Celebrate National Science Week at Darling Harbour, Sydney

Celebrate National Science Week at Darling Harbour

The extent of human scientific discovery is both awe-inspiring and humbling; wondrous yet simple. Scientific method is democratic and honest, and the darkness yet to be lit up by science – the discoveries yet to be discovered – are indescribably exciting. Prepare to open your eyes and mind, and let your curiosity and imagination run wild as you experience National Science Week at Darling Harbour!

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Explore Australia’s unique and varied marine environments as you snake through the exhibits at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. 

From the platypus and broad-shelled turtles in Streams and Billabongs and the barramundi and lungfish in the Mangrove Swamps, to the clown fish and weedy sea dragons of Sydney Harbour, you’ll find illumination and wonder in our nation’s previously mysterious waters. Swim with the sharks or check out their daily feed as part of SEA LIFE’s conservation program. 

Check out the amazing BJ Price underwater art exhibition and learn about Great Barrier Reef conservation. Take a behind the scenes tour, or, to really get into the Science Week spirit, become a marine biologist for a day!www.sydneyaquarium.com.au

Wild Life Sydney Zoo

Just as you can float through the country’s watery environs at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo you can wander over this wide brown land’s sweeping plains, rugged mountain ranges, stark white ring-barked forests, and everything in between. 

Visit the Top End in the Butterfly Tropics, home to all kinds of butterflies, as well as turtles, ducks, frogs, even pythons! Get close to Tassie devils in the Devils’ Den, see the cute koalas and chuckling kookaburras in the Gum Tree Valley, see the crocodiles of Kakadu, or check out the intimidating cassowary and adorable pademelon in the Daintree Rainforest! You may even meet an echidna, a sugar glider or even a wombat going for a traipse between exhibits! 

You can even take a night time tour through the landscapes, a behind the scenes tour with friends, or have breakfast with the koalas! www.wildlifesydney.com.au

Australian National Maritime Museum

Experience Australia’s maritime history and the science behind it at the Australian National Maritime Museum. The museum’s dedicated National Science Week program includes a variety of events, from Designing Our Composite Futures, a fascinating blend of science and design, with the help of Sydney Design; and Then and Now: The History of Bush Food, an education on the science behind native foods, led by an elder; to Endeavoring Science, which returns again this year to provide a look into botany past and present, the science of cannons, how diseases spread on board, astronomy, air pressure and sailing. You can even go on a science treasure hunt, or explore the HMAS Vampire with the mobile app Tag Town.

Kids can learn about Amazing Aquatic Adventures, and those under five can enjoy Science Week fun at the August 19 edition of Mini Mariners. Check out all the dates, details and ticketing info at the Australian National Maritime Museum’s National Science Week page. Elsewhere in the museum, be awed by the gentle giants of the sea and American artist Bryant Austin’s life-size whale photography in theBeautiful Whale exhibition. Gets hands-on and pilot an airship or ride a hovercraft at Going Places, an interactive exhibit looking the technologies humans have invented for travel!

At Voyage to the Deep, you can find out about the genuine technologies and actual scientific possibilities behind author Jules Verne’s submarine Nautilis in his novel 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Follow the stars at Navigators, which explores the various ‘discoveries’ of the land we now call Australia, and the astronomical help those seafarers received. www.anmm.gov.au

IMAX

Experience amazing documentaries on the biggest screen in the world! Go to the ice and snow and get amongst the penguins in Antarctica, enter the hidden world of insects in Bugs! 3D, be moved by volcanoes, earthquakes and tornadoes in Forces of Nature.

Swim in the deep blue with Great White Shark 3D, journey through deep space in Hidden Universe 3D, and get to know the wonders of our own biology in The Human Body. www.imax.com.au So come celebrate National Science Week with us. Discover yourself at Darling Harbour to make your own discoveries!

#nationalscienceweek #darlingharbour

View original Source Article

Robbie Williams | The Swing Tour Live

Rumours of a return tour have been running hot since the release of his latest studio offering late last year, and now Chugg Entertainment can proudly confirm that the rumours are true. Few artists can boast that they’ve sold 55 million albums globally, but Robbie can.

One of Britain’s premier pop superstars, known for his cheeky wit as much as his hit-studded albums, the one and only Robbie Williams will be making his long overdue return to Australia for a national run of dates this September, bringing his incredible swing album, Swings Both Ways.

It’s been nearly eight years since the British superstar treated Australian audiences to his myriad talents on the live stage. In December 2006 Williams undertook a stadium tour of monumental proportion across Australia.

Williams' love for Australia has been well documented over the years, with a slew of tours and special performances (including the 2009 ARIA awards), he can also boast his most well known collaborations being with Australians; Kids, a duet with pop star Kylie Minogue and a cover of Frank & Nancy Sinatra's Somethin' Stupid with Nicole Kidman. Add to this that 2.6 million Robbie Williams albums have been sold in Australia to date – making that 1 in 10 Australians who own a Robbie album – it’s a certainty that the love affair continues.

Robbie’s latest album Swings Both Ways is the follow up to his original 2001 swing release, Swing When You’re Winning, which spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the UK charts, and likewise garnered unprecedented success in Australia, going four times platinum and remaining his best selling album of all time. Swings Both Ways sees the reunion of Robbie’s collaboration with songwriter and producer Guy Chambers; the creative pairing responsible for some of Robbie’s biggest hits (Rock DJ, Feel, Millenium, Let Me Entertain You, Angels, Supreme).

The album debuted at #1 in the UK and #5 on the ARIA charts, and within the first 4 weeks of release, the album was certified Gold in Australia. This is his eleventh chart-topping album in the UK, which now means that he draws level with Elvis Presley as the male solo artist with the most number one albums.

Armed with an arsenal packed with ballads, pop songs and massive sing-along hits, Robbie returns to the swing genre for his tenth studio album and current world tour.

Tour Dates:

Ticketek is selling for the following venues only:

Thursday 11 September - Perth Arena
Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 September - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Monday 22 & Tuesday 23 September - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 September - Allphones Arena, Sydney

Alyangula Golf Club | Nearby Attractions | Dugong Beach Resort, Groote Eylandt

The Alyangula Golf Club is nestled amid a superb tropical island setting on the foreshore of Milner Bay within the Groote Eylandt archipeligo.

The course and clubhouse are situated on Alebuwa Road, centrally located within the township of Alyangula on the northwest side of Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The island was named by explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 and is Dutch for ‘Large Island” and is the homeland of the Anindilyakwa people.

Groote Eylandt is easily accessible from Cairns, Darwin and Gove (Nhulunbuy) with a variety of daily flights.

The Course

Alyangula Golf Club – The Course

The 9 hole golf course has 18 different tee blocks and a par of 65 (ACR 62). The course is kept in excellent condition all year round thanks to dedicated greenkeepers and volunteers.

The beachfront journey commences after the first hole where local golfers are treated to marine activity in Milner Bay including dolphins, stingrays, numerous schools of large pelagic fish sizing up their prey and even the odd saltwater crocodile.

The par 3 third ‘signature hole’ has one of the largest natural sandtraps in the world and a typical Alyangula green which is surrounded by tropical coconut palms.

After the elevated tee shot over a water hazard (which flows through the entire course) on the par 3 fourth hole the course meanders through well established savannah woodlands playing host to a wide variety of bird-life, including wallabies and a few friendly frill-necked lizards.

The narrow tree-lined fairways, strategically placed bunkers, water hazards, elevated tee-blocks and naturally landscaped greens combined with a wonderful display of local marine life, flora and fauna make golfing at Alyangula a wonderful and unique golfing experience.

Golf at Alyangula Golf Club

Clubhouse Facilities

• Keno, Pokies, Austar, Pool table
• Bar, Bistro & Dining room
• Outdoor seating & BBQ, Playground
• Toilets & Showers
• Proshop for golf apparel & accessories
• Practice Nets & Green

Events at Alyangula Golf Club

News at Alyangula Golf Club

View the Offical Alyangula Golf ClubWebsite

See the original post at www.metrohotels.com.au

How To Have a Stress-Free Family Day Out For Less Than $100

The weather’s warming up, and the kids are keen to get out and explore. But sometimes fun for the kids can mean stress for mums and dads, and a strain for their wallets.

So we’ve taken the stress and the expense out of the family day out. Here’s how to do Darling Harbour – stress-free, without breaking the budget.

Play

The Children’s Playground at Darling Quarter is completely free, and it’s a great place for the kids to spend some time. And the more time the better, as the huge playground has 16 separate features, including the Balance Ropes, an 18.7m rope course and the first of its kind in Australia; the Big Slide, the largest in the whole playground at over 3m high and 8m long; the 21m Flying Fox; the Giant Ring, a 3D swing experience that lets kids go up, down, side to side and around in circles; the Octanet, a climbing course that rises 10m into the air and uses 83m of rope; and the Pump Station, a cool water play feature with 26 water jets! Or just hang out in the sandpit, or chill out under the Shade Zone.

Mums and dads can grab a coffee from one of Darling Quarter’s great cafes, and take a load off on one of the playground’s many benches while the kids play.

Head over from the playground to Kingpin Bowling in the Harbourside Shopping Centre. It’s $40 for a family pass (two adults and two children), which includes one game of bowling per person and two free soft drinks.

On the way, stop off at the Carousel in Palm Grove and take a ride for only $4. Thought to be the second oldest carousel in Australia, and one of only a handful of surviving 19th century carousels, this carousel is a slice of super fun history. It’s driven by a steam engine that was made by Tidmans of Norwich (England) in 1892, and the horses were expertly carved by G & J Lines and Co, London in around 1895. It reached Australia in 1894, and has been enjoyed by roughly six generations of children!

Experience

Located in Australia’s first purpose built theatre dedicated to work for young people, Monkey Baa Theatre Company in Darling Quarter adapts the very best of Australian children’s literature to the stage. With a mission statement to “[create] exceptional theatre experiences for young people by bringing to life uniquely Australian stories”, at Monkey Baa your little monkeys will be entertained and inspired. Tickets are between $20-$25 depending on the show. Keep an eye on their website for new shows.

Enjoy a ride and a movie all at once at Harbourside Shopping Centre’s 9D Action Cinema. Melding 3D animated movies with surround sound, ‘active motion’ seats, and dramatic touch effects like rain, snow, and wind, it’s a cinematic experience like no other. Rides run all day and you don’t even have to book ahead. Just rock up; a family ticket for one ride is only $35.

Families can check out all permanent galleries at the Australian National Maritime Museum for only $17.50, or for an exciting and educational experience to cap off a weekend, check out their Family Fun Sundays. It’s $8.50 per child, $3.50 for the first adult and $7 for each additional adult, plus all day parking for only $13 (have your ticket stamped at the musuem). Every Sunday during the school term, the kids can get up to lots of maritime-themed activities, like making a long ship, or a viking helmet!

Explore the Chinese Garden of Friendship with the Emperor’s Quest smartphone app (available from Google Play and the iTunes App Store), which educates kids about the Chinese zodiac, known as ‘Sheng Xiao’ or ‘birth sign’. Fun clues and the history of each of the animals of the zodiac are hidden throughout the gardens on the way to the 12 hidden animal sculptures, and it’s up to the kids to find them! Once they’re all unlocked, a special surprise will be revealed…

Eat

There are so many great kids menus at Darling Harbour! Blackbird Cafe offers a $14.90 main with a free dessert and free colouring in, and for an extra $3 you can take home a limited edition wobble-bobble ice-cream-head.

Authentic Italian can be found at Vesta ($10), while at Adria, all kids meals are $12.50 including soft drink and dessert. On Saturdays and Sundays at Stacks, kids can get a pizza and unlimited soft drink for $5. Kamikaze offers a selection of Japanese meals for kids for $14.90 each plus a free red lemonade, and desserts for $6.50. Pontoon has a family friendly menu, with ten dishes under $10.

For kids under 12, Passello has a selection of mains for $8.50, and a scoop of free ice cream. Zaaffran has yummy Indian starters and mains for kids, ranging from $7.50 – $15.00. It may seem like a restaurant made entirely for big kids, but Pancakes on the Rocks has a kids menu too, ranging from $2.95 – $7.95.

Plan

Book ahead and you can get discounted all day parking at various Darling Harbour locations with Wilson Parking’s Book A Bay.

All Darling Quarter public amenities have baby change facilities, and Cockle Bay Wharf has a parents’ room and baby change facility.

Enjoy!

Source: http://www.hashtagdarlingharbour.com/stress-free-family-day-less-100/

Need affordable accommodation near Darling Harbour?

Stay at Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour and be conveniently located to all the major attractions in the article above.

Check out Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour's latest accommodation specials: http://www.metrohotels.com.au/hotels/new-south-wales/metro-apartments-on-darling-harbour/hot-deals/

Location: 132-136 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia (walking distance from Wynyard station)

Phone: 02 9199 - 2517

Groote Eylandt - Protected Environment

Groote Eylandt - Roseate Tern breeding site

The whole of Groote Eylandt and its surrounding waters lie within the Anindilyakwa Indigenous Protected Area.

An unnamed islet off the north-eastern coast has been classified by BirdLife International as an important bird area because of its global importance as a Roseate Tern breeding site

What is a Roseate Tern?

This is a small-medium tern, 33–36 cm long with a 67–76 cm wingspan, which can be confused with the common tern, Arctic tern, and the larger, but similarly plumaged, Sandwich tern.

Roseate tern's thin sharp bill is black, with a red base which develops through the breeding season, and is more extensive in the tropical and southern hemisphere races. It is shorter-winged and has faster wing beats than common or Arctic tern. 

The upper wings are pale grey and its under parts white, and this tern looks very pale in flight, like a small Sandwich tern, although the outermost primary flight feathers darken during the summer. 

The adults have very long, flexible tail streamers and orange-red legs. In summer, the underparts of adults take on the pinkish tinge which gives this bird its name.

Groote Eylandt Accommodation at Dugong Beach Resort

Juventus Names Star-Studded Squad for A-League All Stars Clash

Juventus has named a full strength squad to travel to Sydney for their clash with the A-League All Stars.

Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon, Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba, Patrice Evra and Arturo Vidal have all been confirmed for the match at ANZ Stadium on Sunday 10 August.

The Juventus squad boasts 11 players who took part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and also includes new signing Patrice Evra, who will make his second appearance in the All Stars match after representing Manchester United in last year’s fixture.

The A-League All Stars side includes one of Juventus’ greatest players of all time, Alessandro Del Piero, who will play his final match in Australia after a two year stint with Sydney FC.

Del Piero played 705 matches for Juventus and holds the record for the most games and goals in the famous black and white strip of the Bianconeri, scoring 289 goals.

He is joined by Thomas Broich, Besart Berisha, Gui Finkler, Youssouf Hersi and Socceroo goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic in the A-League squad.

“We are incredibly excited to be welcoming Juventus to Sydney for the Foxtel A-League All Stars match and fans are in for a real treat now that we have had the Juventus side confirmed,” said Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop.

“Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon, Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba and Patrice Evra are global football stars and their presence in Sydney will not only be a thrill for the fans at ANZ Stadium, but signals yet another significant moment in what is a breakthrough period for Australian football.”

“Juventus has confirmed all of its stars will be in Sydney for the match and I have no doubt Australian football fans will be excited to see Alessandro Del Piero line up against some of his former Juventus team mates,” said NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events Andrew Stoner.

“The NSW Government, through our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, secured this match in partnership with FFA exclusive to Sydney, Australia's premier sports and major events city.

“Juventus has a world-wide fan base of 250 million, including 1.4 million Juventus faithful in Australia. By hosting this champion team, Sydney and NSW will again be on show to the world, confirming our position as Australia’s home of major events.”

Dirty Dancing Coming to Sydney - 28 November 2014

Dirty Dancing was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Sydney in November 2004. Following the Sydney World Premiere season, the production toured to Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland, a sell-out season of 18 months throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Featuring hit songs including Hungry Eyes, Hey! Baby, Do You Love Me? and the iconic (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life, Dirty Dancing has become one of the most popular musical productions of all time.

It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year old Frances “Baby” Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing.

On holiday in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing.

Mesmerised by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor. Baby’s life is about to change forever as she is thrown in at the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady both on-stage and off with breathtaking consequences.

Playing from 28 November 2014

Dirty Dancing FREE Upgrade Apartment