Explore Australia, October 2016

explore

OLENA LEVKIVSKA

AUSTRALIA

October, 2016

In this issue:

FLORIADE

WHERE TO: Trick Or Treat in Sydney

flower festival in

CANBERRA explore: CENTRAL COAST

LA PEROUSE

WHAT’S NEW? 20th Anniversary Bondi Exhibition

Sculptures by the sea

CONTENTS October 2016 Explore: 4

Central Coast: Bouddi National Park

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Canberra: Why visit in October?

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La Perouse: historical significance

What to do more: 28

Sydney Luna Park

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Pottery Workshop in Sydney

Festivals: 20

Floriade flower festival in Canberra

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Where to Trick or Treat in Sydney?

What’s new?

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Sculptures by the sea

Cover - Putty Beach Bouddi National Park, Central Coast, NSW p.2-3 - Lake George and Kangaroos, ACT Photographer: Olena Levkivska http://levkovskaya.com

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LETTER from the EDITOR It has been almost a year since I landed in Sydney, Australia. This issue "Explore Australia" and (hope so) lots of others month by month will express how much I love this down under country, what's new for me, what's interesting may be for you.

Now I know I'm ready to share my views, photos and experience.

"Explore Australia" is a kind of photographic magazine about beautiful places, vivid events in Sydney and beyond. Also, you will find some short stories included facts, personal impressions, and 'to-do' lists.

So, meet my first October 2016 issue and let's explore Australia together!

Hope you enjoy, Olena

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Bouddi National Park Central Coast, NSW HIKING ADVENTURES Bouddi National Park is located near Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast, just 46 kilometres northeast of Sydney. You'll find several great walks, as well as opportunities for camping, swimming and fishing.

It’s absolutely beautiful place! But be prepared for middle-hard-level hiking.

What to do: Walk - Bouddi Coastal Walk, Bouddi Park, - Maitland Bay track - Box Head track - Bullimah Spur track - Flannel Flower walking track - Daleys Point walking track - Mount Bouddi walking track

View - Allen Strom lookout - Gerrin Point lookout

Cycle - Bouddi Ridge explorer - Rocky Point trail - Strom loop Stay - Little Beach campground - Putty Beach campground - Tallow Beach campground - Mount Bouddi picnic area 4

Bouddi Coastal Walk Lookout Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Why visit Canberra in October? ***

When we told our Aussie friends that we’ll spend a long weekend in Canberra they were surprisingly asked us: “WHY?!”. We heard many times that “there’s nothing to do in there”, “Canberra is so boring as a hell” and so on. However, we decided to visit Australia’s capital for the very first time and to form our own impression.

So, check out our “dos” and what we’d explored.

First Impression At the first blush, nothing’s special that could catch our eye, but unusually solitary and uninhabited city, quiet and easy, as if in a village. No crowds, no traffics. Even in CBD. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a day or a night time. So, it’s better to be prepared and to have your own “to do” list. And, first of all, read about upcoming events here if it worth your attention.

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Oushi Zokei, aka the Donut of Nortbourne Ave Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Discover Major Events Floriade Flower Festival in October Australia’s biggest celebration of spring. Major flower festival held a n n u a l l y i n C a n b e r ra o f f e r i n g entertainment, regional food and wine, workshops and educational demonstrations. And endless garden beds of tulips! Free entry.

Explore amazing outdoor lighting design and production at Floriade Nightfest. Impressive lighting installations for 27AUD (general admission, better to buy online).

Art Catch sight of a big amount of public art sculptures in. For example, this big donut - Keizo Ushio’s “oushi zokei, dream lens for the future”. It revealed that almost the same “donut” you can find in Japan by the same artist, but it has three twists instead of the one in Canberra.

We found the full list of public art in Canberra, if interested check this link: http://www.arts.act.gov.au/arts-in-theact/public-art/list Make a stop at the nearby National Portrait Gallery to see works on the people and identities who have shaped Australia’s national identity.

National Gallery of Australia. Visit Gallery (virtual tour) to view Australia’s national art collection, which has more than 165,000 works 14

Photo: Olena Levkivska

and includes the world’s largest collection of Indigenous Australian artwork. We found interesting stories about aboriginal art here.

Museums, Museums and Museums There’s no better place to discover the Australian story than in Australia’s capital, Canberra. Parliament House No.1 place of interests in Canberra.

See where Australia’s political decisions are debated and decided.

We were so impressed by its simplicity and it’s still a question why its development cost 1.1 billion AUD? The principal design of the structure is based on the shape of two boomerangs and is topped by an 81metre flagpole.

Royal Australian Mint This year RAM celebrates 50 years of d e c i m a l c u r r e n c y. I t ’ s a l w a y s interesting to know the process. Take a free tour that runs seven days a week (Mon-Fri: 10 am and 2 pm, Sat, Sun and Public Holidays: 11 am, 1 pm and 2 pm) RAM is not offering public tours during Floriade.

Photo: Olena Levkivska

Questacon Perfect place for children, though it’ll be interesting for adults as well.

Questacon – the National Science and Technology Centre, is located on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra. It is a large center with more than 200 interactive exhibits relating to science and technology.

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Australian War Memorial. Hear the stories of the people and events that have shaped the nation. It’s good to be here at 5:45 P.M. not to miss the Last Post Ceremony. We were truly impressed.

Photo: Olena Levkivska

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What else to do in Canberra?

1. Food & Drinks. Try shakes at Patissez (21 Bougainville St, Griffith ACT 2603) by 4 P.M. There are many restaurants of Asian and Indian cuisine in CBD. You may find a restaurant in other suburbs, e.g. in Manuka, with live music.

2. Stay the night in Braddon (use airbnb service) and have a breakfast here.

3. Watch a movie in Capitol Cinemas Manuka. (What else to do after 6 P.M. if everything’s closed?). A nice suburb for lunch, 10AUD tickets in cinema for “Sully” movie.

4. Take a walk at night through Lake Burley Griffin.

5. Go to Black Mountain, Telstra Tower to have a view (but it’s not must do).

6. Stay for couple minutes to enjoy cherry blossoms or do a BBQ in Black Mountain Peninsula Park.

7. If you are by car, visit National A r b o r e t u m a n d B o n s a i Pa r k .

Impressive!

8. Be attentive and behold - you’ll never meet these beautiful red & blue parrots in Sydney, but in Canberra they are everywhere.

So, in Canberra may be interesting if you go with friends, like museums and contemporary art. Of course, it’s good to visit a Parliament and to find out more about Australian history. 1-2 full days will be enough. And don’t forget to use sunscreen and something warm to wear ;) Photo: Vasyl Zubach

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

Floriade

Flower Festival

in Canberra:

Nightfest

Photo: Olena Levkivska

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l

t

Photo: Olena Levkivska

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La Perouse: beauty and unknown historical significance The historical significance of Botany Bay is seared into the consciousness of most Australians of any background, but the bay has an extra historical meaning many know nothing about.

(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

Located in Sydney’s south-east, the La Perouse peninsula forms the northern headland of Botany Bay. Botany Bay National Park constitutes a large portion of the area. You could easily spend the day exploring the cliffs of the peninsula and historic Bare Island.

Explore the Bare Island Fort, built in 1885 to protect Sydney from a perceived Russian threat. Guided tours of the island are available.

The La Perouse Museum and Visitors Centre now stands on the site of the spot of the First Fleet’s first landing in 1788, featuring exhibitions of Australian history.

From here, follow the Henry Head Walking Track, a dramatic coastal walk to the Endeavor Lighthouse.

Learn more about the prolific history and culture of the Aboriginal Kameygal people, traditional owners of the land, in a half day guided tour of the area. The monthly Blak Markets provide another vibrant excursion into local indigenous culture, where you can also participate in art and craft workshops.

La Perouse is also home to three golf courses at St Michael’s Golf Club, The Coast Golf Club and Randwick Golf. All three courses enjoy stunning panoramic ocean views. All three golf clubs have great restaurants.

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And, now, it has led to a delicate dilemma involving two communities and the New South Wales government.

To one community, it marks the beginning, the starting point of its very existence in Australia. To the other, it is one dot in a long history stretched out thousands of years before that.

If that sounds a bit like the so-called history wars, Australia's long-standing debate over the retelling of British colonisation of Aboriginal land, you are close.

But this is a different twist on the story - a modern-day dispute between the Aboriginal and French communities over a museum in a small, picturesque corner of Sydney.

The New South Wales government is facing a decision on how to go forward with quarter-century-old Laperouse Museum in a classic case of where two communities collide. In 1788, just six days after the first fleet of convicts arrived in Botany Bay to establish a British colony, French explorer JeanFrancois de Galaup Laperouse reached the bay. The British would move on to today's Sydney Harbour two days later, and Comte de Laperouse would move his ships on to other lands just six weeks later. But the entrance to the bay where the French stayed, now the south-eastern Sydney suburb of La Perouse, remains the very essence of French history in Australia.

By various accounts, La Perouse is the only Sydney suburb where Aboriginal people have had an unbroken connection since sea levels stabilised, believed to be 7,000 years ago, to form today's coast. And with the Land Council now owning the Aboriginal reserve there, it stands as the only suburb where Aboriginal people have kept their territory from European settlement to today.

Tony Gentile, an Italian immigrant whose French ties come through his mother, argues La Perouse is the only realistic place to tell the French story in Australia.

Mr Gentile says, on top of everything else, the story of Comte de Laperouse is actually about much more than the six weeks in Australia.

He says it is about French exploration in this part of the world, ranging from Samoa, where some of his men were killed, to the Solomon Islands, where he disappeared.

It is all one story.

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

Photo: Olena Levkivska

SYDNEY LUNA PARK (Milson’s Point) is a nice family place, especially for children.

We visited it for couple hours and had a really great time!

Big thanks to ‘Atlassian’ for the invitation.

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Japanese Ceramic Studio http://www.ceramicstudioen.com/ 28 Elizabeth Street, Artarmon, NSW One Day Lesson (Workshop) $50 + Material ($20-$22) & Firing Fee

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WHERE TO: Trick Or Treat in Sydney Celebrating Halloween

Many Australians celebrate Halloween, which occurs annually on October 31. It is also known as All Hallows’ Eve and is the day before All Saints’ Day. Costume parties are held and many children go trick-or-treating around this time of the year.

Halloween is not a nationwide public holiday in Australia. Retail businesses selling or renting out costumes and other Halloween-themed items may be particularly busy prior to and on Halloween.

As an example, for 6 years, thousands of zombies have dragged their rotting limbs across Sydney’s streets for the Sydney Zombie Walk — a free event supporting The Brain Foundation.

Photo: Vasyl Zubach

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Here are some awesome streets all around Sydney with great Trick or Treat houses to visit. Please note: Halloween is on a Monday night this year (31 October).

North Shore Mosman: Streets around Memory Park & Clifton Gardens, Holt Avenue, Spencer Road, Medusa Street, Somerset Street, The Esplanade Pymble: Gloucester Avenue (West Pymble), Hope Street, streets around Pymble Ladies College Willoughby: 1st, 2nd & 3rd Avenue Hornsby Heights: Sydney Road Wahroonga: Kintore Street, Cleveland Street, Stuart Street, Water Street, Grosvenor Street, Burns Road, Braeside Street St Ives: Gould Avenue, Catherine Street, Hayle Street Castle Cove: Rosebridge Avenue Cremorne: Brightmore Street and Benelong Road Lindfield: Middle Harbour Road Turramurra: Maxwell Street

Eastern Suburbs Paddington: All around Five Ways Randwick: Gumara Road, Hendy Avenue, Rainbow Street, Ellen Street, Dangar Street Bronte: Chesterfield Parade & surrounds Bondi Junction: Mill Hill Road Maroubra Edgar Street Dover Heights: Wallangra Road Bellevue Hill: Kambala Road Bondi: Hastings Parade, Brighton Boulevard, Avoca Street, Rose Street, Justus Street Murriverie Road, Castlefield Street Botany: William Street, Banksia Street Darlinghurst: Womerah Avenue Inner West Drummoyne: Renwick Street Rosebery: Tweedmouth Avenue Five Dock: Lancelot Street Concord West: Merville Street Rozelle: Darling Street Annandale: Railway Parade, Annandale Street, Trafalgar Street, Nelson Street Marrickville: Charles Street Russell Lea: Sibbick Street Belfield: Margaret Street Leichhardt: Hill Street & surrounds Redfern: Baptist Street Croydon Park: Balmoral Street Ashbury: First and Third Street

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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Sculptures by the sea

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

Photo: Olena Levkivska

Sculpture exhibition returns to the Bondi Beach to Tamarama Beach coastal walk.

See the coastal walk transformed into a 2km long temporary sculpture park featuring over 100 sculptures by artists from Australia and across the world.

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Photo: Olena Levkivska

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Photo (part): Olena Levkivska

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LET’S BE FRIENDS! http://xploreaustralia.tumblr.com/ https://www.facebook.com/xploreaustralia/ https://www.instagram.com/c.the.beauty/ @c.the.beauty #cthebeauty (c) Explore Australia, October 2016

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