Australia History
Byron Bay Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit: Sept '06 to Jan '07
Each year from mid September through January the Thursday Plantation hosts the East Coast Sculpture Show. This year for the 11th year running…around 70 recent works are displayed in a unique outdoor exhibition. The Exhibit is open 7 days a week 9-5. this is touted as “an exciting award winning exhibition of fine Australian contemporary sculpture set amongst a botanical and rainforest garden”. There are permanent installations and works on loan from regional artists.
Thursday Plantation is the worlds first Tea Tree Plantation and laboratory. …
Date: November 1st, 2006 | No Comments
Daily Dose- What's on!
A few helpful links to find out what is going on in your City!
24/7 Sydney
What’s on Sydney
That’s Melbourne
Only Melbourne
What’s On Perth
Let’s Party Perth
Our Brisbane
Brisbane City Life
Date: October 31st, 2006 | 2 comments
Sydney and Perth! - Sculpture by the Sea
Exercise, sea, sun, and sculpture. Sculpture by the sea is a fabulous opportunity to take in the natural beauty of the eastern seaboard and get your daily dose of culture all in one. Be warned- this is an EXTREMELY popular event and the sidewalks are absolutely packed on the weekend. If you can swing it- go during the week. The walk starts (or ends) near Bondi Icebergs. Forget even trying to get in there during this event- the wait is likely to be hours. Instead- bring your cossie (swimsuit), grab a picnic to eat en-route near a favorite sculpture that you would like a bit more time to ponder, and enjoy the sunshine.
Date: October 31st, 2006 | 1 comment
I said “Supa Centa!” Where to find storage solutions in Australia.
When I first arrived into Sydney I had a very humbling exercise in race relations while trying to find storage solutions for my bathroom. I have already written about the variety stores which can be found in almost every strip shopping center in OZ- most of what I needed could have been found there- but alas- unlike you lot- I didn’t know about them at the time.
I had moved into a fully furnished apartment but the new modern bathroom had no where to store anything- modern, shiny and stark- I was afraid my tooth brush would eventually make a swan dive into the toilet. I set out to find…storage solutions! As a standby- I figured I would go to Ikea. The Ikea I was able to locate in Sydney was down near Moore Park. So far I had been unsuccessful at our North American standby- Target- for what I needed. I figured out which bus to take and headed down towards my adventure. I asked the first bus driver who was of Asian decent- how to get to ikea- he said “ah yessss…you need the Supa Centa. You walk and you will see sign…” He told me which stop to get off- and away I walked looking for a sign that said “Super Center”
Date: October 29th, 2006 | No Comments
A Sweet Stop on the Pacific Highway- Brisbane to Sydney
Doing the drive Sydney to Brisbane? There are several fun things worth seeing. One thing is Fredo Pies and ice creams. Home of the famous crocodile pies. Located in In Frederickton NSW, they are on the west side of the Pacific Highway. While the Aussies are famous for their savory/meat pies, Fredo had sweet ones too. We sampled the caramel one. Yum! In addition to the food offerings…a life size replica of our lady Marylin Monroe is just waiting for you to stop and take her picture! …
Date: October 26th, 2006 | No Comments
WineFest in Queensland! Nov 17-18, 2006
Tastes of the Granite Belt Wine Fiesta 06 is a two day event. Queensland college of Wine Tourism is hosting a Black Tie dinner on the 17 November. $95 will get you 5 gourmet courses with matching wine. Reservations are essential. Call 07 4681 6333 from 6:30.
The college is also host on the 18th to the FIESTA! 10 am-6 pm $10 a person gets you a monogrammed tasting glass, food and wine stalls, musical entertainment, and an opportunity to attend a masterclass. the Masterclass is $25pp 2:30- 3:30 and will include finger food. The regional featured wine styles will be Verdelho and Viognier. Bookings essential. Queensland College of Wine Tourism is at the Corner of Caves Road and the New England Highway in Stanthorpe. see www.qcwt.edu.au for more information.
Date: November 1st, 2006 | No Comments
Melbourne! Fairy Penguins
Phillip Island in Victoria is the Home of the Little Penguin- previously known as the Fairy Penguins. Personally I like the first name. While I was down visiting Melbourne for work- I did one of those day tour things that packs you on a bus and wizz’s you around to many of the sights. One of the items on this particular tour was to go see the fairies…. (penguins)
The penguins are actually located many places along the Eastern Coast but Phillip Island has a great facility for viewing the nightly parade. They are soo cute- only about a foot tall- they waddle along- bellies full of fish. They will wait at they surf line until enough of a group gathers to “sneak” ashore. This is ABSOLUTELY hilarious!
Date: October 31st, 2006 | No Comments
Daily Dose- Vital Transport Info! Links for the major cities
Needing to get around in OZ? Here are the official links to the trip planning websites for travel on buses, ferries, trains and trams.
Sydney
Melbourne
Perth
Adelaide
Darwin
Brisbane
Date: October 29th, 2006 | No Comments
Artichoke Gallery Cafe, Manly NSW
The Artichoke Gallery Cafe, is not only a cafe but also Sangria Bar and Local live music venue. This cozy little eatery is one of the best and most friendly venues for local musicians to get heard and make a little money. The restaurant itself is in a Federation Style Terrace house in Manly- tiny little tables provide big atmosphere as they are squeezed into the antique space. Works from local artists line the walls, board games and literature are available and the setting is as they say …
Date: October 29th, 2006 | No Comments
New England Region- Central North NSW
Glen Innes- disappointing- a decent mid size country town and the home of the Celtic Standing Stone Monument. Worth a stop but - drive the extra hour and stay in Tenterfield or Inverell.
Inverell- very cute- fossicking (essentially panning for gold or semi precious stones) and natural attractions dominate the tourist scene here. I spoke to lots of people and they all said it is an extremely vibrant place with lots of festivals, events, and plenty to do. I stayed at the Inverell Motel- right in the heart of town. Convenient and adequate accommodation- budget rooms were $56. Grocery stores, pubs, boutique shops, and a really cute book store/café kind of dominated the CBD. A good place to stock up and refresh before moving further afield.
Emmaville- a very small village. Scenic- a secluded community but the drive was nice, some dirt roads, a couple of pubs, a general store and a few other things to see. Definitely an off the beaten path country town.
Date: October 26th, 2006 | No Comments