Veni, Vini, Vici… wild boar

Vini restaurant

What I love about Sydney is the randomness of great things you can find. This is what happened to Vanessa and I after we caught Belvoir St’s Bison in Surry Hills. Famished for a bite to eat, we spotted a few low-seated tables and chairs on a sidestreet where we’d parked the car. Tentatively peering inside, we had a sense, well smell, of good things to come. We were greeted by a friendly waiter who found a cosy spot for us and then was happy to decipher the Italian menu without a whiff of being patronising. 

Vini's menu (trust me, it's delicious)

We loved every bite of our $40 four-course feast – especially the wild boar pasta. And we loved our honest and very cute Italian waiter even more…  

I’d recommend this place to anyone – have a read of Simon Thomsen’s superb review in the Sydney Morning Herald to find out more.

ps – okay, so it’s veni, vidi, vici, but when else can I write ‘ I came, I saw I conquered’?

Coogee versus Bondi

For non-Sydney siders, Coogee is the beach just north of Bondi, a bus trip or beautiful coastal walk away. Our friends took us to Coogee for a quick trip a month ago and this weekend was the perfect opportunity to head back and do some more exploring. I’m now well into my fitness craze, so I checked online to see if there were any runs and discovered the Coastal Walk to Maroubra. Heading off from Grant Reserve, I ran (okay, slow-jogged) along the boardwalk, ocean cliffs and seagulls to my left and native bushland to my right. It’s absolutely stunning. Tiny waterfalls trickle down to the ocean and little guppy fish live in fresh water pools. About 2kms in you leave the track and head uphill on a sidestreet (Cuzco I think) and then down again the next street to hook up to the track again. And this is where it gets really fun. Clambering down a tiny staircase between multi-million dollar houses, the track turns to a inlet of rocks that are just there to jump and skip across. The waves crash over the rocks closest to the water but it’s still safe to walk further inland. My favourite spot was a clear water rock pool that had the edge of an infinity pool. A man, his boy and their very wet dog were the only ones there enjoying this spectacular spot – strange when you consider how busy Coogee and Bondi are. Heading back on the boardwalk to Maroubra, I passed what could be my favourite swimming pool, Mahon’s Pool. It’s free, it’s quiet, it’s carved in the rocks and it’s right next to the ocean. A spot I’m definitely coming back to.

Heading back to Maroubra to Coogee is about an hour’s walk, and I finished it off with a icy cold dip at Wylie’s Pool. For a bargain $3, the pool gives you views to Coogee beach and out to the ocean. Better yet, the kiosk serves coffee and toasted sandwiches – a perfect way to end the day!

Better than Bondi?

All swim and no sand

Wylie was a clever man

Starstruck in the harbour

My first thrilling moment in Sydney came when I stumbled across the Harbour View Hotel, featured in all-time classic Aussie rock musical StarStruck – check out this vid to see what the pub used to look like and a great dance routine you too can do at your local watering hole…  The pub is directly under the bridge on the city-side, just a short walk up from The Rocks.  It’s a shame, but the pub’s inside is nothing like the art deco style featured in the movie, now it’s just a bland veneer wooden interior. Still, it’s a great place to sit outside and sip a few quiet ones while the world travels on above you.

More about StarStruck  from Australian Screen.

ps – JB HiFi has a special DVD edition of StarStruck for about $15 – Bargain!

I’ve been to pubs that never grow old

Sydney pubs

Pubs in Sydney – they rock, especially those around the Rocks!

But why?
- Character in barrel-loads
- James Squire on tap
- small & cosy
- beer gardens
- on every corner

Pubs I’ve / I’m drunk at:
Rose Hotel - 8/10 for big get-together atmosphere
Bald Faced Stag – 5/10 for grungy pubbiness with live bands
Petersham Inn – 9/10 for v. tasty cheap steaks
Lord Nelson – 8/10 for character, minus 2 for abundance of corporateers, +3 for own brewery
Hero of Waterloo – 9/10 for cosiness, outdoor tables & only 3 poker machines!

You can do a Pubs around the Rocks tour, but personally, I reckon the fun is in exploring and seeing what what pub you stumble across after your seventh pint.

The Sydney Pub Guide website seems to have the most comprehensive pub list, and you can search by location or pub-style. I’ve used links to some of the pubs above to other pub listing sites.

ps – Check out the Historic Houses Trust website for history on Sydney pubs. The photo above is from their site, by famous Australia photographer Max Dupain. Re-printed on their website courtesy Jill White.

What to do when all alone in Sydney

Well, if I was a premium-dating service we all know what the next line would be. Thankfully, the answer is just good clean wholesome FUN (but not in a Family First-type way).

So, what can you get up to by yourself? Just dance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M65zI9LH-as 

Thanks to my friend Anna, I signed myself up to Bollywood dance lessons at Dance Central on Elizabeth St, five minutes walk from Central Station. Despite my apparent Indian heritage, I’ve discovered no inner Bollywood diva, yet three lessons in I’m still having a ball! The $16 lesson goes for an hour and you can just rock up on the day. Having never been to a dance lesson before I was a little intimidated, but as dance instructor Sunny preaches ‘dance is half about your body and half about your heart’. Looking at myself in the mirror jumping from one foot to the other, dance for me is three quarters heart and two left feet. But nevertheless, Bollywood dancing is fun, get’s your heartrate going and is a great way to meet new people.

Check out how the real Bollywooders do it in this vid – it’s fantastic.

How to get from Point A to Point B in Sydney

So there I was, stuck on Circular Quay, wondering how on earth to get from Balmain East to Petersham. The ticket woman for the ferries was uncompromisingly rude so I did the next best thing – called a friend.

Step 1: Call TransInfo on 131 500

Step 2: Wait a bit – surprisingly it wasn’t that long for someone to pick up

Step 3: Have a pen and paper ready to write down the next ferry and connecting bus that will take you to your destination!

I ended up needing two tickets, one for the ferry and one for bus. Still haven’t worked out if that was the best way to do it, but hey, I got there!

ps – If you ever want to go from Balmain East to Petersham, catch the 435, but avoid the school hour crush (it was very smelly in that nasty, teenager-type way)

Ferry wharf

A Beginner’s Guide to Sydney

Perhaps not fresh off the boat, but NewSydney is a wide-eyed newcomer to this city. I’ve no adjectives yet to describe my new hometown – I’m still making up my mind whether it’s a traffic-induced nightmare or a great city with promises of great adventure.

But for post one – Reasons Why Sydney is Better than Brisbane

1: Garbie’s still get off their trucks and pick up the bins

2: Sandstone buildings – they add a warmth to the city that Brisbane lacks

3: The harbour

5: Daylight savings

4: You tell me!

Or why not just vote – it’s what all the cool kids do…

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!