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.

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.

Follow me on Twitter @katelovessydney

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!

Wet Weather Contingency

The weekend’s almost upon us and Sydney has decided throw a tanty. It has said that it’s had enough of being bright and sunny and has instead turned on its dreariest weather. It doesn’t happen that often but when it does, there’s nothing to do but head indoors and wait for the glorious sunny days to return.

Before you head to Blockbuster with the intention of retreating and curling up on the couch, there’s still plenty to do around town and to help you out here’s my pick of what’s on & places to cosy up this weekend:

Sydney Writers Festival: The Festival is now the third largest writers festival in the world and runs until 24 May. The program for this weekend ranges from a Cartoon Workshop for kids, Dominic Knight from The Chaser in conversation and Surfing writers Tim Baker, Nick Carroll and Sean Doherty discussing surf culture in literature. So even if you can’t get out for a surf, you can still chat with some like minded souls about it. Most events are free with ticketed events costing approx $15.

Hot Chocolate: It’s miserable outside and your body is telling you that comfort eating is totally acceptable (can’t you hear it saying “Come on, everyone’s doing it”). And when all you desire is something cosy and warm, I suggest heading straight for your closest Chocolate Café. They’re everywhere! Max Brenner, Lindt, Guylian and they’re all fabulous. Indulge! You know you want to.

Wine Bars: Sydney’s wine bar scene has gone through a real resurgence of late so round up your friends for a night of good wine and good conversation at a wine bar near you. My picks are Mille Vini in Surry Hills, Small Bar in the city and Time to Vino in Darlinghurst. Friends running late? Time to Vino has books at each of the tables to keep you occupied while you wait. 
 
Find a fireplace: Still a bit unsure if you dare venture out on the town during the cold snap? How about if you could plonk yourself in front of a nice, warm fireplace? Sound good? Then a pub with a fireplace is what you’re searching for. Try the 3 Weeds in Rozelle, The Lord Nelson in The Rocks or Zeta Bar at the Hilton.

Chicago the musical: The weekend definitely needs some ‘razzle dazzle’ and Gina Riley, Caroline O’Connor and Craig McLachlan are bringing it at the Lyric Theatre, Star City.

To find out more about what’s on in Sydney this weekend why not visit the following websites: Sydney.com, What's on in Sydney and BCL.

Kings Cross Festival

A visit to Kings Cross is always guaranteed to be entertaining. You can arrive on any day of the week, at any time of day or night and you’re always going to stumble across something that draws your attention. Often, whatever it is that’s caught your attention happens to stumble across you in a literal sense. But one thing that’s certain about Kings Cross is just when you think you’ve defined the area and the crowd it attracts, you’ll visit again and find your theory is thrown out the window.

To test this idea and see if other’s feel the same way, I did a Google search on Kings Cross and found the following quotes:

• Kings Cross is a wild mixture of prostitution and crime, with stylish restaurants and hotels. Australian Explorer.
• Here in a mixture of charm and sleaze -- tawdry shops and trendy bars, cheap rooms and classy hotels, corner takeaways and colorful bistros -- is a place that can quite easily be one of continuing amazement. Go Australia.
• Kings Cross continually reinvents itself, with new restaurants, bars and entertainment venues opening up all time. Sydney.com

The quote from Australian Explorer is by far my favourite, only after my visit to the Cross on the weekend, I’d add an extra line: Kings Cross is a wild mixture of prostitution and crime, with stylish restaurants and hotels, families and their pets, politicians and drag queens. 

This was the scene I stumbled upon as I arrived at the 2009 Kings Cross Festival on Sunday. As I walked towards Fitzroy Gardens, revellers were emerging from nightclubs, bleary eyed and no doubt feeling super-seedy at seeing so many sprightly people about bright and early.

Walking in, I could hear over the loud speaker that we were arriving just in time to watch the festival dog show. The pooches were lined up with their owners, awaiting the call of the MC, a glamorous drag queen dressed as a Stepford Wife no less, to invite them on stage to strut their stuff.  Pooches of all sizes, colours and shapes twirled around the stage, some more obediently than others (if you were there I’m referring to the pooch that decided to do it’s business on stage – definitely not Best in Show this year) as the judges prepared to make their decision and award the cutest pooch. 

Of course, being the Kings Cross Dog Show, not just anyone was invited to judge the contest. And thus it was here that I found Malcolm Turnbull, Leader of the Opposition, judging the dog show with his wife Lucy. Judging by the picture on his website posing with the family pooches, the Turnbulls are clearly dog lovers but it was certainly a surprise to find them at the festival and proving once again that you just never know who you’ll see in the Cross.

I’m not sure which pooch ended up winning because I was distracted by a fluffy little dog standing beside me, perhaps looking on with pageant envy, but for reasons that will soon be apparent. This little one was rugged up for the cool autumn morning and won me over with a stylish jumper that read “I LOVE SYDNEY.”

Moving on from the dog contest, the Festival was brimming with people keen to sample food and drink from local businesses who had set up stands for the day. Gazebo Wine Garden was there, Sugarmill and Jimmy Liks too. There was even a giant seafood paella being cooked which judging by the queue was in high demand. Sometimes though, it’s the simplest things that win me over and this year it was the Darlinghurst Public School stand. I was drawn to the huge array of brightly coloured cupcakes and lollies like I was back in school and we were at the fete. Chatting to the ladies working at the stall I discovered everything had been cooked by the parents in order to raise money for the school. Good ol community spirit at its best.

So once again, I found myself surprised and intrigued after visiting Kings Cross. It was fantastic to watch so many different groups of people, families, drag queens, locals, tourists, party goers and shop owners all gathered to celebrate the this renowned area of Sydney.

What are your favourite things about Kings Cross? Is it the nightclubs, the restaurants or just some good ol fashioned people watching? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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