Sounds of Sydney

Believe it or not, over a month has passed since I last left the sweet city of Sydney. Here in New South Wales, summer has quickly slipped into winter, and over the past few weeks, I have been doing my best to take advantage of this great city. My Sydney guidebook is faded and worn, but still I have insisted upon flipping through its pages in search of signature Sydney sights I may have missed in my earlier explorations.

Here are some highlights from my past month of Sydney adventures:

1. Brett Whitely Studio

Behind this unassuming doorway in the quiet neighborhood of Surry Hills lies the studio and gallery of Brett Whitely, one of Autralia’s most esteemed avant-garde artists. Whitely died in 1992, but his studio remains open to the public, with his work exhibited in the space below.

The current exhibition, Endlessnessism, centers on one main piece, Alchemy, a massive self-portrait that is spread over 18 panels.

Whitely’s work is so personal that it felt almost eerie to be wandering through the space where he worked, lived, and showed his pieces without him actually being there.

2. Hoopla Festival

Of the many Sydney festivals I have found myself at this year (Africa Festival, Portugese Festival, Chinese New Year Festival, Glebe Festival, Chinese Noodle Festival, Crave Food Festival, etc.), I have to say that the Hoopla Festival was perhaps the festival that I had the lowest expectations for, but surprisingly, it ended up being one of the festivals that I have enjoyed the most.

Set in Darling Harbour, the Hoopla festival is dedicated to Sydney’s circus and street performers, and we sat in on some great performances, such as this one….

Crazy stunts!

3. Powerhouse Museum

The Powerhouse Museum is Sydney’s museum of Science and Design. In comparison to other science and technology museums I have visited, the Powerhouse Museum was a bit confusing and disorganized, but they still had some cool exhibits, such as a Top Secret spy exhibit, an interactive climate change display, and my favorite, a Zero Gravity Space Lab, which had a real-life simulation of weightlessness…

4. Pott’s Point

Aisha and I spent a beautiful fall afternoon exploring Pott’s Point, a quiet neighborhood that overlooks the harbour. We wandered along streets lined with 19th century mansions, and enjoyed the view out over the Garden Island Navy Base and the Sydney skyline.

Pott’s Point is just one of many beautiful Sydney neighborhoods, and it was a lovely place for an afternoon walk!

5. Karaoke

Thomas shows off his karaoke skills at the Rege, a UNSW must-do! Don’t worry, I won’t post the video!