June 2005

In this Issue:

• A Taste Of Sydney Tour
• Southern Cross Seaplanes
• Sydney Fish Market Tour
• Captain Cook Bridge To The Bundeena Maianbar Art Trail
• Whale Watching Season 
• High Tea Sydney Style 
• Sydney Film Festival

Sydney Fish Market
The freshest way to start your day is with a behind the scenes tour at Sydney Fish Market. Held every Thursday at 7am, this early morning wake-up call includes visiting a live Dutch auction where more than 170 buyers bid for the best of the day’s catch. All facets of the market and its operations are explored, including the sashimi pavilion and crustacea pen. The Sydney institution is the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and is second only to Japan in terms of the variety of seafood available, with more than 100 species on offer every day. Each morning, a massive 55 tonnes of seafood is auctioned! The tour costs $20pp, with the option to have a fried seafood breakfast at its conclusion. To make a booking call 02 9004 1143 or visit www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au for more info.

High Tea Sydney Style
This old world convention of sophistication and occasion is back in a big way in Sydney. Visitors can indulge in a tradition was invented by the seventh Duchess of Bedford in 1840 to stave off afternoon hunger pangs. Pamper yourself in right royal style and enjoy a touch of luxury in Sydney at The Victoria Room (Darlinghurst), The Tea Room (QVB), The InterContinental Hotel (Macquarie St), The Observatory Hotel (Kent St) and The Conservatory at Sheraton on the Park (Elizabeth St). High tea includes sandwiches and cakes, served with the finest tea and champagne.

Sydney Film Festival
There’s no place in the world like Sydney for a film festival that truly reflects the diversity of the Australian way of life. From 10 – 25 June, visitors to Sydney can engage in Australia’s largest cinema event, with this year’s program featuring more than 230 dramas, documentaries and shorts, including 85 Australian premieres and six world premieres. The festival has a truly varied mix of films, including Hong Kong crime flicks, European thrillers, classic rock and roll movies, innovative digital film-making and the latest in European and Asian art cinema. The social hub will be the World Movies Festival Club at the main festival venue, the opulent State Theatre – home of the festival since 1974. Other venues include the Dendy Opera Quays cinema complex at East Circular Quay, The Studio at the Sydney Opera House, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. With one-way Qantas flights starting at $95 (ex Melbourne and Brisbane) and Accor Hotel accommodation from $99 per night, film buffs from across the country are encouraged to take advantage of these great rates. For more info and session details, check out www.sydneyfilmfestival.org. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketek on 13 28 49 or at www.ticketek.com.au.

Captain Cook Bridge to the Bundeena – Maianbar Art Trail
Sydney is in every way a city intrinsically linked to the water. And while the Harbour Bridge is recognised the world over, our city boasts a number of other bridges that act as gateways to some wonderful, lesser known locales. Pack a picnic lunch and head south for the Captain Cook Bridge. A feast of natural beauty awaits you on the other side, including the historic township of Bundeena, just a short ferry ride from Cronulla. The area claims to have one of the highest concentrations of artists per square metre of any place in the State. On the first Sunday of every month you can join the Bundeena – Maianbar Art Trail, with artists across the region opening their studios to the public. Pick up one of the free maps that are readily available throughout Bundeena and visit the artists, see their private working space and discuss the different aspects of their work. While there, be sure to check out Jibbon Beach where you can see superb Aboriginal rock engravings made by the Dharawal, who lived in the Bundeena region up to 5,000 years ago. www.bundeena.com/arttrail

A Taste Of Sydney
Renowned for impressive and indulgent travel experiences for couples and small groups, Australia In Style has recently launch its Taste of Sydney tour. Savour a Sydney dining experience like no other as your guide showcases the culinary diversity of this cosmopolitan city. After enjoying a drink in the shadow of the famous Sydney Opera House and overlooking the Harbour Bridge, travel through the ‘Spanish Quarter’ (Liverpool St, CBD) and Chinatown before arriving at ‘Little Italy’ (Leichhardt). Feast in the open air piazza of the ‘Forum’ where your dining options fuse modern Italian with the best of Sydney produce. Tel:  1300 883 124 or + 61 2 9310 0200 www.australiainstyle.com.au

It’s Whale Watching Season
Sydney can lay claim to some of the best whale watching opportunities of any city in the world. Visitors to the harbour city have unparalleled access to a host of vantage points via our national parks and headlands. Bass and Flinders Cruises have a brand new 300 seat vessel operating from Circular Quay daily to take you out past the Sydney Heads to view the mammals in their natural setting. $65 tour includes morning tea and commentary. Tel: +61 2 95831199 www.bassflinders.com.au

Or, join one of the twice daily departures with True Blue Cruises on a purpose built whale watching vessel to get up-close and personal with these majestic creatures of the deep. True Blue offer a 100% guarantee – see a whale or get your money back! Tours include free transfers from the city, morning tea and marine biology staff to inform you of the whale activities. Cost: $55 for 3 hours. Tel: 1800 309 672 www.sydneywhalewatching.com

Southern Cross Seaplanes
For the best view of Sydney, it’s hard to top the scenic flight tours operated by Southern Cross Seaplanes. This boutique operation offers you the ultimate in indulgence – sightseeing Sydney’s famous harbour and beaches from 1000 feet above. Choose from a wide range of scenic flights, gourmet lunch packages and accommodation in spectacular waterfront settings. Taking off from Australia’s first international airport at Rose Bay, it is hard not to be awed as beautiful Sydney Harbour unveils itself beneath. Flying in an immaculately restored, classic Beaver seaplane adds to the nostalgia - such a contrast to the myriad high-tech cruisers zigzagging the bay below. Tel: 1300 780 284 www.southerncrossseaplanes.com.au

For more information on Sydney this winter go to www.seesydney.com.au