Free Sydney Attractions - The Best Things in Sydney for Free

Sydney, the best things in life can be for free. It does not take much in order to enjoy yourself in this dynamic city. Sometimes it all depends on the timing. There is beauty and joy in these activities. These free activities are designed to also make you feel good.

1. Pitt Street Mall

Free kids entertainment at Pitt Street Mall

The free hugs parade is alive, and if you love street music the very best is available here. A large gathering usually comes around in the middle of a sunny day, otherwise on a Thursday night right outside Westfield Sydney under the bridge connecting both ends. Some of the funky bands come all the way from America to perform. When you see a large circle around some musical performances next time round, you need to check it out. Pitt Street Mall is also home to some dress ups for the kids occasionally as well. Think Sunday afternoons for the latter.

2. Darling Harbour/Darling Quarter

Darling Harbour at night

With the newest addition, Darling Quarter, this area has never been a cooler place to hang out. Great for family picnics with an abundance of swings for the kids. The table tennis play area is also a hit. Otherwise, Darling Harbour is home to many free events including fireworks, sporting and other musical events. Free salsa lessons are occasionally available on Sunday nights at Hard Rock Cafe.

3. Circular Quay

Glimpses of Circular Quay

Home to free street theatre, and is the spotlight of the annual Vivid Sydney festival. The best vantage points along Sydney Harbour is at this spot. Think the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge with water views.

4. Royal Botanical Gardens

Royal Botanical Gardens

Fantastic gardens and an abundance of greenery. Great for picnics, running and walking. Excellent views of Sydney Harbour are enjoyed. A great walking trail from here to Woolloomooloo makes way for an enjoyable, lengthy walk.

5. Walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge

For locals and visitors to Sydney alike, it is something that needs to be tried at least once.

6. Hyde Park

Sydney's Hyde Park at night

Plenty of action on this end of the city. The annual Art and About event is held here with some free paintings and other artistic displays to enjoy. You can also play chess and enjoy the waterfall area.

7. Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Art Gallery of New South Wales

For many people, looking at a combination of ancient and modern art paves the way for enjoyment and calm. A lot of history and charm is in this place. Many of the exhibits can be viewed for free.

A handful of the best free activities in Sydney. Feel free to leave any comments if you happen to come across any others for all of us to enjoy.

Festive Season Special at Metro Hotel Sydney Central - Metro Hotels

Metro Hotel Sydney Central is offering this Festive Season Special from $195.00 per night including:

• One night's accommodation in a Deluxe Room
• A box of candies on arrival
• A big bottle of house wine on arrival
• Free Internet

Book this Festive Season Special at Metro Hotel Sydney Central

View Metro Hotel Sydney Central
 
 Terms and Conditions:

• Offer is strictly subject to availability.
• Valid until 30th December 2012
• Rates are not valid with any other offer.
• All other terms & conditions will be provided when making your booking 

Avoid Jet Lag With These 5 Tips

Frequent travelers know the bane of jet lag.

They probably also know a bunch of tips for avoiding it. But for everyone else -- folks who end up taking just one or two business trips a year, for example -- might benefit from knowing great ways to beat The Lag.

Recently, Secrets from the Yumiverse rounded up nine useful tips and packed them into an infographic. Here are the best of the best -- read the original article for all nine. Adjust your sleep cycle. For at least a few days before your trip, adjust your sleep hours. If you're headed west, wake up and go to bed one hour later.

If you're going east, make it one hour earlier. Eat right. On the day of the flight, eat a light and healthy meal. Most importantly, be well hydrated by drinking a lot of water. Live the new time zone.

On the day of the flight, set your watch to the destination's time zone and try to start acting accordingly right away -- don't wait for the plane to land at the final destination. Equip yourself for sleep. If you need to sleep on the plane to adjust to the new cycle, bring a sleep mask, ear plugs, and pillow. Alternately, if you need to stay awake, get up and walk around the cabin as much as you can.

You can also eat a lot of protein (like nuts). Stay outdoors to stay awake. If you arrive at your destination in daylight but your body craves sleep, stay outdoors and get as much sunlight as you can. This will help you stay awake until evening when you can go to sleep and get on the right cycle.

No word on whether taking off your shoes and "making fists with your toes" -- Bruce Willis's advice from "Die Hard" -- actually works.

Holiday-Hoarding Workers Urged to Hit the Road

With Australians accruing more than 118 million days of annual leave, holiday-hoarding workers are being urged to hit the road to rejuvenate their lives and Queensland’s touring holiday industry.

According to research, one in four Australian full-time workers have more than 25 days leave.

Caravanning Queensland CEO Ron Chapman said Queenslanders needed to do themselves and the local tourism industry a favour by discovering their backyard.

“People come from across the world to see Queensland’s beaches, outback and rainforests. Queenslanders need to take some well-earnt time out to discover the state’s treasures for themselves,” he said.

“Queensland’s caravan and tourist parks have bounced back from the start of last year and invested heavily in new facilities which improve the visitor experience.   Forget what you thought you knew about touring holidays – these days there is something for the budget camper through to the deluxe motorhome devotee.

“Whether you’re a solo traveller, couple or large family, a growing number of Queenslanders are discovering the freedom, flexibility and affordably of local holidays.

“There is a reason why Queensland is the destination of choice for road travellers across the country during autumn and winter, when there is perfect weather for perfect escapes.” 

Today, there are about 400,000 caravans, motorhomes and camper trailers registered in Australia, making it one of the world’s most caravan-friendly countries. There are 112,000 registered in Queensland alone.

Travel enthusiasts are expected to roll into Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds in their tens of thousands when one of Australia’s largest caravan exhibitions, the Queensland Caravan, Camping and Touring Holiday Show, sets up camp between 6 and 12 June 2012.

End Of Summer Special at Metro Hotel Sydney Central - Metro Hotels

Metro Hotel Sydney Central is offering this End Of Summer Special for $175.00 per package (maximum 2 people per package) including:

- One night accommodation in a Superior Room
- Daily Hot Buffet Breakfast for 2 adults
- $30 Food & Beverage voucher from Yardhouse Sydney
- Book this End of Summer Special at Metro Hotel Sydney Central

View Metro Hotel Sydney Central

Terms and Conditions:

- Offer is strictly subject to availability and may not be available for special event dates.
- Valid for stays between 01st February and 29th February 2012.
- Rates are not valid with any other offer.
- All other terms & conditions will be provided when making your booking
- Bookings are non-refundable.

http://www.metrohotels.com.au/special/246

End Of Summer Special at Metro Hotel Sydney Central - Metro Hotels

Sydney Tourism News and Information: Sydney Confirmed as Australia's Favourite Travel Destination

Wotif.com has released its annual Top 20 Destinations for 2011, based on bookings made through the accommodation website.

Sydney retains the top spot in 2011 from the previous year, as the list has remained unchanged from 2010. All New South Wales destinations held on to their previous positions in the Top 20.

Sydney = 1
Newcastle = 13
Port Macquarie =16
Coffs Harbour = 17
Byron Bay = 18

General Manager Wotif Brands Megan Magill said the list was compiled from more than 250,000 bookings per month made on Wotif.com during 2011. ”We release this list every year and were extremely surprised to see that our top twenty remained the same in 2011 after such a challenging year for the Aussie tourism industry,” Ms Magill said.

Sydney Confirmed as Australia's Favourite Travel Destination

Domestic Holidays Pick Up Over Summer

Domestic travel is likely to pick up this year despite the strong Australian dollar, with two in three Aussies planning a local trip over summer.

According to research compiled by a leading travel and lifestyle web site, the appeal of a cheaper international trip is fading with up to 68 percent of respondents planning a holiday around Australia sometime within December, January or February.

Booking data also saw a “significant” surge on summer trips to Sydney, Perth and Adelaide compared to the same period last year.

“The relatively late arrival of hot weather across much of the country has no doubt played its part in inspiring people to make the most of the warmer weather and feel more confident about booking a trip,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

“It’s also quite possible that after the stress of the lead-up to Christmas – and spending time with the in-laws, people are re-thinking their need for a holiday!”

Fast approaching Australia Day is also sparking more Aussie travel, with data revealing that bookings for the period between 26 to 28 January up 251 percent on last year.

Popular destinations for the public holiday include Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.