Kate LOVES Sydney

Fancy some festival fun?

Sydney is Australia’s festival capital. We have the world-famous Sydney Festival, the Biennale of Sydney, the Sydney Writers' Festival and not forgetting the community and music festivals that take place throughout the year.

Summer immediately springs to mind when you think of festivals held in Sydney, but as the Winter Festival recently demonstrated, there’s no chance this city will let the winter chill halt the festival frivolities and this weekend is no exception. Here’s how you can get your festival groove on this weekend:

Bondi Bohemia
Hidden behind the façade of Bondi’s surfy exterior is a community of alternative, bohemian creativity which is on show over the next two weekends. The Bondi Bohemia Festival features poetry workshops, an Eco Kids Festival and the Bondi Winter Music Festival. Bondi Bohemia runs from 11-26 July.

The Rocks Aroma Festival
Coffee, coffee, coffee… did I mention there’ll be coffee? If you’re a caffeine addict then head straight for The Rocks on Sunday 19 July to get your fix. Not a coffee lover? Try chai and tea from only $2 and for those with a sweet tooth, there’ll be plenty of chocolate on offer too. From 10am – 5pm.

Christmas in July – The Loft
December 25 not rolling around quickly enough for you? Why not get into the Yuletide spirit this weekend at The Loft, King Street Wharf. Sit back and relax as you’re served a special Christmas-themed High Tea with yummy drinks of mulled wine.

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Vivid Sydney

Sydney's always been known as a hub of creativity and inspiration, and now we have our own festival which celebrates this - Vivid. Vivid is a celebration of music, light and ideas that kicked off on Tuesday night. The festival features four events, Luminous, Smart Light, Fire Water & Creative Sydney.

In Luminous, the sails of the Sydney Opera House are being lit up each night with Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings, an audio-visual exhibition that's now showing in The Studio at the Sydney Opera House. Circular Quay was lined with people til the wee hours on Tuesday night, mesmerized by the ever evolving images shining on the sails. It's a must see.

The other component of Luminous is a music festival that Brian Eno has curated. Not sure who Brian Eno is? He was originally in 80's band Roxy Music and is now one of the biggest music producers in the world, producing the likes of Coldplay and David Bowie.

Smart Light is a series of energy efficient lighting installations located around Circular Quay and The Rocks. The walk is about 2km long, so ideal for a casual stroll around the city at night. My favourite installations are the Museum of Contemporary Art being lit with Yayoi Kusama's art and just down the road from the MCA, there's a fantastic display that runs on pedal power!

Creative Sydney is on at the MCA and The Roxy in Parramatta, and is a series of invigorating talks embracing musicians, designers, architects, photographers, writers and the media. If you're looking to be inspired by fellow creatives, this is where you wanna be.

And finally we have Fire Water, a re-creation of a convict ship catching fire and exploding on Sydney Harbour in 1814. There'll be musicians and live performers around Campbells Cove to set the party atmosphere before the visual show kicks off.

Vivid Sydney is running to 14 June and as you can see, there's plenty to see and do during the festival. If you're looking to make a night out of it and see the various events taking place, why not pick up an Enliven Your Senses card from Sydney.com and take advantage of the great 2-for-1 offers available, including cocktails at the Park Hyatt.

I'm off to Dungog today for the Film Festival. Enjoy Vivid and check back in next week to hear all about Dungog!

Cocktails and Parties - Sydney Fun in the Sun

The gorgeous summer days in Sydney just keep coming and despite many of us heading back to the office after weeks of holidays - that holiday vibe is still in the air. It seems the sunny skies are calling to us all to venture away from our desks, to move off the couch and to embrace this fantastic weather while it’s still here. In fact, at this time of year it seems that everything in Sydney revolves around the outdoors.

Take a stroll past any of the cities bars and you’ll discover their beer gardens and balconies bursting with patrons. This trend is evident as I enter the Zeta Bar at the Hilton and discover the roof top balcony is the place to be. The hip bar in the heart of the city recently launched its Summer Sundaze series so I’ve decided to pay a visit with some friends and sample the bar’s impressive cocktail menu. We’re introduced to Zeta’s bar supervisor, the charming Frenchman Jean, who talks us through the inspiration for the latest additions to the cocktail menu. After a few minutes with Jean I’m surprised to discover the intricacies behind the cocktails at Zeta as he takes us through a sampling of cocktails available before, during and after prohibition.

The first cocktail we sample is the Charlie Chaplin, a martini-style cocktail with equal parts slow gin, apricot brandy and lemon juice that was widely available before prohibition and a favourite of the man himself. The level of detail in the presentation is impressive with the cocktail served in an antique stainless-steel goblet as it would have been in the era before prohibition. The unique presentation of the cocktails turns out to be one of the talking points of the evening as we’re presented next with a cocktail in a brown paper bag – from during prohibition of course! From there we’re served Pina Coladas (a Hilton claim-to-fame we learn) in a hollowed-out pineapple, complete with a fireworks sparkler then yummy Mai Tais in Tiki mugs.

The showstopper of the evening arrives when Jean serves us a ‘bacon-infused’ cocktail. Yes, my friends, a cocktail with bacon as the garnish! Jean warns us that it’s a very “masculine” drink and as soon as it hits my lips I realised what he’s talking about. A little too potent for my sweet tastes so I promptly move back to the Mai Tai. For all the men out there though that believe cocktails are a women’s domain, I can safely assure you it’s not and recommend you hightail it to Zeta to give the bacon-infused cocktail a go. To see the bacon-infused cocktail in all its glory, take a look at the latest photos I’ve updated.

The past weekend took me out onto the harbour to All Tomorrow’s Parties, a music festival held at Cockatoo Island. The event was part of the program of activity taking place this month for the Sydney Festival which is an annual cultural celebration of Sydney in summer. Cockatoo Island is heritage listed site with many guises over the year ranging from an imperial prison to a naval shipyard. In recent years it’s been re-opened to the public and with its mix of industrial and colonial buildings set against stunning views of the harbour, it was an amazing site to host a music festival.

All Tomorrow’s Parties was curated by musician Nick Cave and featured over 25 of his favourite acts playing on four stages. During the day, the mood was relaxed with groups of friends exploring the island or chilling out listening to the many performances. However by night the mood had changed and it was clear that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were who everyone had made the journey to see. It was a fantastic day and impressive to see Cockatoo Island used as a festival venue.

So as you can tell, there’s still plenty of exciting things taking place around Sydney at the moment so why not get out there and explore and enjoy Sydney in summer!

Newtown - eclectic and bohemian

Brimming with university students, vintage clothing stores, bookshops, a thriving arts community and cosy bars, Newtown is Sydney’s centre of bohemian culture. Translation – if you’re looking for a destination that celebrates the arts, quirky design and anything that resembles stepping away from the ‘norm’ then Newtown is for you.

By day, the main boulevard, King Street, is alive with people shopping and relaxing at the many cafes lining the road. You won’t find big name brands and designer clothing in Newtown, but rather a collection of second-hand clothing stores and alternative designs. Two of my faves are Munkybizness and Dragstar. Both stock unique designs that you’re unlikely to see elsewhere in Sydney. The boutiques along King Street offer something for everyone and lovers of punk and retro fashions should head to Holey Moley and Chiconomy to snap up some distinctive threads.

A few years ago, I was working in near-by Ultimo and some girls in the office hit an entrepreneurial streak and decided they’d make their fortune selling hand-made jewellery. Every week they’d head to Newtown and buy up big on beads and materials for the jewellery at stores such as Empire Beads and All Buttons Great and Small. Their business empire didn’t ever grow past selling to family and friends, but their jewellery was gorgeous and cost little to make. If you enjoy demonstrating your creative flair, then I highly recommend checking out these stores and seeing what designs you can come up with.

No bohemia would be complete without a flourishing arts and nightlife scene and that is something Newtown has in spades. Newtown boasts the highest number of live music and arts venues outside of the city and on any night of the week you can find a live gig or theatre performance taking place. The Vanguard is a popular live music destination and with its luxe red interiors and 1920’s décor, visitors can dine in the restaurant while listening to an intimate performance. For larger-scale performances, The Enmore Theatre is a must. As one of Sydney’s oldest venues, The Enmore plays hosts to musicians and comedians from across the world. Other venues to check out include The Factory and the Seymour Theatre Centre.

After seeing a performance, take your pick from the many bars and hotels lining King Street. Local hot spots Madame Fling Flong and Kuletos both have delectable cocktail menus while the Bank Hotel is perfect to catch up with friends and enjoy a wine. Want to mix it with other students? Then head to the Marlborough Hotel (Marly Bar as the locals call it) or the Court House Hotel.

Read more about eclectic and unpretentious Newtown.