Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Sydney Opera House
The Opera House covers 1.8 hectares of land. It is 183 meters long and about 120 meters wide at its widest point. It is supported on 580 concrete piers sunk up to 25 meters below sea level. Its power supply is equivalent for a town of 25,000 people. The power is distributed by 645 kilometers of electrical cable. The building and the setting look orchestrated, and the synergy between the setting and the building make it appear that the scheme actually involved flooding the harbor valley to set the building off to best advantage.
There are restaurants at the Opera House. It is often possible to purchase a combination deal of dinner and a ticket to a performance. The shops at the Opera House have wonderful merchandise. The profits help to keep this building in good repair.
reference: http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia/sydney-opera-house
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Harbour Bridge
The Australian city of Sydney has one of the world's great harbours, which acts as the core around which the city has grown. However, what many people don't realize about Sydney's harbour is that it has a name problem. Most people, including most Sydneysiders, refer to it as "Sydney harbour", but strictly speaking this isn't correct. It's not that there isn't a Sydney harbour, it's just that this isn't it, in fact it's nowhere near - Sydney harbour is actually in Nova Scotia, Canada. If you want to be correct, then, you'll call Sydney's harbour "Port Jackson", but be warned that you'll be the only person doing that!
I visited Sydney in January, but you definitely won't get a view like this in Nova Scotia at that time of year, because Canada's Sydney harbour is frozen for three months of the year. In this photo you can see the Royal Botanic Gardens on the waterfront, with the Centerpoint Tower poking up a total of 320 meters, with an observation deck at 250 meters. On the right, of course, is the famous opera house and on the far right is one end of the area known as The Rocks, which is where Sydney's first convict inhabitants were forced to set up camp. Hidden behind the opera house is Circular Quay, which is where most of the harbour ferries arrive and depart.
Here's a closer view of some bridge climbers. The flag you see here is the state flag of New South Wales, which is where Sydney is. The Australian national flag has a union jack on a blue background with large stars in the shape of the Southern Cross constellation. The Australian and New Zealand flags are depressingly similar - the only difference is that the Australian flag has five seven-pointed white stars in its depiction of the Southern Cross, plus another larger Federation Star which represents the combined Commonwealth of Australia, while poor old New Zealand only has four five-pointed red stars, again depicting the Southern Cross!
You can decide whether you want to brave climbing up the bridge, but a definite must-do when you're here is a ride on the harbour itself, either on a tourist boat or one of the many commuter ferries which take people to and from work all throughout the day.
reference: http://www.richard-seaman.com/Travel/Australia/Sydney/Harbour/index.html
Luna Park
Luna Park Sydney (originally Luna Park Milsons Point, also known as Sydney's Luna Park) is an amusement park, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Luna Park is located at Milsons Point, on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour.
The park was constructed at the foot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during 1935, and ran for nine-month seasons until 1972, when it was opened year-round. Luna Park was closed in mid-1979, immediately following the Ghost Train fire, which killed six children and one adult. Most of the park was demolished, and a new amusement park was constructed; this originally operated under the name of Harbourside Amusement Park before resuming the Luna Park name. The park was closed again in 1988 as an independent engineering inspection determined that several rides needed urgent repair. The owners failed to repair and reopen the park before a New South Wales government deadline, and ownership was passed to a new body. Reopening in 1995, Luna Park closed again after thirteen months because of the Big Dipper rollercoaster: noise pollution complaints from residents on the clifftop above the park caused the ride's operating hours to be heavily restricted, and the resultant drop in attendance made the park unprofitable. After another redevelopment, Luna Park reopened in 2004, and as of 2010 is still operating.
Luna Park is one of two amusement parks in the world that are protected by government legislation, and several of the buildings on the site are listed on the Register of the National Estate and the NSW State Heritage Register. The park has been utilised as a filming location for several movies and television shows.
reference: http://sydney.arounder.com/en/city-tour/luna-park-sydney.html
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Bondi Beach
Bondi Beach Australia is located along the shores of Sydney, Australia. One of the more famous and popular beaches in Australia, Bondi offers an array of fun activities, suitable for every budget and every age. From the ancient days of Aboriginal fishing, people have been flocking to Bondi Beach Australia for its warm waters and clean, sandy beaches. Transportation the beach is convenient and frequent, and tourists will find this to be an excellent beach in Australia.
Bondi Beach is a great beach in Australia to bring a family, or relax as an adult. Surf schools in the area offer lessons, as well as equipment rental, and beginners are always welcome. Bondi Beach Australia is also one of the best places for scuba diving. The Bondi Wall is part of a series of steep cliff walls, which run along one of the best spots for scuba diving in Australia, and one of the best beaches in Australia. Check with local scuba shops and scuba schools for specific directions to Bondi Wall, as well as tide information.
While Bondi Beach is most lively during the summer, the town of Bondi Beach can be quite fun year round. In addition to having one of the nicest beaches in Australia, the town of Bondi has a lot to offer. The Bondi Beach Market is held every Sunday, year round, at the town's public school grounds. This is a great place to pick up some local art, food, or clothing. Another nice local market is the Bondi Junction Market, also open on Sundays, and located in the Bondi Mall. There are a number of small boutiques and shops located along the beach front, as well as in the town of Bondi Beach itself.
When dining, Bondi Beach offers plenty of café and restaurant options throughout the day. Campbell Parade is a main strip of shops and restaurants in the town, and visitors will find everything from a quick bite, to sit down dining options. When in Bondi Beach, and generally throughout most of Australia, tourists will often see "BYO" on the side of a restaurant, or on the restaurant's menu. This means Bring Your Own Alcohol, and generally most patrons do. Some restaurants charge a very moderate corkage fee, but this is not the norm.
Traveling to Bondi Beach is generally very convenient from any central location in Sydney. Buses travel from Bondi Junction in Sydney right to Bondi Beach Australia just about every ten minutes, until around midnight. Since parking at the beach itself is quite crowded and difficult, the bus is actually the main mode of transport for tourists and locals alike. You will experience much less hassle if you leave your car behind. There are also trains running from Bondi Junction to the beach about every ten minutes, so you'll be sure to have a convenient lift to Bondi.
As an extremely popular beach in Australia, Bondi Beach is a great place to visit if you plan to spend any amount of time in Sydney. Be sure to bring plenty of sun block along as the sun can be quite intense in all temperatures. Bondi Beach Australia offers a fun, warm way to kick back and enjoy a day at the beach.
reference: http://inaustralia.org/australia_beach.html
reference: http://inaustralia.org/australia_beach.html
Star City
Star City Hotel and Casino (formerly Sydney Harbour Casino) in Pyrmont, Sydney, is the second largest Casino in Australia after rival Melbourne's Crown Casino. Overlooking Darling Harbour, Star City features two gaming floors, eight bars, seven restaurants, three hundred and fifty one hotel rooms and one hundred and thirty serviced and privately owned apartments.It has Sydney's premier theatre, the 2000 seat Lyric Theatre. Its Chief Executive is Sasanka Liyanage.
Star City is the only legal casino in Sydney. The gaming operations are overseen and controlled by the New South Wales Casino Control Authority and is licenced to be the only legal casino in New South Wales. The casino in late 2008 was granted a 12 year extension of its exclusivity and licence. Tabcorp, the owners of Star City, then announced a $475 million refurbishment program called Project Star which involves the re-orientation of the casino towards Sydney Harbour, including a new "iconic" entrance and drop-off zone on the harbour side of the casino site.
This major refurbishment project began in late 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2012.
The casino features two gaming floors - the main gaming floor on level one for general entry and the Endeavour Room (which is now called the Sovereign Room as of August 2008) on level three. The Endeavour Room table bet ranges from $25 to $75,000 and the Endeavour Room also contains the Inner Sanctum, with table bet ranges of $100 to $300,000.[citation needed] The two areas are only available to high rollers and international guests following an application for membership and review by Star City management.[citation needed] The Inner Sanctum pits are frequently used for junket players. Star City returned to junket play in 2005 after taking a number of large losses in 2002.[citation needed]
Recent rebuilding works have added extra gaming areas for the main gaming floor with the addition of the Oasis Lounge and the 36 Degrees Bar although these new areas have not increased the amount of tables or machines available in total.
The main gaming floor is divided into three major parts - Table Games, Electronic Gaming, and Poker. The amount of poker tables has been steadily increased by Star City management and now stands at 30 tables.[citation needed]
The Sovereign Room has been upgraded and now includes four additional private gaming rooms and extra dining and lounge[clarification needed] amenities. These extensions have an estimated cost of $7,000,000.[citation needed].
Another recent upgrade is the addition of a new "ultra exclusive" area directly above the Sovereign Room called the Vermillion Room.[citation needed] This is accessed by invitation only[citation needed], and there are currently less than 100 Vermillion Card Members that are entitled to use the Vermillion Room.[citation needed] Star City has recently opened the sports bar as well.
reference: http://www.askbiography.com/bio/Star_City_Casino.html
Taronga Zoo
5 August 2010
Taronga Zoo is celebrating the arrival of a precious Pygmy Hippo calf, the first to be reared by its mother at the Zoo in over 20 years.
The female infant named, ‘Kambiri’ meaning “allow me to join this family “was born to mother ‘Petre’ and father ‘Timmy’ and discovered in the early morning of Saturday 26 June by the Zoo’s dedicated keeping staff who had been monitoring the pregnancy.
For the next few weeks visitors will begin to catch glimpses of the newborn as it spends short periods of time exploring the exhibit with its mother.
“Pygmy Hippos spend a lot of time in the water so Kambiri needs to perfect the art of swimming before it can spend long periods in the exhibit. Like all infants, they tire quickly so we will be taking things day by day.”
“We ask our visitors to be patient whilst we introduce Kambiri to the outside world, however in the coming weeks we do hope to share her with the community as much as possible. Pygmy Hippo babies are one of the cutest there is and exceptionally precious with only a few thousand individuals left in the wild.”
The infant is the second female calf born to Petre and Timmy, following ‘Monifa’ which was born in 2008. Unfortunately despite Petre initially showing very strong mothering skills, Monifa had to be hand-reared by zoo keepers after a difficult breach birth which compromised the newborn’s ability to thrive.
Taronga’s Hippo Manager, Renae Moss, said: “When we discovered a very strong, healthy calf and mother we were very relieved that this birth had been easier for Petre. We have such a good relationship with Petre we were able to conduct ultrasounds throughout the pregnancy, helping us to closely monitor her.”
“With as few as 3000 Pygmy Hippos estimated to remain in the wild today, if necessary we would have hand-reared this calf, but there is no substitute for a hippo being raised by its natural mother.”
“We are delighted that Petre is suckling this calf and appears to be doing everything right to raise the infant without our help,” said Renae.
Initially there was some concern that Petre wasn’t producing enough milk to feed the newborn, but thanks to the relationship and trust the adult hippo has in her keepers they have been giving Petre a helping hand and providing the calf with an additional feed during the day to help maintain its weight.
“Born at a very healthy 5.3 kilograms we are delighted to report that Kambiri has doubled her birth weight and now tips the scales over 13 kilograms. She is putting on about 300 grams a day.”
As Pygmy Hippos are a solitary species Timmy will play no role in raising Kambiri. The two adult Hippos only come together for breeding, preferring to live their separate lives at other times as they would naturally in the wild.
The young female is a vital addition to the region’s population of Pygmy Hippos. Foot and Mouth Disease in European countries has restricted the importation of hoofed species making every birth significant for the local gene pool.
The infant is only the fifth Pygmy Hippo to be born in Australia in two decades. Along with Taronga’s recent breeding successes, the regional population is gradually increasing with zoo colleagues in Cairns having welcomed a male calf last year.
Pygmy Hippos are a solitary forest-dwelling creature native to West Africa. Little is known about them in the wild with the majority of research recorded about the species learned from those cared for in zoos. The World Conservation Union estimates that there are fewer than 3000 Pygmy Hippos remaining in the wild. They are primarily threatened by loss of habitat as forests are logged and converted to farm land, and are also vulnerable to poaching, hunting, natural predators and war.
reference: http://taronga.org.au/tcsa/media/media-releases/taronga-visitors-may-glimpse-pygmy-hippo-calf-.aspx
Manly Beach
Manly Beach is a well-known beach situated in Sydney's Northern Beaches, Australia. From north to south, the three main sections are Queenscliff, North Steyne, and South Steyne.
Manly Beach circa 1900Within a short walk of Manly Beach along the oceanway is Fairy Bower and Shelley Beach. Also adjacent to Sydney Harbour National Park, Fairy Bower is one of the few large wave surfing spots in Sydney and produces a long right hand wave breaking over a reef. Shelly Beach (and the surrounding Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve) is a popular for scuba diving and is the only beach on Australia's east coast which faces inland.
The beach was named by Capt. Arthur Phillip for the indigenous people living there. He wrote about them, "Their confidence and manly behaviour made me give the name of Manly Cove to this place".
Manly Beach is highly popular with tourists and locals alike; a popularity rivaled only by the famous Bondi Beach south of the harbour. Manly Council Lifeguards operate a year-round service at South Steyne, and operate from October to April at North Steyne and Queenscliff. Volunteer Life Savers also patrol on weekends and public holiday between October and May.
This beach has long been a fascination for poets (most notably Bruce Beaver), artists and photographers.
A Manly Beach sunsetTravelling to Manly from Sydney's main ferry terminal, Circular Quay, takes 30 minutes by ferry. The Corso, a pedestrian plaza and one of Manly's main streets for shopping and dining, runs from the ferry wharf and harbour beach all the way across the peninsula to Manly Beach, where it marks the boundary between North Steyne and South Steyne.
reference: http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia
Circular Quay
Circular Quay is the hub of Sydney Harbour, situated at a small inlet called Sydney Cove, the founding site for Sydney and Australia. It is a stepping-off point for most attractions based around the harbour and an exciting place to be on a warm summer's day. The quay is a vibrant, bustling place with ferries leaving every few minutes to different parts of the harbour, including Manly, Watsons Bay, Mosman and Taronga Park Zoo. There are great views of the Harbour Bridge, a short distance away.
On the southern side of Circular Quay is a walkway that leads to the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanical Gardens; while on the northern side, a short walk along lovely landscaped walkways takes you to the Harbour Bridge and The Rocks, one of the oldest, most attractive and most interesting parts of Sydney.
Circular Quay is at the foot of the central business district and the older, historic end of the city. Buses depart here for Bondi and the eastern suburbs.
There is a major railway station at the quay, which is part of the underground City Circle , which skirts around the CBD. Alongside the ferry terminals are a number of small outdoor cafes and the area is a magnet for buskers of every description.
Looking for Accommodation in and within walking distance of Circular Quay.
reference: http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia
The Blue Mountains National Park
The Blue Mountains National Park is just a couple of hours' drive west of Sydney. Here, you will discover the breathtaking scenery unchanged since dinosaurs walked the earth. Walk in dense forests, swim in crystal clear pools, - and don’t forget your camera for the amazing cliff-top views! It’s ideal for walkers and those who appreciate nature in all its rugged glory. For either a day trip or a longer stay, this really is the Australian countryside at its best.
Only 90 minutes from Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Oberon tourism region is Australia's most accessible World Heritage listed wilderness.
Stretching over one million hectares, this Greater Blue Mountains National Landscape, features some of the most breathtaking vistas in Australia and is an inspiring and diverse mix of rainforest, blue-hazed valleys, golden sandstone escarpments, eucalypt forest, canyons and windswept heathlands.
This region of natural beauty offers authentic eco-tourism experiences, unique Australian boutique shopping, interactive nature and wildlife educational experiences and is a wonderful environment for rejuvenation and health and well-being experiences.
Discovering the secrets of the World Heritage region is easy. Freeways provide direct road links from Sydney and regular train services from Sydney's Central Station take you into the heart of the region in less than 2 hours. A range of coach and 4WD operators, offer day and extended tours from Sydney.
Easy To Get To. Impossible To Forget.
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Valley wine region offers the visitor wine-tastings, fine food and comfortable guesthouses in an area of lush natural beauty. Explore by hot-air balloon, by horse-drawn carriage, by bike or on foot - and make a short detour to Barrington Tops, a pristine area of rugged mountains and gorges, waterfalls, dense rainforests and walking trails. The Hunter Valley is the perfect place to relax and unwind for a few days after the hustle and bustle of Sydney.
reference: http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia
Byron Bay
Byron Bay is in the north of New South Wales, just a short drive to the border with Queensland. This lively town is home to the most eastern point of Australia, marked by the famous Byron Bay Lighthouse. Byron Bay is a great stopover town when heading along the east coast of Australia where you can relax on the beach for a few days before carrying on with your journey.
reference: http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia
Broken Hill
Known as ‘The Silver City’, Broken Hill is a working mining town, and is extremely popular with artists, film-makers and of course tourists! During your stay you will get an insight into authentic Outback life, with its colonial mansions, pubs and even a Flying Doctor station. Surrounding the town are some fascinating Outback national parks, such as Mootwingee National Park where you can see ancient rock art, or Kinchega National Park with its dunes and rich bird life.
reference: http://www.destination360.com/australia-south-pacific/australia
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