The Sydney Traveler

Is it really less than a week until Christmas? Sure enough, there’s just six sleeps to go! So for this edition of Sydney Photo Friday, I figured I’d show you one of my favourite Christmas trees in the city. There are so many beautiful ones around Sydney, but I love this one inside The Galleries Victoria. Just look at those big gold bows, beautiful crystal ornaments, and that dazzling star on top! It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Image source: Sebastian Bergmann @ Flickr

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Sydney Wildlife World will be about more than just animals when it opens its Australia’s Dreamtime exhibit this Sunday.
The new attraction promises to be an interactive and authentic experience capturing the culture and traditions of Australia’s indigenous heritage.
Kids will love having their face painted with traditional dreamtime designs. The paint will be made from ground ochre mixed with water for that authentic touch.
There’s also a rock gallery art wall, embellished with paintings and etchings like those made by the native Aboriginals. They used to create these artworks to illustrate their traditional stories, document their daily lives, and encourage successful hunting. …read more

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Vibe Hotels are maximising your holiday experience with the release of their new book Vibe Entertains.
It features the recipes for some of the goodies you’ll enjoy at the chain’s Curve restaurants and bars, including salmon satay sticks, blueberry cheese bites, and “Vibetini” cocktails.
You’ll receive a complimentary copy when you purchase a Vibe accommodation package. Prices start from $175 for Rushcutters Bay, $185 a night in North Sydney, and $195 for Goulburn Street, Sydney.
Image source: Vibe Hotels

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The classic Christmas ballet The Nutcracker gets a modern twist at CarraigeWorks this week.
The contemporary reworking combines the color and fun of the traditional Tchaikovsky production with some of the darkness and quirky appeal of the original fairytale. The classical music has been reinterepreted by local singer/songwriter Jess Maynard. Her breezy acoustic guitar soundtrack provides the backdrop to Luke Butler’s shadow puppet performance.
The Nutcracker is playing at a family-friendly price on Friday and Saturday. What better way to get the kids into the Christmas spirit before Santa arrives!
Dates: Friday 19 and Saturday 20 December
Times: 7 pm both days and 2 …read more

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Sydney’s Luna Park and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park are landmarks we should all see before they’re gone. They’ve just been named in the new book 500 Places to See Before They Disappear, which lists sites most at risk from developers and climate change.
It sounds like fairly miserable subject matter, but author Holly Hughes said that writing the book proved to be more positive than she’d first expected.
“At the outset, I feared that this project would be infinitely depressing,” she wrote. “Many of the case studies in this book are reasons for hope, not despair, and the more support we can …read more

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Have you seen the Christmas tree in Taylor Square yet? It’s very modern looking, with metallic coils replacing the traditional green foliage!
The 10-metre tree is adorned with red holographic stars representing the Southern Cross, eco-friendly LED baubles, and a gold star on top.
“Taylor Square’s new Christmas tree reflects the contemporary, creative and cultural life of the area,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said.
“We wanted something a little different for Taylor Square, a Christmas tree that represented the community – a tree with artistic flair.”
It’s certainly that! The tree complements the Christmas lights along Oxford Street and Darlinghurst Roads, and Star …read more

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I’ve always been a music nerd. Some of my favourite memories of childhood see me sitting with my dad and his vinyl collection while my mum worked nights. He’d carefully take the records out of their sleeves and tell me about the songs, explaining their lyrics and telling me the history of the bands. So I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out Henry Diltz’s current exhibition at Blender Gallery.
For the uninitiated, Henry Diltz is one of the world’s greatest rock photographers. In California Dreaming we see a candid image Joni Mitchell playing guitar in her backyard while Eric …read more

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Sydney’s largest Christmas event, Carols in the Domain, is on this Saturday.
This year’s line-up is one of the biggest in the event’s history, with Delta Goodrem, Brian McFadden, Shannon Noll, Guy Sebastian, Melinda Schneider, Christine Anu, and David Hobson all on the bill.
This is such a big event, you’ll want to be there early to get a prime viewing position. The waiting is made a lot easier, with activities happening from noon and the pre-show entertainment on stage from 3.
It might be a free event, but it’s also an important fundraiser for The Salvation Army. So remember those less fortunate …read more

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Last weekend my husband and I treated ourselves to an overnight stay at the Sydney Marriott Hotel. We had a birthday party to attend in the city, and he’d just received word that his application for permanent residency was approved, so we had twice the reason to celebrate.
The hotel is conveniently located near Hyde Park, which is perfect if you’re like me and don’t fancy the stress of driving into the city. We caught the train to Museum and enjoyed an easy five-minute walk to the hotel door.
The room was gorgeous, with a big king size bed and stunning views …read more

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A few weeks ago I brought you a special on international shopping destinations in the city. But of course, the influence of multiculturalism doesn’t just affect what we buy. It also affects what we eat. We can’t all afford to travel around the world to try the best authentic ethnic cuisine, but you don’t have to if you’re staying in Sydney. Here are some of the best “eat streets” in the city.

King Street, Newtown offers a taste of Asia, with goat aloo at Delhi O Delhi, Cambodian food vegan-style at Green Palace, and contemporary Thai cuisine at Chedi.
John Street, Cabramatta …read more

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