Palm Beach in New South Wales

30 December 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© flickr.com - Alex Proimos/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Alex Proimos/cc-by-2.0

Palm Beach is a suburb in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Palm Beach is located 41 kilometres (25 mi) north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Northern Beaches Council. Palm Beach sits on a peninsula at the end of Barrenjoey Road, between Pittwater and Broken Bay. The population of Palm Beach is at 1,600.   read more…

Sydney in New South Wales

19 November 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  10 minutes

Chatswood to Sydney CBD © Mark Merton/cc-by-sa-4.0

Chatswood to Sydney CBD © Mark Merton/cc-by-sa-4.0

Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia’s east coast, the metropolis surrounds Port Jackson and extends about 70 km (43.5 mi) on its periphery towards the Blue Mountains to the west, Hawkesbury to the north, the Royal National Park to the south and Macarthur to the south-west. Sydney is made up of 658 suburbs, spread across 33 local government areas. Residents of the city are known as “Sydneysiders”. As of June 2020, Sydney’s estimated metropolitan population was 5,367,206, meaning the city is home to approximately 66% of the state’s population. The city has had several nicknames throughout its history, such as the ‘Emerald City‘ and the ‘Harbour City’.   read more…

Port Jackson in Sydney

28 October 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Sydney central business district © flickr.com - Ian Geddes/cc-by-2.0

Sydney central business district © flickr.com – Ian Geddes/cc-by-2.0

Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (part of the South Pacific Ocean). It is the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The location of the first European settlement and colony on the Australian mainland, Port Jackson has continued to play a key role in the history and development of Sydney. Port Jackson, in the early days of the colony, was also used as a shorthand for Sydney and its environs. Thus, many botanists, see, e.g, Robert Brown‘s Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen, described their specimens as having been collected at Port Jackson. Many recreational events are based on or around the harbour itself, particularly Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations. The harbour is also the starting point of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. The waterways of Port Jackson are managed by Transport for NSW. Sydney Harbour National Park protects a number of islands and foreshore areas, swimming spots, bushwalking tracks and picnic areas.   read more…

The Rocks in Sydney

18 July 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  9 minutes

The Rocks Area from the water © flickr.com - Alex Proimos/cc-by-2.0

The Rocks Area from the water © flickr.com – Alex Proimos/cc-by-2.0

The Rocks is an urban locality, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney‘s city centre. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district. The Rocks became established shortly after the colony’s formation in 1788. It was known as Tallawoladah by the Cadigal people. The original buildings were first traditional vernacular houses, of wattle and daub, with thatched roofs, and later of local sandstone, from which the area derives its name. From the earliest history of the settlement, the area had a reputation as a slum and the arriving convicts’ side of town, often frequented by visiting sailors and prostitutes. After November 1790, many of the inhabitants were also aboriginals. In 1823, the district had a population of about 1,200. During the late nineteenth century, the area was dominated by a gang known as the Rocks Push. It maintained this rough reputation until approximately the 1870s.   read more…

The Ovation of the Seas

1 June 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Cruise Ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  7 minutes

© Matthias Süßen/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Matthias Süßen/cc-by-sa-3.0

MS Ovation of the Seas is a cruise ship operating for Royal Caribbean International (RCI). The vessel is the third ship in the Quantum class, which surpasses RCI’s earlier Freedom-class ships by over 14,000 GT, becoming the second largest class of passenger ships behind RCI’s Oasis class ships on a gross tonnage basis. The sister ships are Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.   read more…

Sydney Opera House

6 March 2017 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, Opera Houses, Theaters, Libraries, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  13 minutes

© David Iliff/cc-by-sa-3.0

© David Iliff/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. It is one of the 20th century’s most famous and distinctive buildings. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon’s 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government’s decision to build Utzon’s design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect’s ultimate resignation. The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and close by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Opera House was formally opened by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on 20 October 1973. A large crowd attended. Utzon was not invited to the ceremony, nor was his name mentioned. The opening was televised and included fireworks and a performance of Beethoven‘s Symphony No. 9.   read more…

The HM barque Endeavour

1 September 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Tall ships, Museums, Exhibitions, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  6 minutes

Captain Cook's ship 'HM Bark Endeavour' leaving Whitby Harbour © geograph.org.uk - colin f m smith/cc-by-sa-2.0

Captain Cook’s ship ‘HM Bark Endeavour’ leaving Whitby Harbour © geograph.org.uk – colin f m smith/cc-by-sa-2.0

HMS Endeavour, also known as HM Bark Endeavour, was a British Royal Navy research vessel that Lieutenant James Cook commanded on his first voyage of discovery, to Australia and New Zealand from 1769 to 1771. She was launched in 1764 as the collier Earl of Pembroke, and the Navy purchased her in 1768 for a scientific mission to the Pacific Ocean and to explore the seas for the surmised Terra Australis Incognita or “unknown southern land”. The Navy renamed and commissioned her as His Majesty’s Bark the Endeavour.   read more…

Bondi Beach in Australia

10 June 2013 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

© flickr.com - John Lindie/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – John Lindie/cc-by-2.0

Bondi Beach is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales. Bondi Beach is located 7 km (4 mi) east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council, in the Eastern Suburbs. In 2007, the Guinness World Record for the largest swimsuit photo shoot was set at Bondi Beach, with 1,010 women wearing bikinis taking part. Bondi Beach was added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2008.   read more…

The Creative Cities Network

2 June 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  5 minutes

© UNESCO / Graz

© UNESCO / Graz

The Creative Cities Network is a project under the patronage of UNESCO. With the aim of celebrating and maintaining cultural diversity, the alliance formed by member cities share their experiences in promoting the local heritage, as well as discuss plans on how to cope with the influx of globalization. The Creative Cities Network aims to find and enrich a member city’s cultural identity in the midst of a growing trend towards internationalism.   read more…

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