Sydney Harbour Events

National celebrations are one of the important days for all countries. It’s the day when patriotism is at an all-time high and a great opportunity for people to show their love towards their home nation. I got to experience my first Australia Day this year after becoming an adopted citizen and boy! Was I waiting for this day, or what? I had read up on Australia’s rich &diverse culture and experienced bits and pieces of it, but to experience it as an Australian citizen gave me a whole new sense of pride. In my home country India, National day celebrations are on a smaller scale with most of the programs ending before noon. But Australia Day celebrations are on a larger scale with an event-packed day, from morning till night. It’s a day steeped in many traditions and events that have a history of more than a hundred years. Australia Day celebrations in Sydney are concentrated mainly around the harbour. There are many events like the Ferrython, Wugulora Indigenous Morning ce...

We all have wish lists, things we really want to do and see in our life. The inclusions will vary from ‘I want a puppy’ to ‘biking through Vietnam’ to ‘spending time and making memories with my grandchildren’. As we grow older, our wishes change or rather evolve, depending on our priorities. Chances are the first and last part of the wish list will be almost done with. It’sthe middle portion that will mostly be left un-ticked. The reason for the incomplete middle part is that you are busy, plain and simple. While juggling a career, starting a family and taking care of a home, most people seldom find time to live life to its fullest. Dropping the kids off at school, taking them to soccer practice, family functions & trips, job deadlines, business trips – you will have a packed schedule, to say the least. So the ‘biking through Vietnam’ ends up as a screen saver on your workstation, always there in the back of your mind, but never really executed. You see yourself one ...

Whether you’re in Sydney or anywhere else in the world, the adage ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ holds true for everybody! Who doesn’t need a break from the demands of work and the hectic routine of daily life? A little ‘me-time’ every now and then can work wonders on you, making you a more pleasant and productive person to be around! I speak from experience when I say, “If you find yourself losing focus, snapping at people, craving junk food and taking forever to get things done, you’ve definitely wound yourself into a tight spool that is just waiting to snap at the slightest trigger!” So why work yourself up into a frenzy that will eventually lead to a giant melt down at home or at work? If you can’t nip it in the bud, you have to do something about it before it’s too late. Planning a holiday may not always be practical; what you need is a quick-fix at timely intervals that helps you unwind and bring back a little magic to your life! And, in a city like Sydney,...

Opera House in the Vivid Lights - Viewed from a Sydney harbour cruise What began as a smart light festival for energy efficiency in Sydney has turned into one of the most instagrammed events in the world today. Winter in Sydney was so bleak that it was said that you could streak naked through Circular Quay and there wouldn’t be a soul out there to gawk! But Vivid Sydney, a tourism NSW initiative , completely changed the face of May and June in Sydney. Forget streaking naked, today, you’d be battling crowds just to get hundred feet ahead. As summer faded into winter in 2009, the inaugural Vivid Lights Festival was launched in the hope of attracting creative minds to come up with greener ways to maximize energy efficiency and to bump up winter visitor numbers. It was originally meant to incorporate four festivals in one – a harbourside light festival, a music festival, a creative talk-fest and a fire & water show that recreated the explosion of a convict ship. ...