The historic NSW town of Berry will host a brand-spanking-new festival this December. The Fairgrounds Festival looks set to thrill guests with its fantastic line-up of independent artists and hip cultural events. Located just a couple of hours outside of Sydney, along the sunny South Coast of the state, the Fairgrounds Festival is set to be one of the highlights of the summer!

Accessible by train, the music festival will take place in the picturesque Hazelberry Park. For the entire weekend, the town will entertain visitors with cultural events designed to spark in-town tourism. Accommodation options are plentiful, and on-site camping is also available; organisers suggest visitors make the most of the weekend away by enjoying the other festivities on offer.

The beguiling tones of lo-fi folk sensation Jessica Pratt will no doubt enrapture audiences, as the up-and-coming American singer/songwriter is going from strength to strength. Similarly, the soulful groove of Unknown Mortal Orchestra has captured the hearts and minds of a wide fan base, and for good reason; their live show is famously appealing and entrancing.

Brooklyn electronic duo Ratatat will perform cuts off their new album, and Sydney darlings Royal Headache are set blow minds with their unique, high-energy blend of soul and garage rock. Also along for the ride is 90’s indie sensation Mercury Rev (whose albums were produced by famous Flaming Lips / Tame Impala board man Dave Fridmann).

With a free moonlight cinema, local food market, several events tailored for families and children and so much more, the Fairgrounds Festival is sure to please even the most discerning lover of all things ‘hip’. Visit the festival website for ticket information and a run-down of events on offer!

What: The Fairgrounds Festival
Where: Berry, NSW
When: Saturday, 5th of December, 2015
For more information visit:http://fairgrounds.com.au/

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An artist’s rendering of the site

The NSW Government has approved plans to build a $36-million cage-free zoo in Western Sydney. The ambitious and ethical tourism effort has been green-lit for development in the suburb of Blacktown, with advocates suggesting the new zoo could inject millions of dollars worth of revenue into state coffers.

The Sydney Zoo, which was approved for development in the Bungarribee precinct, will feature cage-free animal exhibits on a sprawling sixteen-and-a-half-hectare property. The zoo will feature elevated boardwalks, enclosed glass observation areas and other state-of-the-art zoo innovations. In the end, the park’s operators are pitching their zoo at families who wish to see a broad spectrum of exotic animals in a truly realistic and morally justifiable setting.

State Environment Minister Mark Speakman told the ABC the zoo would open in late 2017 and that it would be a great addition to the city’s flagging tourism scene. “Since Taronga Zoo was first established 100 years ago, Sydney’s population has absolutely ballooned,” Mr. Speakman explained. “We think now there is room [for] another world-class zoo here in Western Sydney.”

Locally, the development approval was warmly welcomed by those hoping to reap the economic benefits of the new attraction. According to the financial group KPMG, Sydney Zoo has the potential to add about $45-million worth of revenue to the state’s bottom line every year, with an extra $3-million in associated spending. About 160 jobs will be created during construction, with a further 120 jobs required for operation.

Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali expressed his satisfaction at the prospect of significant economic benefits for local businesses and workers. “We have a focus on jobs and appropriate sustainable development in the area,” he said. “It will be a cage-free zoo with limitless horizons which brings visitors safely face-to-face with animals, making it a hugely successful attraction.”

With Taronga Zoo and Featherdale Park experiencing a lull in their profitability, it’s hoped the new development will spark interest in the city’s other significant wildlife-centred attractions.

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A good thing gone bad…

Sydney’s 2015 Corroboree Festival has been cancelled, after it was revealed the event’s organisers were involved in a funding stoush with the Liberal Government. The indigenous cultural event entered an indefinite hiatus after Destination NSW, the State’s tourism and events authority, signalled it would not be meeting the request to increase funding for the festival.

Festival organisers claim the event could not go ahead without a significant boost to their bottom line. Artistic director Hetti Perkins told the Sydney Morning Herald that the decision was difficult, but principled. “There was not the appropriate amount of funding for this year to allow the festival to be financially sustainable nor to build on the successes of 2014 and to meet the KPIs set by DNSW,” she explained.

Ms. Perkins insisted that the lack of funding speaks to a wider attitude towards indigenous culture. “We’re just fed up with begging for scraps from the table,” she noted. “Where’s the support for Indigenous culture? The collective statistics tell the story of a festival which went from attendances of 35,000 in year one to almost 50,000 in year two – a significant uplift in just 12 months.”

Additionally, the experienced organiser expects the local indigenous community to be affected by the drastic decision. The local arts and cultural scene makes the most of the annual festival, and this year many will feel its absence. “There are many stakeholders who are impacted by this outcome, however it is not possible to continue the festival without adequate financial backing,” Ms. Perkins said, before launching into criticism of the state government’s tourism priorities. “Junk tourist shops – is that the best Sydney can offer?” she asked. “Is that all we’ve got to say to people when they come to Sydney?”

Destination NSW spokesperson Rhys Haynes refused to admit any funding had been withdrawn, adding (somewhat disingenuously) that the authority could not guarantee an increase in funding. “Destination NSW supported the approach of changing Corroboree Sydney to a biennial event but was not able to meet the requested significant increase in funding,” he said.

But somehow, we think that argument does little to explain how the state lost one of its most vibrant and culturally important festivals.

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Bondi Beach Markets

Bondi Beach is one of Sydney’s main attractions, so if you’re there on a Sunday, why not drop by the Bondi Beach Markets? You can find almost anything at these  stalls, from pre-loved clothing and toys to designer leather bags. There’s definitely something for everyone. The school’s canteen operates on Market Day, raising funds for the school and other local community groups.  It offers light meals and cold drinks to market visitors and, of course, the great weekend tradition of the sausage sizzle. If you’re a fan of jewellery such as necklaces and charm bracelets  you’ll want to visit the shop towards the back of the markets,  which offers a wide range of these accessories  and all  at an affordable price.

Address: Bondi Beach Public School, Campbell Parade, Bondi NSW 2006

Opening Hours: Sundays, 10am to 4pm

Kirribilli Markets

Located next to the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, Kirribilli Markets offer  shining views of the harbour. The venue is located right outside Milsons Point Station and just a  five-minute walk  from Luna Park. The markets give you  an eclectic mix of stalls that touch on both contemporary and vintage products. Live entertainment adds to the vibrant atmosphere  of the markets, giving off a vibe reminiscent of a Spanish festival. A wide array of food stalls offers different cuisines ranging from Japanese fusion wraps to classic Turkish gozlemes. Your taste buds can truly travel around the world. If you like Asian food,  keep an eye out for the banh mi or Vietnamese bread rolls.  At $6 a roll, this is probably the most reasonably priced food item at the markets.

Address: Burton Street Tunnel & Bradfield Park Bowling Green, Milsons Point NSW 2061

Opening Hours: (1) Art & Design & Fashion Markets – Second Sunday of each month, 9am to 3pm. (2) General Markets – Fourth Saturday of each month, 7am to 3pm

Glebe Markets

This is the top vintage market in Sydney and is popular amongst all ages  because it offers a huge variety of stalls selling fashion, food and crafts, as well as quirky items that are hard to find anywhere else. The atmosphere at the Glebe Markets is always bustling with chatter, live music, and the smell of tandoori chicken kebabs rising off the grills. A large lawn allows visitors to relax, devour their food, bask in the sun and listen to live music that will entice you to stay longer!  Among the various aromas, be sure to follow your nose to the scented candles (especially the heavenly-smelling soy candles), tandoori chicken wraps (fresh off the grill and warm in your tummy) and the pho noodles in a tasty broth all served in a tall paper cup. Be careful though, it’s piping off!

Address: Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037 (Glebe Public School)

Opening Hours: Saturdays, 10am to 4pm

This year’s Sydney Tea Festival is nearly here! For lovers of the flavoursome beverage, the 2015 festival is sure to delight and enthral. Participants can immerse themselves in the culture of tea, with taste-testing and buying options to suit every palate. But the Sydney Tea Festival offers much more than just tea…

The festival is an interactive and engaging event designed for seasoned tea lovers and newcomers alike. There are educational workshops, free talks, tasting events and even a tea meditation event. Essentially, there is something for everyone! But for those after something a little less demanding and exhaustive, the festival offers easy access to a wide range of specialty teas and vendors.

More than fifty specialist stalls and producers participate in the event, and the ‘Tea Market’ is a fantastic way to learn everything you can about a substance that is adored the world over. Local food trucks and stalls will offer guests a variety of scrumptious meals and tea-appropriate snacks. And for those wishing to participate in day-long taste-testing, a $4.00 ‘tasting cup’ is also available upon entry! What could be better?

Ticketed sessions offer everything from informative workshops to entertaining discussions on the finer points of tea. Participants can learn about the production and proper preparation of tea, along with some other culturally interesting facets of tea culture, for example its relaxing nature and history. Tickets for the fascinating events can be purchased online through Eventbrite; but be sure to plan ahead and book your tickets well in advance!

For a wonderful day full of fun, flavour and folly, make sure you visit this year’s Sydney Tea Festival. It is a family-friendly event, so be sure to bring the little ones along for a dose of inner-city culture!

What: The Sydney Tea Festival 2015.
Where: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh.
When: 16th of August, 2015.
For more information visit: http://www.sydneyteafestival.com.au/

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A famous caboose…

Australia’s lagging rail network has long baffled those in the tourism industry. Compared to Europe and China, Australia’s rail system is simply not fit for purpose. As a large nation encompassing a truly awe-inspiring landscape, one would assume that rail travel would be a priority for the nation’s lawmakers and peak tourism bodies. However, a slated cut to the Indian Pacific’s route has set chins wagging.

Over the weekend, train operator Great Southern Rail announced that they would be cutting their twice-weekly peak season services in half. Another cost-cutting measure is a slated increase to the cost of fares for pensioners and veterans.

The announcement, which has been met with public condemnation and consternation, was in part due to the severe budgetary constraints faced by the operator. Over the course of the last year, Great Southern Rail has had to deal with the sudden removal of more than $9 million worth of subsidies usually handed out to regional travel operators.

The decision, established in last year’s federal budget, has now been met with calls for relevant state governments to pitch in and save the fledgling industry. In the long run, operators are concerned that the lack of transport options will disincentivise travel to regional areas dependent on tourism. Small towns, such as Broken Hill, are expected to bear the brunt of the cataclysmic change.

Inland Tourism New South Wales head, Graham Perry, explained that the changes would likely affect the proposed doubling of visitor numbers to the region. “We’ve just heard that these subsidies have been cut and again that reduces services and the ability for Australia to travel out to Broken Hill.”

Mr. Perry explained that government-run operator, TrainLink, should help cover the shortfall in the short-term. “We need to grow the services at a time when other people are pulling back,” Mr. Perry advised. “I would really encourage TrainLink, who I think has for the last couple of years now been really pulling back in terms of their involvement in tourism, so what I would urge them to say, urge them to do is to pick up the slack.”

The Liberal-National Government has been keen to distance itself from any responsibility for the cutbacks. WA MP Sussan Ley reiterated the LNP’s position that transport subsidies should be funded by the states and territories. “While the Australian Government indicated in the 2014-15 budget it will cease concessions, it’s my understanding the changes announce [have] not been the only factor in new GSR owner Allegro’s business decision to reduce passenger services. I also see GSR boss Chris Tallent also accepts it is not really the Federal Government’s job to subsidise pensioners’ trips.”

The decision will likely affect regional and national tourism, with operators already decrying disastrous and potentially damaging side-effects. Here’s hoping the issue is solved some time soon.

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Come early July, our travel party set off from Sydney, and headed down the South coast. About 3 hours drive, just south of Nowra, we reached our destination, Sanctuary Point. We booked our accommodation via airbnb.com.au and found a great 3 bedroom house with a fireplace for just $110 per night.

Sanctuary point is a small hamlet with beautiful water views over the St George Basin, boasting wide streets and plentiful wildlife. We were delighted to make the acquaintances  of the local kangaroo family on more than one occasion. Most importantly, the area is blissfully quiet. As the aim of this holiday was to relax and enjoy some breathing space, Sanctuary Point was the ideal location.

A sunset to remember

After settling in, we decide to go for a walk to familiarise ourselves with the surrounding area. We came across Ray Brooks Reserve, which is just along the basin’s edge. Walking along the beach the water is gentle, the air crisp and the sky is clear. Across the water there is nothing but more trees and to the west, a picturesque mountain range. I came back for a walk many times, and was able to capture this glorious sunset.

For a pleasant lunch we walk down the road to Grevilles Corner Store, a cafe come corner store. While the cafe is lacking in decor (inside is more fish and chip fluorescence than anything else) the option of sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine is a definite asset to the ambience. The coffee, though nothing to write home about, is pleasant enough. The clear highlight, however, is the menu. Grevilles Corner boasts not only an extensive list of gluten free options from breakfast to afternoon tea, they also do a great burger. I order the peri peri chicken burger: the meat is tender, the salad simple and fresh, the gluten free bun is soft and dense with a light dusting of sesame and pumpkin seeds as counterbalance. It’s a pleasant surprise to find not only an allergy friendly restraint, but one that offers simple quality food for an affordable price.

A short drive into town, just hidden off the main street of Sanctuary Point behind Bendigo Bank is Time at Tiffs. This recently opened tea parlour offers an effortless charm, with excellent customer service. Owner Tiff specialises in allergy-friendly deserts, her passion extending from frustration at having nowhere to take her egg-and-nut-allergic daughter. The part-time swimming teacher is open and dedicated to providing the best possible experience. When asked if she had any wheat free deserts available, Tiff was not only able to offer a tasty homemade coconut slice, but she also went to the trouble of double checking all the ingredients to ensure that not a trace of wheat would be found.  This charming tea store is definitely worth a stop for some homemade deserts, and good cup of coffee or tea.

For more fun things – we head on a day trip to Huskisson.

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Whales Ahoy

We booked with Dolphin Cruises:  tickets start at $65 per person for a 2 hour whale watching experience.
Unfortunately, our cruise is about 45 minutes late, so we kill time waiting down at the dock – thankfully someone has had the foresight to install some benches so we’re not too uncomfortable. Soon enough, the jet boat arrives, and our party climbs aboard, along with many other groups of families. The boat speeds off towards the head of Jervis Bay and immediately the wind is high and biting cold. We’re offered complimentary wind jackets by the crew, and everyone pulls them on gratefully and hunkers down.

It takes about half and hour to make it out of the heads of Jervis Bay. Once there, the crew invites us all to spot the whales. The trick is to look for the small plumes of sea water expelled by humpbacks as they breathe. After a tense 15 minutes one of the crew spot two humpbacks next to the north head some 20 kilometres away. We rush towards them, and then wait with anticipation until 15 minutes later we are rewarded with two humpbacks surfacing, just 3 metres away from the side of the boat. It is a truly magical experience to watch the awe-inspiring humpbacks dive and resurface above the water. After about 20 minutes or so, it’s time to head back in for lunch.

Later that afternoon we head to Huskisson Pictures – the tiny 1 room theatre which hosts the current big and small movies for only $10 per ticket. The place is small but quaint. It has the intimate small movie setting but with all the snacks and trimmings you would find at a larger cinema; choc top anyone?

For dinner we head to the Huskisson Pub for the bistro.  This pub is warm and welcoming and boasted some of the freshest seafood I’ve ever tasted. The service was high quality, with friendly staff and a relaxing atmosphere.

I order the fish of the day: a grilled barramundi with potato and broccoli. My companions opt for tempura prawns with salad and a dish called Earth n Sea – beef with king prawns.

The barramundi is incredibly fresh, tender and perfectly cooked. The skin is crunchy and just the right amount of salt, whilst the flesh of the fish is melt-in-your-mouth perfectly cooked. The potato’s are simple but delicious, roasted on a bed of poached broccoli stems. This is combined with a lime and saffron sauce, that provides a tangy counter point to the soft umami flavour of the barramundi.

My dining companions report their meals to be equally satisfying, and a taste of each confirms, soft fresh prawn wrapped in a perfectly crunchy tempura, and tender beef. I would highly recommend any of these meals at the Huskisson Pub.

Overall, Huskisson is beautiful town and well worth a visit.

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The gorgeous Leura Gardens…

The Blue Mountains is one of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations, with millions of visitors flocking to see the region’s many natural attractions and old-world town settings. For visitors, the Leura Gardens Festival offers an unparalleled insight into mountain garden culture and local traditions.

Each year, local gardens in Leura are opened to the general public. The distinctive gardens are often diverse in their presentations of local and foreign flora, with many different native and exotic flowers on display. The cool mountain climate allows for the growth of several specialty plants including rhododendrons, camellias, azaleas and even hellebores. For fans of floriculture, it’s a truly must attend event!

From Saturday the 3rd of October to Sunday the 11th of October, the town of Leura will come alive as thousands of visitors swarm to the unique regional celebration. This year, as in the past, proceeds will go towards funding the Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital. Last year, an impressive $15,000 was raised.

Just 100 kilometres west of Sydney, Leura is famous for its idyllic setting, unmatched views of the surrounding national parks and distinctively green ambience. This year, large and small scale gardens will no doubt impress those with a penchant for outdoor living.

Guests can also expect top quality food stalls, live music from local bands and plenty more. Tickets for the gardens are relatively inexpensive ($25 per person allows access to all gardens for the duration of the festival, or single tickets can be purchased for $5) and a shuttle service connects each of the unique sites.

It really is the best way to ring in the springtime and immerse yourself in the melange of vibrant colours that coincide with the change of season, so be sure to add the Leura Gardens Festival to your calendar!

What: The Leura Gardens Festival.
When: Saturday the 3rd of October to Sunday the 11th of October, 2015.
Where: Leura, Blue Mountains, 100km west of Sydney along the ‘M4′ and the ‘A32′.
For more information visit: http://www.leuragardensfestival.com.au/

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The iconic interior of Sydney’s Town Hall…

Over the next three months, Sydney’s iconic Town Hall will offer locals and visitors the chance to get up-close-and-personal with one of the city’s most famous attractions. Inside the majestic Town Hall building, visitors will find the Grand Organ. Over a series of free lunch-time concerts, the Town Hall Organ recital program will allow guests to hear a unique instrument in all its true glory.

An integral feature of the Town Hall since 1890, the Grand Organ was once the centrepiece of a stately, world-class town hall building. When it was first commissioned, the instrument was hailed as the finest in the world. Hundreds of years later, replacing the organ would now cost an estimated $20 million. Today, it continues to inspire music lovers the world over.

The entrancing instrument has 26 speaking stops, nearly 9,000 pipes and a unique 64 foot pedal stop. It remains the largest organ ever constructed with tubular pneumatic playing action.

According to the City of Sydney, the organ has significant cultural and musical value. “Built by William Hill and Son of London, the organ was also the biggest in the world at the time, with 126 speaking stops, nearly 9,000 pipes and a unique 64 foot pedal stop. It is still the largest organ ever constructed with tubular pneumatic playing action,” declared the City of Sydney website. For lovers of all kinds of music, these are must-attend events.

Over the last few years, the City of Sydney has had the Grand Organ restored by local specialists. But they’ve also been busy putting together specialist recitals so as to take advantage of the world-famous instrument. For those regularly in the CBD area, it might make for an extra special mid-day delight!

For more information visit https://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/sydney-town-hall-organ-recitals. For a brief program, see below:

Monday 10 August
University to Town Hall
Amy Johansen (Sydney University)

Monday 28 September
Fanfares & Fantasias
Robert Ampt

Monday 2 November
Organ & Bagpipes
Robert Ampt with Richard McGregor and Donald McKay (Bagpipes)

Wednesday 30 December
Young Organist’s Day
Featuring the talented young prize winners from the 2015 Sydney Organ Competition.

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