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.

Sydney Gets Australia’s First Electric Car Charging Station

Sydney took another step towards becoming Australia’s greenest city today with the opening of the country’s first on-street electric vehicle charging station. You’ll find the charging station in Derby Place in Glebe. It will recharge a converted plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius in three hours using 100% GreenPower. Currently there’s just one of these cars in the city, part of the GoGet car share scheme, but the company says it will convert more Priuses into electric cars if there is the demand. Electric...

May 24th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney Photo Friday: Fountain and City Skyline

I love the composition of this photo. In the foreground we’ve got the swirling fountain at Darling Harbour, one of my husband’s favourite city features incidentally. Then in the background you’ve got the city skyline, complete with Sydney Tower, the chequered IMAX building, and all of those skyscrapers. It’s also lovely to see those clear blue skies which have been notably absent lately! Image source: Lexovator @ Flickr

May 21st, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Farmyard Friends at Oakvale Farm and Fauna World

As a girl growing up in Newcastle, I remember many a school excursion to Oakvale Farm and Fauna World. I hadn’t visited since my early teens, so I couldn’t resist calling in on my way home from Myall Lakes. I was thrilled to find out that this place is just as much fun as an adult as it was when I was small. I don’t ordinarily take travel photos featuring myself, but to remove me wouldn’t have been telling Oakvale Farm’s full story. This isn’t the kind of wildlife...

May 20th, 2010 | Photo Highlights, Sydney | Read More

Yummy Meals at Mumm’s on the Myall, Tea Gardens

I have fond memories of summer holidays spent at my grandma’s on-site van in Hawks Nest. My sister and I would play on the sand dunes, and Grandma would take us to look at the bargain shops in nearby Tea Gardens. I hadn’t returned to the tiny coastal town for several decades, and while it’s retained its small town feel I was stunned at the growth. These days Tea Gardens is home to a host of cafes and restaurants which make the most of the views of Myall Lakes. During our visit we made a stop...

May 19th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Trade Sydney Traffic for the Green Tranquility of Bombah Point Eco Cottages

There’s nothing like a getaway to the country to recharge your batteries. Last weekend my husband I left the hustle and bustle of the city far behind for a stay at Bombah Point Eco Cottages. The kitchen of our Bombah Point Eco Cottage Bombah Point is just two and a half hours drive from Sydney, but it seems much farther from the big smoke. The air is clear, the cows stand by the side of the dirt roads, and the people are friendly. Nestled amongst the gum trees you’ll find Bombah Point Eco Cottages. The...

May 18th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Cocktails Served Ice Cold at Sydney’s Minus 5 Bar

Pubs are a dime a dozen in Sydney, but there’s none quite like Minus 5. Sure, it looks like your average watering hole at first glance. It’s got the obligatory restaurant, some fantastic harbour views, but what about the bar? Try and buy a drink and that’s when things get interesting. Firstly you’ll visit an air-locked “warming room.” Here you’ll rug up in a parka, ugg boots, and gloves before receiving a 20-minute timer. The reason for this will soon become apparent. Because, you see,...

May 17th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney Photo Friday: St Lazarus Orthodox Church

I must admit, I don’t see the inside of many churches these days. It’s all weddings and funerals for me. While I might be a bit of a heathen, I can’t help but appreciate the beauty of these religious buildings. This is the interior of the St Lazarus Orthodox Church in Alexandria. Isn’t it a beauty? With all of that light and splendour, you’d swear a divine presence was afoot! Image source: Dicktay2000 @ Flickr

May 14th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Cuddle Koalas and Kangaroos at Featherdale Wildlife Park

Ask international tourists what they hope to do in Australia, and most want to see kangaroos and koalas. But why just see them, when you can actually interact with these cute creatures? Featherdale Wildlife Park has grown to become one of Sydney’s most popular wildlife sanctuaries through its belief that minimal fencing is better for the animals, and the people who come to see to them. A peregrine falcon at Featherdale Wildlife Park It’s home to more than 2200 animals from 230 native species...

May 13th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Discover Sydney’s Historic Rocks District

For the history buffs, The Rocks is the site of Australia’s first European settlement. Today though, its cobbled streets and heritage buildings are a great place to explore. Many of The Rocks’ colonial buildings now house art galleries, cafés, pubs, restaurants, and kitsch souvenir stores. One of my favourite places to visit is La Renaissance Patisserie, a little bit of France in the middle of Sydney. Paris-trained Pierre Charkos and his wife Sally established the family business in 1974. Their...

May 12th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Be Your Own Tour Guide with MP3 Sydney Tours

We all know that guided tours are a great way to make the most of your destination. Expert guides really know their stuff, and they’ll teach you some fascinating facts about the city you’re visiting. But by the same token, tours can be a hassle. Firstly you need to make sure you’re organised enough to be in the right place at the right time to start. Then you’ve got to keep up with everyone else, even if you’d really rather stay a bit longer in one place. Talking of Sydney Tours strike...

May 11th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

No Waste at Sydney’s Wafu Japanese Restaurant

As a kid I was always taught to clear my plate. I was assured that starving children in Africa would be glad for my dinner, and if I didn’t eat it the meal was invariably served up the next morning as breakfast. During one particularly stubborn period I had the same dish served up for three consecutive days. It might seem a little cruel these days, but my parents’ old-fashioned form of discipline would serve me well at Surry Hills’ Wafu restaurant. A sushi plate at Wafu Chef Yukako Ichikawa...

May 10th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney Photo Friday: Kookaburra Feasting in St Ives

Some of my favourite photos captured around Sydney don’t feature the impressive architecture or the stunning natural landscape. Instead I love shots like this, the ones featuring some of our gorgeous wildlife residents. This one, snapped in the suburb of St Ives, captures a kookaburra enjoying a tasty feed of tree frog. It might be a bit gruesome, but it’s also very cool. Image source: Dicktay2000 @ Flickr

May 7th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Dog Friendly Dining at Sydney’s Cafe Bones

Dog enthusiasts Mary-Anne Danaher and Lynne Blundell believe dogs deserve the same kind of pampering that their human owners do. So in 2000 they created Café Bones, the world’s first dog-friendly café. Café Bones offers special treats for dogs, and their owners. You’ll enjoy the tasty breakfast menu, toasted sandwiches, pies, sausage rolls, cakes, and blackboard specials. For dogs, there are the café’s specials, “Pupaccinos” and “Bone Bix.” Bone Bix are home-baked liver treats that...

May 6th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney Film Festival Announces 2010 Program

Sydney Film Festival has unveiled the official program for this year’s event. From June 2 to 14, Sydney will screen 157 films from 47 countries around the world. That includes 92 films never seen before in Oz, and 32 local flicks. Miranda Otto in "South Solitary" Amongst the movies we’ll see are film festival winners Lebanon, Cairo Time, Winter’s Bone, and Honey, and Academy Award nominees Ajami, The Messenger, and The Most Dangerous Man in America. It all kicks off with the world...

May 5th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

See Autism Differently with Stephen Wiltshire Art Exhibition at Customs House

Many people see autism as a disability. But looking at the amazing cityscapes created by autistic British artist Stephen Wiltshire, you begin to wonder whether that perception is true. Stephen’s autism allows him to draw incredibly detailed recreations of urban landscapes from memory. He’s sketched Rome, Moscow, Dubai, New York, and in April he added Sydney to the list. "Big Ben on a rainy evening in London" by Stephen Wiltshire In April Stephen climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and...

May 4th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Escape Busy Sydney in Chinese Garden of Friendship

The Chinese Garden of Friendship are a slice of paradise nestled amongst the hustle and bustle of Darling Harbour. They’re a big hit with tourists, but that doesn’t mean locals should steer clear. This tranquil haven is the perfect place to read or book or simply recharge your batteries. The Chinese Garden of Friendship were a bicentenary gift to Sydney from its sister city Guangdong. Chinese landscape architects developed the gardens with traditional design principles in mind. The Chinese Garden...

May 3rd, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney Photo Friday: Mortuary Station

Despite spending plenty of time around Central Station, I’m afraid I’ve never noticed Mortuary Station which sits close by. Apparently between 1869 and 1937, trains left this station and traveled to Rockwood Necropolis cemetery. But soon a time came that people preferred to drive the relatively short distance, and the line was cancelled. The State Rail Authority recently restored this beautiful building, but it doesn’t have a job as yet. I’d love to see it become a funky café, or even an...

April 30th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sydney Gets New Saturday Farmers Market in Darlinghurst

This Saturday, May 1, marks the first weekly farmers market in Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. The vibrant areas of Taylor Square and Forbes Street will be transformed into a bubbling market place this and every Saturday with seasonal fruit and veg, free-range poultry and eggs, rare meats, seafood, handmade pasta and cheese, and much more. As the market grows, organisers hope to run mini-seminars and lectures on sustainability in the city from local chefs and food experts. I love these grass roots...

April 29th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Authentic Hare Krisha Experience at Govindas

If you’re in the mood for a relaxing night out that’s a little out of the ordinary, Govindas in Darlinghurst is the ideal destination. It’s a restaurant, movie theatre, and holistic center in one! First stop is the restaurant, which offers a fantastic Hare Krishna style buffet. All options are vegetarian, and the friendly staff are happy to point out vegan dishes if you desire. Personally I’m a proud carnivore, but the food at Govindas is so tasty I never feel like I’m missing out. The...

April 27th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More

Sing Around Sydney on Karaoke Bus

I admit it, I’m a terrible singer but I love to do it. Sadly for my poor husband, my favourite songs to belt out are also the most difficult: Think anything by Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey. I tend to save my crooning for the privacy of my lounge room, but I’ve found something that’s convinced me to ditch my SingStar games. It’s the Sydney Karaoke Bus, an all-singing tour of the city. The bus seats 44 people and is fitted with two microphones and three TVs displaying song lyrics so everyone...

April 26th, 2010 | Sydney | Read More