What's on Labour Day Long Weekend

We have just partnered up with GoDo as a consequence we can now give you some very special events and some great prices just for you, click here to find out what exciting activity you could be doing over the long weekend, They have everything from horse riding to high tea on a Sydney cruise!

Whatever you decide to do over the long weekend have fun, relax, unwind and be safe.

Philippa
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Want to Escape Sydney?

We have some very special offers of accommodation in Noosa. I don't know about you, I feel like getting on a plane and going right now! There is some great accommodation right on the beach or the river. Top quality accommodation from $165 per night. Click here to sign up to find out more
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Lizzie Bay dog Show

Next month Gazebo Wine Garden will be celebrating the local area and the diversity of its patrons - including both people and pooches! In honour of Gazebo Wine Garden's two legged and four legged friends, they will be hosting a special Labour Day long weekend event - Lizzie Bay Dog Show.

The event will see local pooches strut it out for coveted awards such as:

*         Best dressed

*         Best owner-pooch look-a-like

*         Best hair do

*         Best trick

*         Best in show

The local pooches' two legged friends will also have the opportunity to sit back, relax and celebrate with their best friends.

On the day, 3 October registration will begin at 1.30pm for a 3pm show. Pooches will be treated to delights from Paws Point, as well as have an opportunity to be pampered.

VENUE:
2 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay
www.gazebogarden.com.au

Winter Special for Aug/ Sept in Sydney

Manly Comes Alive in Winter: Immerse Yourself in Manly
Manly in winter is bursting with life and new activities and places to discover. Whether you want to be sipping a cocktail at Hugos and secretly doing some international celebrity spotting or braving it out with our ghostly ancestors on a ghoulish sleepover, you will find a swag of new things to whet your hunger for fulfilling experiences. Immerse yourself in Manly this winter, with a range of great deals and special offers from Manly's best restaurants, cafes, attractions and more. Visit www.immerseyourselfinmanly.com.au for more details.

1. I love Shopping Manly  www.iloveshoppingmanly.com.au
I Love Shopping Manly is all about fun, fashion and champagne. Take an ‘I Love Shopping Manly Tour’ and discover inspiring Australian designers and independent stores in one of Sydney’s most expensive yet unpretentious suburbs. With labels such as Karen Walker, Something Else, Ginger and Smart, Stylestalker, Maurie and Eve, Camilla Kaftans, True Religion, Cheap Mondays (to name just a few!) You'll be in Fashionista Heaven.
The tours include a 2 1/2 hour shopping trip of Manly complete with lunch, champagne, store discounts and your own personal fashion stylist.
You will simply enjoy beautiful scenery and gorgeous shops without any pressure to buy. There are four different tours on offer and they cost from $65.

2. Shark Camp at Oceanworld Manly www.oceanworld.myfun.com.au
This new camp lasts for three hours and is held during school holidays. Learn all about sharks at Oceanworld and then head for two amazing snorkeling experiences, one is with tropical marine residents in the new Tropical Reef, and the second is in the main Oceanarium which is packed with fish, turtles and stingrays. Cost: $149 per child. Exclusive Oceanworld Manly Winter Special - 20% off Shark Dive Extreme or General Admission - quote 'Winter in Manly' when making a booking or purchase to receive the offer. Valid 1st June-31st August 2011

3. Power living yoga - The Yoga of Eating Cooking Course www.powerliving.com.au
This brand new cooking course is offered at the Power Living Manly studio. Delight in the discovery of a diet that best supports and nourishes you. In each class we'll journey into the magnificent world of wholefood cuisine and turn fresh organic produce into tasty meals that nourish and balance your body, mind and spirit. Learn some of the basic principles of Ayurvedic, Raw, Macrobiotic and Traditional wholefood philosophy and empower yourself to create your ideal meal. You'll receive a comprehensive booklet with recipes and nutritional notes and generous tastes of everything we prepare in class, so you'll leave with a full belly and head full of fascinating food facts.  Cost: $349 for 4 sessions or $200 for 2 sessions. Special Winter Offer - Power Living Yoga ten class pass, only $100 - 'quote Winter in Manly' when making a booking or purchase to receive the offer. Valid 1st June-31st August 2011.

4. Whale watching NEW Vessels www.manlywhalewatching.com
Accompany our experienced skippers past the 300ft vertical cliffs of the Sydney Heads into the Pacific Ocean in search of the magnificent Humpback and Southern Right whales.
Manly Whale Watching would like to welcome 2 new vessels to the fleet of operators.Ocean Dreaming II (the largest Whale Watching vessel on Sydney Harbour) and Totally Wild to compliment our cruise and high speed tour options.
Manly Whale Watching provides our Sydney, Manly and Northern Beaches whale watching enthusiasts with the ultimate location and vessels to embark on a Whale Watching Sydney adventure.  The Manly Whale Watching base is located on Manly Wharf, and this enables you to avoid the extra commuting time to get into the Sydney CBD, where all the rest of Sydney's Whale Watching operators are based. Our Manly Wharf location is only 5 minutes to the start of the Sydney whale watching area maximising our time with the Whales. Cost from $60 per person

5. Manly bike tours www.manlybiketours.com.au
Run by expert local guides, this two hour tour reveals all the hidden corners of Manly. Hear the stories and relive the history that makes Manly what it is today. Included in the tour is bike and helmet hire, light refreshments, tour guide, and exclusive access to landmark attractions. The tour follows the Sydney Harbour National Park Explorer and Bike the Beach routes. Tours run every day at 10:30am and are approximately 2 hours in duration (including 15 min safety demonstration).
$89 (includes cruiser bike and helmet hire, light refreshments, tour guide and exclusive access to landmark attractions). Gift vouchers are available. Winter Special - hire a bike from just $14 for one hour, or $28 for the whole day! Quote 'Winter in Manly' when making the booking or purchase to receive the offer. Valid 1st June-31st August 2011

6. Celebrity spotting FREE
Spot everyone from the world's elite surfing celebrities where you may even be lucky to share a wave with the likes Layne Beachley or Mick Fanning. Other regular Manly eye candy include Guy Leech, Kieran Perkins, the Manly Sea Eagles, competitors from the Biggest Loser, or wannabe surfers the Olsen Twins, Avril Lavigne, Eric Bana who have all been seen surfing on the waves at North Steyne.

7. Quarantine station ghost tours www.qstation.com.au
There are a huge number of ghost tours to choose from including the Ghostly sleepover where you can maximize your chances of experiencing paranormal activity. Join your guide on a late night walk around the former Quarantine Station. Listen to experiences people had with the ghosts. Test equipment used by real ghost hunters. Will you encounter paranormal activity during the night? Retire for the night in one of the site's most haunted buildings! Can you sleep with one eye open? This really will be a night to remember! Warning: M18+ This tour is not suitable for anyone under 18 years. Proof of age may be requested.
Costs $155 Guests need to bring their own sleeping bag, sleeping mat, toiletries and towels. Winter Offer - Receive a $50 credit towards food and beverage or tours during your stay. Quote promotion code 'Winter11' when booking to receive the offer. Valid 1st June-31st August.

8. Walk FREE
From short, scenic strolls suitable for all including those in wheelchairs or with prams, to lengthy and challenging treks for more avid walkers, on foot the visitor can explore Manly’s many natural wonders as well as its history and architecture.
Blessed with one of the finest networks of walking tracks in the world, one of Manly’s most famous is the Scenic Walkway from Manly to the Spit (map available with points of interest). Through harbourside suburbs and native bushland, past Aboriginal landmarks and pockets of subtropical rainforest, enjoy scenic views across Sydney Harbour and trails passed hidden coves to clifftop vantages and the chance to spot migrating whales.
Together with five dedicated bicycle trails (map available from Manly Council) and an annual program of free guided tours along Manly's beautiful harbour foreshore areas run by Manly Council's Community and Environmental Partnerships Branch (bookings essential on +61 2 9976 1661).

9. Manly Kayaks Tour www.manlykayaks.com.au
There is no better way to explore the famous Sydney Harbour than by paddling a kayak. Embark on our Manly Kayaks  tour and you will be shown this widely historical and majestic water way. Knowledgeable and energetic guides will teach you the basics of kayaking before departing on a journey to remember. Soft caramel sand, spectacular look out points and isolated swim beaches are just some of the things you can expect to see on the tour.
A guided kayak tour to visit some of the more remote beaches of Sydney Harbour.  Included is a short walk up to Dobroyd head where you can view the Manly Peninsula and the famous Headlands of Sydney Harbour.  In addition to all the necessary kayaking equipment, morning or afternoon tea on a stunning beach is included as well as an experienced and enthusiastic guide.

Cost: $89 per person

2010 SYDNEY THEATRE AWARDS ANNOUNCED

At a star-studded ceremony tonight, the winners of the 2010 Sydney Theatre Awards were announced. Over 300 members of the Sydney theatre community packed the auditorium at Paddington RSL to celebrate the best of Sydney theatre throughout 2010.

For a Better World

For A Better World by Roland Schimmelpfennig opened last week. It is directed by Daisy Noyes and as she says, "For a Better World is not a "well-made play"! In some ways it is not a play at all, written for radio, without the restictions of physical staging, it travels across time and place, ducking in and out of the future, the past, memory, reality and fantasy. It is an excessive, sprawling text, a baroque roller coaster that doesn't so much explore its themes of sex and death, as hurtle past them."
You need to have read that paragraph before you go and see this as it is not an easy play or not a play to follow; so you know it is not you being dumb!  To me it was as if Roland Schimmelpfennig had taken LSD and the trip got more and more surreal as he wrote the script! I don't agree about the excessive sprawling text; a couple of times maybe but I wouldn't say it was that excessive, I certainly couldn't have fallen asleep, I was too busy trying to make sense of it all. It was a play about a group of solders in the jungle, they had swapped their uniforms for bikinis and underwear. There are aliens, there is sex (suggested) there is blood and dying. None of these are really explored as in a traditional play but as Daisy says they just happen and that's it!

Tap Dogs opens in Sydney

Well I am still tapping my feet after watching the show last night or is it the rhythm of me typing! I am not often quite so blown away; this has to be on the top of your list for this month. There are still tickets left, I just checked!
You don't know what Tap Dogs is? Well they are not dancing dogs like my sister thought!  In a nut shell 6 guys and 2 hours of non-stop entertainment.  I think even those of you who are not into dance will enjoy this. The music is excellent, congrats to Genevieve Wilkins and Lyndsay Evans, the two lovely girls beating out the drums and percussion amongst other things.

Gorillaz Concert Sydney

Last night, Thursday 16 December, Gorillaz fans packed the Sydney Entertainment Centre. It was one of the best concerts I have been too. The music was fantastic with most if not all of the tracks from their latest Album Plastic Beach being performed and many of their best hits including Feel Good Inc, Dirty Harry, 19-2000. The night saw a host of special guests - De La Soul, Hypnotic Brass, Bobby Womack, the Syrian National Orchestra of Arabic Music, Bootie Brown, Little Dragon and Rosile Wilson. It was really mind blowing the diversity of the music from classical to punk, from Arabic music to Hip Hop. Most of the music was accompanied by continuous video. Seeing the animation on a big screen you really got to appreciate not only the time it must take to compose the music but to put the animation together and then time it with the music is amazing. I could go all over again!

Interview with Superstar Djs MYNC

How has your year been? What has taken up most of your time?
Challenging and exhausting but totally worth it. Cr2 has never been busier and thanks to all my amazing staff and artists we have been able to continue our success. With MYNC at its highest profile ever in the marketplace, a hectic  touring schedule has taken up majority of the year along with many hours of studio time. We managed to find time to shoot the video for "i feel love" in Ibiza over the summer which was great. Atlantic records in USA are also now releasing the single.

And how has your musical taste evolved this year? What has inspired you?
For me, the sound has become more big room with acts like SHM leading the
way. This has influenced a lot of up and coming producers look out for Dan
Castro in 2011.

Why the move to Aus?
I love coming out to Australia and have been doing so for the last 4 years.
It is one of our biggest territories in the world for our record sales.The
club and festival scene over here is amazing and feels as though it hasn't
even reached its peak.  This is the first year MYNC has toured for 2 years,
I have exclusive residencies at Chinese Laundry in Sydney and Platinum in
Gold Coast, visit our Myspace.com/myncdj for complete list of tour dates.

How are crowds different to the rest of the world?
The crowds are a lot younger here, there is definitely a real party vibe
over the summer when all the festivals are on, which is never a bad thing!

Will you play any different down there?
No, I will play my normal sound. Djing for me is about entertaining and
educating. I am fortunate enough to have access to lots of exclusive music,
which I am able to test out at my gigs, which keeps me ahead of the game.

What will you miss most about home?
Absolutely nothing. Australia feels like home. Well, my family and label
staff of course.

Will you still be able to run the label and stuff from down there?
Absolutely, in fact Sophie, who runs our DJ Agency will be coming over to
Australia to work from here in January. There are also plenty of late night
Skype calls to the office. My staff are quite self sufficient in that we are
all on the same wave length and plan in advance so whilst I'm away touring
they can look after themselves, however I'm always on the phone on a daily
basis!

What are you most looking forward to about the tour?
Obviously being in Australia is exciting anyway as the weather is great as
are the people. But I'm really looking forward to playing at Chinese
Laundry, Platinum and Super Disco (Frank Cotela's new night in Melbourne) as
these are my favourite clubs in Australia.

Do you write the same way you always have or have your methods changed over
the years?
I now use Logic and Ableton whereas before I just used Ableton

What else have you got coming up?
Lots of stuff production wise! The new MYNC Cr2 Live and Direct compilation
is coming out in January. On the singles front MYNC and Christian Luke
'Duckzilla' in December. In early 2011 MYNC the House Nation Anthem on
Stealth Records, there is also the big collaboration track with MYNC and
Erick Morillo which will be coming out on Subliminal, and also the release
of our track 'Anything is possible' on Size Records which we're really
excited about! 2011 is going to be massive for MYNC!

DOWNLOAD THE NEW MYNC MIX HERE - http://empty-night-85.heroku.com/

YOU TUBE: http://www.youtube.com/myncdj

Interviewed by Alex Jukes Jukebox Media 

Jersey Boys

The Jersey Boys have hit Sydney with a bang or should I say song!
The Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. If you don't know who they are don't worry you soon will. The Four Seasons started out in the 50's and had hits spanning 5 decades. They wrote all their own songs with many great hits including - Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Oh What a Night, Walk like a Man, Bye Bye Baby (Baby Goodbye), Can't Take My Eyes Off You and Working My Way Back To You.
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons came from New Jersey, they had a tough upbringing and many encounters with the wrong side of the law. However, music took over and led them to more success than they could ever have imagined. They sold over 175 million records before they reached thirty!
The show itself has won the Tony Award for Best Musical, 7 Green Room Awards, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, and winner of the Olivier Award for Best Musical.
Yes, go and see it. The staging is wonderfully simple but very effective with historical footage in parts. The movement of the scenes and drum kits is amazing. But, it is the music that makes it, the way you can see how the band developed and the mature. But probably the one thing that impressed me the most was the timing. It must have taken several hours of rehearsals to get the four guys in perfect sync, but it was worth it as it makes it one flawless performance.

What's on Sydney Survey Results

Website Survey 2010

A summary of the results

The survey confirmed our demographic to be young females who generally like to go out once a week. Our readers not only like to go out they like to be social, try new places and eat and drink out too.

The people who use the website to promote their events or attractions are mainly from Not for Profit organisations. As hoped over 60% of them add and manage their own events on the website.
The list of websites/publications that are used to promote events/attractions was interesting; it was extremely varied. I suppose given the wide range of events we have this should be the case. Facebook and Twitter were mentioned by a few and I would expect that if we run the survey next year this would increase.
It was good to confirm that listing on What’s on Sydney was as easy or better in terms of use than 88% of other websites.
Most people who completed the survey were not paid members 90% and the main reason for not becoming members was budget restrictions, even with a guarantee. This really was not a surprise as it is one of the reasons the website was developed to give free promotion to events with no budget!
The question regarding our box office did highlight that people as still unsure about what we can do and people rely on one booking agent. There were some very positive comments from organisations who do use our box office.
The results around banner advertising were virtually the same as membership; no budget! Again positive comments from those who have had a banner ad.

We had a range of responses regarding improvements here are a few –
• We would love to see you listed on more search engines
• You’re doing great, thanks!
• Offer more discount for paid event otherwise why people use this website
• More competition offers
• Editorials for one company and maybe a promotion offer for that month
• I love What's on just as it is. Competitions are great- love the friendly emails and website looks great.

As expected people use a range of different media to find out What’s on. The main places were Ticketek, SMH, Time Out and Facebook was quite popular too. What people got from other websites and not ours; well I was pleased to see that most people said none or not sure! Some said more events, pictures, weblinks, editorial, restaurants, recommendations of what events users may like based on previous events they have attended.
Most comments regarding our box office were positive. 80% of people said they would book online and not use our telephone service if we offered one.
The question regarding what we should put in our blog was very surprising. I think there is a huge misconception over what a blog is. The major of people said they wouldn’t read it and they don’t blog. However, people did want to see reviews and my personal recommendations (both for events and restaurants) and interviews.
The newsletter; yippee was very positive! Most people didn’t want anything to change and the part most people were interested in was the events. Of course more competition came up and as expected, they are popular.

We got top marks for our customer service and information.

Thank you for helping us move forward, next week I will give you a little more information about what we are planning to do it light of this information.

The 2009 Patrick White Playwrights' Award

Ian Wilding is the recipient of the 2009 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award for his play, Forever Seven. The winner was announced at Sydney Theatre Company ahead of a
rehearsed reading of the play in Wharf 2 on 22 May 2010 as part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Set in the future, Forever Seven (which Wilding had originally titled More & More) is a darkly funny play which satirises the fetish of youth, the cult of beauty and the impact of the longevity business on a population very much in love with itself. In the disturbingly familiar world of the play, a medical procedure has been developed to freeze the aging process. The practice, which is referred to as ‘coding’, has divided the population into two: those who believe in aging gracefully versus those who are going to be forever young. Amid this climate of division and political unrest, a passionate romance develops between a young man and woman. Forever Seven depicts their struggle to remain connected in a society engulfed in civil unrest.

Describing winning the Award as “a really wonderful thing” Wilding said “that the Award exists at all has always given me great encouragement during the struggles with the blank page. To achieve recognition and reward in this fashion for something you already love to do is a rare privilege – and one that makes me ever more determined to demonstrate that I deserve it.”

The judges were Louise Fox (playwright), Clare Morgan (Arts Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald), Katherine Thomson (playwright) and Andrew Upton (Co Artistic Director, Sydney Theatre Company).

Andrew Upton congratulated all of the shortlisted entrants and, on behalf of the judges, said:
“We were delighted to find that the quality of the scripts was high again this year. Each of the four shortlisted plays are inventive and unique and represent the great gamut of work Australian playwrights are producing. The rich ideas of Ian Wilding’s ambitious play are expressed with clarity, wit, intelligence and a precise theatrical language.”

The $20,000 Award is an initiative of Sydney Theatre Company and The Sydney Morning
Herald established in 2000 in honour of Patrick White’s contribution to theatre and to foster the development of Australian playwrights. To date, 15 writers have shared in the Award from over 1600 entries. Previous winners include Nicki Bloom for Bloodwood, Angus Cerini for Wretch, Timothy Daly for The Man in the Attic, Patricia Cornelius for Do Not Go Gentle…, Wesley Enoch for The Story of the Miracle at Cookie’s Table and Stephen Carleton for Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset.

Wilding is a previous recipient of the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award for his play Even Amongst Dogs in 2003.

His plays Below, Torrez, and October have been produced by Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney and The Carnivores and Torrez have been produced by Black Swan in Perth.

Forever Seven (More & More) was written as a commission for Bell Shakespeare Company
through their Mind’s Eye art form development program. In 2010 Griffin Theatre Company is producing Wilding’s latest play QUACK.

For further information:
Tim McKeough (02) 9250 1703 tmckeough@sydneytheatre.com.au or
Wesley Slattery (02) 9250 1705 wslattery@sydneytheatre.com.au