Spark of Light Genius Hits Sydney This Week

If you’re looking for a bright light to guide you towards innovation, then this week (27 – 29 May) is the country’s premier event for the international lighting industry. SPARC is taking place at Sydney Exhibition Center in Glebe island and if you’re not sure how to get there…then just follow the light.

 

The event features mind blowing seminar programs and incredible installations, including the latest lighting technology displays and an illuminating gala dinner.

As the SPARC event shares the same dates as Vivid Sydney (the Festival of Lights, Music & Ideas), this is a perfect time to plan a last minute trip to check out the event. Downtown Sydney will be glowing with these truly inspirational creative fixtures and displays. 

With only a short time before the event starts, we’ve provided the rundown of the main events so you can plan quickly (PS: You’re welcome):

Wednesday:

3.15pm: The Art Gallery of NSW will present the Transitions in Museum Lighting Design

4.00pm: Speaker Onne Willemse from Philips Lighting will be explaining the latest developments in connected lighting and utilizing new technology to pave the next 12+ months

5.45pm: There is a 15 minute Question Time with the audience. Since the event attracts thousands, if you have a powerful question, then be prepared to nudge your way towards that mic fast.

Thursday:

3.15pm: Speaker Anthon Di Mase, principal architect of Di Mase Architects will present ‘Daylight in the Built Environment’ which taps into the (now) mainstream eco topic.

4:45pm: Speaker Dr. Christophe Martinsons, head of the lighting and electromagnetism division at the Center for Building Science and Technology in France. He will discuss the interesting topic of potential health issues of solid state lighting.

Friday:

Gala Dinner starts at 7.00pm in Sydney Townhall. There are also evening events taking place on Wednesday and Thursday night so check out the Sydney SPARC schedule for the full listing and this link for daily or total rate pricings.

With three full days of eye glazing attention, what better way to unwind nightly than at Cremorne Point Manor. Our boutique Sydney hotel is a short ferry ride from the Expo Center so within no time, you can be enjoying a whole different set of lights…overlooking the Harbour Bridge and downtown skyline. No wonder Tripadvisor has just awarded us our Certificate of Excellence, 5 years in a row!

Sydney Obstacle Challenge in November

The Raw Challenge at St Ives Showground, Sydney is back again on the 21^st November. We’re giving you this ‘way ahead of the game’ notification so you have zero excuse to not get your trainers (sneakers) on and start jogging. It’s a 5km course with impressive 18+ obstacles which we know you’ll thrive off: they include trudging through mud, climbing hurdles and military style crawls under cargo nets. Oh my!

 

This is the second annual Park Circuit event in the Sydney area that will absolutely test your endurance levels. This year also includes a new 20m slip and slide with huge foam cannons. Not only can you participate and get your team in training, but if you’re cheering on friends, then there are a multitude of pit stops you can holler encouragement to them, along the way. 

The prices to participate are varying from the (now expired) early bird to the new $59/20 (adults/youth) tickets available. But if you’re a tad nervous about whether you’re fit enough for the race, just keep training and see how you feel a few days before the event. You can always buy on the day at $100/$50 (adults/youth).

The Showground is an amazing retreat of nature in abundance. Being one of the city’s largest sports & recreation sites, there are dog training rings, BMX riding facilities and naturally, BBQ and picnic tables. The route you’ll be running is primarily flat, through the open park but account for the ups & downs you’ll encounter with the obstacles in your way.

We know 2016 is a long way off but if you really want to cross off ‘extreme sport’ from your 2015 bucket wish list, then you have around 192 days to get your brain and athletic stance into gear.

Only 29 minutes north of our Sydney boutique hotel, by car, you can enjoy a full day of sports, entertainment and pushing your fitness boundaries. Then head back down to Cremorne Point Manor, kick off those muddy running shoes and give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back. Rub in the Arnica to reduce inflammation, bring out the Epsom Salts and put your feet up. The view of the Sydney skyline from our hotel is sensational and is our congratulations gift to you. Now get training and we’ll look forward to having you stay with us in November.

Grape Escape to Pyrmont Food & Wine Festival

If your daily serving of fruit includes a mandatory glass of wine, then between the 15 – 24 May, you need to be at the Pyrmont Festival. 

  

This regional festival showcases the very best of the area with more than 50 wine bars, hotels, restaurants and winemakers enticing you to sample, taste, swig and avoid spittoons at all costs.

Unlike most wine & food festivals, where you snoop around, taste samples and head home, the Pyrmont Festival pushes the social boundaries. You can enjoy wine tastings and dinners, art displays, photo exhibitions and wine-meal parings for lunches and dinners throughout the 10 days.

Now into its fifth year, the festival also includes the Mudgee Region and all its palate offerings.  With Mudgee located a 3.5 hour drive from central NSW, not many locals or tourists get to sample their Napa-competitive wines so this is a rare treat. The region’s renowned for more than 40 boutique wineries and one of the state’s first established wine regions. 

Marrying the best of the region, the city and culture, this event has attracted quite a fan base over the years. From Burrundulla Wines to Huntington Estate, the vineyard exhibitions are extensive. This is before we even get to the foodie lovers who can sample tasters from Blue Eye Dragon, the new LuMi bar and Flying Fish.

Making this a family affair, the highlights are on the two free headliner days (16h and 17^th) from 11am – 5pm. During this time, there will be live music, kids rides & entertainment and around 100 winemaker stalls. So the kids can spin themselves on the rides until they feel dizzy while the parents can do likewise, from wine samplings.  You do need to note that there are charges for wine tastings, but the wine packages are reasonable at $20 AUD.

When it comes to the food/wine pairing packages, we felt the prices were decent, starting at $65. They do climb to $150 for LuMi but then race back down to $16 for the Biaggio Café wine lunch special. Depending on your budget or need to experience the best, we felt the price ranges were extremely accommodating for all wallet holders.

If you’re on a tighter budget but do want to experience NSW at its best, just 15 minutes car drive from Pyrmont, you can be at a Sydney boutique hotel. One of the city’s oldest, most affordable 4 Star hotels, you’ll not break the bank while you experience the most incredible skyline views from Cremorne Point Manor.  No wonder Tripadvisor’s given the Manor a Certificate of Excellence, for the 4^th consecutive year!