Lauren Katulka: Lauren is a happily married freelance writer living on the New South Wales Central Coast, about an hour from Sydney. When she's not enjoying the big smoke's restaurants or live music venues she loves to experiment with new recipes, watch indie films, and cuddle her Devon Rex cat Gizmo.

Enjoy Country Life at Sydney’s Mowbray Park Farm

It’s controversial, but I’ll say it: our city kids have gone soft. While their country counterparts rise at the crack of dawn to milk the cows and feed the chickens, ours complain when we rouse them just before they need to leave for school. We’re lucky to get them to make their beds, and they’d rather plant crops on Facebook game Farmville than get their hands dirty. If you want to expose your brood to the wonders of farm life you don’t need to travel far. Mowbray Park Farm near Camden...

January 31st, 2011 | Sydney | Read More

Cocktails at Sydney’s Cockatoo Island

Ordinarily visitors flock to Cockatoo Island to admire the views of the surrounding Sydney Harbour and soak up the history. The island has been home to an imperial prison, one of Australia’s biggest shipyards, and until mid-April a cocktail bar! Signature cocktails are the Island Bar’s specialty, but you can also find beer, wine, and soft drinks. The bar doesn’t serve the sort of substantial meals you’ll find at most pubs on the mainland, but the bruschetta, cured meats, and...

January 30th, 2011 | Sydney | Read More

Raise a Glass to Sydney’s Historic Rocks District

Amongst the tall skyscrapers and bubbling hubbub of contemporary Sydney, The Rocks district takes us back to a much simpler time. The sandstone buildings and historic laneways are proud remnants of Australia’s colonial history. Strolling about the area, it’s amazing to think it could easily have vanished! During the 1960s, the state government planned to demolish the historic district to make way for more of those skyscrapers. The local community revolted, and so the area was transformed...

January 28th, 2011 | Sydney | Read More

Discover Sydney’s Convict History at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum

You can get in touch with Sydney’s convict history at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. It’s nestled in the heart of the now thriving cosmopolitan city, but the museum takes us us back to where it all began. Convicts constructed the barracks way back in 1819. The design was the brainchild of famed architect Francis Greenway, and it operated as the main convict barracks in the state until its doors closed in 1848. There was still life in the building yet though. Until it became a museum in...

January 27th, 2011 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney’s Historic Bellevue House Gets New Waterfront Cafe

A new café inside the historic Bellevue House is giving discerning foodies another reason to visit the Sydney inner-city suburb of Glebe. The Blackwattle Café offers views of the tranquil Blackwattle Bay, a delicious complement to the interior of this fully restored home and the eatery’s meals. Bellevue House before its restoration It cost some $1.32 million to restore the 19th Century home, and many man-hours, but this labour of love has clearly been worthwhile. After years of neglect council...

January 13th, 2011 | Sydney | Read More

From Nightclub to Boutique Accommodation, Sydney’s Altamont Hotel

Darlinghurst’s Hotel Altamont was once home to the Cauldron Nightclub, but these days it enjoys life at a much quieter volume. There are just 14 rooms in the revamped Georgian style building. Thankfully the upgrade hasn’t strayed too far from the hotel’s origins though. The exposed sandstone fixtures and carved timber furniture hint at the building’s rich history. There are modern conveniences though, including complimentary internet and local phone calls, and cable television. Also contemporary...

December 30th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Vietnamese Food Meets Thai Cuisine at Sydney’s Ms. G’s

A meeting of Asian cultures produces some stunning culinary results at the new Potts Point eatery, Ms. G’s. Vietnamese chef Dan Hong and his Taiwanese partner in crime Jowett Yu bring their own cultural influences to the table, creating fusion cuisine that’s exciting and delicious. The cheekily named restaurant gives a nod to the controversial food additive used in many Chinese dishes in the 1980s. You’ll find none of it here though, as Ms. G’s prides itself on meals created with fresh...

December 29th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney’s Tourist Traps | Locations Best Avoided on Your Sydney Vacation

Ordinarily we tell you about all of Sydney’s most beautiful and entertaining landmarks and tourist attractions. But that’s not the case today. Consider this list a warning. Just like any tourist centre, New South Wales’ capital has its share of overhyped spots that are best avoided. Darling Harbour Darling Harbour (map) was built as a hub for tourists, but frankly it fails dismally. If you want to see the Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, or a movie on the big IMAX screen by all means,...

December 14th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Chinese Terracotta Warriors at Sydney Art Gallery

China’s famous terracotta warriors are taking an Australian holiday at The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney. Villagers found the warriors in Shaanxi province in 1974. It’s believed they were created to protect the tomb of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shihuang, as he made his journey to the afterlife. The Australian exhibition features many of the complete terracotta warriors alongside more than 120 rare artifacts from Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum. These pieces include weapons, armour,...

December 8th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Christmas Shopping with a Conscience at The R.E.A.L Store

Christmas shopping is a necessary evil, but your dollar can do more than lining the pockets of corporate fat cats if you shop at The R.E.A.L Store. There’s everything you need for treating family and friends, including clothing, jewellery, and other accessories, furniture and smaller homewares, stationery, and works of art. In many ways it seems like so many gift stores, but there’s a key difference here. At least 10% of the money you spend at The R.E.A.L Store will benefit charities dear to...

November 29th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Love on a Plate at Sydney’s District Dining

When Warren Turnbull of the two-hatted restaurant Assiette (map) met Mimi Gilmour, a chef who’s worked at New Zealand’s Ponsonby Road Bistro (map) and Magnum (map), it was a meeting of two food-loving hearts. They’re busy planning their wedding, but they’ve somehow found time to open the new District Dining restaurant together. The Surry Hills eatery actually used to be a gambling hall, but it’s been given a slick new makeover. While the interior is sophisticated, the dishes are approachable...

November 28th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Annie Leibovitz Photographs Hit Sydney Art Gallery

When it comes to photography, few names are more revered than Annie Leibovitz. The American snapper’s images are iconic, from the intimate portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono that graced the cover of Rolling Stone to the photo of a nude Demi Moore from Vanity Fair. Annie Leibovitz with her portrait "More Demi Moore" Her career is exhaustive, but Sydneysiders can see a snapshot with the new exhibition A Photographer’s Life: 1990-2005. The exhibit has previously toured the United...

November 27th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Australia’s Latest Luxury Shopping Destination, Sydney Westfield

Sydneysiders can forget about jetting about the globe to shop for the world’s hottest designers, as they’ve all assembled at the brand new Westfield Sydney. This is not the place to visit if you’re hoping to do some frugal Christmas shopping. It’s for those who appreciate luxury and the power of a name. And boy there are names of both the international and local variety. The list of stores reads like a who’s who of the fashion world, with Carla Zampatti, Diane von Furstenberg, DKNY Jeans,...

November 25th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

An Early Taste of Asia at Sydney’s Palace Chinese Restaurant

When you’re seeing an early show in Sydney, it can be difficult to avoid the fast food trap. Most restaurants don’t start service until 6 pm, so if your concert begins at 7 you can easily be left with indigestion! So I was pretty happy when I stumbled across The Palace Chinese Restaurant, tucked away in the Piccadilly Tower, last Friday. The restaurant doesn’t only offer an early meal; it offers a good one. My mother and I arrived at around 5:30, but already tables were filling up. Such early...

November 24th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Aki’s Does High Tea, Indian Style

When we think of high tea we ordinarily think about sipping on Earl Grey and munching cucumber sandwiches. Not so at Aki’s, which has given the high class tradition a Bollywood makeover. Chef Kumar Mahadevan has designed the Indian menu, which pairs Indian Masala Chai and Mango Lassis with some tiny spiced treats. The lentil dumplings called Dahi Vada and cocktail prawn dish Prawn Pani Poori taste better than any cucumber sandwiches, and you don’t even miss the scones when you’re munching the...

October 28th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Jared Ingersoll’s New Digs, Cotton Duck

If you’ve been lazing about home on a weekday, you might have caught Jared Ingersoll whipping up delicious dishes against the clock on Ready, Steady, Cook. That ability to get things done seems to have served him well, as the founder of Danks Street Depot has somehow found time to open a new restaurant, Cotton Duck. The Surry Hills eatery takes up where Danks Street depot left off, with its focus on sustainability and relaxed dining. The furniture is made from recycled timbers, while the food is...

October 27th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney Opera House Launches Membership Program with Insider Perks

The Sydney Opera House has just launched a new membership program designed to give its loyalist patrons a host of discounts and extra perks. The Sydney Opera House by night Keep your Insider Card close at hand to receive 50% of high tea or the backstage tour, discounted parking, and a free tour inside the iconic white sails. Next time your favourite artist comes to town you can jump the queue with a special private ticket hotline, and receive mates’ rates on the performance. And if you decide to...

October 26th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Vacationing the Entertainment Book Way – Save Cash on Your Next Getaway

I’ve always relied on my local Entertainment Book for cheap meals and fun experiences around my home town. But it wasn’t until a recent trip to Adelaide that I realized how valuable it is on a getaway. My husband and I planned to stay in Adelaide for a week, so we were sure we’d make back the money spent on the book pretty quickly. In fact, it took just 24 hours from touching down; after dinner in our restaurant’s hotel and breakfast at a local café the next morning we were ahead. In fact,...

October 19th, 2010 | budget travel | Read More

Free Open Day at the Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House welcomes many guests each day through its guided tours and concerts, but these activities are often out of the price range of the average local or visitor to Sydney. If you’ve always wanted to explore the Sydney Opera House, make sure you attend the Free Family Fun Day out on October 24. This event was very popular last year with more than 55, 000 people exploring the concert hall, backstage corridors, and dressing rooms of this internationally acclaimed venue. That means...

September 28th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Dragons and Roosters Ready to Rumble in Rugby League Grand Final

Rugby league purists may argue that it doesn’t matter who wins this Sunday’s NRL grand final, as for the first time in six years it’ll certainly go to a Sydney team. The city is the birthplace of rugby league, yet in recent years Brisbane and Melbourne have attempted to steal our thunder. Not so in 2010, where the St George Dragons from Kogarah will go head to head with those Sydney Roosters from the city’s eastern suburbs. The video referee awards a well deserved try Tickets...

September 27th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More