Video - Last Post!

LINK TO THE VIDEO:

 

Here is our last blog post containing our ‘Best of Sydney’ Blog video. The video promotes some of Sydney’s beautiful and unknown sights and attractions, giving viewers an up close view of all the city has to offer. The video was very fun and exciting to make, and we hope that this comes through when watching it. 

Overall, the experience of this assignment has allowed us to broaden our perspective of Sydney and what it has to offer as one of the most idealistic cities in the world. It showcases Sydney’s natural beauty through promoting various coastal walks, and is a reminder that the city landscape and climate should be protected and not taken for granted. Moreover, the blog also highlights the cities culture and lifestyle by promoting some of its best cafes and restaurants. This further emphasises Sydney as a diverse and cultured city which appeals to all tastes and personalities. 

Therefore, we hope that our blog and video highlights all that Sydney has to offer and makes you want to discover more of it yourself!!

By Sophia, Jess, Margherita, Charles and Priyanka :)

Athol Bay, Mosman- Harbour Beach which boasts views of the City Skyline!

Athol Bay is situated just next to Taronga Zoo in the North Shore suburb of Mosman. It features 2 small beaches on the western, south facing shore of Bradley’s head, with both offering un tampered with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and skyline. 

The bay is a great spot to go for a swim and enjoy the fabulous harbour views. It is also a popular spot for boats to dock, and use the beach as a picnic spot.

There is also a brilliant cafe, named Athol Cafe, which is situated just a 2 minute walk from the beach. The cafe is a refurbished heritage home which also boasts fantastic views of the city and harbour. it is a great spot to relax and admire the view whilst enjoying some of Sydney’s local dishes, with sea food having a prime position on the menu. The cafe is open Tuesday- Friday, as well as Sundays, from 11am - 3pm. 

Taronga Zoo wharf is a 5-10 minute walk from the beach, with regular ferries coming from circular quay. Additionally, there are regular buses available as well as tourist buses to the zoo which would allow you to visit the beach. 

Overall, Athol Bay is a majestic beach location offering unspoilt harbour views and should definitely be on your to do list!!

Vivid Festival

A Festival that lights up Sydney!

The Vivid Light, Music and Ideas Festival runs from the 22nd of May until the 8th of June. It is an 18 day festival that features light and music displays from all over the world. The festival transforms Sydney into light and music bonanza. It features an outdoor gallery of magnificent light sculpture, combined with an extraordinary contemporary music program. 

One of the highlights of the festival is the spectacular illumination of the Sydney Opera House sails. 

The main light shows are set all around Circular Quay and along Sydney Harbour. This means that it is an easy walk from exhibit to exhibit. The festival is free which makes it so popular, which is why planning your trip ahead is crucial. There are an extra 3500 public transport services to get to and from the festival including: Train, Bus, Ferry, Light Rail, On Foot and Car. 

Overall, The Vivid Festival in Sydney is another amazing sight showcasing the best of Sydney and is not to be missed! 

The Jenolan Caves

The Jenolan Caves are limestone caves, which regarded as Australia’s most outstanding cave system, with pure underground rivers and amazing limestone crystal formations and it is among the finest and oldest cave systems in the world. The Jenolan Caves located within the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve in the central Tablelands region, west of the Blue Mountains, in New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The caves are situated approximately 175 kilometers west of Sydney. People can take train from Sydney CBD for 3 hours.

People probably said "magical, unbelievable, amazing" when they go to the Jenolan Caves, there are 11 show caves, underground rivers, and fantastic terrain. Moreover, the Jenolan Caves are different from other caves of places. It has only yellow light in caves, not like other caves have many motley lights in caves. Anyway, the Jenolan Caves are a national treasure, of awe-inspiring beauty and scale. People can participate in a superb guided tour of the caves to explore.

The Sydney tower eye

Sydney Tower is Sydney's tallest structure, it is also the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere, after Auckland's Sky Tower, though Sydney Tower Eye's main observation deck is almost 50 m (164 ft.) higher than that of Auckland's Sky Tower. . The Sydney Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

The tower stands above the Sydney central business district (CBD), located on Market Street, between Pitt and Castlereagh Streets. It is accessible from the Pitt Street Mall, and sits upon the newly refurbished Westfield Sydney. The tower is open to the public, and is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the city, being visible from a number of vantage points throughout town and from adjoining suburbs.
Sydney Tower Eye takes you to the highest point above Sydney for breathtaking 360 degree beautiful panorama of the amazing harbour city. From the golden beaches to the distant Blue Mountains, you'll be amazed by the views. The ticket includes the 4D cinema experience - the first produced in Australia - where you can uncover a new dimension to Sydney through a whole new perspective. The engaging film experience is taken to the fourth dimension with evocative in-theatre effects including wind, bubbles and fire!

The Observation Deck offers state-of-the-art technology, including high powered binoculars and multilingual touch screen panels that tell every visitor interesting facts about the famous landmarks they are looking at. Experience the best views of Sydney and beyond from the top of Sydney Tower because it’s a "must do" and lifetime visitor experience for any visitor to Sydney.

The Revolving Restaurant - O Bar

O Bar is a revolving bar and restaurant, which offers some of the best views in Sydney. It is located at Australia Square 264 George Street Sydney, which walks about ten minutes from Town Hall Station. The 360 degree views of the harbor and business area are amazing making this a superb place to spend an evening. The revolution takes about two and a half hours a circle so arrive earlier before sunset to get the best views.

In addition, the bar has excellent service and offering all kinds of drinks and foods. All foods are delicate like some arts, whether they are appetizers, main courses or desserts. The restaurant has the same views but the menu and policies are somewhat bizarre. The menu states that each person in the party must order two dishes, one from the main course section and one from either appetizers or desserts. In any event, the food is good enough to eat and if you can afford it because it is quite expensive. However, people can stay in the bar, have something to drink, some finger foods, and avoid the overpriced restaurant. The views are the same, the service is great, and the prices are far more reasonable than in the restaurant.

The Deckhouse, Woolwich - Harbourside Cafe/ Restaurant

The Deckhouse is a waterfront Cafe and Restaurant situated in the Lower North Shore suburb of Woolwich. It is about 10km from Sydney CBD, or a 15 minute drive and offers a serene and quiet location to eat out with family and friends. Public Transport to the area is available, with a ferries stopping at nearby Woolwich wharf, a 5-10 minute walk to the Cafe, and regular buses from the city CBD going through the area. However, if you are going with family and friends who struggle to walk fair distances it may be better to drive, as the walk from the main road is quite steep. The car park is situated right outside the Cafe. 

The Deckhouse is located on Sydney Harbour and offers majestic views of Sydney’s famed Harbour Bridge, thereby providing an outstanding setting for lunch, breakfast or dinner. The Cafe/restaurant offers a range of cuisines to suit all tastebuds, with a variety of seafood dishes, burgers and pastas offered in the lunch menu. Moreover, breakfast offers a variety of delicious meals, from buttermilk pancakes to Breakfast Sundaes. Moreover, there are a range of kids style meals, with the Deckhouse catering for all ages and tastebuds! Meals are moderately priced, with breakfast ranging to $20, and lunch meals going up to around $30.

Additionally, the Deckhouse has been nationally acknowledged for there fantastic breakfasts’ and serene location, winning the 'Best Breakfast Restaurant CBD Award 2012 and 2013', and 'National Best Breakfast Restaurant 2013'.

The Cafe/ Restaurant is an ideal location for wedding receptions and other formal events, however it also offers a more laid back style of service, with locals being able to stop by for takeaway coffee and cake on their way back from their walk in the nearby Harbourside park. 

Therefore, the Deckhouse is by far one of the best Sydney Cafes, with it offering a combination of great food and serene views to match. It is an ideal location to bring family and friends for special events or just a chance to catch up and enjoy each others company in a beautiful setting!

The Boathouse Palm Beach

Café with a view

The Boathouse Palm Beach is located in Palm Beach, Sydney. It is situated on the Pittwater side of Palm Beach next to the Governor Phillip Park car park. There is plenty of parking in this proximity as well as on Barrenjoey Road. 

The Café is extremely popular with locals and tourists alike. On days when Home and Away are filming in Summer Bay (Palm Beach), The Boathouse is filled to the brim all day with fans and tourists eager to get a view of the set. The café boasts front row views of iconic Pittwater with the option to take a seat on one of the rustic styled picnic tables on the wharf, or sit on the front lawn, which offers large tables and white shabby chic beach chairs to enjoy a coffee and the newspaper. Either way, wherever you sit the water views are spectacular from every direction. The Boathouse offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch meals that incorporate modern Australian Cuisine.  As well as this the café also has fresh market flowers, deli style food, coffee, smoothies, the daily newspaper and even bread and milk. 

Overall, The Boathouse at Palm Beach is suitable for everyone including families with young children. It is situated in an incredible area on the Northern Beaches and should be experienced by all.

Royal botanic garden

The royal botanic garden is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful setting anyone will ever see anywhere, with garden filling an area of land between the harbour and the eastern part of the central business district. It's the oldest scientific institution in Australia and is considered one of the most prominent historical botanical institutions in the world.

 It's just a short stroll around the edge of the water from sydney opera house. Anyone can reach there by taking a train to circular quay and walk there from the Sydney opera house. Alternatively, Sydney explorer buses also stop there. Access to the garden is free and it's open everyday. The garden has large trees with a wonderful shade canvas and it makes it the best imaginable stop to sit and have lunch in the grass and taking the harbour views.
The garden has more than one million specimens and is a home to outstanding collection of plants from Australia and overseas. The botanic garden is surrounded by unfenced botanical parkland known as domain. It's green spaces, playing fields and harbour views play a central role in Sydney's biggest festivals, celebrations and events.
It is basically an excellent place to escape from the noise of the city and is best for recreational, sporting life and physical fitness of the city workers and the residents.

Sydney Jewish Museum

Sydney Jewish Museum is located at Darlinghurst Road, Sydney. It collects the history of the Holocaust-related memorabilia, Jewish and Australian Jews. It identifies the 16 Jews who arrived on the First Fleet and describes life for those people and their families in the early days in the settlement of Australia. The first floor of Sydney Jewish Museum is about Jewish history and related cultural exhibition, exhibits show all aspects of Jewish life and culture from rough appliances to exquisite arts. The second and the third floors are about the history of the Second World War when Jews were massacred. The main purpose of showing these exhibitions is dedicated to documenting and teaching the history of the Holocaust so that these events will never be repeated. Sydney Jewish Museum is the most amazing and truly touching place that you will ever go to. It touches your heart to think about all the people who died, and talking to someone who survives it, it just makes more people cherish life.