Sydney Events

• Anzac Day Sydney by Michael Ex-Serviceman
  in Backpackers Sydney Tourist Attractions, Sydney Travel, Sydney, Sydney Backpackers Expo, Sydney Events, Sydney Festivals, Sydney Things to do
  20 Apr 2012  | 0 Comments

  On this day 25th April (every year) please remember:

  Its not just a holiday for barbeques, drinking and playing two up! 

  Anzac Day is a day that we should remember, thank and respect that many persons (both male and female) gave their lives and lots of pain to let us be free and able to lead an everyday life in this world!

  Also remember the wives, husbands, children, parents and other family and friends of these brave people whom gave their lives for us on this ANZAC DAY.  Also we should pay our respects for those involved in military actions around the world over the past years.

   

  Lest we forget.

   

  For all the details on the History, Services and Playing TWO UP duing ANZAC DAY - please click - your complete guide to ANZAC day Sydney.

   
• 
  Backpackers in Sydney for Winter by Ciaran
  in Sydney Travel, Sydney, Sydney Events, Sydney Festivals, Sydney Things to do
  8 Jul 2009  | 0 Comments

  If you prefer the cold to heat, especially if seeking to escape the northern summer, the best time to visit Sydney could be in the Australian winter from 1 June to 31 August.
  As one of the world's great backpacker travel destinations, Sydney offers a myriad of winter escape options for backpacking and adventure travel.

  New South Wales' temperate winter climate (it really doesn't get that cold if you campare it to where i'm from) ensures the famous Sydney harbour, dynamic food scene and vibrant cityscape is perfect year round - and the ideal destination for a winter break.

  Sydney hosts many different festivals and some of Australia's largest social and cultural events over the winter months.

  Some of these include the Biennale of Sydney - the international festival of contemporary art held every two years since 1973, the Sydney Film Festival and many other smaller film festivals and Sydney's new winter festival - a magical winter wonderland of real snow from the Snowy Mountains recreating the splendour of alpine winter celebrations.

  In Sydney, Backpackers find that winter really isn't harsh and the weather's generally very pleasant. It's great for touring the city on foot and for bushwalking.

  Backpackers in Sydney (and Australia in general) find it VERY hard to believe that there are great SKI RESORTS IN AUSTRALIA!!  From Sydney, the ski resorts are really not that far away- see more about the snow below!!

  Holiday time

  It doesn't make a difference to backpackers in Sydney, as every day is a holiday, but during the winder Australian public holidays include the Queen's Birthday holiday weekend in June and the school holidays in July. Aside from within those periods, cheap accommodation in Sydney will be easy to find.

  Winter activities

  • The weather's fine for a  tour of Sydney. Visit The Rocks, Sydney Opera House, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australian Museum, Hyde Park, Chinatown or Darling Harbour.
  • Go on a Sydney Harbour Cruise. At the very least, take a Sydney ferry and cross the harbour to Manly.
  • Spot the whales as they travel north in the whale migration season. A great spot is from Watsons Bay and The Gap National Park, or come to reception to organise a whale watching trip on a boat.
  • Go bushwalking, at the Royal National Park, south of Sydney, just a train ride away from Jolly Swagman Backpackers Sydney Hostel
  • Sample Sydney cuisine.
  • Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains which is out in the west of Sydney and experience the beauty of these majestic mountains.
  • If you feel like skiing, drive - or take an organised bus tour - to the Snowy Mountains. Note that accommodation in the ski resorts can be expensive and difficult to find unless you've booked well in advance - just ask Jolly Swagman Backpackers Sydney Hostel staff to sort this for you.
  • Australia's mild winters mean that in most parts of Australia, regular outdoor sports can be played all year, and indeed more vigorous sports are more comfortably played in winter. Australian rules football and rugby league, the two most popular spectator sports in Australia, are played primarily in winter.

  When it's summer in northern hemisphere countries, get away from the heat and come to the snow, for it'll be winter in Australia.

  In New South Wales, in just about half a day by road from Sydney, there's skiing and snowboarding up in the snow, and a roaring fire to come home to.

  Travel southwest to Cooma and climb up the Snowy Mountains.

  From The Jolly Swagman Backpacckers in Sydney, the closest places for skiing in New South Wales are Thredbo and the Perisher ski resorts - Thredbo being the more familiar and better known, yet Perisher is larger and offers more terrain. Depending on one's preferences, both are great destinations for skiing in New South Wales.   Many Europeans are surprised to find out that we have snow fields in Australia, and most report that they are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the snow and the terrain on offer.

  Half a day to the snow
  It takes half a day to get to the Snowy, depending on road conditions, and if you're driving and there's snow on the road, you may need to have snow chains fitted to your tyres. Or you can take a charter or tour bus.  The Jolly Hostel in Sydney can organise and recommend the best organised tours for you to take.

  You can stay at some lovely resorts ON snow, however if your budget doesn't quite stretch that far (they can be very pricey) you may want to stay at one of the "ski towns" close by, and transfer up and down the mountain each day. You also have the freedom of skiing at the different resorts when you stay at the nearby towns:

  COOMA

  Some may decide to drop by the Cooma Visitors Centre and find accommodation at Cooma and bus up and down the Snowy instead, leaving early in the morning and coming back at night.  APPROX 75 KMS to the snow fields.

  JINDABYNE

  The lakeside town of Jindabyne lies 465 kilometers southwest of Sydney just before the snowfields in the Kosciusko national park.APPROX 35 KMS from Snow Fields.

  There's a Snowy Region Visitor Centre on Kosciusko Rd in Jindabyne.
  If you haven't brought your skiing gear, and don't want to buy skis, boots and skiwear, etc, you can rent them here. They are also available at the ski resorts in Thredbo, Perisher but you'll find it a little more expensive up at the slopes!

  Accommodation is available in Jindabyne and one can take to the Perisher slopes through the Ski tube.
• 
  Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach Cliff Top Walk by Albert
  in Sydney Events, Sydney Things to do
  25 May 2009  | 0 Comments

  Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach Cliff top walk - a must do!

  As a local Sydneysider, one of my all time favourite activities that I am always keen to recommend to guests is the coastal cliff walk along Sydney's Eastern Beaches.

  As well as being free from cost and hoards of loud tourists; it is a perfect way to pass a few hours discovering Sydney's natural magnificence at anytime of day and at anytime of year. There are many things that attract locals and visitors to these magnificent cliffs; exercise, relaxation, detox, or sometimes just to find headspace away from the hectic rhythm of Sydney's pulsating metropolitan lifestyle. Best of all it's free, and only a short twenty-minute ride away from Sydney's Famous Jolly Swagman Backpacker's Hostel.

  The walk is an ideal activity at anytime no matter what the conditions; take your togs along on a scorching summer day and stop for a swim at every beach you come to, or discover the more secluded swimming holes such as Gaerloch Reserve (near Tamarama) and Gordon's Bay (near Clovelly- really awesome snorkelling in summer) as well our historic public baths at Bronte and Coogee (women's, Wylie's etc.).

  The big, evocative Australian sky is definitely feature of the walk- it is particularly attractive at dawn when you can watch the sun rise up from the horizon before grabbing a great Aussie breakfast from a beachside café, or watch it set in the evening and continue walking into the dark of night (just don't go too close to the edge!). Personally, my favourite time is during thunderstorms when you can watch the lightening flashing over the dark ocean with the violent surf crashing up against the rocks- very romantic (and I wonder why I'm single...).

  This itinerary describes the most popular route from Bondi to Coogee. You should generally allow about two hours to do it comfortably (obviously time varies according to walking pace). Although long, much of the path is flat and isn't too physically strenuous- remember it is possible to start and end your walk wherever you want along the way, buses operate on or near most parts of the route (most beaches have a bus route to Oxford St and/ or the city).

  The Famous Jolly Swagman Backpackers Sydney Hostel's central location in East Sydney provides for very easy access to Bondi Beach. The most convenient way is to walk down Darlinghurst Rd to Oxford St from where you can catch any bus to Bondi Beach (380, 333-prepay, both operate frequently during the day). Alternatively, you can get a train from King's Cross Station to Bondi Junction and then transfer to a bus.

  From Bondi Beach, head southwards down along the promenade of Campbell Parade or the beach itself. Veer left towards the cliffs- you will pass the famous Iceberg's swimming club and its (very expensive) restaurant. Follow the path all the way along up the stone steps and you will be on top of the southern head. The path continues above the cliffs and around the point to Mackenzie Bay (a FANTASTIC place for surfing/body boarding but very rocky and not patrolled- be very careful) and Tamarama Beach. The path then continues from Tamarama winding around to Bronte Beach, another popular hangout great for swimming and picnicking on the large grass reserves with free barbeques (B.Y.O. snags and slab!).
  From Bronte, the path goes up a steady incline to the top of another point affording more fantastic views. Continue through Waverly Cemetery (known for its shark sightings!) and you will join another well-marked footpath at the Clovelly Bowling Club. This section (Burrow's Park) is particularly impressive with its sheer, clean drops and sections in the rocks where you can climb down to the rock pools at the bottom. You will then find yourself at Clovelly Beach, a flat watered inlet often referred to as ‘European' (and if you ever see the amount of rubbish in the water after a storm, you would understand why). This is ideal for snorkelling and has several (apparently famous) species of rare fish such as the Blue Eyed Cod native to its waters. The Kiosk Seasalt does a great and reasonably priced lunch.

  Continue past the surf club and through the parking lot to the footpath at Gordon's Bay, which will take you round to the park at the north head of Coogee. At this head you will notice the Kuta memorial, a monument to the Australian victims who died in the 2002 Bali bombings, which stands above the public baths (free).
  Catholics also flock to this point to pay homage to Mary, a special marking next to the Bali memorial commemorates the place where several people have claimed to have had ‘visions'.
  By the end of the walk you'll have certainly developed a craving for another quick dip in the ocean, or more likely a nice long beer (or three) at the Coogee Bay Hotel.

  In returning to the Jolly Swagman Backpackers Sydney, the 373 bus (to the city) will take you back to Taylor Square, alternatively the 314 to Bondi Junction Train Station from where you can get a train to Kings Cross.

  For more information or details about onward routes from Bondi to Dover Heights and Diamond bay, contact our friendly 24-hour reception.
• 
  Sydney 2009 World Masters Games by Eddie
  in Sydney Events, Sydney Festivals
  21 May 2009  | 0 Comments

  10 October 2009 - 18 October 2009

  From 10 - 18 October, Sydney will host the 2009 World Masters Games. Open to people of all abilities and most ages, the World Masters Games are the world's largest multi-sport event, attracting up to three times more competitors than the Olympic Games.

  The Games will host approximately 25,000 people from upwards of 100 countries. They will compete across 28 sports at more than 70 venues throughout the city.

  The Games promote lifelong competition, friendship and understanding between people in the world of sport, regardless of their background or skill level. Participants in the World Masters Games represent themselves rather than their country. The competition promotes a festival atmosphere, keeping to the motto "fit, fun and forever young".
  Do you want to be a part of the world's biggest multi-sport event?
  With 28 sports and 72 venues, this fantastic event will bring Sydney's sporting spirit alive.
  Without having to jump off a springboard or tackle someone on the rugby pitch, you could still be part of the action.

  Backpackers Get INVLOVED!!!
• 
  Sydney, City of Villages Art Exhibition and Prize by Eddie
  in Sydney Events, Sydney Festivals
  20 May 2009  | 0 Comments

  2009 Sydney, City of Villages Art Exhibition and Prize

  11 May 2009 - 3 August 2009

  City of Sydney and Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, in partnership with JCDecaux, are proud to support local artists through presenting the 2009 Sydney, City of Villages Art Exhibition and Prize.

  Australian artists working in the mediums of painting, printmaking, drawing and mixed media are invited to submit to Sydney, City of Villages.

  Works by ten selected finalists will be reproduced as giant posters and exhibited in JCDecaux street furniture sites (14 July - 10 August 2009) and in a gallery exhibition at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre, Chippendale (14 July - 3 August 2009).

  The Sydney, City of Villages Prize of $3,000 will be awarded for the work judged most outstanding in the exhibition as decided by a panel of judges.

  The winner will be announced on Tuesday 14 July who do you vote for???