Kate LOVES Sydney

They call it a Fun Run?

Over the past month, Kate Loves Sydney has morphed into a fitness fanatic. There’s a new gym membership, a sudden desire to go jogging during the lunch hour, even a few laps at the pool.  Unlike most fitness kicks that Kate Loves Sydney has partaken in over the years, the motivating factor has not been the threat of swimsuit season. No, this time it’s all been motivated by the impending doom and realisation that I am soon to run 14kms. And for fun no less!

City 2 Surf is nearly upon us once again and this will be the 3rd year that Kate Loves Sydney has participated in the Fun Run. I’m sure there are many of you reading this, scoffing at the suggestion of a 14km Fun Run but what you’ll discover is that like most things, it’s the journey that makes it worthwhile. So whether you’re planning to run in City 2 Surf or would never contemplate it in your life, let me share with you the ten things I’ve learnt about City 2 Surf:

1. It’s ok to wear a garbage bag before the race. Apparently this is a really good way to keep warm before the run begins and I’ve actually seen quite a few people do it.
2. If you get hot during the race you’ll need to dump a layer of clothing. Each year hundreds of jumpers, jackets, long-sleeved tee’s are discarded along the City 2 Surf route. They’re collected after the race and donated to charity. If you don’t want to lose yours, refer to lesson no 1.
3. Crazy costumes are ridiculously popular. Last year I saw Superman, Wonder Woman, ballroom dancers from Dancing with the Stars, Roman’s with a chariot filled with beer and Smurfs.
4. The Golden Sheaf in Double Bay always has a fantastic band playing on the roof top. Last year it was an 80’s soft rock cover band that was performing Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger as I jogged past. Eye of the Tiger = Rocky = Motivation. Need I say more?
5. Heartbreak Hill is exactly that. But just when you think you may have a coronary as you reach the top, look back and you’ll be rewarded with a view of Sydney Harbour that is nothing short of spectacular.
6. You’ll feel like a sausage sizzle at the end of the race after going past the many bbq’s the local residents have set up in their front yards.
7. The local residents will cheer you on and you jog past their bbq’s. You’ll look at them with envy as they sit in their deck chairs and you begin to wonder why you decided to join in a 14km fun run. But it will make you feel all warm and fuzzy too and you’ll want to keep going to the finish line. Especially if they’re playing Eye of the Tiger at said bbq.
8. Others can benefit from your efforts. Not content with the personal satisfaction of running/walking 14km? Get your friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you and donate the money to a charity of your choice.
9. The last 1km is the hardest. You’ll think that you’re through the worst once you’ve passed Heartbreak Hill but it’s the last km that will get you. Why? Because you’re already at Bondi Beach by this point but still have to walk an entire kilometre to the Finish Line.
10. You'll feel pretty chuffed with yourself when you cross the finish line. And why shouldn't you? As you cross the finish line you realise that you’ve just travelled 14km from the City to Bondi Beach with 60,000 other people and it wasn’t by public transport.

And what happens then? Well, it’s off to the pub to celebrate of course! Whether I’ve swayed you to join in or not, make sure you get down to Bondi Beach on Sunday 09 August. The atmosphere is amazing and you’re sure to meet some interesting characters. Papa Smurf will even be there.

Follow Kate Loves Sydney on Twitter for your regular updates on what’s on in Sydney.

Get Your Skates On!

It may have rained, it may have poured, but it didn't stop anyone from getting their skate on at the opening night of the Sydney Winter Festival. The forecourt of St Mary's Cathedral has been transformed into a Winter Playground with an outdoor ice rink taking pride of place. Not even the winter rain could stop the enthusiastic crowds from hitting the ice last night as skaters flocked to the rink in rain ponchos. I even spotted one little kid who was not to be detrred and decided to skate around while holding an umbrella over his head!

As with all good festivals there's plenty of delicious food and drink to indugle in, including some yummy mulled wine was a crowd favourite last night. There's a petting zoo for the kids and for the romantics in Sydney, the chance to cuddle up under a big screen showing movies each night.

Head to the image gallery to see pics from last night's festival launch. The Sydney Winter Festvial runs until Sunday 21 June to hop to it and get your skates on!

Want to receive regular updates about what's happening in Sydney? Follow Kate Loves Sydney on Twitter.

Fire Water starts tonight!

That's right, Fire Water starts tonight as we prepare to bid farewell to Vivid Sydney. If you haven't had time to check out any of the Vivid events, make your way to Circular Quay and The Rocks this weekend to experience Smart Light, Fire Water and Luminous while you still can. Even Teri Hatcher did the Smart Light walk while she was in town this week!

The picture library has been updated with pics from Vivid and the Dungog Film Festival too. Enjoy the weekend!

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!

Dungog Film Festival

Last night, I joined Sydney’s film community at the Dendy Opera Quays for the launch of the 3rd annual Dungog Film Festival. Now, before you pull out a map or log on to Google to work out where the hell Dungog is and why they have a film festival, let me give you the stats:

• Dungog – population 8000
• Location – Upper Hunter Valley, 3 hrs north of Sydney
• Famous for… well, forests, mountains, bushrangers and increasingly, for the Dungog Film Festival

Held over four days, the Dungog Film Festival is a celebration of Australian film. It’s when the who’s who of Aussie film comes to Dungog and I’m led to believe that the population of this tiny town triples during the festival.

So what brings everyone to this sleepy town in May each year apart from the lure of Aussie films? Well the festival kicks off with the departure of the Dungog Express train which travels from Central Station in Sydney to Dungog on opening day. I’m told it’s commonly known as the ‘party train’ as the actors, directors and industry crew whose films are showing during the festival, are on board to get the festivities rolling.

On arrival, you’re whisked away to Opening Night Gala to watch a premiere Aussie film before celebrating at the Miners Marquee. Two of the premiere films that will have Gala Screenings this year are Richard Frankland’s Stone Bros and Kriv Stender’s Lucky Country.  We were shown clips of both last night and while Lucky Country looks riveting, Stone Bros is the flick I can’t wait to see. We only saw about 3 minutes of film but it was nothing short of hilarious!

What’s excited me most about the Dungog Film Festival is that it unashamedly embraces being held in a small country town. The films are shown in the James Theatre, Australia’s oldest continuously running cinema and also at the local RSL. The locals all get involved from selling tickets in the box office to billeting visitors in their homes. It seems like a very spirited community event.

Come the 28 May, I think I’ll venture out of Sydney for the weekend and head north to Dungog. It sounds like it’s going to be a fun weekend full of local hospitality and great Aussie films. And with a slogan like this, how could you not wanna go?

Done Sundance. Done Cannes. Dungog.

Become a friend of the Dungog Film Festival on Facebook.

Sydney Harbour YHA

Working at Tourism NSW, I’m always meeting and chatting with the fine folk that own and run the various tourist establishments around the state. We’ll often chat about future plans for exciting new tours and attractions and once they’re up and running, I’ll be there to experience it first-hand. Never before though, have I been allowed to visit a new tourist attraction while it’s still being built… that is until now.

I recently found myself at a construction site on Cumberland Street in The Rocks, donning a hard hat, closed toe shoes and a fluorescent workers vest. I’m sure this is sounding very similar to a scene in Flashdance, but what brought me here was not to re-live an 80’s cult classic, but to take a hard-hat tour of the new Sydney Harbour YHA development.

The Sydney Harbour YHA is a new youth hostel that will open in the heart of The Rocks in late 2009/early 2010. Let me say from the start, it’s not your typical youth hostel. It has all the standards of a typical hostel such as affordable prices, communal dining and social areas, but what makes this venue stand out is it’s amazing views of Sydney Harbour and that each room has a private bathroom.

When I visited, I found myself climbing what seemed to be a maze of scaffolding not quite sure what I was looking at until we stepped onto the roof of the building and what will be the hostel terrace. WOW – the view is amazing and I can assure you that this will be the place to be on NYE 2009. The terrace will be a communal area for guests to socialise, have a bbq or just take in the view. I’ve uploaded an artist’s impression of what it’s expected to look like so make sure to look at the latest photos.

What’s also interesting about the development is that it’s sitting atop of a significant archaeological site called The Big Dig. The building has even been designed in order to preserve the site and open it to the public for education.

It’s a really interesting development and you can read more about it at  http://sydneyharbouryha.com.au  Don’t get too excited just yet – bookings won’t be taken for a little while yet but all the info is there to whet your appetite!

Autumn Racing Carnival

The days are getting shorter, the leaves are falling and there’s no escaping the brisk, chill in the air, announcing that summer is officially over. Sure, this weekend we’re expecting fantastic weather, 25 degrees, sunny skies and no doubt there’ll be plenty of people at the beach. I however, am just not prepared to brave the 18 degree sea waters (a big wuss in other words). And as fantastic as summer is, I kinda don’t mind seeing it go, because it’s autumn in the city and that means one of my most favourite times of year has arrived – The Autumn Racing Carnival.

The Autumn Racing Carnival is a celebration of horse racing that runs over six Saturdays, beginning at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney’s west on 21 March before moving to Royal Randwick Racecourse on 11 April. The carnival is first and foremost about horse racing, but for most people, it’s less about the horses and more about fashion and socialising.

It’s an absolute guarantee that come Easter weekend, you’ll find me trackside at Royal Randwick Racecourse, with a carefully constructed new outfit, a race book full of tips and a glass of bubbly in hand. 

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet, as half the fun of a day at the races is the preparation that goes into it. For women, it’s all about the millinery. Do you choose a hat or a fascinator, or even given the weather, maybe even a beret? Over the years I’ve learnt the hard way that you should always pick your dress before you pick your headwear. A few years ago I bought a gorgeous hat from the milliner Neil Grigg, only to discover that I had nothing to wear it with. Probably because as someone pointed out (not very kindly) it did resemble something Johnny Depp would have worn in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Believe me, it’s not easy to match a top hat to a dress!! And to make things worse, after parting with a decent sum for the hat, on race day I had the fashion faux pas crisis of running into a lady wearing the same hat. We saw each other coming in the distance, gave a polite nod of awkwardness to each other, kept walking and then tried to avoid standing too close for the rest of the day. Make sure you have a look at the picture gallery to see what I mean, it’s a pretty un-missable hat!

You can spend a fair amount if you want to on millinery for the races and there are some gorgeous designers out there such as Nerida Winter, who will tailor a headpiece to match your dress. If you’re on a budget like me (who isn’t really) then you can’t be past the markets for style and value for money. Paddington Markets is always a winner and further down Oxford Street, the Fringe Bar Markets is another gem. Both are only held on Saturdays and my tip is to get there early.

For the men, well, it’s a lot simpler preparing for a day at the races:
• Shower - check
• Suit - check
• Polish Shoes - check
• Sunnies – check

Enough said.

This years carnival officially kicked off on 21 March at Rosehill Gardens but this weekend is when things really start to ramp up. Saturday 4 April is the running of the Golden Slipper, the world’s richest race for 2 year olds. Crowds of over 30,000 are expected to converge on Rosehill Racecourse, coming from Sydney and across the nation.

The following weekend, things move over to Randwick Racecourse and being the avid racing enthusiast that I am, I’m very excited to see it roll around. A day at the races is always fun. Everyone gets dolled up in stunning and some not so stunning fashions, which is perfect as I love a bit of people watching. It’s very social and a perfect opportunity to meet and chat with new people. The prospect of winning a few dollars isn’t too shabby either.

As the day goes on, it’s hard not to notice that by the final race, a few punters are looking a tad worse for wear.  So let Nanna Kate (as I’m sometimes known) share with you some words of wisdom for getting in and out of the races with dignity in tact:
• Wear sunblock – it’s autumn, it’s likely to be cloudy and a bit chilly but you’re still going to get burnt. Don’t forget to slip, slop, slap.
• Alternate water with alcohol. Drinking during the day in the sunlight is a recipe for disaster. Make sure to keep hydrated with the H2O.
• Don’t leave in bare feet. If you're like a lot of women, your feet are going to be sore after wearing heels all day, but leaving in bare feet is not a good look and a bit of a safety hazard. Why not take a medium-sized clutch and put a pair of thongs (sandals for the non-aussies) in before you leave home. Then you can leave in comfort and not have to worry about stepping on something and requiring a tetanus shot.
• One final word of wisdom - Don’t forget your brolly. It is autumn and the weather is a little unpredictable.

Have I enticed you to spend a day at the races? I hope so, it's good fun and something to try at least once. If you have a free Saturday over the next few weeks, then pull your fancy threads out of the wardrobe and join in the roar of the crowd during the Autumn Racing Carnival. To learn more about what’s planned, visit www.theraces.com.au or www.ajc.com.au

Re-discover The Rocks

It’s 1pm on a Wednesday. I’m on my lunch break and I’m standing on a plank in a darkened room, trying not to lose my balance and fall into the water below. I’m surrounded by mirrors and a series of blue, yellow and red lights suspended from the ceiling, which in their reflection seem to stretch on forever and ever. The electric colours against the darkness of the room make me feel as though I’m in my own music video (think Justin Timberlake, Rock Your Body). Only I can’t sing or dance that well and I’m standing beside a friend from work and two complete strangers. One of whom dips his feet in the water below, just to re-assure himself that the water really is there and not just an illusion.

No, this isn’t a Freudian reference to how I’m feeling about work at the moment. I’m literally standing on what can only be described as a plank in a darkened exhibition room at the Museum of Contemporary Art. I’m in the Infinity Mirror Room: Fireflies on the Water, an installation space in the Yayoi Kusama: Mirrored Years exhibition.

Kusama is one of Japan’s most celebrated artists with her work being showcased across the globe and now, here in Sydney at the MCA. As a child, Kusama experienced hallucinations and obsessive behaviour, often seeing polka dots in her hallucinations. Later in life Kusama was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it’s this theme of obsession and hallucination that can be seen throughout her work. A highlight of the exhibition is sitting in the I’m Here, but Nothing installation. Kusama’s childhood as she saw it was obliterated by hallucinations of dots and in this space she recreates that feeling. A simple, family living room is covered with dot sheet and ultra violet fluorescent light giving the room a psychedelic, out-of-this-world feel.

It’s one of these regular lunchtime detours that for me, make The Rocks precinct such an inspiring work environment. Where else can you go for an hour on your lunch break and see a lounge room lit up like a nightclub?

The week continues and as Friday lunch rolls around, all I can think about is Sunday morning... Sunday morning rain is fallin. Steal some covers share some skin… Although it sounds a little like I’m day-dreaming of a rendezvous with Adam Levine, I’m actually strolling through The Rocks Farmers Markets and listening to the strands of this week’s featured band. You may have heard about The Rocks Markets that are held ever weekend, selling jewellery, artwork, clothing and homewares? Well the Farmers Market is a relatively new addition to the family, selling fresh local produce. Each of the market stalls displays their food miles so you can tell just how fresh and ‘local’ their produce really is.

The market strip on Argyle Street comes alive each Friday between 10am and 3pm, with the band setting the backdrop for a relaxed, carnival vibe. The café’s lining the strip are filled with al fresco diners, the florist is bursting with colour and the baker is doing a roaring trade as the smell of fresh bread floats down the street. Yummo!

As the working week draws to a close and I’m stocked up on fresh fruit and veg for the weekend, it’s time to meet some friends for the time-honoured tradition of Friday night drinks. The Rocks always draws a crowd on a Friday night, given the large number of bars and hotels in the area. You can take your pic from pubs like The Australian and The Harbour View, the bar scene at The Argyle and even some German fare at the Lowenbrau Keller.

Tonight, I’m in one of The Rock’s newer venues, Wine Odyssey. It was recently opened by a group of three businesswomen (girl power) who are passionate about promoting Australian wine and it’s for this reason that Wine Odyssey stocks only boutique Australian wine.  They’ve made the venue accessible for all levels of wine drinking. If you’re a novice, simply grab a tasting card for example, Pinot Noir, follow the sampling suggestions and taste to your hearts desire. The card will tell you what scents and flavours to look for and what role they play in the wine. Know your stuff? Let the experienced Sommeliers’ talk you through the menu and match the perfect wine to your meal.

But tonight, it’s Friday, and I’m here to have a gas-bag with the girls, to relax and welcome in the weekend. It’s in one of the decadent interior-designed rooms I find myself relaxing in an arm chair, having a wine and chatting the night way. What a way to end the working week.

When was your last visit to The Rocks? There’s always something happening for visitors and locals alike, so why don’t you pay a visit and re-discover The Rocks? Click here to find out what’s on this week.

What's on in Sydney

Reflecting on my entries from the past few weeks, it dawned on me that those of you reading this blog could be mistaken for thinking that Sydneysiders do nothing but frequent bars and restaurants and swim at the beach in their spare time. (And of course lets not forget overcoming ones irrational fear of art galleries – see last week’s post). And while that has indeed accounted for a large portion of my blog, it’s not a true reflection of life in Sydney, just a reflection of the silly season.

In an effort to give those of you considering a move to Sydney a broader idea of what this city has to offer, I thought I’d tell you a little about my life in Sydney and the varied week I’ve had.

The week began with meeting Pig and Wuru, the newest housemates at Sydney Aquarium. Pig and Wuru are Dugongs, a large grey marine mammal which in my opinion look like a cross between a shark and a dolphin. Until their arrival at Sydney Aquarium I had never heard of a dugong so was excited to visit the aquarium to see what all the fuss is about.

Within moments of walking into Mermaid Lagoon where Pig and Wuru have taken up residence, I feel like a kid again, squeeling with glee as the dugongs swim past in all their glory. They’re odd looking creatures, but there’s something undeniably cute about them. I notice them munching on what appears to be lettuce and ask our guide Andrew if we’ve arrived at feeding time. As it turns out, feeding time runs all day. You see, Pig and Wuru eat a combined total of 180 kg of cos lettuce each day. Yes – each day! Andrew tells me that the lettuce is similar to the sea grass that dugongs feed on in the wild and due to their size (approx 300kg each), they’re graze for most of the day. It’s an impressive effort, particularly from the aquarium staff who spend the day washing and cutting the lettuce, before threading the leaves into special weighted racks for the dugongs to feed from.

I’m surprised to learn that despite never hearing of the dugong before Pig and Wuru arrived, there are an estimated 80,000 dugongs in Australian waters.  Even more interesting is that dugongs are considered to be the ‘original mermaids.’ The logic goes that lonely, disorientated sailors would see the elegant dugongs swimming below with their graceful tail fin and in confusion believed them to be some supernatural creature. I’m not sure if I understand the logic but who knows what tricks the mind can play once you put a lonely man out to sea for an extended period of time.

Pig and Wuru are two of only six dugongs in captivity worldwide, so a truly rare sight. If you have the chance, I highly recommend being a kid for the day and stopping in at the aptly named Mermaid Lagoon at Sydney Aquarium to pay Pig and Wuru a visit.

My next encounter this week was with a mammal of a different sort – the rock ’n’ roll band! In recent years, Aussie band Wolfmother were the toast of the music industry, winning a Grammy in 2007 for Best Hard Rock Performance.  Then at the height of their success in 2008, the group split citing the old standard of “irreconcilable differences.” Since then, front man Andrew Stockdale has decided to continue performing as Wolfmother, recruiting new band members.

And it’s this reincarnation of Wolfmother that brings me to the Oxford Art Factory, one of Sydney’s newest live performance venues. The OAF is a funky underground venue, not just in the crowd and line-up of artists that it attracts, but in the literal sense that the venue itself is underground. A friend has gotten word that the band is performing a secret gig under the moniker White Feather so we decide to venture out on a Sunday night handing over our $20 to the guy on the door and hoping for the best. We’re not disappointed as the Andrew and the boys arrive and rock the intimate crowd, playing some new music as well as old favourites like Woman. I make a mental note to get to more gigs here in future. (and to improve my ‘rock’ wardrobe – skinny leg jeans and a metal t-shirt seem to be wardrobe staples).

As Monday rolls around and I head back to work, I’m still sleepy from being out at the gig but excited to visit one of my favourite summer haunts, the St George Open Air Cinema at the Royal Botanic Gardens. It’s obvious from the name of this blog that I love Sydney, but you don’t get much more of an ‘I Love Sydney’ moment than taking in a flick on a warm summer night while gazing at the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and city skyline.

This week the St George Open Air Cinema played host to the Sydney premiere of the movie He’s Just Not That Into You. “Movie premieres happen all over the world” I hear you say, “what’s so special about this one?” Well the great thing about Sydney and the St George Open Air is that you don’t have to be rich and famous to attend. $28 is all it will cost you. Not bad value for a movie, great views and a brush with celebrities. I had my own brush with celebrities that night, meeting the stars of the movie, Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin. They too were amazed with the spectacular view of Sydney and I couldn’t help but feel chuffed that our fine city continues to impress the world.

The St George Open Air Cinema runs to Saturday 21 February and although the pre-bookings have sold out, there are still tickets available. If you’re in Sydney this week, why not hightail it there after work, buy a ticket on the door and enjoy the cinema before it closes again til next year.

So as you can see, there’s always something to do in Sydney. To find out more about what's happening around town this week visit Sydney.com and Time Out Sydney.

Arts Sydney

If I’d been asked a month ago to share my understanding of the arts, the only insight I could offer would be an infamous line from the movie Clueless. “She’s a total Monet. You see, it's like the painting see, from far away it's okay, but up close it's a big ol' mess.” Ok – so perhaps I’m really not that clueless, but I do find the arts scene quite intimidating. And given that Sydney is filled with so many amazing galleries and hosts international arts festivals such as the Biennale, I bravely stepped out this month to learn about arts in Sydney.

Not knowing where to begin, I enlisted the help of Isobel Johnson from Sydney Art Tours.  Unlike myself, Isobel is at home in the arts world and runs a series of customised tours of Sydney’s galleries.

We begin our tour at the Yellow House in Potts Point.  The Yellow House was a haven for artists in the 1950’s with the group residing there (which included Russell Drysdale) going on to become some of Australia’s most well-known contemporary artists. Today, the Yellow House is home to Martin Browne Fine Art. Isobel explains that the gallery specialises in contemporary Australian and international art and this month is showcasing a group of young and up-coming artists.

The term contemporary art has absolutely no meaning to me but looking at the space before me, the giant fish pond in the center of the room seems to be a sign of what to expect. It’s certainly unlike any gallery I’ve ever visited. There are no grandiose oil paintings of naked Romans, but rather a selection of small, finely drawn sketches. I’m intrigued by the attention to detail from Liyen Chong’s A Fragile State exhibition, as her drawing of a human skeleton becomes the focus of my concentration. “Take a closer look,” says Matt, one of the gallery staff. “Do you notice anything unusual?” As I struggle to form a knowledgeable response, he tells me that the drawings aren’t in fact drawings at all. It’s actually needlework that’s been threaded using Chong’s own hair. After being momentarily squeamish, I started to appreciate the skill it would have taken to complete\ and am quietly impressed. 

From here we move to the King Street Gallery which is actually located on William Street. I’m sure there’s an explanation behind this but I’m too distracted to enquire as before me stands three huge black and white images. What are they supposed to be I wonder? Ghosts? Spirits? The swirls of movement are intriguing and yet I cannot quite place their familiarity. The curator explains that the exhibition, Luminous Dark is the work of Chinese artist Huang Xu and focuses on the industrial revolution taking place in his homeland. Once again I take a closer look and realise that the images are actually that of plastic bags, reflecting the issue of waste management in China.  Wow - turns out this whole art thing isn’t so confusing when you have someone to talk you through it.

Buoyed by optimism after spending the day with Isobel, I decide I’m ready to tackle one of the main art institutions and the great man himself – Monet. On Wednesday evenings, the Art Gallery of New South Wales opens until 9pm and hosts a series of free public talks called Art After Hours. When I visit, it’s the final week of the Monet and the Impressionists exhibition and there’s a phenomenal crowd gathered in the gallery. It seems Monet is a favourite with punters of all ages. Deciding to tag along with a tour of the exhibition, I’m guided through the history of Monet and the impressionist movement and discover it is pretty impressive stuff. Later, as I listen to Senator Bob Brown talk to the crowd I also discover that Monet was a greenie, buying the land where his famous waterlilies series was painted so it couldn’t be developed.

At the end of the evening I’ve realised that the arts isn’t that scary after all. The key is finding someone to guide and talk you through the work. So if like me, you’re a bit of an arts novice, I highly encourage you to get out there and explore Sydney’s galleries. Talk to the gallery staff or take a guided tour, you’ll find people are passionate about the arts and happy to have someone to share their insight with.
If the larger galleries still seem a little daunting then take my tip and visit Aquabumps at Bondi Beach. Eugene Tan photographs the world famous beach every day, combining his love of surfing and photography. You won’t have to struggle with hidden meanings here. It’s all about sun, surf and summer in Sydney.

Find out how you too can become a Culture Vulture while in Sydney.