Sydney Harbour Things To do

Valentine’s Day dinner party ideas

2011-02-09T15:32:00.005+11:00

This Valentine’s, give the roses and chocolates and gifts routine a break. And no, don’t go for that directory of restaurants again. Most probably the gift ideas list has been tried and tested several times too. So don’t let your 2011 Valentine’s be just a replay of one of your earlier Valentine’s Days from the last several years. Repetitions are boring, and they just take the romance out of your special day.

This year do something different – something that leaves a sweet memory for years to come. Go for a very special experience - perhaps an evening together with your loved one on the harbour – the most romantic setting in Sydney – and enjoy a nice dinner with some wine too to toast the occasion. Board Magistic Cruises, a luxury catamaran, for dinner and a relaxed cruise past the sparkling city skyline, close to the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge! Stroll on the extensive decks for a cool breeze and the amazing harbour views. Or just relax at your table by the window and watch the famous landmarks glide gently by. The buffet spread is extensive, freshly prepared on board and just delicious. The array includes fruits and salads not to mention a wide variety of seafood too.

As a more sensational alternative, you could book yourselves on Sydney Showboats, an authentic paddle wheeler with modern decor, for a luxury cruise with a la carte dinner and some sizzling show of live cabaret, music and magic! The boat has wrap-around verandahs for those who would prefer some sightseeing of the spectacular harbour too. The dinner is three-course, freshly prepared on board and served by a crew of ever-smiling, friendly staff.

If you have never been on one of these cruises before with your valentine, then it’s time that you hurried to make your booking! If you have been on one, then most likely you have your bookings done already this year, for this is one location a romantic never tires of!

Christmas Party Dinner Cruises

2010-11-15T15:19:00.006+11:00

In Sydney, Christmas is in summer, and the best time of the year in Sydney begins several weeks before Christmas.

One can feel and breathe the spirit of Christmas in the air! Every corner and every street of the city and every shop window reminds one of Christmas! One may find a Santa cab driver with a Christmas tree set up in the boot of his cab and the entire interior of the cab made to look like valleys of snow with fluffy white cotton and other accessories! The shops sport, in addition to Santa caps and robes, Santa gowns, Santa dresses, Santa swimming trunks and even Santa bikinis!

Sydney Harbour, as at all times, is the most happening and the most attractive place in Sydney around Christmas too! The pubs, restaurants and shopping centres on the waterfront buzz with Christmas specials. The sparkling harbour is all the more so during Christmas time! A cruise on the harbour gives one the best of the harbour experiences with its spectacular views and a peek into the busy hubs around the harbour.

Board a luxury dinner cruise to make the most of the harbour experience. If you are planning to throw a party for Christmas, hire a deck on the catamaran Magistic Cruises or the paddle wheeler Sydney Showboats. Or hire the entire boat if you have a big group or if you wish for more exclusivity.

A party cruise on the harbour would be the best Christmas gift your family and friends ever enjoyed!

Unique Christmas Gift Ideas

2010-10-28T23:09:00.003+11:00

It’s time for parties and it’s time for gifts, for Christmas is just around the corner.

I have searched high and low and all around, year after year, to buy something that’s different for those who have made a difference to me! Surely, gifts bought off the shelf can’t be that specially special as they are too easily forgettable. They are likely to get outdated. And they will definitely get worn out!

The only thing that never gets old is a memory – a memory of a very special experience! It stays fresh in one’s mind forever and ever, and never fades, grows old or outdated! Like quality time spent with dear ones, and the joy when you feel cared for and that you are special – these are moments that will be cherished forever!

Gift a Sydney Harbour Lunch or Dinner Cruise to your dear and near and very special ones! This would be a very unique Christmas gift – the only one of its kind in Sydney!

Sydney Harbour is amazing by day and spectacular by night, and a cruise would be the best way to make the best of the harbour!

Gift a relaxed cruise on the sophisticated Magistic catamaran that serves a deliciously extensive buffet freshly prepared on board! The spread includes a variety of seafood dishes and desserts with fruits too! And what’s more, one can glide past the best views in Sydney!

A luxury Showboat cruise on a classic paddle wheeler serves up, besides fabulous dinner a la carte, some sensational live performances of music, dance and magic! Add to that the breath-taking views of the harbour and one has the most stunning harbour experience in Sydney!

Gift your loved ones and friends a memory that would be treasured forever!

Gift a Sydney Harbour cruise – an ideal gift idea

2010-07-20T16:25:00.006+10:00

Special occasions are too many and gift ideas too less.

Special people in our lives are not too many, however selecting gifts for them always turns out to be a chore that is tedious, difficult, disappointing and disheartening - selecting ideal gifts, that is.

So what would you consider an ideal gift?

A gift that is unique?

A gift that is memorable?

A gift that you can take pride in giving?

A gift that one would love to receive?

A gift that would be cherished always?

A gift that would be enjoyed and experienced and not thrown away?

Magistic Cruises and Sydney Showboats gift vouchers fulfil all this and more! Choose between a Magistic Lunch or a Dinner Cruise for a delicious buffet and a memorable cruise around the spectacular Sydney Harbour! Or just gift the dear one a Sydney Showboat Dinner Cruise with a live stage show and a la carte dinner!

Have no doubt, the gift and you will be remembered for a lifetime!

Red hot sale of a sizzling Showboat dinner cruise!

2010-06-14T22:37:00.005+10:00

Make the most of an incredibly hot sale of an incredibly sizzling showboat dinner cruise at incredibly low prices!

The sale offers Sydney Showboat dinner cruise at a $100 discount on the ticket price plus free beer, wine soft drinks and juices for the duration of the cruise! In other words, the price of a ticket is just $88 including cruise, dinner, drinks and show!

The Showboat Dinner Cruise includes a 3-hour cruise around the spectacular Sydney Harbour gliding past the Sydney icons – the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge – and other amazing views! Dinner includes a 3-course a la carte menu freshly prepared by expert chefs on board!

To match the spirit of the event, there will be an unlimited supply of beer, wine, soft drinks and juices for the entire duration of the cruise!

The one-hour international show, the Voyage of Love, will add passion while the captivating magic show and the clever table magic tricks will add fun and flavour to the evening!

If you are a small group of less than four, you can avail of coach transfer from selected CBD hotels.

The sale will be on for just 60 hours, if the tickets don’t get sold out before that, so book online to avoid needless waste of effort and precious time!

Hurry! Make a dash for it before you are too late and the red hot offer goes absolutely cold!

Luminous Sydney, Vivid Sydney!

2010-04-23T17:44:00.004+10:00

Vivid Sydney is a festival that celebrates everything creative – music, art, theatre ...and lights!

Yes, lights! During this festival, Sydney shines not only with creative talents but also with fantastic arrays of light – on the historic buildings, cultural landmarks and world famous icons, in the streets and lanes and every bit of space that is available in Sydney!

Lighting the Sails is an event that not only Sydney but the whole world waits for every year during Vivid Sydney. The event features lighting up the sails of the Sydney Opera House in different hues!

In 2009, Brian Eno painted a series of colourful designs of light on the oyster-shell rooves of the world famous icon as millions watched in wonder, their hearts pausing with every change of image! The images of the sails splattered with multitudes of colours splashed across the media the world over!

The Sydney Harbour presents the best views of the Opera House as it gets drenched in a pleasing chaos of shifting colours and images. All this in the backdrop of a sparkling, dazzling, glittering city skyline that would sparkle, dazzle and glitter this year like never before!

Enjoy the lights, the views and the harbour from a cruising showboat! The sizzling live dance show on board would add excitement to the experience of the evening! And sign off the evening with delicious a la carte and choice beverages!

This year, the festival will be organised under the curatorship of Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, the musician-artist duo. And sure enough, Sydney, the harbour and the harbour cruise will remain vivid in your memory for years to come!

Easter Cruise Party Sydney Harbour

2010-03-30T17:36:00.005+11:00

Sydney Showboats and Magistic Cruises offers free Kids cruise during Easter long weekend. The offer is valid for dinner and lunch cruise from Friday 2nd April 2010 to Monday 5th April 2010. Click on the images to book online.

Sydney Showboats Dinner Cruise
Magistic Dinner Cruises
Magistic Lunch Cruises

Mother’s Day Lunch Cruise

2010-03-04T15:27:00.013+11:00

This Mother’s Day, spend a few precious hours with your mother over a special lunch in a special setting. Take her to the best restaurant in Sydney, which could be a waterfront restaurant around the Sydney Harbour, or better still, why not take her on a cruising restaurant to enjoy a delicious seafood lunch in the backdrop of the beautiful harbour?

Gift her the experience of fine dining in sophisticated, luxurious surroundings while cruising around the most beautiful natural harbour of the world!

Sydney Harbour is known for its spectacular views, and the best way to enjoy the views is from a cruise boat. The cruise glides past the Sydney Opera House and under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and close to the Fort Denison, the Lady Macquarie’s Chair, the beautiful waterfront mansions, the several bays around the harbour, the numerous islands strewn across the harbour and many other known landmarks of Sydney.

Enjoy a memorable lunch with your mother who has cooked all those yummy, delightful meals for you throughout your childhood until you grew wings to fly away!

Relax over a long, lazy lunch and laugh and cry over the memories of shared experiences!

Relive the happiness of being together, while cruising around the most spectacular harbour!

Show your mother how much you care for her!

Sydney Harbour Earth Hour Dinner Cruise

2010-02-23T20:56:00.004+11:00

There is no place like the Sydney Harbour in Sydney during the night hours – and that’s especially true for the Earth Hour! And there’s no better place than a plush cruising restaurant to enjoy the unique experience of the Earth Hour!

On 27th March of 2010, as lights go down for the Earth Hour all over the world, the business houses and homes around the Sydney Harbour will also contribute their teeny bit to save the world. The lights around the Sydney Harbour will go down at 8:30 pm to come slowly back alive at 9:30 pm.

Why not enjoy the solemn occasion by being at the harbour to watch the beauty of the Sydney Harbour in a whole new light? In the light of a shining moon and countless number of twinkling stars strewn across a dark, deep sky! And the amazing reflection of the moonlight and the stars on the shimmering harbour waters! A dark night reflecting its true beauty without the interventions of human art!

Though the shoreline and the waterfront locales are good venues, there is no better setting than a gorgeous cruising restaurant to enjoy the enchantment of the night during the Earth Hour! Make it a romantic rendezvous with a fine dining experience on a special beautiful night that comes, alas, just once a year! Great wine and good food with choice seafood would just make it the night of nights!

And don’t miss the rare spectacle of the Sydney Harbour slowly lighting up after the Earth Hour!

Sail on a wave of romance this Valentine’s Day!

2010-02-04T22:52:00.005+11:00

Delicious food, the finest wine and beautiful romantic music to dance with your valentine!

Spectacular views of the Sydney Harbour, the leisure of a cruise, its luxurious comfort and loveful languor!

Not to mention champagne, roses and chocolates!

What more would you want on your Valentine’s Day?

And what if you had it all on your Valentine’s Day?

If you sweethearts are really dreaming of all this for your Valentine’s Day, all you need to do is this.

Just descend from your daydreams and book two seats on the best Sydney Harbour Cruise available!

Seats are fast selling out so you had better make a dash for it!

And then promptly climb back on to your romantic dream cloud and wait for that very special day!!!

Sydney Harbour - a seaplane view and a cruise boat experience

2010-02-01T14:44:00.004+11:00

Sydney Harbour looks equally beautiful from the sky as well as from the deck of a boat.

A seaplane can give one a bird’s eye view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House in the setting of the sparkling blue waters of the harbour and the beautiful city around it! The magnificent string of beaches that adorn the coastline of Sydney present a strikingly pretty picture from a seaplane.

A lazy cruise around the Sydney Harbour, gliding past the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House as well as Fort Denison and the innumerable bays and sightseeing spots, whether by day or by night, is however an interesting as well as romantic experience. There are luxury cruise boats that pamper you with their comfort and spoil you with their food and wine. These cruises offer entertainment with dance and music as well. You can stroll across the deck and feel the cool breeze in your hair. If you are aboard an evening cruise, you can compare the twinkling stars with the dazzling city lights and be ever confused which is prettier!

While the views from a seaplane can be breathtaking, the experience of the harbour from aboard a cruise boat is exceptional! So why not enjoy the Sydney Harbour from both - a seaplane as well as a cruise boat!

Celebrate Aussie Day on a Sydney Harbour Cruise!

2010-01-19T21:31:00.005+11:00

With Sydney Harbour being the most happening place in Sydney on Australia Day, where else to celebrate the day other than on a Sydney Harbour cruise?

The race of the First Fleet ferries, the Ferrython, begins close to the Sydney Opera House, courses around the Shark Island, heads to Watson’s Bay and then returns to finish under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Australia Day Parade showcasing all kinds of vessels, geared up to look their best, begins from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, continues past Sydney Opera House and Clark Island, reaches Bradley’s Head and then turns back to the Harbour Bridge. Prizes are given away for the best dressed boats in different categories such as the charter boats, working boats, small boats, etc. Besides, there are prizes for the best theme and the best flag display. It is interesting to watch how the vessels outdo one another in their battle for these honourable titles!

It is amazing to watch the pilots of the RAAF presenting their superior skills through the aerial display. The deep dives and the patterns they create across the sky above the harbour have been a constant source of wonder for the spectators around the harbour over the years.

The Tall Ships always portray a picture that evokes nostalgia, romance, and mystery! Imagine a fleet of Tall Ships participating in a race across the beautiful Sydney Harbour! The race starts at Bradley’s Head and ends under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. And imagine you being aboard one of these Tall Ships and being part of the thrilling race!

Just like tall ships evoke fond memories of a bygone era, the sight of a yacht arouses a sense of longing for adventure or romance or both! A yacht has always been and will always be a thing of beauty and joy! The Australia Day Regatta showcases yachts young and old, classic old charmers as well as new modern stunners!

After a fitting finale of spectacular fireworks, Sydney finally calls it a day! Another eventful Australia Day to be celebrated in a truly Aussie way!

Hurry and book your seats on a Sydney Harbour cruise, if you have not done so already, and sail right into the heart of all the action, excitement and adventure!

Aussie BBQ on Aussie Day!

2010-01-14T17:51:00.003+11:00

Australia Day is a celebration of the nation and everything essentially Australian. Of all Aussie Day celebrations, those around the Sydney Harbour are the most spectacular with the presence of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge to add beauty and distinction to the events.

Ferrython, the race of the First Fleet ferries, has been keeping the Aussie spirits high for the last 30 years. The Tall Ships race is also much looked forward to by the adventure and outdoors-loving Aussies. The Australia Day Parade, where different watercraft compete with each other for the Best Dressed Vessel title, adds spice to the events. The fireworks display is the grand finale with which the events come to a close on the Sydney Harbour. All these events are best experienced from a cruise that takes one close to all the excitement and frenzy.

Another feature of the Australia Day that is completely and absolutely Australian is the BBQ. In Hyde Park, which is popularly known as Sydney’s Biggest Backyard, amidst live entertainment from the Great Aussie BBQ stage, Sydneysiders and visitors will enjoy various delicacies of Hereford beef. Meeting Hereford graziers, watching cooking demonstrations and guessing the weight of Hank the Hereford bull contest are some of other highlights of the day.

After all, just how Aussie can Aussie be without the outdoors and a barbie?

Australia Day is just around the corner and so is the Ferrython!

2010-01-11T22:11:00.006+11:00

After having astounded the world with its spectacular New Year Eve celebrations, Sydney is getting ready to celebrate its national day, the Australia Day, which falls on January 26, 2010. On this day, the whole of Australia joins in national spirit to celebrate its history, heritage and identity.

Among all cities of Australia, Sydney is the most famous for its highly spirited celebrations of the Australia Day. The celebrations in Sydney also stand out as they are more or less concentrated around the Sydney Harbour, in the vicinity of the iconic landmarks, the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Ferrython, a race of the ferries, is the biggest highlight of Sydney’s Australia Day celebrations. The race begins near the Sydney Opera House with the firing of the ancient cannon at Fort Denison. The ferries go around the Shark Island and further on towards Watson’s Bay to return to the Sydney Harbour Bridge which is the finishing point of the race.

The Australia Day Parade of vessels decked out to look their best is another highlight of the day where watercraft of all shapes, sizes and kinds compete for the Best Dressed Vessel title.

Sydneysiders as well as tourists rush to make sure they are at the best vantage points much earlier to the actual race so that they get a direct, uninterrupted view of the race. Though there are several points on the foreshores from where you can watch the race, the cruise boats are always the best vantage points for all festive activities around the harbour, as they can take you closest to all the thrill and action!

Blue is the hue in Sydney this New Year’s Eve

2009-12-08T22:14:00.003+11:00

Soulful, sexy, sophisticated – they say these three words sum up the spirit of Sydney!

And the colour that reflects this incredible spirit is of course blue – the colour of the shimmering, sparkling waters of the Sydney Harbour and the varying hues of the Sydney sky - from a pale, clear, translucent blue to a deep, intense, velvet blue!

People of Sydney will awaken to and rejoice in this amazing spirit this New Year’s Eve by wearing blue for the celebrations. The celebrations are focused to awaken the spirit of the land, water, sky and people of Sydney - true to the aboriginal beliefs!

So what will you wear this New Year’s Eve?

Something that resembles the azure of the sky with pearl-white clouds scattered all over?

Or the cobalt blue waters of the sea besprinkled with colourful yachts?

Or the silky sapphire night with stars like diamonds strewn across it?

Oh! Well! Whatever! Wear your own touch of blue to add to the mood of the hour and enjoy the spirit of Sydney!

Family Fun Day at Coogee

2009-12-04T00:12:00.006+11:00

Christmas is here and it is time for loads of shopping and a lot of fun with family!

This is precisely the right time to take a weekend break with your family as a prelude to the heaps of fun you are inevitably going to have for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, if you are in Sydney especially! Coogee Beach would be an ideal choice of place and the 5th of December – the Coogee Family Fun Day – would be the ideal day.

With heaps of shopping, live entertainment, numerous rides and a variety of food stalls, both adults and kids can have a lively and interesting weekend at the Coogee Beach! Santa’s appearance would be the highlight of the weekend and kids can have fun with Santa and take snaps with him to preserve the memory of the day until next Christmas!

Nickelodeon Slime Time Show is a major feature of the day, all profits made from which will go to Sydney Children’s Foundation, Randwick.

If you can’t make it for the Family Fun Day, go on any other day, for, Coogee Beach is full of fun on any day! Surfing, swimming and trying out some of the exciting eating places will take care of your whole day, but you could always stay back for more! There are accommodation facilities available to suit all expectations!
While daytime in Coogee Beach can be enjoyable with coastal walks, lazy strolls in the lush parklands and umpteen picnic activities, nightlife is thrilling with exciting bars and hotels!

A Film Festival right in the middle of Bondi Beach!

2009-11-26T14:40:00.007+11:00

Windsurfing, waterskiing, sunbathing, beach volleyball, trendy eateries, buzzing markets – that’s not all that’s exciting on Bondi Beach!
Bondi Short Film Festival is a major cultural event that will take place on November 28 on the Bondi Beach.

The Bondi Pavillion, which sits right at the centre of the beach, has an amphitheatre which will show a total of 15 exciting Australian short films selected from a total of 190 entries. Every year the festival attracts movie buffs in large numbers resulting in a quick sellout.

The festival presents films belonging to a wide range of genres, styles and schools of thought.

The event, which allows healthy competition among good films made by both new and established movie makers, has been a stepping stone to many a budding film maker’s success.

The festival is also noteworthy for its impressive panel of judges.
So, all ye film enthusiasts, whether films be your hobby, passion, life or profession, beeline to Bondi for an amazing experience of films in the most outstanding of locations!

For more info regarding the event and availability of tickets: http://www.bondishortfilmfestival.com/

The irresistible beaches of Sydney

2009-11-19T14:33:00.002+11:00

Any time is beach time in Sydney except during extreme winter. Its climate being warm generally, what with the sun shining bright sometimes even in winter, Sydney attracts people to its beaches throughout the year. Sydney has both ocean beaches and harbour beaches. Of its beaches, Bondi, Coogee and Manly are the most popular both internationally and locally.

Sydney is lined with beaches on the east. Indeed, wherever you may be in Sydney, you are never far away from a beach, except if you are in the far west. There lies a string of beaches from Palm Beach in the north to Cronulla in the south, facing the pacific. On the western side, across Pittwater, lie the Great Mackerel Beach and the Currawong Beach.

The harbour is the greatest attraction in Sydney and along the foreshores of the harbour stretch the Redleaf, Nielsen Park, Parsley Bay and Camp Cove beaches. Though without surf, these beaches are still highly frequented. Lady Jane and Obelisk are nudist beaches on the Sydney harbour. These are but a few of the irresistible beaches of Sydney!

Folks in Sydney just love the sea, the sun and the sand. Come leisure time, they head straight for the beach. Of course, beaches in Sydney offer endless opportunities for interesting activities! The main things to do would be surfing, skiing, sunbathing and playing beach games. Scuba diving, if you are the adventurous kind, or fishing, if you are not so, are some of the other activities. There are trendy restaurants and boutiques and immense opportunities for nightlife on the Sydney beaches. And don’t resist, just give in to the temptation of a barbeque on the beach!

To put in a nutshell, without enjoying the Sydney beaches, the Aussie experience would never be complete!

Wine, dine and romance on a Sydney Harbour Cruise

2009-11-16T22:14:00.004+11:00

It’s Christmastime and the New Year’s almost here! This is the time you think of your loved ones the most.

What gifts would you buy them? How would you spend some invaluable time with them? What exclusive occasion would you organise for them to be remembered for the rest of the year?
Would you (but then who wouldn’t?) love to steal away from the hustle and bustle of daily routine to a special place with a special person and then treasure those special moments in your hearts for the rest of your lives?

Good time spent in good company over good wine and good food would be the most memorable of all gifts! There are restaurants galore in Sydney that cater to all kinds - in quality of both food and ambience. But none of them can give your occasion that romantic feel as the Cruising Restaurants of Sydney who offer lunch, dinner and special event cruises around the Sydney Harbour!

The wine, the food and the ambience in the setting of the beautiful harbour give your perfect love story just that right touch of fantasy, not to mention the music!

So what would be your choice? A cosy lunch or a romantic dinner on a boat that cruises lazily across the waters of the harbour in careless abandon?

Spring in Sydney

2009-11-12T21:51:00.002+11:00

While spring is the best time of the year anywhere in the world, spring is rather special in Sydney. Spring is generally cool, though towards late spring, it grows warmer.

During early spring, the weather is just great in Sydney for a walking expedition. At The Rocks, at the southern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the buildings remind one of a historic past, and the souvenir shops reflect a cultural past as well as a glorious present!

Explore Chinatown on foot! Gorge on a wide yummy variety of Chinese food at restaurants that stay open late into the night! The Chinese temples are worth a re-look even if you have seen them before.

Head for the beaches, for this is the best time for trying your skill at surfing and skiing! Play beach games or just laze around and enjoy the sun – there’s nowhere like the beaches in Sydney and that too during the spring!

Take a ferry ride or enjoy a romantic cruise around the Sydney Harbour!

Take a monorail tour of Darling Harbour before you choose just where to step in – a restaurant, a coffee shop, or a boutique?

Most assuredly, in Sydney, one finds a spring in every step!

When’s the best time to visit Sydney?

2009-11-11T17:44:00.003+11:00

The New Year’s Eve, of course!

The New Year’s Eve celebrations around the Sydney Harbour are the best in the world. Sydney New Year’s Eve is famous for its fireworks and the light decorations on the Sydney Harbour Bridge that display a specific message every year!
There are several other reasons too as to why it is best to visit Sydney during New Year’s Eve.

Sydney’s celebrations of the New Year precede those of most of the other major cities of the world, as Sydney is ahead of them in time.

In Sydney, New Year’s Eve is right in the middle of summer and so the weather is quite pleasant and comfortable enough to let you stay up the whole night and watch the spectacular fireworks as well as dance well into the New Year!

A cruise boat on the Sydney Harbour that is also part of the Harbour of Light Parade gives the best New Year’s Eve experience in the world. The best views of the light decorations of the Harbour Bridge and those of the Opera House and other prominent buildings are from the deck of a cruise boat. The cruise boats sail past these iconic structures allowing views from different angles. The fireworks on the Harbour Bridge are seen closest from a cruise boat that is part of the Parade which is just another reason to be on the cruise boat! Besides, one can dine and dance away into the dawn of the New Year!

There is a small catch here, however! The bookings for New Year’s Eve boat cruises begin early in the year. Sometimes the seats are sold out months in advance!
So make a dash for it, you could be just lucky!

Thematic displays of Sydney New Year’s Eve

2009-11-06T14:28:00.005+11:00

Sydney is rightfully known as the New Year’s Eve capital of the world, with its spectacular fireworks that surpass all of its kind in the rest of world and the thematic lighting and fireworks that leave the world gasping in wonder!

On the Eve, the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, the cruises that participate in the Harbour of Light Parade and each and every nook, corner and crevice around the Sydney Harbour is decorated with lights. Every year, the lighting on the bridge has a new thematic display. The cruises that join the parade also are decorated according to a theme chosen months before. The synchronised fireworks set off from barges, buildings and different locations on the bridge with wondrous precision also display a specific message every year. The message or the theme displayed by the lighting and fireworks on the bridge has been colloquially called the ‘bridge effect’ by the Sydneysiders.

The most famous bridge effects in the past years have been the ‘Smiley’ in 1998, ‘Eternity’ in copperplate writing in 1999, the ‘Dove of Peace’ in 2002, the ‘Love Heart’ in 2005, the ‘Coathanger’ and the ‘Diamond’ in 2006, the ‘Sand Timer’ in 2007 and ‘the Sun’ in 2008.

Every year, the framework for the effect is visible months before the event which leaves the public wondering and speculating on what that year’s would be.

As the day nears, the excitement, the anticipation and the suspense builds up as the world awaits the event with bated breath!

Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks – a display of cutting-edge pyrotechnics

2009-11-03T20:57:00.006+11:00

Of course, you would have heard of the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney. And of course, you would have seen it – on television at least – every year, for this is one of the most, if not the most, famous and the most televised New Year’s Eve fireworks in the world.

The New Year’s Eve firework display in Sydney is known for its synchronised perfection and its technological precision. It has been an awesome show of advanced pyrotechnics every year. Fireworks are launched from barges and rooftops, and from various locations on the Harbour Bridge. It has been estimated that this year the show will use over 3000 kilograms of explosive devices including shells and shooting comets and other special features and effects!

WOW - to say the least!

Sydney Christmas - a feast of fish

2009-10-29T19:26:00.008+11:00

In Sydney, it’s Christmas time and it’s summer! There’s neither snow nor snowman, and the Santa doesn’t come riding on his sleigh. Besides, who would want to stay indoors and roast the turkey when the weather’s warm and the outdoors inviting! Even the Santa is visualised as waterskiing, surfboarding, sunbathing and sporting trendy swimming trunks!

Australians generally prefer fish for their Christmas feast and not the traditional roast turkey. Indeed it is traditional to eat fish for Christmas in Australia! In Sydney, the Fish Markets in Blackwattle Bay are crowded with people shopping for fish during Christmas time. A Christmas feast in Sydney is typically a feast of fish, or rather seafood.

Christmas parties, lunches and dinners organised across the city of Sydney also offer seafood in its varied forms and kinds. In fact, the leading restaurants and other eating places in Sydney and around the Sydney Harbour vie with each other in serving a wide variety of delicious seafood which the harbour is famous for!

There are Christmas party cruises operated around the Sydney Harbour during this season. People enjoy these cruises which give them a respite from their usual mundane activities and from the arduous task of preparing the Christmas feast!Magistic Cruises and Sydney Showboats offer Christmas party cruises where vast spreads of choice seafood is freshly prepared onboard and presented with five-star flourish!

Little wonder Christmas is a celebration of seafood, summer and the great outdoors in Sydney!

Sydney Harbour cruise - A Sydney Showboat experience

2009-10-27T18:36:00.005+11:00

Being in Sydney and not being to Sydney Harbour or on a harbour cruise is a sheer waste of a vacation for the Sydney tourist and an injustice to oneself, if one is a Sydneysider. A cruise around the beautiful harbour past the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House is in itself an experience of a lifetime.

Cruises around Sydney Harbour are available aplenty – Matilda Cruises, Magistic Cruises and many more t o mention. Magistic Cruises - are known for their superior ambience, fine quality dining experience and personal attention to guests.

However, cruises like those on the Sydney Showboats provide not only superior dining quality and ambience, but also live entertainment such as cabaret, DJ music and dance, and magic! Sydney Showboats are also known for the attention and care rendered by their staff to the guests. Right from the moment they are welcomed aboard, through the entire course of the cruise till they are returned ashore, the visitors receive fabulous treatment!

Add to all this the sheer exhilaration of sailing, and one would find a Sydney Showboat cruise a unique, incredible experience! They offer special cruises in December for celebrating Christmas and New Year's Eve. There are cruises with spectacular cabaret shows and live jazz bands! So hurry up and book your seats lest you should be late and have to wait another year for this fantastic experience!

New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney

2009-10-19T14:37:00.008+11:00

Have you ever been for the New Year’s in Sydney? The fireworks on the New Year’s Eve in Sydney are as famous as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is one of the events the world watches the most over the wires. You see it once and you know why!

The display happens in two stages – the Family Fireworks at 9 p.m. and the Midnight Fireworks.

What makes the fireworks so impressive is the “bridge effect” as the Sydneysiders casually call it. Every year the fireworks display has a meaningful theme and last year it was “creation.” The sun that was displayed on the Harbour Bridge during the fireworks, as witnessed by the whole world, was spectacular to say the least!
Fireworks are set off from the bridge, nearby buildings and barges on either side of the harbour to form a bright colourful message. There are fireworks launched from roadways too, and eco-friendly pyrotechnics is used for this massive display.

The best way to see the fireworks is to be onboard a cruise boat. From the boat, one can see the display and the lightings around the whole of the harbour from the best of angles. Magistic Cruises and Sydney Showboats provide great dining luxury with extensive deck area from where one can watch the colourful explosion that lights up the Sydney skies! These boats are also part of the Harbour of Light Parade, another spectacular display event on the harbour on the New Year’s Eve.

Don't cook, just party this Christmas!

2009-10-16T14:14:00.010+11:00

This Christmas, have a lot of fun and only fun! Enjoy the love and the sharing! Give in to temptation – bask in the general festive spirit! Spend a lot of time with your loved ones and feel happy for the good things to come! For that is what Christmas is all about anyway!

This year enjoy Christmas without the encumbrances of planning and preparing. And shop only for gifts and not for the kitchen! Choose one of the umpteen options in and around Sydney to celebrate Christmas. Or just go for the best of them all – a Christmas cruise!
Indulge in the luxury of quality dining while gliding leisurely on the waters of the Sydney Harbour, and watch the world’s most beautiful icons and Sydney’s famous landmarks parade past you in a sashay!

There are Christmas Party Lunch Cruises, Christmas Party Dinner Cruises and Christmas Party Extended Cruises offered by Magistic Cruises with quality buffet and wine - and unlimited at that - with discounts for group bookings. For more exclusivity you can organise a private deck party or even hire a whole boat for the party.
The Christmas Party Lunch Cruises and Christmas Party Dinner Cruises offered by the Sydney Showboats are spectacular packages with live entertainment such as cabaret shows and live bands.

Gift yourselves a special gift for this Christmas – a Christmas cruise – and party on this Christmas like never before!

When the nation stops on Melbourne Cup Day

2009-10-13T14:57:00.008+11:00

Australians not only in Australia but all over the world stop to watch and follow the Melbourne Cup, the famous thoroughbred horse race held on the Flemington Racecourse annually on the first Tuesday of November.

While folks from all walks of the society throng the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, people outside Melbourne watch the race on television. In New Zealand, the major tracks show the race live on large screens and people engage in heavy betting. In fact, Melbourne Cup is known to be the biggest betting event in New Zealand!

Sydney is alive on the Melbourne Cup Day and people generally are upbeat with lots of celebrations, partying, watching the race on television and betting. Fashion shows are held prior to the race to heighten the spirits of the celebration and warm up for the race.

There are exciting cruises around the Sydney Harbour that keep up the spirit of the day as well as augments the anticipation for and the excitement of the race. The Pre-Melbourne Cup Lunch Cruise operated by the Magistic Cruises around the Sydney Harbour is such a one that takes you around the beautiful harbour and returns you in time for the thrill of the race!

The MYERS Fashions on the Field held during the Melbourne Cup Carnival is actually only a link in the long chain of parades that are held throughout Australia during different events in the quest for the best dressed women of Australia!

Diwali cruise

2009-10-07T17:57:00.001+11:00

This Diwali, if you are in Sydney and you don’t want to miss any of the works – the jewellery, the finery, the Indian food, music and dance - don’t fret. You can have all of it and more on a Diwali cruise around the Sydney Harbour!

Enjoy the festival in its entire Indian flavour on the shimmering waters of the Sydney Harbour! With the lights of the night reflecting on the waves of the Sydney Harbour, the Festival of Lights will take on a distinctively brighter radiance!

Hopping islands and walking bridges

2009-10-05T19:50:00.005+11:00

How would you like to hop a few islands just for the heck of it? If you are game, October is the time and Sydney is the place for it. This is just one of the incredible and amusing events that are part of Crave Sydney. Sydney Harbour Island Hopping is an event where a hopper ferry will take you visiting several islands around Sydney Harbour in one day. The islands too gear up to match the occasion and the mood. While Fort Denison presents you with an array of delicious food, Clark Island gives you a taste of its art and culture and Garden Island lets you a glimpse into their naval history. Shark Island takes the form of a land of wonder and fantasy - a world of unrestrained imagination! Rodd Island will have fabulous music playing in its dance hall where you can dance away a few hours with your partners and friends at the Tea Dance. And then when you stop to rest your tired feet, you can have a light-hearted chat or a tete-a-tete over a cup of tea. For more of cruising fun, go for the cruises around Sydney Harbour that serve you food and wine, and loads of entertainment full of music, dance and magic.

Or are you the outdoors kind? The kind who can make your own fun? Then go for the Perfect Picnic at Clark Island and enjoy the day your own way! The Seven Bridges Walk is yet another option if you are the rugged, sporting kind. This is a community walking event that takes place on October 25, a Sunday, involving the famous bridges of Sydney, and the participants can choose their own start and finish time anywhere between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. from any of the seven villages along the course of the walk. The funds raised from this healthy endeavour goes to charities that support health causes, such as beyondblue, Diabetes Australia NSW, Cancer Council and the Heart Foundation NSW.

The fiesta of Spanish food, Latin bands and spicy salsa

2009-09-29T22:33:00.000+10:00

October brings you all this and more to Sydney’s Darling Harbour Fiesta. The fiesta brings all the spice and sensation of Latin America – its music and dance, and its exotic food. It brings to Sydney the sensational Brazilian Carnival girls and the incredible performances of rumba, samba, salsa, tango and flamenco by the world’s best. From October 2 to 5, 2009, the festival will see an array of performances of all kinds of music, rhythm and dance. Shake a leg and move in step with the dancers of cha cha, jive, mambo, and hip-hop. And when you have danced all you can, let yourselves go at the Spanish food fairs!

And, friends, don’t miss the dancing girls of the showboats that cruise the Sydney Harbour and the exciting spread of food provided by the cruises - some of the sensational delights of Sydney during this time. Give in to the magic of music and rhythm and succumb to the fantastic fare of culinary delights!

Crave Sydney

2009-09-24T19:28:00.002+10:00

Come September, folks in Sydney are gearing up for Crave Sydney, a festival that spreads across October, celebrating life in Sydney in all its moods, colours and emotions. The festival is full of fun, food, art, music, dance and entertainment , celebrating the unique lifestyle and attitude of Sydney and Sydney-dwellers.

Just in case there are folks out there who don’t know what this strange festival is all about, as the name suggests, the festival is a celebration of life and yearning. Food, art, music, dance or just plain fun - anything is available to your heart’s content. While the food fairs bring in delightfully diverse goodies from across the world, the art events present aesthetic images of life in Sydney and its various memorable moments. In October, Darling Harbour is the world’s hottest venue for live music, dance and entertainment, not to mention exotic food. The lanes and streets of Sydney CBD feature refreshing ideas of healthy and sustainable living with novel living style designs, landscapes, and what not. Seven Bridges Walk and Breakfast on the Bridge are some of the other fun-filled and sporting events. The Sydney Harbour has its own share of festivities and fun, including cruising, food, and music and dance.

So, folks, if you are footloose and carefree, there is no other place to be in like Sydney in October!!