Inspired UnemployedCredit: Destination NSW
NSW Icon of Culture Inspired Unemployed
Australian comedy duo Matt Ford and Jack Steele, aka the Inspired Unemployed, love their hometown – beachside Kiama on the New South Wales South Coast – but also love to hang out in Sydney. The former tradies turned Instagram sensations, podcasters and TV stars share three Sydney experiences that’ll have you feeling new in the city, from a stand-up paddleboard yoga session in Manly to a unique picnic date and jet-boat thrills on the harbour.
Picnic with a difference
The first of the pair’s picks of things to do in Sydney that are beyond the everyday is an Amazing Co Mystery Picnic in the Royal Botanic Garden. This unique experience begins with you receiving an empty picnic basket and a series of clues and riddles you’ll need to solve to find gourmet goodies hidden throughout the lush gardens. Uncover the mystery and you’ll be led to a secret location for an unforgettable al fresco lunch of locally sourced produce from boutique providers across regional NSW.
“I’ve been there with my girlfriend before,” says Matt of the Royal Botanic Garden. “I love that kind of place for a date spot.” He’s also a fan of the Domain, the parkland adjoining the botanic gardens and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. “The last time I had goosebumps in Sydney was at [Australian DJ/producer] Dom Dolla’s gig in the Domain last November,” says Matt. “It’s the best spot for a gig. It’s in a park but it’s right in the city with skyscrapers around you.”
Do a hot lap of the harbour
After your picnic in the Royal Botanic Garden, the duo suggests heading over to nearby Circular Quay for a Sydney Harbour cruise with a difference – a bare-knuckle Red Shark Thrill Ride with Oz Jet Boating.
From Circular Quay’s Eastern Pontoon your jet-boat – painted a vivid red with a huge grinning shark’s mouth splashed across its bow – eases past the Sydney Opera House. Then it puts on the afterburners for a head-long sprint past Fort Denison, Rose Bay and Watsons Bay, spinning, sliding and fish-tailing its way back via the northern side of the harbour, and surging under the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Luna Park before returning to Circular Quay.
“I like screaming,” says Matt as he explains the choice of a jet-boat sightseeing tour. “I like to get scared and push myself sometimes.” Jack adds: “I love adrenaline and it’s just a good time!”
Picnic in Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie's Chair Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a picnic in Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie's Chair
Picnic in Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie's Chair Credit: Destination NSW
Friends enjoy a picnic in Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie's Chair
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The thrilling adventure of a Jetboat Experience with Oz Jet Boating.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The thrilling adventure of a Jetboat Experience with Oz Jet Boating.
Go with the flow in Manly
For a decidedly calmer outing on Sydney Harbour, Jack and Matt recommend a stand-up paddleboard yoga session with Flow mOcean, held on the sheltered waters of the city-facing side of Manly. “My dad does yoga, so it’s in the blood,” explains Jack. “I’m pretty inflexible,” adds Matt, “so I love limbering up the hips.”
Flow mOcean can take you out onto Manly Cove for a private stand-up paddleboard yoga session at any time of the year, with scheduled public sessions held regularly in the warmer months. If you haven’t tried this form of yoga before and you suspect you might end up in the water, you can always try one of Flow mOcean’s kayak yoga classes first – from Manly Cove you’ll kayak to a secluded harbour beach for a relaxing yoga session on the sand.
Say good morning to Sydney
Sydney, according to Jack, is “the most beautiful city in the world”. “I love the beaches and how close they are to the city,” he says. “They’re drop-dead gorgeous. But what I love most about Sydney is probably the morning culture – I love that everyone wakes up at 6am. Everyone’s healthy and the vibe is high.”
For Matt, it’s all about making the most of Sydney’s dining scene while he’s in town. “I like the restaurants,” says Matt, “a little date night here and there, going out with mates. I love the cuisine, all the different types of food you can get. My personal favourite would be Bonditony’s Burger Joint in Bondi.”
“My favourite place in NSW would have to be Kiama, our home,” Jack says. “It’s where the mountains meet the sea for the first time since Sydney – it’s just gorgeous. But then we come to Sydney, and there are endless amounts of things to do that are amazing. We’ve done a lot of travelling, but I’ve never seen another city like it in my life.”
Inspired by this itinerary? Check out all three of Matt and Jack’s curated selections as a Feeling Drop package of Sydney experiences via sydney.com.
Note to editors: Feeling Drops are collections of bookable Sydney experiences curated by NSW Icons of Culture.
Flow MOcean, Manly Credit: Destination NSW
Running through your yoga moves on a paddel board with Flow MOcean, Manly
Flow MOcean, Manly Credit: Destination NSW
Running through your yoga moves on a paddel board with Flow MOcean, Manly
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel Credit: Destination NSW
Located on the sandy shores of one of Sydney's most renowned harbour beaches, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel invites those looking for a relaxing getaway.
Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel Credit: Destination NSW
Located on the sandy shores of one of Sydney's most renowned harbour beaches, Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel invites those looking for a relaxing getaway.
More Inspirational Stories
Wallabies fans, Allianz Stadium, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Wallabies fans enjoy the game at Allianz Stadium, Sydney. DESTINATION NSW USAGE ONLY
Sydney’s sporting scene heats up this spring, with the NRL and NRWL grand finals at Sydney Olympic Park, the Wallabies in action in a Rugby Championship Test match, high-octane, high-stakes motor racing and the BMX national championship. Here’s when and where to see some world-class sporting events across the city over the spring months.
World Time Attack Challenge Sydney | 5–6 September
The Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge takes over Sydney Motorsport Park in Western Sydney’s Eastern Creek for a two-day celebration of unbridled speed racing. Unlike other motorsports categories such as Formula One, the Time Attack Challenge rules and regulations allow almost unlimited modifications to race cars. In fact, the safety of the drivers, support teams and spectators are the only practical restrictions to what competitors can do to modify their cars.
So, get ready for some seriously spectacular driving as competitors race against the clock to record the fastest single lap across four classes: Clubsprint, Open, Pro Am and Pro. The fastest five drivers in each class get another shot at registering the fastest lap in the Superlap Shootout bonus round at the end of the second day.
Your ticket to the World Time Attack Challenge includes access to the Garrett International Drifting Cup, where local and international ‘drifters’ take over Sydney Motorsport Park each evening and battle one-on-one to advance from their pool to the elimination finals.
Wallabies versus Argentina Test Match | 13 September
The Australian men’s rugby team will be out to avenge last year’s devastating 67–27 loss to Argentina and capture vital 2025 Rugby Championship points as the South American team’s Australian tour concludes with the Wallabies versus Argentina Test Match at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park.
After conceding 50 points in the second half of the Test match against Los Pumas in Argentina’s Santa Fe last September, the Wallabies will be looking to put on a vastly improved defensive performance. Expect a much more potent attack as well, and a lively crowd taking advantage of their last chance to barrack for the Wallabies in Sydney this year.
World Time Attack Challenge Credit: Destination NSW
World Time Attack Challenge Sydney is a two-day motorsport festival with record-breaking cars, heart-stopping stunts, international stars and non-stop action on and off the track.
World Time Attack Challenge Credit: Destination NSW
World Time Attack Challenge Sydney is a two-day motorsport festival with record-breaking cars, heart-stopping stunts, international stars and non-stop action on and off the track.
NRL & NRLW Grand Final | 5 October
The 2025 NRL and NRLW seasons culminate with premiership-deciding matches played out in front of packed crowds at Sydney Olympic Park’s Accor Stadium on the first Sunday in October. Will the Penrith Panthers come from last place on the ladder mid-season to win the men’s grand final for an incredible fifth time in a row? Can the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs maintain their momentum to make it to the decider on at their home stadium? Or can the Canberra Raiders make the most of an expected top-four finish to go all the way?
While it’s yet to be determined which teams make their way through the preliminary finals to have their shot at the big prize, what’s certain is that the matches will be hard-fought and impossible to look away from.
Grand final day kicks off with the NRL State Championship Grand Final, pitting the winners of the reserve-grade New South Wales Cup and the Queensland Cup against each other. Watch some of best female rugby league players in the country put on big shots and dazzling plays in the NRLW Telstra Premiership Grand Final. Then draw energy from the buzz that grows ever louder as the pre-game entertainers strut their stuff, the teams enter the arena to sing along to the national anthem, and the referee blows his whistle to signal the start of 80 minutes of frenzied action that will decide the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership.
BMX Racing National Championships| 9–12 October
The country’s most talented BMX riders gather in the Western Sydney town of Camden for a week of thrills and spills as they compete in AusCycling’s 2025 GWM BMX Racing National Championships.
Official practice sessions for competitors in the 20-inch, Cruiser, Elite, Juniors, Masters and Adaptive (Para) categories get underway at Camden’s Macarthur BMX Club on Monday, 6 October, before the racing beings in earnest on Thursday afternoon.
After the dust settles and this year’s champions celebrate their wins on the weekend, stick around to watch riders compress and extend their bodies, rather than pedal, to propel their bikes around the track in the 2025 AusCycling Pump Track National Championships on Sunday, 12 October.
Australian Supercross Championship | 15 November
Settle into your seats for a Saturday night to remember as round three of the 2025 Boost Mobile Australian Supercross Championshipis hotly contested. Thrill to the roar and crackle of finely tuned motocross bikes as the country’s best supercross riders compete against international stars on a challenging track purpose-built for the event.
In between the races, look on in awe as daring riders perform freestyle motocross stunts, and enjoy family-friendly entertainment, live music, giveaways and games during the action-packed evening.
Keep up to date with events in Sydney and New South Wales by visiting the Media Centre Events page here.
