When it comes to travelling, one of the most important tasks is to keep yourself and your belongings safe.
It’s something that you need to be aware of at all times and can make even the simplest trip stressful.
Here are a few tips on how to keep your cool, and your wallet, on your next trip:
Low
Keep cash and credit cards as well as photocopies of important documents in different places
Wear all bags on the opposite shoulder to the one facing the road to decrease the chance of someone snatching the bag as they are driving
Be aware of your surroundings – if it looks unsafe, leave
Lock the doors and windows of your hotel room
Moderate
For long trips ensure that you have a spare credit card that you can activate if your original gets lost or stolen
Be careful about taking money out of ATMs, if possible do it near banks or hotels where security will be a little better, or buy everything on card
Put locks on your handbags
Close the blinds at your hotel so outsiders don’t know if you’re there or not
Extreme
Take down serial numbers of all electronic goods that you are travelling with
Stash credit cards inside your shoes
Sew extra pockets on the inside of your pants
Hide valuables around the hotel room i.e. under the bed
Put something big, like a chair, or fragile, like glass, at your front door when you go to sleep so that you can hear if someone tries to break in. Be careful with this one if you are a sleepwalker and be aware that this may not be the safest option in the event of a fire
What not to do
Don’t use waist or neck wallets, not only are they uncomfortable, but they also put a huge target on your belly
Don’t put your wallet or passport in your pocket; they’re called ‘pick pockets’ for a reason!
Don’t look too ‘expensive’ or ‘touristy’ when walking around foreign streets
Don’t leave valuables lying around your hotel room, at the very least put them under some clothes
For Sydneysiders and regional visitors to Sydney looking to enjoy some of the many events planned for Sydney this Australia Day long weekend, Metro Hotel on Pitt, in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, is offering a great value Australia Day Package from $179* per night (real value of package is $313).
To help you celebrate Australia Day in Sydney, Metro Hotel on Pitt’s Australia Day Package includes
One night’s accommodation for two in a Superior Deluxe Queen room
Lunch or dinner for two people at Paradiso Restaurant (2 courses with a glass of Australian wine or beer)
Late checkout till 1pm
*offer valid for January 26 – 28, 2013; subject to availability
*Full prepayment is required at time of booking.
Some of the events planned for Sydney include the Australia Day Tall Ships Parade on Sydney Harbour; Australia Day CARnivale, one of the largest vintage car displays in the southern hemisphere; Sample Sydney, giving you an opportunity to visit a host of Sydney’s most popular cultural institutions and public buildings free-of-charge; GIO Oz Day 10K, where over 40 wheelchair athletes descend upon The Rocks to participate in this exciting 10K race; Festival of the Voice in The Rocks, a free celebration of Australian music and song on the edge of Sydney Harbour; and Darling Harbour Australia Day Spectacular, a stunning multimedia symphony of light and music, culminating in a fireworks display over Cockle Bay, to name just a few.
Previously a central city Post Office, Metro Hotel on Pitt is located in a charming, heritage-listed building at 300 Pitt Street, making it an easy walk to Cockle Bay and Darling Harbour, The Rocks, and Sydney Harbour.
Metro Hotel on Pitt offers 115 comfortable four-star guest rooms complete with modern facilities such as broadband Internet connectivity, key card access to rooms and lift, and cable television. The Hotel offers a mix of standard, superior and executive rooms, all with ensuite bathrooms, and offers 24 hour reception and room service till 10 pm.
The Hotel’s facilities include a fully licensed bar and restaurant, Paradiso, offering a range of Modern Australian and European dishes, and a comprehensive wine list with a choice of local and imported wines.
Guests are able to book the Australia Day Package at Metro Hotel on Pitt by calling the toll free Central Reservations line on 1800 004 321. Alternately guests can book online by logging onto Metro Hotels' website at www.metrohotels.com.au.
IT'S the centrepiece of a story about a little boy who loses his rubber duck, though how you could misplace this monster is hard to imagine.
The 15m inflatable artwork known appropriately enough, as Rubber Duck came cruising into Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour yesterday to mark the opening of The Sydney Festival. Sydney Festival 2013
The Arrival, a two-hour show featuring dancing tug-boats, a flotilla of bathtubs, acrobats, dancers and a "quackophony'' of saxophones, built to the highly anticipated entrance of artist Florentijn Hofman's luminescent yellow duck under Pyrmont Bridge.
Thousands of bubble blowers, duck whistles and rubber ducks were passed into the crowd of about 30,000 spectators to get involved in as part of the show about the boy searching for his lost toy.
Darling Harbour was transformed into a giant bath tub yesterday - complete with bubbles and one very, very big rubber duck.
Festival director Lieven Bertels said the purpose of the floating celebration was to help young and old relive their childhood.
"We wanted to turn Darling Harbour into a giant bath tub,'' he said.
Meanwhile in Hyde Park, festival-goers danced and cheered as sporting hero "Humphrey'' ran a 42.2km marathon on a treadmill for Fun Run - the story of Greek messenger Pheidippides..
The evening soul rhythms blasted from The Domain from 7.30pm as 60,000 Sydneysiders grooved non-stop for three hours to the Daptone Super Soul Revue.
The massive outdoor dance party featured funk, gospel and afrobeat artists from the Brooklyn record label Daptone Records, including Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley and The Budos Band.
More than 200,000 people are expected to attend an eclectic mix of theatre, music and dance over the next three weeks.
Bertels urged festival-goers to buy tickets ahead of time, with acts selling out fast.
"This Christmas period was the highest tickets sales over a weekend that the Sydney Festival has ever had,'' he said.
"The Spiegeltent is very popular again, with Cantina already sold out and tickets to Inside and Briefs selling fast.''
Some of the festival's top Australian and international acts include Indigenous singer Archie Road, a Francis Bacon retrospective at the Art Gallery of NSW and Rian, a Celtic/West African fusion of music and dance from Irish dance company Fabulous Beast.
Parramatta will also host a series of events including a free opening night party on January 19.
IF we were just counting down Kylie Minogue's greatest hits it would probably take all New Year's night.
There's her 25 years in the music industry, the odd concert or two for the Queen's Jubilee, an Abbey Road Sessions album and a starring role in French indie film Holy Motors. So "coming home" to play host and creative ambassador for Sydney's NYE party will be the sparkling finish to 2012 this unstoppable diva deserves.
Charged with hitting the button on the fireworks, Minogue says the spectacular is the perfect end to a personal year of highs.
"It's been a huge year for me and the finish line is New Year's Eve and I will definitely be trying to find a moment in the madness to really appreciate everything I've done this year and what an amazing year it's been to share with fans," she said.
The 44-year-old has vowed to take the "embrace" theme literally, planning a midnight hug with model boyfriend Andre Velencoso, who has flown in to share in the festivities.
She has posted several photos on Twitter since arriving in Sydney on Friday, including a visit to Bondi's Icebergs. She said she has been spruiking her role since agreeing to the gig.
"Honestly, I've been so excited about coming home since I first signed up for the project which was a year ago, so here I am, and now it's a reality and it's so exciting," she said.
Channel 9's coverage, from the Lord Mayor's party at the Sydney Opera House, starts at 8.30pm (family fireworks) and includes 11.30pm (midnight countdown) with performances by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Darren Percival.
Kylie Minogue and the City of Sydney are encouraging more than one million people on the harbour for Sydney New Year’s Eve to take part in a world-first NYE interactive colour light show.
The City and Telstra have developed a free smartphone app that will light up phone screens as coloured lights splash the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the end of 2012 and launch of 2013.
The synchronised Telstra Colour Moments – at 10.15pm, 11pm, 11.30pm and 11.45pm – will build excitement as the clock ticks closer to midnight, and app users will be reminded to hold their phones to the sky to be part of the celebration, as the harbour is transformed into a sea of colour.
NYE12 Creative Ambassador Kylie Minogue has worked with the City and Imagination Australia, and chosen magenta, yellow, purple and blue for the Telstra Colour Moments and fireworks, representing her Embrace theme.
“This year I want everyone to embrace during the fireworks,” Kylie said.
“Whether it’s embracing new ideas, change and opportunities, or just giving a big hug to your family and friends, it’s something everyone can get involved in. So together, we are going to make this New Year’s Eve the most memorable night ever.”
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she was looking forward to the harbour foreshore filling with colour and excitement on New Year’s Eve.
“If you are going to watch the fireworks from one of the many vantage points around Sydney Harbour, plan ahead and download this free phone app,” the Lord Mayor said.
“The app lets you take part in the biggest interactive light show on Sydney Harbour – we hope it might even set a new Australian record for audience participation.
“The app will have useful information, including vantage point maps and updates about when different locations have reached capacity, as well as news feeds to keep up-to-date on the latest developments.”
The Lord Mayor said this year’s NYE charity partner, The Fred Hollows Foundation, was particularly appropriate as they have spent 20 years restoring the sight of millions of people around the world.
“The Fred Hollows Foundation does inspiring work. Over the past two decades they have given countless people back their sight,” the Lord Mayor said.
“For $25 you can restore someone’s vision and let them see their family and friends as we all begin a new year.”
Kylie Minogue worked with the City and Imagination Australia to develop the theme, colour scheme and music for NYE12, and said Embrace was a “wonderfully inclusive theme” that was close to her heart.
“Embrace is all about acceptance, tolerance, fun and, above all, love,” Kylie said.
“In a city of great diversity we come together at New Year’s Eve to embrace the future and celebrate all that we are and the potential that tomorrow holds.
“It’s also about that magical moment at midnight when we throw our arms around the people we love and express our happiness.”
Kylie’s theme is represented by the Embrace icon ─ a swirl of coloured sails in magenta, yellow, purple and red, which is marked with her signature K.
Embrace also has four subthemes: Embrace Love, Embrace Sydney, Embrace the Possibility and Embrace the Moment, which are Kylie’s most important things to hold onto during 2012 Sydney New Year’s Eve.
The Telstra Colour Moments:
10.15pm: The magenta colour moment will represent the Embrace Love subtheme and will be accompanied by a firework shaped like a heart.
11pm: It will be followed by the yellow colour moment, Embrace Sydney, which will see a firework shaped like a sun shimmer over the city.
11.30pm: The Embrace the Possibility colour moment will be accompanied by a butterfly taking flight from Sydney Harbour Bridge and morphing into a purple firework.
11.45pm: The final Embrace the Moment effect will see a huge aquamarine starburst firework light up the night, building anticipation for the 12-minute Midnight Fireworks display.
Apart from the interactive light show, the app will also allow people to ‘Message the Bridge’ by submitting some words, which could be projected onto one of the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons.
Telstra is also offering a free ‘Midnight Messages’ service, during which app users can send up to 50 ‘Happy New Year’ text messages to their family and friends.
App users simply need to upload their messages before 6pm on Monday 31 December, and the texts will be automatically sent at midnight.
To download the NYE12 smartphone app, visit www.sydneynewyearseve.com/app
or search your app store for ‘Sydney New Year’s Eve’.
Apart from the fun, festive Christmas celebrations that are guaranteed to rock Sydney, there are a number of quality festivals on to see out the final month of 2012. If this is anything to go by, Sydney will be in for a fantastic 2013.
Image: Mud Run Sydney website
For Some Family Fun...
Then you're in luck with the Coogee Family Fun Day that kicks off on the 1st of December at Goldstein Reserve at Coogee Beach. Expect an array of 80 different market stalls, yoga classes, a free petting zoo with special appearances from Santa and over five hours of live performances, including the Scooby Doo Ghostology Show. Further information on this event can be found by clicking here.
I am feeling a bit sporty, and in need of a challenge...
The annual Bridge to Bridge Water Ski race from Dangar Island to Windsor spans 112kms along the length of the Hawkesbury River. The qualifying event is on the 1st of December, while the finals are on the 2nd of December. Furthermore, you might have remembered the game of 'stuck in the mud' while at primary school. Let's take that to another level and literally get stuck and run in the mud. If you like TV shows such as Double Dare and It's a Knockout with a knack for adventure, then put on your oldest running shoes and get prepared and get wet and muddy for the annual Mud Run at the Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park. Known as the best fun you can have with your pants on, and within good reason too. Twists and turns with hill climbs and mud jumping are also included in the program. Of course, the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race starts on boxing day.
Give me some fast beats at Olympic Park...
Your wish is my command. In addition to Homebake, Bass Control is on yet again. Hard core dance for a new generation of dancers, and is guaranteed to break a sweat. Outdoor rides, promo girls, market stalls and chill out areas are also provided.
Can I buy some crafts for Christmas?
With the Hornsby Craft Fair on the 13th of December, you most certainly can. Special baby clothes, toys and gifts are available to purchase. The organisers promise that the items on sale here cannot be purchased in any shopping centre. Held quarterly at the Hornsby RSL.
What about that major Christmas Carols event in the city?
Oh yes, the Carols in the Domain is on yet again. A variety of musical entertainment will be on for the whole family. Arrive as early as you can. Why? The Domain gets crowded really quickly at this popular annual event. Showbags are only around $10 containing over $100 worth of groceries. A great way to get into the Christmas spirit and help charities such as The Salvation Army simultaneously.
Furthermore, there will be a number of other Christmas and New Years Eve events on to see out the last month of 2012 in Sydney as well. Another top suburban Christmas event is the Carols at Burwood Park. This article has been designed for adults in mind for many of these festivals. For assistance in sourcing out a number of kid friendly events, you're more than welcome to click here to read and discover more. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Sydney.
Metro Hotel on Pitt, in the heart of Sydney's CBD, is offering a very Merry Sydney Christmas package to visitors who find themselves in transit on Christmas Day.
The package costs $250 and includes one night's accommodation for two in a Superior Deluxe Queen room, Christmas lunch or dinner for two people at Paradiso Restaurant (2 course), breakfast for two and free internet.
The total saving is $116. Offer valid for December 24 and 25, 2012, and subject to availability.
Details: 1800 004 321 or www.metrohotels.com.au.
CAIRNS
The 4.5-star Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort is marking the start of summer with rates for locals from $139 per room per night.
It includes one night accommodation for two adults and two children, and a buffet breakfast.
An upgrade to a pool view room is also part of the rate, subject to availability, as well as late checkout at midday and a 10 per cent discount off all food and beverage purchased at the resort.
The offer is valid until March 31; terms and conditions apply.
Details: (07) 4080 1888 or www.novotelcairnsresort.com.au.
TASMANIA
Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge in Tasmania is offering a Gourmet Escape package this summer.
It includes accommodation in a Pencil Pine Cabin, breakfast daily for two people, a three-course dinner for two, and a wine and cheese tasting session on one night.
Prices start from $392 per couple per night and is valid until March 31, 2013. Subject to availability, and block-out dates and minimum night stays apply.
Details: www.peppers.com.au.
EUROPE
Princess Cruises is offering a discounted fare when travelling onboard Dawn Princess's 37-day cruise from Rome to Sydney.
The voyage takes in the Western Mediterranean and Asia, including visits to a range of UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Petra and Malta, as well as the option of an overland shore excursion to the Taj Mahal in India.
Departing Rome on September 4, 2013, prices start from $5999 per person twin share.
Details: 13 24 88 or visit www.princess.com.
THAILAND
Amari Palm Reef Koh Samui has a three night Christmas package starting at $680 (conditions apply).
The package is for between December 22-26, 2012, and includes accommodation in a deluxe room, daily breakfast, return airport transfers, a 20 per cent discount on treatments at the hotel's Breeze Spa, and a 15 per cent discount voucher off any of the resort's restaurants.
