Sydney Vlog!

Hey all, we hope you have been enjoying our blogs!

As a follow up to our previous post, as a group we went around Sydney to show you all the beautiful place it is and some of the most iconic sights it has to offer. 

In the video we go and visit the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Darling Harbour. We also show you our shopping malls, cuisines and some of its diverse culture through various street performers. 

We filmed the video and took pictures using an iPhone6+. As a group we all contributed towards the video though most of the editing was done by Brendan.

We hope you enjoy the video and visit Sydney soon!

GROUP MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS

Hey, its Jess here! In this group assignment we worked cohesively as a team to create a successful travel blog. My main roles were to blog about each country's main attractions and must see places to visit, the blog post on Paris, and the additional personal favourite post on Amsterdam. In charge of the blog's design, specifically the background image/wallpaper, the rest was a joint effort. Continuously monitoring our Wikispaces and twitter pages, I was also one of the most active members responding on these pages along with the others.  

I, Nelson Sing, have been exploring the different cultures and languages of certain destinations and after completing these blogs, there is a huge amount of diversity around the world. It is often interesting how many destinations are fairly multicultural and it does not matter what background you come from, it is still very easy to fit in. Some languages and cultures are certainly more strict than others but ultimately, they are all fun and interesting to learn and experience.

Hey, it's Mary. My role in this group assignment included writing the general information on each country/city as well as writing the blog post on Dubai. Personally, I use twitter regularly as social media so tweeting about the blogs was no issue and I did it regularly. Working on this assignment was a group effort and we all contributed evenly and worked together. Writing these blog posts have made me look forward to travelling in the near future and I am definitely looking forward to travelling to the all places we blogged about. 

Hiyo, I'm Jeremy. Throughout this blog my aim has been to inform travellers about special travel tips that make travelling cheaper, smarter and better. I also took part in writing our group's Sydney vlog post as well as contributing to the video and spreading our blog on twitter. Working on this blog with my group has been a pleasure and has enticed me even further to travel all over the world.   

G'day, Brendan here. As a massive food lover, my main focus throughout the blog was cuisines around multiple countries. It's interesting to see the different ingredients and flavours used in dishes throughout the world. As the main editor in the Sydney video, it was a great experience working with Jess, Mary, Nelson and Jeremy and i'll be looking forward to use the information used in our blog to travel the countries we blogged about. 

Personal Favourite Travel Destinations: Sydney

Even though London came out on top as the world's most popular tourist destination for 2015, we had to include a special mention for our home town of Sydney.

ABOUT SYDNEY

Sydney is the largest city in Australia and the capital of the state of New South Wales. Located on the east coast, Sydney has a showcase of beautiful beaches which are accompanied by beautiful sunny, weather towards the end and beginning of each year. It is also one of the most multicultural places in the world with over 31 languages spoken(at least 5000 people speaking each), about one third of residents speaking a language other than english and a population of over 4.2 million. The official residents of the city are known as "Sydneysiders".

ATTRACTIONS

Sydney is the oldest, largest and the most beautiful city in Australia. There are plenty of beautiful attractions for travellers to see including the famous Harbour bridge and the Opera house as well as Darling Harbour.

1. Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge or "coathanger" as some locals call it, is one of the most famous bridges in the world and a landmark prior to the construction of the Sydney Opera House. It was built in 1932 and is the world's largest steel arch bridge, connecting the city's north and south shores. On top sits 2 railways lines along with walkways and lanes for road traffic. Travellers can enjoy a stroll along the walkways or book a climb through BridgeClimb for an amazing panoramic view of the city. 

2. Sydney Opera House

The Opera House is one of the world's most recognizable landmarks and is a world heritage site as long as a star attraction on Sydney's stunning harbour. It was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and opened in 1973. It encompasses multiple theatres, exhibition rooms, a concert hall, cinema and studios in the interior and boasts a graceful, shell-like curves on the exterior. Tours can be booked online and they are well worth taking. Furthermore, photos can be taken while gliding on the harbour from a ferry or cruise, or perhaps from Mrs Macquarie's Chair for a really breathtaking photo.

3. Darling Harbour 

Darling harbour is both a hub for tourists and locals. It is located on the waterfront along the pier and boasts a bunch of entertainment including museums, theatres, exhibitions and other entertainment venues. It is also extremely family friendly as there are many family attractions including Madame Tussaud's, the Sydney wild life zoo and sea life aquarium. Furthermore, the powerhouse museum is located nearby and offers interactive exhibits, technology, history and design.

SOME SIMPLE TIPS

1. Buy an opal card. An opal card is extremely useful for getting around Sydney. It can be used for buses, trains and ferries. It also caps at $15 per day and after 8 trips per week so it can be very cheap and convenient to use an opal card.

2. No tips. Most Australian restaurants and services do not expect tips as there is a 10% GST service charge across the country so do not feel obligated to tip.

3. If the bridge climb option is too expensive, be sure to have a stroll across the walkways on the Harbour bridge to experience beautiful views of the Sydney harbour and around.

English Cuisine

English cuisine has it own unique characteristics however it does share some common ingredients and ideas from china, north america, india during the time of the British empire. There are a few dishes which is a must for tourist to try.

Fish & Chips

An english classic. Fish & Chips is a simple dish that is very popular around the world and done best in the country of origin. 

Full English Breakfast 

A big meal that contains eggs, beacons, bake beans,  sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes, and toast. The perfect morning meal for tourist.

Bangers and mash 

A simple english meal that can be eaten any time of the day, it includes mash potatoes, sausages top off with gravy.  

Steak and Kidney pie 

An english favourite, that contains a mixture of diced beef, kidney, fried onion and brown gravy. A light meal that is enjoyable. 

Sticky Toffee Pudding

A delicious dessert that consist of dates/raisons drenched in toffee sauce that is served with ice cream or cream. 

London travel tips

London is one of the most iconic cities in the world containing some of the most recognizable landmarks including the Big Ben, Tower bridge and the Queen's residence, The Buckingham palace. It is the largest city in the UK and as such there are so many things to see and do. Here are some of useful tips for first time travellers to the great city.



1. If you're visiting London from abroad than it's likely that the roads back home go the other way so be sure to look left when crossing the road! There are also signs at popular tourist sites to remind you.

2. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing including shoes as some roads and walkways are not in the best shape. It is also wise to layer clothing to prepare for the somewhat unpredictable weather.

3. Buy an oyster card. Transport in London is relatively expensive so it is a lot cheaper to get around using an oyster card. They can be used for the tube and buses and are extremely convenient to use as it is used through a simple tap-on. They can also be topped up at any station.

Exploring London's Sites

With such a wide variety of things to see and do, it is no wonder that the city of London is the top travel destination for 2015. With many iconic sites to visit such as Big Ben, Parliament House, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye, the is never a dull moment.

Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye

The Tower of London and Tower Bridge

The Tower of London has a long history, a place which fulfilled many different roles throughout history. From palace, private zoo, treasure vault to prison, this world heritage site offers insight into England's rich history. Inside the massive White Tower, is the 17th-century Line of Kings, built by William the Conqueror, with its remarkable displays of royal armaments and armour. Other highlights include the famous Crown Jewels exhibition, the Royal Mint, and exhibits about the executions that took place on the grounds. The adjacent Tower Bridge, its two huge towers rising 61 meters above the River Thames, is one of London's best-known landmarks.

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace has been the London residence of the royal family since Queen Victoria's accession. Drawing crowds each day at 11:30am, the Changing of the Guard is the post popular display of pomp and circumstance. This colourful and free display of precision marching and music also takes place at St James's Palace where you can follow the band along The Mall as they march between sites. When the Queen is home, the flag will fly at royal standard. When she is away however, the Palace is open for tours of the State Rooms, the Queen's Gallery and the Royal Mews.

Changing of the Guard

Hampton Court Palace

Hampton Court Palace is one of Europe's most popular palaces, once home to King Henry VIII. It is believed that two of his six wives haunt the palace. Other features include the Clock Court dating from 1540, the State Apartments with their Haunted Gallery, the Chapel, the King's Apartments and the Tudor tennis court. The many gardens and the infamous maze are well worth a visit.

For those interested in art, London's National Gallery ranks among the top museums in the world, with its greatest strengths in its 15th and 16th century collections of Dutch Masters and Italian Schools. Others might take interest in the South Kensington-based group of museums which includes the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and Science Museum. 

Picadilly Circus

For those interested in shopping, Picadilly and Oxford shopping is the place to be, with shops lining the streets. The Covent Gardens encompasses shops and restaurants as well, lined with specialty shops and kiosks selling everything from fine handcrafts to tacky souvenirs.

Hyde park  covers 350 acres, London's largest open space featuring a man-made lake, the Serpentine, erected in the 18th century and a popular place for boating and swimming. Apsley House is also found in the park, a museum which was the former home of the first Duke of Wellington and purchased after his famous victory at Waterloo. 

Hyde Park

London's Language and Culture

London is an enormous city where it is truly noisy, vibrant and multicultural. It is considered one of the world's leading "global cities" and London remains an international capital of culture, music, education, fashion, politics, finance and trade. London also has a rich history and has experienced many battles, plagues and turmoil. Eventually London emerged as a great trading city and with the rise of England to first European then global prominence, London became a great centre of culture, government and industry. The remnants of war during the Bronze and Iron Age, with Roman ruling, Celtic tribes and vikings, by walking around the streets you can see that London has embraced its warlike culture with plenty of buildings and designs in the form of medieval structure.
The culture of London concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals and entertainment. There is a traditional world view of the white British citizen that they are reserved with a ‘stiff upper lip’ attitude to life, deemed to be particularly true of Londoners - even that they are positively rude to strangers. However, London is multicultural and with an increase in immigration, society is beginning to become more accepting and tolerant. With a diversity of races comes a diversity of religions and as a result London has to cater for different requirements. For instance, many restaurants usually cater for religious dietary needs such as having available Halal and Kosher meats as well as well as catering for individual needs such as having simple burger joints to fancy restaurants. There is plenty to do in London and the city is always buzzing. Art galleries, world heritage sites and music festivals are traditional and customs for individuals to attend when in London. There is so much activity and with over 300 languages spoken in London with the main being English, many different tourists can interact with locals to find their way around the city.

General Information on London

Simple map of Central London

The top travel destination for 2015, London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom and is located at the south east of England. London is the largest city in Europe and is located besides the famous River Thames. The river Thames divides the city into the northern and southern halves making navigation easy. The northern bank of the river contains the central area with the most important sights, theaters and restaurants. The center of the city consists of St James, Mayfair, Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square.

London has a land area of 1,572 square kilometers. As of today, London has a staggering population of 8.63 million inhabitants. Around 12% of Britain’s population live in London making London the highest population density within Britain. The English currency is the Pound and has a conversion rate of 1AUD=0.48GBP.

London is both a popular business and tourist destination. London Heathrow Airport is considered the busiest airport in the world. London is well known for its theater productions. Musicians, artists and enthusiasts join in theaters to enjoy the productions such as Les Miserables and Matilda.

London Underground Map

London was the first city in the world to have an underground railway also known as the “tube.” The tube provides a fast way to travel to and from central London with underground trains running every 3-6 minutes. The tube is connected to all train lines making all the destinations around London accessible.

London has a temperate climate without the extreme weather. The weather tends to be unpredictable. There are modest temperatures during summer reaching 20 degrees Celsius and averages during winter are around 7 degrees Celsius. Rainfall is regular and snow is frequent in winter. The best time to travel to London would be July and August.

London during winter