Boydell’s eco-African Safari TentCredit: Dom Cherry
Luxury accommodation is taken to a new level at Boydell’s African Safari Tent in the picturesque Hunter Valley. Setagainst the backdrop of rolling vineyards and a vast rural landscape, the safari tent offers guests a private romanticgetaway and ‘off-grid’ glamping experience like no other.
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What's New in NSW
Boydell’s eco-African Safari Tent Credit: Dom Cherry
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NEW STAYS
Out of Africa
Hunter Valley vineyard Boydell’s Wine has launched a luxurious African safari tent for guests to experience an off-grid glamping experience complete with king-size canopy bed, a free-standing copper bath, an outdoor hot shower and immersive bush setting.
Coastal luxe
88South is a chic minimalist beach house located on Boomerang Beach, in the Barrington Coast region. Accommodating 10 guests, it has a 13-metre lap pool and is close to surf spots and national parks.
Mediterranean escape
Located in Kangaroo Valley, The Casa is a former art gallery transformed into a Mediterranean-inspired modern guesthouse. With room to sleep up to 20 people, the eco-focused property is designed with an earthy palette and raw textures to help guests unwind and reconnect with nature.
Heritage reimagining
Berrima Vault House is a new hospitality venue, accommodation and private members club in the Southern Highlands. Originally built in 1844, the new hospitality space will offer an all-day café, cocktail bar, restaurant, three-bedroom boutique residence, as well as seven distinct spaces for bespoke events.
Kylie Kwong, Lucky Kwong Credit: Destination NSW
Lucky Kwong is the new cafeteria-style eating house by adored Chinese chef Kylie Kwong, located at the growing South Eveleigh precinct in Sydney.
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Kylie Kwong, Lucky Kwong Credit: Destination NSW
Lucky Kwong is the new cafeteria-style eating house by adored Chinese chef Kylie Kwong, located at the growing South Eveleigh precinct in Sydney.
NEW FOOD, DRINK AND ENTERTAINMENT
Kylie Kwong’s new chapter
Lucky Kwong is the new cafeteria-style eating house by adored Chinese chef Kylie Kwong, located at the growing South Eveleigh precinct in Sydney. The modern menu will focus on native ingredients and hero ingredients from Australia’s best producers. Lucky Kwong will be dishing up delights during Sydney Solstice at the South Eveleigh Solstice Festival on 18th and 19th June.
Cocktails and city views
Dean & Nancy has opened on the 22nd floor of luxe new hotel A by Adina in Sydney’s CBD. From the team behind award-winning bar Maybe Sammy, this new cocktail bar boasts leather banquettes, city views, interactive cocktails and creative share plates.
Izakaya by the sea
Matt Moran’s eatery North Bondi Fish will be transformed into North Bondi Nami from June 18, a winter pop-up inspired by Japan’s izakayas. Serving up ramen, made-to-order tamaki and Tokyo-inspired cocktails, there will also be DJs playing every weekend.
Dining oasis in the city
The hospitality group behind The Dolphin and Icebergs Dining Room + Bar will open Shell House in Sydney’s CBD in July. The historic building has one of the tallest retained heritage facades in the world, and will house a ground-floor bar and bistro, an indoor/outdoor dining room and a sky bar on level 10.
An icon reborn
Merivale’s CBD dining and entertainment precinct, ivy, will relaunch as a super club with a focus on live music and entertainment. Two new weekly events include Lost Sundays, a mini festival by the creators of Lost Paradise and POOF DOOF Sydney, with drag performances and dance music.
Time for truffles
Redfern’s Three Williams cafe is celebrating truffle season with a new winter menu that utilises freshly foraged NSW truffles. The ‘Celebrating Truffles’ menu launches 4 June, featuring a confit duck leg with truffle jus and even a truffle-infused Espresso Martini Tiramisu.
Not your typical Indian
Acclaimed chef Jessi Singh (Don’t Tell Aunty in Sydney) is opening an ‘unauthentic’ Indian restaurant in Byron Bay in June. Daughter in Law will capture Byron’s laid-back lifestyle with a focus on seafood, vegan and gluten-free dishes and will create a party vibe with flamboyant furnishing and regular DJs.
Merivale moves North
Hospitality group Merivale has acquired its first venue on the North Coast. A restaurant and bar will open later this year in the old Cheeky Monkey’s space in Byron Bay.
Creative Juices: Arts, Wine and Food Festival at Contentious Character Vineyard Credit: Lorna Sim
Australian Dance Party will perform at Creative Juices: Arts, Wine and Food Festival in the Canberra Wine District.
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Creative Juices: Arts, Wine and Food Festival at Contentious Character Vineyard Credit: Lorna Sim
Australian Dance Party will perform at Creative Juices: Arts, Wine and Food Festival in the Canberra Wine District.
NEW EXPERIENCES
Lunchtime learning
The Australian Museum’s The Lunchtime Conversation Series returns through May and June to align with the new First Nations exhibition, Unsettled. The series will showcase ground-breaking work from leading activists, academics and creatives. Bookings are essential.
A taste of the Snowy Valleys
The inaugural Winter Bites Festival will combine the best produce and wine coming out of the Snowy Valleys with some of Australia’s most exciting musicians. Visit Tumbarumba on 5 June, Adelong on 17 July and Batlow on 28 August for food and wine tastings, workshops, farm tours, cooking demonstrations and live music.
Party among the vines
Creative Juices is a new arts, wine and food festival hosted by vineyard Contentious Character, in the Canberra District wine region, on the June long weekend. Attendees can enjoy a long table lunch, contemporary dance performances, a kid’s hip-hop workshop, and more.
New ways to walk
EcoWalks Tours has launched three new walks to examine different aspects of Sydney. Explore the historic Q-Station and natural sites around North Head; Picturesque Mosman Walk combines bushwalking, history, landscape sketching and dining; and be immersed in Aboriginal history and culture at Bradleys Headland, as part of the Gai-Mariagal Festival.
Come from Away Credit: Jeff Busby
Based on a true story, Come From Away is a must watch Tony® and Olivier Award winning musical.
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Come from Away Credit: Jeff Busby
Based on a true story, Come From Away is a must watch Tony® and Olivier Award winning musical.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Hunter Valley Food & Wine Festival | Hunter Valley
1-30 June
Winter is the perfect time to explore the best of wine country in the Hunter Valley. Cosy up by cellar door fireplaces, taste the valley’s hearty reds and fresh local produce, and tuck into farmhouse feasts and more at the Hunter Valley Food & Wine Festival next month.
Pie Time | Southern Highlands
1-30 June
The Southern Highlands will be celebrating the iconic Aussie pie throughout June, with hundreds of events, activities and festivals such as Pie Teas, the Pie Fest in Bowral, Pie-Cycle tours and Sweety Pie and Bubbles experiences.
Come From Away | Sydney Capitol Theatre
From 3 June
Opening in June at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre, The Tony® and Olivier award-winning musical Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of thousands of stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland, Canada that welcomed them all.
Sydney Solstice | Across Sydney
8-20 June
Sydney Solstice is a new winter event celebrating Sydney’s world-class cuisine, as well as the city’s vibrant cultural, entertainment and dining precincts. Across two weeks, enjoy headline events including live music and performances, culinary experiences, local art, comedy and immersive workshops.
WinterSun Festival | Merimbula
11-13 June
This South Coast town showcases the best of winter by the water, with the WinterSun Festival taking over the beachside locale over the long weekend. There will be street markets and all-day live music, cinema screenings and food trucks, barefoot bowls and go-go racing and more.
Bathurst Winter Festival | Bathurst
26 June-11 July
This 16-day family friendly event showcases the best of Bathurst with stunning light shows, boutique food events with local wines and craft ales, outdoor ice skating, carnival rides in the Winter Playground, live music and more.
LOVE Seafood | Port Stephens
1-31 August
Celebrating Port Stephens’ coastal cuisine, this month-long event offers seafood cooking classes, food trails, lunch and dinner specials at local eateries, and signature dining experiences showcasing the locally caught fish and shellfish prepared by passionate chefs.
Vivid Sydney | Across Sydney
6-28 August
Australia’s biggest and brightest festival of its kind, Vivid Sydney is back for its 12th year 6-28 August 2021, illuminating the CBD with an outdoor gallery of contemporary light installations and 3D art, a cutting-edge line-up of live music acts, as well as engaging conversations and inspiring talks with renowned thought leaders.
Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash | Mundi Mundi Plains
19-21 August
The endless Mundi Mundi Plains near Broken Hill will set the stage for this inaugural outback music festival, as some of Australia’s best country music stars descend on the region for three days of concerts and camping.
The Phantom of the Opera | Sydney Opera House
3 September-29 October
Be enchanted by The Phantom of the Opera in Sydney Opera House, coming to Joan Sutherland Theatre in September. Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic tale unfolds with new direction by Laurence Connor, as well as new scenic and lighting design.
Write Around the Murray | Albury Wodonga
15-19 September
This five-day writers festival brings lovers of the written word together in Albury Wodonga for a festival of storytelling unlike anywhere else. The full program launches 30 July.
Jagged Little Pill | Theatre Royal Sydney
From September 23
Tickets are now on sale for the Tony Award nominated Broadway rock musical, Jagged Little Pill, coming to Theatre Royal Sydney in September. Relive Alanis Morissette’s epic 1995 album and immerse yourself in 21st century America and beloved hits such as You Oughta Know and Ironic.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella | Capitol Theatre, Sydney
From 16 November 2021
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical bringing a contemporary take on the classic tale to Sydney audiences this November. Featuring incredible orchestrations, jaw-dropping transformations plus beautiful costumes, this romantic production is a must-watch.
More News
Dorothy Smith & Yes Theory, Sydney Credit: Bluesfest
102-year-old visits Sydney and officially completes her seven-continent lifelong dream
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Destination NSW has teamed up with the popular YouTube channel Yes Theory, with its impressive 9.2 million subscribers, and Qantas, to fulfil 102-year-old San Franciso local, Dorothy Smith’s lifelong dream of visiting Sydney, Australia, completing her remarkable journey to every continent in the world.
Yes Theory producers Ammar Kandil and Staffan Taylor first met Dorothy in October 2024 when they moved into The Redwoods Retirement Village for 48 hours. Moved by Dorothy’s heartfelt regret of not yet reaching her final frontier, Australia, Ammar and Staffan felt compelled to help her complete this remarkable journey.
Reflecting on her motivation to travel and time in Sydney, Dorothy shared, "Travel is important to me because it’s a big world, and each country is different and has something different to offer; I want to see them all and I don’t want to miss anything!
“I loved visiting Sydney; it’s a beautiful city. The people are charming, the food is good, the scenery is just wonderful, and even the weather is nice! We saw the little koala bears, of course the Sydney Opera House, we went to the Botanic Gardens, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, good restaurants, and the lovely Bondi Beach where we got our feet a little wet and the water was really cold! And the people – they are all so nice, and so friendly!”
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn featuring Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney CBD and Opera House
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Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn featuring Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney CBD and Opera House
Dorothy Smith & Yes Theory, Sydney Credit: Bluesfest
102-year-old visits Sydney and officially completes her seven-continent lifelong dream
#feelnewsydney
Dorothy Smith & Yes Theory, Sydney Credit: Bluesfest
102-year-old visits Sydney and officially completes her seven-continent lifelong dream
A living link to history, Dorothy is more than twice the age of the Sydney Opera House. In 1922, the year she was born, the NSW Government passed the Sydney Harbour Bridge Act, laying the foundation for the construction of the iconic bridge. Today, the Sydney Harbour Bridge stands as a powerful symbol of Australia’s resilience and connection to the world—a fitting backdrop for Dorothy’s own journey of exploration and discovery.
With Qantas’s support, Dorothy embarked on her adventure to Sydney in comfort, and received an exclusive invite to the cock-pit to meet the pilot, before she was warmly welcomed at Sydney Airport with personalised displays and a crowd of Yes Theory fans eager to celebrate her arrival. Her stay at the luxurious Shangri-La Sydney became a “home away from home,” offering Dorothy the chance to wake up to the breathtaking view of the Sydney Opera House—a landmark she had always dreamed of seeing firsthand.
Ammar Kandil, co-founder of Yes Theory, was driven to support her adventure saying, “Dorothy’s story is a powerful reminder that life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and we’re incredibly happy to help her achieve this lifelong dream to visit Sydney and tick of Australia as her seventh and final continent.
“Our mantra is ‘seek discomfort’ and embrace adventure, and Dorothy’s journey truly embodies the spirit of our channel. Her incredible story is set to inspire millions around the world to pursue their own adventures, no matter the obstacles.”
The Rocks, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Family exploring The Rocks in Sydney
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The Rocks, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Family exploring The Rocks in Sydney
Sydney Luxury Cruise, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Luxury Cruises operates on Sydney Harbour exploring the harbour beaches, waterfront mansions and icons.
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Sydney Luxury Cruise, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Luxury Cruises operates on Sydney Harbour exploring the harbour beaches, waterfront mansions and icons.
Dorothy’s time in Sydney has been nothing short of iconic, filled with experiences that capture the heart of NSW. Her itinerary included:
- An afternoon cruising on Sydney Harbour, marvelling at the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House
- An up-close encounter with Australian wildlife at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour, where Dorothy met koalas, and even a kangaroo named Dorothy.
- A tour of the Sydney Opera House adding yet another milestone to her journey.
- A visit to the iconic Bondi Beach, where Dorothy enjoyed splashing her feet in the waves and seeing one of the world’s most famous beaches.
And Dorothy’s secret to a long, healthy life? “You have to exercise, you have to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and stay hydrated. And also, FUN! You have to have fun so you’ll stay healthy, and you can also enjoy 102 years! And if there’s anything else you want to try, go ahead and try it!”
To follow Dorothy’s journey and see Sydney through her remarkable perspective, check out Yes Theory’s latest video at youtube.com/@YesTheory.
For inspiration for your own Sydney adventure, visit sydney.com
Australian Wildlife Tour Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Australian Wildlife Tour at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
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Australian Wildlife Tour Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Australian Wildlife Tour at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Bondi Beach, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic Bondi coastline in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.
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Bondi Beach, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic Bondi coastline in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.