractions like Darling Harbour and Sydney Harbour Bridge are also decked out in lights. There are also two other parts of the festival which are lesser known. There is a music festival component of local and international acts at numerous venues around Sydney which was headlined this year by Björk. The other part is an ideas/discussion symposium on an array of diverse topics. Since I had a limited time in Sydney, I only was able to make it to the lights portion of the festival. While the Vivid lights can be found around the city, the main location to visit is Circular Quay. The lights at the festival start around 6 pm, so you will want to get to the area before they turn on. The festival takes place at the end of fall/beginning of winter in Australia, so make sure to cover up if you go as it can get chilly in the evening. Based on the traffic in the area, it seems like public transportation is the best way to get there. I would recommend taking the train to Circular Quay Station if you can. Due to the crowds, you might be asked by the conductor to get off at an earlier station and walk over so the train can make room for people at Circular Quay trying to leave the area. If you don't want to deal with the crowds, another way to enjoy the festivities is by taking a Vivid cruise for a view of the lights from the water. When I arrived at Circular Quay, I found it to be full of people as it would be since it was a Saturday evening. The lights for the festival were just about everywhere. There was a lights show called "The Matter of Painting" being played on a building that was intriguing. And if you walked to the waterfront, you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge lighted up. After mulling about in this area, I walked towards the Sydney Opera House to see the lights there. The ones there were my favorite of the festival. It was cool seeing this landmark decked out in different colors and patterns. While I didn't get a chance to see them, I would also recommend checking out the lights at the Royal Botanic Gardens which is adjacent to the Sydney Opera House. I walked through the gardens the next afternoon and see that they had a huge lights display there. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay into the evening to see them. Really enjoyed Vivid. While much of the music and ideas portions of the festival require admission, the lights festival is free and open to all. If you decide to visit Sydney next year when Vivid is on, I highly recommend checking out the light shows that this festival puts on around the city.