Sydney's Zombies continue Earth Hour with blackout

Sydney's blackout on Sunday March 30 2009 created a buzz of speculation on the net regarding its cause, and according to the majority of Twitter users, it was due to an unprecedented zombie attack on the City of Sydney.

This comes just two days after Sydney voluntarily shrouded itself in darkness for an hour in solidarity with Earth Hour, leaving officials to speculate if it wasn't the undead's own efforts to partake in the environmental movement or the first leg of a campaign to devour the city. Zombies generally never do things by half, and given the slow movements of reanimated corpses, along with their questionable eating habits, it is understandable they were slow in blacking the city out at the specified time, factoring in the lethargy and the time it takes to actually acquire and eat brains.

To a different though perhaps not entirely unrelated topic, the NSW Government is set to trial the electric car in a plan to make its fleet emissions free. An Electric Vehicle Taskforce has been announced which will look at barriers that may exist to the introduction of electric cars. Given the events of the weekend, one would seriously hope they consider the possibility that the zombie legions have indeed noted our society's reliance on electricity, and whether an electric car would really make the best getaway vehicle should such an uprising ever become a reality.

Seriously, people. Think about it...

Consumer-Decides: restaurants asking you what you're willing to pay

Sydney restaurants have seen a decline in customers recently as many of us tighten our belts and try to brave the current economic uncertainty. There are, however, some restaurants with their finger on the pulse regarding what their clientele are looking for most right now: a cheap night out.

Sobo on Bondi Beach is one such restaurant. To draw in a crowd and keep bums in seats, restaurateur Adam Gerondis has devised the perfect menu along with the perfect asking price: the Sobo Credit Crunch Menu, where you pay what you feel.

While Sobo offers this deal until 9 April, such negotiable pricing systems could signify an emerging trend in business, with other restaurants and businesses doing likewise.

In February, London restaurant The Little Bay offered their customers the same flexibility to pay what they felt their meal was worth, while in Melbourne the vegetarian organic restaurant Lentil as Anything has been offering this same consumer-decides system since 2000. While a not-for-profit community organisation largely staffed by volunteers, Lentil as Anything is gaining in popularity, with its two restaurants always busy, and also operates the same service to Collingwood College canteen.

The customer-decides model has even extended as far as hotels, with budget hotel chain Ibis in Singapore also offering guests the opportunity to set the price of their stay in February.

And it makes sense, given that we as consumers are less likely to part with our money without a great deal or a sense of loyalty involved. To my mind, the customer-decides model ticks both of these boxes, whilst also ensuring greater quality of product and service, given that their payment in dependent on our overall contentment at the end. It's a model I'd be willing to pay good money to which hopefully more Sydney restaurants and businesses will adopt.

Official Opening of Paddington Reservoir Gardens

The City of Sydney's beautiful Paddington Reservoir Gardens is to be reopened on Sunday 29 March after its restoration.

The opening will include afternoon tea, entertainment and a photographic exhibition.

Developed in consultation with the local community, the new Paddington Reservoir Gardens and cultural facility restores the civic precinct, linking to Paddington Town Hall, the Post Office and historic Juniper Hall.

"The City's work breathes life into this historic site, which has been closed to the public since sections of the roof collapsed in 1993," Ms Moore said.

The park on the reservoir roof has been completely reconstructed, along with the establishment of a new and stunning sunken garden in the reservoir's western chamber. Adding colour to the eastern chamber, vibrant graffiti art has been preserved, providing a new space for community and cultural activities, and new stairs and viewing platforms now provide access to the chambers.

Originally the site of an Anglican Church School, the State Heritage listed Paddington Reservoir consists of two 1,023 square metre chambers built in 1866 and 1878 respectively and is a stunning example of 19th century public architecture.

The official opening will feature an exhibition of photographs of the restoration of the park and entertainment from bands Waiting For Guinness and the James Muller Trio, and from the ERTH Visual and Physical Theatre. Free afternoon tea will be available for the first 1000 visitors.

The Official Opening of Paddington Reservoir Gardens is on from 4 - 6pm on 29 March,
Oxford Street Paddington NSW.

Guy Maestri wins Archibald Prize 2009 with Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu

Indigenous singer Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is the subject of this year's Archibald Prize winner, Guy Maestri.

Born blind, Yunupingu has captivated audiences over the last year with his haunting voice and album, Gurrumul, sung in his native Yolngu language. He was recently the recipient of two coveted ARIA Awards and was named the 2008 NT Australian of the Year.

Guy Maestri saw Gurrumul live on New Year's Eve last year and says it was truly, an unforgettable experience. "Word had been going around all day and the rumours were true - people really were moved to tears.' So it seems right that he should choose the singer as the of a portrait.

When Maestri managed to track Gurrumul down in through the assistance of friend in the music industry, it was to discover he was flying out to New York the following weekend. He was offered 40 minutes to meet with him early one Saturday morning at Sydney airport, which he naturally leapt at, taking a series of sketches to be used for the final piece and capturing the essence of the artist with astounding effect.

Maestri was born in Mudgee, NSW in 1974, and completed his Bachelor of Fine Art (Hons) in painting at the National Art School, Darlinghurst in 2003. He has had solo exhibitions at the Tim Olsen Gallery and was a finalist in the 2007 and 2008 Dobell Drawing Prize.

The Archibald Prize exhibition can be viewed at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from 7 March to 24 May 2009, along with the Archibald People's Choice Prize exhibition.

Hours:

10am to 5pm, 7 days a week
Art After Hours until 9pm every Wednesday

Admission:

$10 adults
$7 concessions / students / members
$27 family (2 adults + 2 children)

Sydney for Children | Kids

Sydney for Children | Kids is loaded with events and activities for Sydney children over the holidays or weekends in general. Kids can be difficult to entertain once they've exhausted their own devices or merely put there minds to it (doesn't it feel that way sometimes?). If you and they are feeling lacking in inspiration for what to do, why not try the events below. You may even rediscover the child inside.

New!!!

New listings for the school holidays have just arrived, and are a great opportunity to learn new facts and skills, and have a great day out with your kids!

School Holiday fun at the Library presents a series of events at City of Sydney Libraries aimed at children from age 2 to 102+, if you're still up and at 'em.

For the artists, Stencil Art with Chris Tamm is a fun lesson in the basics of street art and stenciling.
Ages: 8 - 16.

2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and Twilight Sidewalk Astronomy is a great event for all budding astronomers and stargazing enthusiasts.
Ages: 2 - 102+. (See, I wasn't lying).

Library Palooza: It's a Tribute with Playstation is a fun fancy dress event that will get your child and their friends rocking to a day of air guitar and singing.
Ages: 8 - 16.

Fun with Music and Body Movement is aimed at getting your child moving, improving co-ordination, listening skills and memory while integrating body movement with music, singing and storytelling.
Ages: 3 - 5

Imagine That! with Kindermusik is a musical journey of discovery where play is combined with storytelling, movement and literature, designed for energetic and imaginative tots.
Ages: 2 - 5

smARTarts Festival is Sydney's largest youth arts festival, incorporated into Sydney Youth Week, abnd is packed with exhibitions, street art, workshops and other events. Visit the link above for more information on dates, events and venues.

The Easter Holidays wouldn't be the same without The Sydney Royal Easter Show. The Show is packed with activities and rides, not to mention the showbags, animals and live shows. The final day of the show is Kids Day, too, where all children get in for $10, so it's well worth booking that day aside, even if to just spend the money you saved on a a few extra rides.

There's also the Adaminaby Easter Fair, with a market and food stalls, Easter Bonnet Parade, plus other activities and events, and even a special guest! The Adaminaby is a great family day out.

Every day, Clue Trail @ Sydney Olympic Park makes expert sleuths out of Sydney's young. Bring your kids along for a cheap day out ($5 per person). Great for kids 3-12 years old. Follow the clues and uncover the history secrets of the Park. Once you have solved the mystery and decoded the secret password you can claim your prize. Available from the Visitor Centre on Showground Road.

Kidz Zoo is on at the Entertainment Quarter every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, from 11am - 3pm, and has cuddly guinea pigs, rabbits, chicks, kid goats, sheep and lambs the kids can get up close and personal with! Entry to Kidz Soo is also just $5!

Though somewhat more expensive than some of the options just mentioned, Sydney Luna Park also offers endless excitement. The atmosphere is alive with the screams of delight of people taking on crazy rides like the Tango Train or nostalgic favourites such as the beautifully restored Antique Carousel.

If you have a feeling you might be returning a few times throughout the year, or it's already a part of your holiday schedule, you can purchase an annual pass for around $100 which gets you onto unlimited rides every time you visit.

If you're feeling like getting out, and wouldn't mind a bit of quiet as well with the kids out of your hair, sign them up for surfing lessons with Let's Go Surfing, where you can relax on the beach with a book or magazine, catch some rays and take a breather on Bondi Beach. Even get a couple of friends together along with their kids and make a day of it.

Sign the kids up for trapeze and circus lessons at Aerialize - Sydney Aerial Theatre. Aerialize promotes circus & aerial theatre and run quality, fun, imaginative workshops and performances in trapeze, rope and aerial skills, for adults and children.

Aerialize is an innovative theatre group that combines the art of dance, theatre, gymnastics and circus in an aerial environment, and has been thrilling local and international audiences with death defying feats of grace and beauty on the trapeze, rope and web.

Bounce 'N' Slide on Central is another great place to take the kids where they can entertain themselves while you catch up with friends over a few coffees. Bounce 'N' Slide has an assortment of mazes and equipment that caters to toddlers up to 12-13 year olds, arcade games, an air hockey table and a pool table for the teens, and for the parents, as suggested, a cafe with tea and coffee, a range of refreshing cold drinks, homemade biscuits and cakes, tempting slices, healthy café style sandwiches, freshly made salads, homemade quiches, mouth watering hamburgers, crunchy wedges with sour cream & sweet chilli sauce, low fat options, gluten Free snacks, huge range of kids meals and kids meal deals.

Visit Sydney for Children | Kids for more ideas to entertain the kids throughout the year, and just remember the most important thing: they'll be back to school soon...

Sydney Swap Meets

Sydney Swap Meets spring up throughout Sydney and NSW every month.

They're the perfect opportunity for you to either find that rare something for that special someone, a treat for yourself, or even for that distant relative you feel begrudgingly obligated to buy something for. And if that's the case, why not have fun while looking rather than traipse all over the city? Whatever you're hunting for and for whatever reason, Sydney Swap Meets are the way to go and a fun day out!

The Goulburn Mulwaree Rotary Club Swap Meet, held annually in April at the Goulburn Showground, is one of Australia's largest swap meets.

Stallholders are offering car and motorcycle parts, vintage, antique, veteran and modern vehicles plus bric-a-brac for motor sports. Whatever you need, get along to the Goulburn Mulwaree Rotary Club Swap Meet where the chances are good they're selling it.

The Quirindi Rural Heritage Village | Rally & Swap Meet is an annual vintage machinery and miniature railway rally & swap meet held in May.

More than 100 swap sites, at rally grounds, 3 km west of Quirindi on Kamilaroi Highway (Gunnedah Road), featuring Lister engines, crawler tractors/dozers, vintage tractors, engines, steamengines, cars, motor bikes & displays. Hit the link for more information.

More Sydney Swap Meets:

• Annual Morriset Swap Meet
  
• Annual Swap Meet
  
• Canowindra Swap Meet
  
• Coffs Harbour Annual Auto Swap Meet
  
• Crookwell Rotary Swap Meet and Market Day
  
• Gosford Swap Meet
  
• Granville Toy and Model Swap Meet
  
• Lions Book Fair
  
• Morisset Central Coast Auto Swap Meet
  
• Nabiac Swap Meet
  
• North Rocks Computer Market
  
• NSW All Holden Day Display and Swap Meet
  
• Parkes Annual Super Swap Meet
  
• Sydney Model Auto Club Swap Meet
  
• TPCR Annual Auto Swap Meet.

Hit the link above for more Sydney Swap Meets, and happy hunting!

Sydney Earth Hour

SYdney's Earth Hour has taken the world by storm, albeit a storm of darkness and reflection.

Begun in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour was initiated by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund), to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change and saw 2.2 million households turn off all non-essential lights and appliances for one hour. The following year, the message was received throughout the world and the movement went global, an approximate 50 million people switching off their lights. Iconic landmarks across the planet, such as the Sydney Opera House, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square and Rome’s Colosseum all fell into a still darkness, symbolic of the importance of increasing awareness regarding climate change and the effects our energy consumption has upon it.

This year, Earth Hour has an impressive 1,429 cities and towns in 80 countries signed up to "Vote Earth": cities as large as Sydney, Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Mumbai and Delhi, signifying an increasing global concern regarding the future of our planet and the necessity of taking action now.

New Zealand is set to lead this charge, acting as the first country to switch off its lights at 8.30pm on March 28, the darkness sweeping across the planet as the 24 hour period continues.

Earth Hour Executive Director, Mr Andy Ridley, said that Earth Hour signals the beginning of the journey to Copenhagen, where the future of the planet rests with world leaders.

"Earth Hour will focus global attention on addressing the issue of climate change. We are asking one billion people to take part in what is essentially the first global vote for action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and casting a vote for earth," he said.

"Earth Hour hopes to provide a global mandate for action on climate change to the world's leaders at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December this year, where an agreement will be made to supersede the Kyoto Protocol.

"It is imperative this agreement leads to a sustainable outcome that suitably addresses climate change. Earth Hour presents an opportunity for every person in the world to have a say in that agreement's outcome and ensure it isn't merely an insubstantial token effort by our world's leaders," said Mr Ridley.

Earth Hour is an annual event held on the last Saturday of March. For more information and to sign up and get involved, head to the Earth Hour website.

Barbie turns 50 in Sydney

That iconic doll Barbie has deified the odds and all medical and biological reason to not only have the ability to stand, but to reach her 50th birthday. And to celebrate, she's headed to one of the world's most recognisable icons, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

And what's more, she's doing it larger than ever! This time around she stands at 2.1 metres tall, and is edible. We're talking, of course, about the edible Barbie cake displayed at the Botanic Gardens First Fleet Steps in Sydney, Australia. If you live in Sydney, chances are you saw it, failing that heard about it, as news of the Barbie cake was abuzz throughout the streets.

Designed by Australian fashion designer Alex Perry, jewellery designer Stefano Canturi and hairdresser Joh Bailey in collaboration with Sweet Art bakers, Barbie attended garbed in icing. The doll accompanies a special exhibition Forever Barbie, mapping the history of the Barbie doll, displaying models of yore along with the more contemporary Barbie of the world today.

According to Mattel, Barbie's creators, a Barbie is sold every three seconds, and has kept herself constantly evolving, updating her résumé where needed, and replacing cars and pets as each one died.

Hereafter, barbie continues to celebrate her 50th year with events around the world, heading to Melbourne for the Forever Barbie exhibition in Melbourne’s Federation Square from June 26.