Hello Darling

Newcastle Herald

Tuesday February 5, 2008

Chris Watson

Sydney is now ushering in the Chinese Year of the Rat, with many of its celebrations

centred around one of the main visitor destinations of the harbour city - Darling

Harbour.

Every year Sydney hosts spectacular Chinese New Year celebrations - in fact the city's

celebrations are the largest of their type outside China. Last year more than 600,000

people celebrated in more than 40 events to see in the Year of the Pig.

This year the offi cial Chinatown launch of the celebrations was on February 1, with its

explosion of Chinese firecrackers to scare evil spirits away and ensure a good coming

year.

But the celebrations are not done with yet, with the offi cial New Year's Day being on

Thursday.

On Sunday the Chinese New Year parade will start at 11 am, moving from the Town

Hall, going past Chinatown and fi nishing at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, around

1.30 am.

Then on February 16 and 17 dragon boat races will be held in Darling Harbour, where

boats filled with up to 22 paddlers will row to the beat of a drum with more than 100

teams battling for the top honours.

The Chinese New Year celebrations are just some of the events now centred around

Sydney's Darling Harbour, which changed in the 1980s from a derelict dockyard into

one of the nation?s great waterfront destinations, all within a 20-minute walk of the

Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge and surrounded by accommodation

options.

According to Tourism NSW, 24 million people visit Darling Harbour each year, some

mooring at the 42-boat spaces at its marina or dropping into its 44 restaurants, 32 bars

and 18 cafes.

Among other attractions at Darling Harbour there are:

Chinese Gardens: A chance outside Asia to enjoy a traditional landscape design that

has taken centuries to evolve, with pavilions, lakes and waterfalls.

National Maritime Museum: Australia?s most visited maritime museum where you can

experience life aboard a replica of Captain Cook?s Endeavour, explore a submarine and

see the last of the big-gun navy destroyers.

Powerhouse Museum: According to the museum?s website, this is Australia's largest

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and most popular museum, with a unique and diverse collection of 385,000 objects

that span history, science, technology, design, industry, decorative arts, music, transport

and space exploration. It has an ever-changing program of exhibitions covering

approximately 20,000 square metres (equivalent to three international competition

soccer fields). It presents 22 permanent exhibitions and several temporary exhibitions,

complemented by more than 250 interactives. At present one of its major temporary

exhibitions is Diana: A Celebration, commemorating the public life and private side of

Diana, Princess of Wales.

Imax Theatre: Is the largest film format in the world and you can catch a movie on this

giant screen, more than eight storeys high.

Sydney Aquarium: Australia's number one tourist attraction and one of the largest

aquariums in the world with more than 11,500 Australian aquatic animals and more

than 160 metres of underwater tunnels.

Sydney Wildlife World: Home to more than 100 different species of Australian animals

with nine habitats over three levels and more than 65 exhibits.

Harbour paddle boats.

Outback Centre.

Flight simulator: You can experience the thrill of fl ying a commercial jet similar to a

Boing 737.

SYDNEY FOR KIDS

To make a trip to Sydney even more

attractive at the moment Tourism NSW is

running a Sydney For Kids card promotion

until March where kids can "stay, play and

eat for free", with the discounts including

attractions at Darling Harbour.

All readers have to do is apply for a card at

www.sydney.com. Among the discounts are

some of Darling Harbour's best attractions

including Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife

World and Strike Bowling Bar. There are also

accommodation deals.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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