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Tags: High-Tech Restaurants / Technology Travel / Interactive Menus / Sydney Travel / Food Travel / → All Tags

Australian Restaurant Lets You Order Your Waiter Around By Touchscreen

Give us more interactive menus, and give them to us now! No more waiters for us, since we've found a restaurant in Sydney that lets the touchscreen do even more than the average waiter. We're talking about Wagaya in the Haymarket area of town, a Japanese restaurant where you can make your reservation by SMS, which gives you a good hint of the high-tech stuff to come.

Once you're at your table (you might have to wait, it's pretty popular), you'll find a big touchscreen embedded in the wall at your table. It does everything: you can place your order, get bigger pictures and more details about any dish you're interested in, and check how far along the preparation of your order is. When you've finished eating, use the same screen to see the bill and ask the staff to bring it to your table.

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Tags: Sydney Travel / Buildings / Australia Travel / Travel News / → All Tags

Sydney's Darling Harbour Gets Construction Work

Any tourist who's visited Sydney has spent time in Darling Harbour, but if you go back again in a couple of years it's going to look a little different. There's some major redevelopment going on along Darling Walk and come 2011, Sydney's hoping it will attract a bunch of extra tourists down to the harbor.

Much of the construction work will take place on the old site of Sega World, the short-lived amusement park that closed down in 2000 (after only four years of not-so-thrilling rides). The redevelopment will cost A$500m ($400m) and includes a huge bank building plus more exciting stuff like retail shops, cafés, a water play area and a children's theater.

According to the local Planning Minister, the new design connects this part of the harbor to the city much better and they hope this will help bring more tourists and locals down to Darling Harbour. We think it's usually too busy as it is, so we're not sure if we're for or against this development, but it's only two years until we'll be able to find out.

Related Stories:
· $500m Project to Transform Sydney Site [The West]
· Sydney Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Chewy Chua]

Tags: Sydney Travel / Heritage List / Amusement Parks / → All Tags

Sydney Saves More Sightseeing Spots Forever

Mention Sydney and everybody can think of the Sydney Opera House or the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but in fact for those who've spent any time in Australia's largest city, there are dozens of other iconic places that say "Sydney" just as loudly.

Three of these are about to be listed on the city's heritage register, which will mean that they can't be extended or demolished or get "unsympathetic renovations". Our favorite of the three is the Luna Park theme park on the other side of the bridge, but the Queen Victoria Building (cool old building, great place to shop) and the Sydney Town Hall (a handy meeting point) also deserve their new status.

This is all good news for us tourists, we figure, because more of Sydney's high points will definitely be there whether we show up this year or not for a decade. Nice to see a government doing something we actually like.

Related Stories:
· Sydney Icons on Heritage List [The West]
· Sydney Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: Predrag Bubalo]

Tags: New South Wales Field Trip / Australia Travel / Islands / Camping / → All Tags

Seeing Sydney Without Being In Sydney

Our very own Aussie, Amanda Kendle, just returned from a trip to New South Wales, where the summer fun is in full swing.

If Australia's biggest city is too big for you, we've just discovered a laid-back way to enjoy it. The trick to being in the middle of Sydney without being surrounded by tall buildings and crowds is just a 10-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay to the quite remarkable Cockatoo Island.

Don't be expecting pristine wilderness from Sydney Harbor's largest island--it's been a prison and was a working shipyard until 1992. But now the Sydney Harbour Trust is turning it into a historical site for locals and tourists to enjoy.

We headed out to Cockatoo Island to stay overnight at their campsite. At just A$75 ($50) for two people--much less if you bring your own tent--you get to wave to all the yachties passing by in the evening then wake up to amazing sunrise views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Add exploring the old shipyards with spooky tunnels and eerie warehouses, and we reckon it's one of the best days (and nights) out in Sydney.

Related Stories:
· Cockatoo Island [Official Site]
· Camping Out in Sydney Harbour [Jaunted]
· Sydney Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Laptop Travel / Australia Travel / Visas / Jobs / Working Holidays / → All Tags

Hip Cities Like Sydney Want Friends on MySpace

Cities have MySpace pages now? Who knew? Turns out that Sydney has got its own MySpace haunt because they want to persuade young Americans to head Down Under to boost the Aussie economy rather than helping out their own. Well, that's just our interpretation.

Now that US citizens aged 18 to 30 can get a working holiday visa for Australia, Sydney reckons it's got the goods to attract people: Surf and sand, plenty of jobs, good nightlife and decent places to study if you're so inclined.

Sydney--at least its MySpace version--doesn't have too many friends yet, and it has even fewer comments on its forum questions. But don't let that be an indication of whether this city is actually friend-worthy. Just because we think Melbourne's better doesn't mean you can't add Sydney as a friend: Melbourne isn't even cool enough to have a MySpace page yet.

Related Stories:
· MySpace Sydney [Official Site]
· Wanna Work and Play Down Under? [Jaunted]
· Melbourne IS Better Than Sydney [Jaunted]

Tags: Festival Travel / Australia Travel / Festivals / Spring Festivals / → All Tags

Festival Travel: Island Hopping in Sydney in 2009

Sydney strikes another blow in the ongoing battle of Melbourne vs. Sydney, with the pending announcement of the Island Hopping Festival for October 2009.

In a rare move, five of the tiny national park islands around Sydney Harbour will be opened up to the public with various activities based on each. For example, Fort Denison will probably have a French-themed mobile restaurant; on Clark Island, there'll be an Aboriginal-related celebration.

This Island Hopping will be held at the same time as the events like Sculpture by the Sea and the International Food Fair so it will be a great time to be in Sydney. Pity the Ferris wheel will be long gone, or we could've enjoyed a great view at the same time.

Related Stories:
· Festival Goes Island Hopping on the Harbour [SMH]
· Ferris Wheel Travel: Now Sydney Wants One Too [Jaunted]
· Melbourne IS Better Than Sydney [Jaunted]

[Photo: meaden]

Tags: Sydney Bridge Climb / Australia Travel / World Records / → All Tags

Ten Years of Terrifying Climbing in Sydney

Sydney's Harbour Bridge has been carrying people across the water since 1932 but it's only a decade since the Sydney Bridge Climb allowed brave tourists to stand on top of the city's world famous icon.

To celebrate the ten year anniversary of climbing the bridge, the Bridge Climb people organized a bunch of people to climb with their flags to break the world record for "number of flags flown from a bridge" (damn, we really wanted to break that one ourselves).

Apparently the new world record is 137: A neat number that represents the number of different nationalities of the tourists who've successfully scaled the bridge so far. How very intellectual, Sydney.

Related Stories:
· Aussie Icon Sets New World Record [news.com.au]
· Touching Rivets in Sydney Harbour [Jaunted]
· Sydney Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: buck82]

Tags: Sharks / Killer Beaches / Killer Beaches 2008 / Dangerous Travel / Beaches / Australia Travel / → All Tags

Killer Beaches: Shark Takes Surfer for a Ride

Australian coastal paradise Byron Bay is not only home to Australia's sexiest beach: It's also home to clever sharks that are trying to tow humans out into shark-infested ocean.

Okay, it's not quite like that, but this week a surfer really did get taken for a ride by a shark at Byron Bay. Surf shop owner John Morgan was out on the water when a shark came by and got tangled in his leg rope, towing him at speed for 170 feet before suddenly getting free of the rope and taking off.

It's a happy ending story since Morgan came back all in one piece, but that shark will probably blog about its experience and suddenly sharks across the world will be towing surfers away for dinner. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Related Stories:
· Shark Tows Surfer [Ananova]
· Killer Beaches 2008: Australia's Latest Shark Attack [Jaunted]
· My Beach is Sexier Than Yours [Jaunted]

[Photo: pberry]

Tags: Australia Travel / Holy Travel / Pope Benedict XVI / → All Tags

World Youth Day Makes Sydney Busy

Unwitting travelers landing in Sydney this week might find no room at the inn: It's World Youth Day and at least 215,000 young Catholics are already registered to be in Sydney for the week, with more arriving unannounced.

Pope Benedict XVI has already turned up and is apparently staying in a retreat where even a pet cat has been provided to suit him. Parades and events run from Tuesday to Sunday this week, with the pope-mobile getting an outing on Thursday when the Papal Motorcade runs through downtown Sydney.

A recent Travel + Leisure survey put the city at number four on its list of the most popular places for travelers, so all these young Catholics should enjoy themselves. The only people who are really annoyed are the owners of expensive hotels--one place that youth don't tend to book.

Related Stories:
· World Youth Day [Official Site]
· Tourists Love Sydney, Even If We Don't [ABC]
· Pilgrim Tourists Boost Youth Day Numbers [Herald Sun]
· Australia Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: RTSS]

Tags: Australia Travel / Tourist Attractions / Attractions / Tourism Boards / Tourism Board Travel / Driving / → All Tags

Tourism Board Travel: How Do You Spell Wollongong?

The east coast town of Wollongong in Australia used to be good for not much more than a tricky spelling question at a pub quiz night. But the Wollongong tourist board is busy telling the world that the city is worth a trip when you're next visiting Sydney.

In their exact words, if you want to "mix a Sydney stopover with a stunning coastal drive and regional tourism experience" then Wollongong is the right place to go. They've created a 140 km, signposted scenic drive down the coast which has been named the Grand Pacific Drive which certainly does sound pretty, well, grand.

The route crosses the slightly scary Sea Cliff Bridge, and the Illawarra tree-top walk is also close by. Just right for a short-but-grand escape from bustling Sydney.

Related Stories:
· Wollongong Tourism [Official Site]
· Signs To Lure Overseas Visitors [South Coast Register]
· New South Wales Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: iansand]

Tags: Wife Carrying / Australia Travel / Finland Travel / → All Tags

This Weekend Down Under: Wife Carrying Champs of Oz

Last year, the champion wife carriers in that ever-more-famous event in Finland, the World Wife Carrying Championships, came out of Estonia, again. But if the wife carriers from the opposite end of the world--Australia--have anything to do with it this year, they'll be looking to knock the Estonians out of top place.

Tomorrow is the Australian Wife Carrying Titles, the national contest to decide who can go to Finland. If you're traveling through New South Wales, and end up near Singleton, a couple of hours north of Sydney, then do drop by to watch the wife carriers in action.

Apparently, most of the successful Aussie wife carriers will be using the Estonian carrying technique. It has the wife's legs over her husband's shoulders and her body hanging down his back--not very flattering, but effective. Finland's World Wife Carrying Championships will be held on July 5 this year so book your tickets to the host town of Sonkajärvi now.

Related Stories:
· Wife Carrying Makes Its Mark in Australia [news.com.au]
· All Worship the Estonian Wife Carriers [Jaunted]
· Wife Carrying Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: ecyrd]

Tags: Australia Travel / Nature / National Parks / Tourist Attractions / → All Tags

Illawarra's New Tree Top Walk + Meat Pie

Another reason to head Down Under is added to the list tomorrow, March 15, when the Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk opens. Located two hours south of Sydney, it's another eco-friendly tourist attraction that lets us commune with nature and snap a ton of beautiful photos at the same time.

Similar to the Western Australian tree top walk, the Illawarra Fly is a set of steel suspension bridges at the canopy level of the rainforest. Most of the walk is around 30 meters above the ground, and you can get half that far up again by climbing the Knights Tower, the ultimate viewing point.

The Illawarra Fly will be open every day from nine to five. It's not that cheap, at A$19 (nearly US$18) per adult, and you'll need to factor in another purchase: the driving directions mention that the turn-off for the Fly is opposite the Robertson Pie Shop, and you shouldn't pass up a chance to eat an Aussie pie.

Related Stories:
· Tom's Thumbs-Up For Fly [Mercury]
· Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk [Official Site]
· Walking on Top of Trees [Jaunted]

[Photo: doublebug]