Winnie Stubbs

If there's one thing that Australia does right, it's really beautiful beaches – and a lot of them, to be precise. With a whopping 12,000 fringing our island continent, it would take you a wild 32 years to see them all – if you tackled one beach per day. Assuming that your 32-year plan doesn't singularly involve beach hopping around Australia (although, we can of course, dream), we've put together a list of the best and prettiest beaches in Australia that you should visit this year – or at least once in your life. Each beach on this list has been selected for its remarkable beauty, prime swimming conditions (read: you won't see anywhere with saltwater crocs on this list), and proximity to other incredible activities, so your adventure out doesn't end with just one dip. Take the breathtaking Bay of Fires, crowned Tourism Australia's best beach for 2025, or the picturesque Whitehaven Beach, recently named the world's best. Now, all that’s left is for you to see them for yourself. 🌊 The best nudist beaches in Australia🏄 Australia's top surf beaches🌈 All the best places to visit in Australia

Sydney: the city of blue skies, ocean swims, alfresco living and sun-soaked times in the great outdoors, right? Well, hold on a second. That may be the case for a majority of the year thanks to our sunny Aussie climate, but the Harbour City also gets its share of super-rainy (and unbearably sticky) days. Don’t want to spend all of your indoors-time hunkering down at home? We’re here to help. Take shelter in style with our guide to the most fun things to do in Sydney within four walls. Whether you're in search of a crafternoon, a cultural adventure, or a cocktail with a view, there's something for everyone on our list of fun venues and activities where you can stay warm (or cool) and dry, all year round. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.  RECOMMENDED:  On a budget? These are the best things to do in Sydney for $25 or less.And these are the best walks in the city if you're keen to get out there and explore. 

Summer is over (by name), but there’s still a lot of fun to be had in Sydney this week – with Moonlight Cinema still screening movies under the stars, Neon Playground 2.0 bringing art, light, music and comedy to the streets of Haymarket and Lakemba Nights bringing delicious eats to the Western Sydney suburb after dark.There’s a lot of theatrical fun going on in the Harbour City this week too, with Hadestown lighting up the Theatre Royal, Titanique still bringing Celine Dion-soundtracked delight to the Grand Electric, and the uniquely choose-your-own-adventure Dungeons and Dragons play showing at the Opera House for a few more weeks.Keen to make the most of the longer days before Daylight Savings comes to an end? We’d suggest starting with a swim at one of the city’s best outdoor pools or secret swimming spots, lunching outside with a schooner at one of Sydney’s best beer gardens, then rounding out the day with a drink at one of the best rooftop bars in Sydney.Keen to keep moving? These are the best running routes in Sydney, and these are the city’s best gyms if you’d rather work out in air-con. Scroll on for our full list of the best things to do in Sydney this week. Mapping out your weekend? These are the best things to do in Sydney this weekend. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox.

Summer might be over, but Sydney’s weekend schedule isn’t slowing down – with Great Southern Nights 2025 bringing big name artists to venues across the city and beyond, Neon Playground 2.0 lighting up Haymarket, Lakemba Nights serving up excellent eats after dark and Cockatoo Island’s Sunset Sessions bringing magical golden-hour music to the harbour. If indoor activities are more your speed this weekend, check out the Alliance Française French Film Festival program, or head to one of our city’s best galleries – Cao Fei’s immersive futuristic exhibition is live at the Art Gallery of NSW for just a few more weeks. For the perfect autumn weekend, we’d suggest starting your days at one of the city’s best markets, then heading out on one of these easy day hikes or setting up at one of Sydney’s most delightful beaches. Keen to get out of town? These are our favourite day trips you can take from the city and these are the best spots to camp for a weekend in the open air. Scroll on for our full list of all the best things to do in Sydney this weekend. Weather not looking so hot? Check out our list of the best things to do indoors in Sydney. Looking for weekday fun? These are the best things to do in Sydney this week.Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox.

We’re calling it: 2025 is shaping up to be a blockbuster year for travel in Australia. In a country that buzzes from sunrise to sunset, you’re guaranteed to find new and exciting things happening no matter where you wake up (or wind down). As the Travel and News Editor for Time Out Australia, it’s my duty to scope out all the newest happenings across every state and territory. From epic tours and highly-anticipated restaurants to the hottest new hotels and hidden gem exhibitions, here’s our ultimate list of the 25 best new things to do in Australia in 2025. How many will you tick off? 🦘 The 30 best places to visit in Australia👀 10 major Aussie moments to look out for in 2025🇦🇺 The 20 top tourist attractions in Australia

Sometimes you just need to take a time out – and here at Time Out Australia, we’re the experts at doing just that. We’ve scoped out the very best wellness retreats around Australia, where you can soak away your worries and be pampered like absolute royalty. From an award-winning natural hot spring with 50 bathing experiences to the Southern Hemisphere’s largest spa with one of only two Somadome meditation pods in Australia, these places will cater to all your relaxing desires. Make a day trip of it or sneak off for a dedicated week-long detox – whatever you choose, you’ll leave feeling like a whole new person. These are the best wellness retreats in Australia right now. ✨ The top luxury hotels in Australia🌳 Australia's most magical rainforests🥾 The most epic hikes to do in Australia

Whoever said “nothing in life is free” clearly hasn’t been to Australia. Our Great Southern Land is full of bucket list experiences that won’t hurt or even touch your bank account. Hiking through some of the world’s most beautiful national parks? Free! Spotting fairy penguins on the beach? Free! Sampling your way through a world-class market? You guessed it – free! Our Travel and News Editor, Melissa Woodley, has backpacked all around the globe, so she knows a thing or two about savvy travel. With the help of her trusted team of Aussie travel writers, she’s curated this list of the best free things to do in Australia’s major cities. Whether you’re into soaking up the sun outdoors with swims, picnics and hikes, or cooling off inside with free exhibitions, chocolate tours and tram rides, there’s a budget-friendly activity to make you feel filthy rich with happiness.  🌊 All the best things to do in Australia🎢 The coolest things to do with kids⭐️ Tourist attractions in Australia that are worth it

Whether you're an Irish ex-pat, have Irish blood, or just love a good ol' Gaelic knees-up, St Paddy's Day, on March 17, is a chance to celebrate the rich heritage of the Emerald Isle. In Sydney, there are a bunch of ways to get involved. There's the official St Patrick's Day Parade and Festival on the Sunday before the big day, which transforms the Rocks into a St Patrick's Day-palooza of live music, Irish language sessions, Irish dancing, stilt-walking, face-painting, handicrafts, festival bars and food stalls. If you want to observe the saint's day another way, there's always the option of toasting ol' St Pat is with a well-poured Guinness. You can expect great craic and pints aplenty in Sydney's pubs on the day and through the weekend also. Here's where to cheer "Sláinte!" on the big day in Sydney. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Looking for the best watering holes in Sydney? Check out our favourite pubs. Want a Guinness in the sunshine? These are the best beer gardens in the city.Kids in tow? These are the best child-friendly pubs in the city.

International Women's Day takes place this year on Saturday, March 8, and the 2025 theme is For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment – it's all about celebrating women's achievements, raising awareness about discrimination, and taking action to drive gender parity, as we move towards a gender-equal world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.  The annual day of solidarity and activism has become a rallying point for people around the world to unite, celebrate and brainstorm solutions to the ever-mutating challenges we face. Feminism takes many forms, and each female-identifying person should feel like they can celebrate IWD in a way that truly explores their experience. To that end, we’ve selected a range of different ways to experience International Women's Day in Sydney this year. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.

Listen up, thrifty folk – if you’re on the hunt for the best op shops in Sydney, look no further.  If you're feeling overwhelmed by the rising cost of living and growing climate anxiety, shopping second-hand is an excellent solution. Affordable, fresh and always surprising, op shopping is better for your wallet, better for the Earth, and (often) better for your style.  That said, it can be tough to decipher which op shops in Sydney are worth the trip and which are best to skip. Between just Salvos and Vinnies alone, there are more than a thousand stores across the country, and with one or the other on most high streets, it can be hard to know where to start.  Whether you're coming from the north, south, east or west, we have you covered with our comprehensive guide to the best op shops in Sydney city that you may (or may not) have heard of. Picked by an expert shopper for their low prices and quality offerings, all of these second-hand stores are stacked with treasures. Whether you’re after vintage furniture, retro threads, or a whole wardrobe overhaul, peruse our pick of the ten best op shops that Sydney has to offer.  After all, as Peter Allen once sang, everything old is new again. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Stay thrifty with our guide to the best cheap eats in Sydney right now, then celebrate with one of the best happy hours in the city.

Sun and surf aside, the Gold Coast’s diverse dining scene shines just as bright as its world-class beaches. Whether it's a casual evening with fish and chips by the water, a barefoot bite at the beach club or a special occasion dinner at one of the Goldy’s award-winning restaurants, these are the places you want to be seen. We’ve done the hard yards and rounded up the best restaurants on the Gold Coast right now. You can check out the latest opening – a sleek, Italian bar in Miami – or dine at a long-time favourite, with plenty to pick from. Leave your towels at the door and dig in. 🌊 The best luxury hotels on the Gold Coast🏄🏻‍♀️ The best things to do on the Gold Coast

So, you've chosen the perfect park, beach or secret swim spot to while away a Sunday. Next stop: lunch. When you want to take your picnic to the next level, call in one of the experts. These Sydney companies will prepare a delicious hamper of fresh salads, sandwiches and snacks (or pastries and cheese – pick your poison). All you have to do is to decide where to carry it (and who to invite to the party).  Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.RECOMMENDED: These are the best national parks close to Sydney.And these are the best easy day hikes close to the city.

It’s 1853, and down a dusty road half way between Australia’s two largest cities, a warmly-lit pub is bustling with weary travellers. As they gather around the open fire with pints of ale and overflowing plates of hearty, local fare, a highwayman sneaks into the stables, hops on a horse who’s resting her legs, and gallops off into the night. Ben Hall, the highwayman in question, is something of a folklaw antihero in the Jugiong township: a fearless cowboy whose tactic of borrowing horses to help him commit local crimes, then returning them in time for breakfast, was more annoying than nefarious*. “People had to stay another night because their horses were too tired to get back on the road,” Mark Orr, General Manager of The Sir George tells us, as we gather on the lawn for a game of Bocce and an Aperol Spritz. As far as I can tell, no terrible fate. Though many things about The Sir George have changed in the 150 plus years that have passed since Ben Hall’s journey-hampering reign, a lot has stayed the same. Just one minute’s drive off the Hume Highway, the pub is still a popular pit stop on the Syd-Melb commute, the meals served still celebrate local produce, and the heritage shell holds all the secrets of the building’s storied past. Excluding a brief period of disrepair in the late 1990s, the historic hotel has remained a reliable watering hole for generations, and thanks to a spectacular renovation by a powerhouse mother and daughter team, it’s now one of Australia’s stand-

Calling all Inner City art fans. For three inspiring weeks this autumn, Neon Playground – Sydney’s largest Asian-Australian cultural arts festival – will transform Haymarket into a luminous wonderland of neon light installations, comedy shows, art exhibitions, incredible live performances and excellent food.  After a hugely popular first year, Neon Playground is back for round two, kicking off this Saturday (Saturday, March 15) with the epic Chinatown Block Party (taking over Dixon Street in the centre of Haymarket). The opening-night event will be headlined by Korean-Australian rap group 1300, with a super-strong line-up (featuring Hong Kong-Australian rapper Tommy Gunn, Taiwanese-Australian pop artist tiffi, CRIMSON dance crew and more) soundtracking the streets from 5pm until 10pm.  Throughout the duration of the festival, a carefully curated program of Asian-Australian artists will perform at a range of free-to-attend and ticketed shows, and the streets will be buzzing with vibrant art exhibitions and light installations. Showcasing a rotating roster of established and emerging Asian-Australian artists including Chris Yee, Kentaro Yoshida, Pei Kwang, Andrew Yee, and Samuel Kim, a magnificent sculpture formed of 14 luminous towers will act as Neon Playground's visual centerpiece. The 4-5 metre towers of light will feature 80 lightbox illustrations; use 1km of neon; and integrate more than 100,000 individual LEDs. Produced in collaboration with world-renowned creative produ

While its larger, more sparkly neighbour often gets the Insta-fame (Bondi Icebergs, we're looking at you), these beautiful ocean baths are just as worthy of a spot on your Sydney hit list. Built into the rocky cliffside, stairs lead down to a shallow-ish pool area, which is great for families and little nippers. There’s a small wooden barrier, which divides the pool up, so lap swimmers can do their thing (it’s not very long though, making it more suited to a leisurely few laps rather than a serious swim). For one of the most stunning sunrise views in the city, get here before 7am – watching the sun breach over the ocean’s horizon from this vantage point is pretty special. JUST REMEMBER: There have been a lot of drowning incidents at NSW beaches recently – if you swim at unpatrolled beaches, you put yourself at risk. You can search patrolled and unpatrolled beaches near you over here – as well as other surf safety issues. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED: Not into crowds? Here's our guide to the best secret beaches in Sydney.These are our favourite ocean pools in the city. And these are our favourite dog-friendly beaches.

“The view changes every day,” Pat, the farm’s caretaker, tells us as we look out over the fields, the donkeys grazing lazily in the paddock beside us and the shire horses, finishing their breakfast, cantering off up the gentle slope of the mountain. In the amphitheatre of the valley, the echo of their hooves is cinematic: a proud, theatrical thunder. In the time we’d spent at Barranca, the theory had rung true: the sandstone escarpment that surrounds the 1,000-acre property never quite the same shade of amber, the patchwork of trees taking on new forms of green as the sunlight came and went behind early autumn clouds. Why stay at Barranca? We arrived mid-afternoon, as a curtain of cloud began to lift and seemed to light the trees from below. The door was unlocked and music was playing through the speakers, welcoming us home. Pat had pointed us in the direction of the creek as we’d pulled into the drive, so we changed into our swimmers and walked for 20 minutes down through the river gums into the deep bowl of the valley. The word ‘barranca’ means “a narrow, winding river gorge”, and though the houses – four architecturally stunning structures, all glass and timber and tastefully curated designer features – are the main drawcard here, the creek is Barranca’s beating heart. Hand-painted signs led us down through the forest to the wide, rocky expanse – crystal clear water flowing through moss-covered rocky walls. Sunlight filters in through the trees, and it feels like stepping

As evidenced by the major weather events that continue to threaten communities across Australia (Cyclone Alfred, we’re looking at you), the climate crisis isn’t going anywhere. And while it’s easy to feel despondent in the face of climate change, there are incredible people and organisations taking action – harnessing modern technology, regenerative farming techniques and collective action to slow down the crisis. This month, founders, researchers, students and community organisations will be coming together in Sydney for the Harbour City’s second Climate Action Week – taking place between March 10-16. Here's everything you need to know. The inaugural Climate Action Week Sydney (CAW.SYD) popped up in May 2024, following successful events in London and New York which saw forward-thinking people and organisations unite for seven days of education and connection. The aim is to explore solutions for accelerating climate action around the world. Bringing together climate start-ups, community organisations, students, research institutions, investors, NGOs, corporate organisations and the broader community, the 2025 iteration of CAW.SYD will feature a program of events designed to inspire, educate and empower. Under themes ranging from policy to finance, First Nations perspectives to climate tech, the week-long event will involve talks and panel discussions on everything from regenerative agriculture to fashion. Events will be taking place across Sydney, and many are free to attend.

Potterheads, this one’s for you. More than 20 years after it first graced our silver screens, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is coming to Melbourne in a very different format: this time with John Williams' intense, rousing score performed live by the incredible Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO).  From Wednesday, June 4 until Saturday, June 7, Potter fans can watch the first movie of the multi-billion dollar series in spectacular HD, while the award-winning orchestra performs the score live. Step back in time to see Harry meet Hermionie, the wands choose their wizards and the magic mirrors bring Lily and James Potter back to life in one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in cinematic history.  As Australia's Largest Performing Arts Venue, a visit to Hamer Hall is exciting any day of the week, with screenings of the much-loved film soundtracked by the immensely talented MSO team guaranteeing an unforgettable night.Tickets start at $70, you can snap up yours over here.

It’s a beautiful thing to step inside a space that’s the true manifestation of a shared dream. And when you leave the space either more good-looking or more enlightened than when you arrived, it's a space you’ll want to return to again and again. This much can be said for A Studio: the stunningly designed hair-salon-turned-meditation-space-turned-creative-workshop turned-venue in the heart of Darlinghurst.  Founded by partners Gareth Martin and Mark Treviranus, A Studio is a creative space that combines beauty, mindfulness, and design in a way that reminds you that a business can be anything you want it to be. Down a quiet, urban laneway just steps away from Oxford Street, you’ll find the door beneath a small, quietly-cool illuminated sign. Hardwood floors will lead you up to a light-flooded studio – exposed brick walls are lined on one side by mirrors, on the other by one simple, clean shelf adorned with A Studio’s very-own hand-poured candles. The room is almost intimidatingly cool, but the staff – warm and lighthearted – will put you instantly at ease.  This first floor is Gareth’s domain. The New Zealand-born hair stylist trained in Auckland, then moved to Sydney in 2014 to begin practicing as a stylist. After opening the first iteration of A Studio in Potts Point back in 2022, he moved to the larger Darlinghurst space in early 2024, and it’s no mystery as to how he’s built a fiercely loyal clientele. Gareth’s skill spans way beyond the product (though I can affirmatively

Plus ça change as the Alliance Française French Film Festival (AF FFF) returns for its 36th edition with a bold line-up of 42 films – screening across some of Sydney’s most beautiful cinemas from Tuesday, March 4 until Wednesday, April 9 2025. This year’s program will kick off with special screenings of Monsieur Aznavour, the French blockbuster starring Golden Globe-nominated actor Tahar Rahim. Fittingly, the story follows Rahim’s character as he grapples with the task and honour of sharing the best of French culture with the world. Other highlights from this year’s program include Holy Cow – an uplifting comedy that follows a teenage boy on a mission to care for his younger sister (by making an award-winning cheese, bien sûr) – and In the Sub for Love: a love letter to the screwball romantic comedies of the 1940s. “While France is recognised as an avant-garde country in the arts, the festival will explore the real-life stories of prominent French cultural figures—universal and captivating tales of hope, struggles, failures, and extraordinary achievements,” explained newly appointed AF FFF CEO Frédéric Alliod. With no shortage of star power, this year’s celebration of French cinema will see French favourites including Charlotte Gainsbourg, Laure Calamy and Camille Cottin (Call My Agent!), Pierre Niney and Vincent Cassel all lighting up the screen. Sydney francophiles can lap up all this and more as the festival returns to cinemas across Sydney; Chauvel Cinema, Hayden Orpheum,

With its abundance of excellent restaurants, rambunctious pubs and late-night bars, Newtown isn’t known as Sydney’s zen capital. But hiding behind a crystal-adorned storefront in the heart of King Street you’ll find a surprising zen oasis – the Newtown outpost of Sydney’s most highly-awarded bath-house chain, Nature’s Energy.While the Glebe and Balmain outposts are larger in scale (the sprawling Glebe bath house is home to two traditional saunas, three infrared saunas, a steam room, a hot spa, two ice baths, a reflexology zone and a spacious recovery lounge), the Newtown space delivers everything you need from your bath-house visit in a cleverly compact, light-flooded space. And the best news? You’re steps away from some of the city’s best affordable eateries if your self-care regime is extending to your wallet (our top picks in the area are Westwood Pizza and Cairo Takeaway).  Following a recent refurbishment, Nature’s Energy Newtown is back and more beautiful than ever: complete with a stunning mineral soak tub, an infrared sauna, a steam room, a salt  scrub, a traditional sauna and an ice plunge. A $60 bath house pass will grant you access to the space for 60 minutes, but from our experience, it’s worth opting for the 120-minute session (just $90 for 120 minutes of bliss). If you’re keen to elevate your wellness, you can book a post-bathhouse massage of facial treatment – the signature massage is Nature’s Energy’s most popular for a reason. Keen to get your urban zen on? Y

If album listening parties were on your ins list for 2025, you’re not alone. With every second Sydneysider visiting Japan at some point this year, the arrival of the vinyl-bar-inspired listening party was bound to reach us at some point. Three months in, and here we are: with the All Ears deep listening series kicking off on Thursday, March 13. Inspired by the vinyl bars of Tokyo, the five-night series – touted as "Australia’s first deep listening experience" – will take place at five of the Inner West’s best breweries, with a carefully selected line-up of albums played in full across state-of-the-art Sonos audio systems. The selection of vinyl albums have been selected by Sydney DJ and tastemaker Andrew Levins, and will be played in their entirety across a high-fidelity sound system – uninterrupted from start to finish, just as the artist intended. On Thursday, March 13, the series will take over Marrickville’s Mixtape Brewing, playing Pink Floyd x Wizard of Oz (Dark Side of the Rainbow). On March 19, Future Brewing will host, playing Outkast’s 2000 album Stankonia. On March 26, the series will make its way to Chuck and Sons Brewing Co for INXS’s 1987 album: Kick. Thursday, April 3 will take All Ears to Wayward Brewing Co for Radiohead’s fourth studio album: Kid A. The series will come to a close on Thursday, April 10 with Mulatu Astatke’s Mulatu of Ethiopia at Wildflower. Doors will open at 6pm, with Levins introducing the music at 7pm before the album is played in full. Af

The largest island in Sydney's harbour and set at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers, Cockatoo Island is 18 hectares in size and named for the presence of sulphur-crested cockatoos. Before 1839, when a prison was built to house convicts from Norfolk Island, it was covered with red gums and was almost certainly an Aboriginal fishing spot. The convicts eventually relocated to Darlinghurst Gaol and the island had a brief stint hosting an industrial school for girls and a naval training ship for boys (but due to ‘unseemly and unscheduled meetings' the girls moved to Parramatta). However, the island was mostly used for shipbuilding and repairs; its several docks serviced the Royal Navy during WWII and was the construction site of Australia's first steel warship. The island's maritime industrial activity ceased in 1992, and Cockatoo Island only opened to the public in 2007. Today, the island is run by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and remains commercial free, although there are talks of reintroducing boat building on a smaller scale. The trust run different types of tours – visitors can opt for a self-guided audio tour ($6 per person) or on-demand guided tour (60 or 90 mins; $16). Those who want to stay on a bit longer also have options – there are camp sites, glamping packages, apartments or heritage holiday houses.Learn more about staying the night at Cockatoo Island here. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, trav

In the mood for a street party? We’ve got good news. City of Sydney’s street party series – aptly named Sydney Streets – is back for 2025, with festival-style street parties popping up across the city for six Saturdays this summer and autumn. Designed to celebrate the local community, Sydney Streets is taking over high streets across the city over the next few months, with the first one transforming Potts Point’s Macleay Street on Saturday, February 15. Kicking off at 11am and running into the night, the events will see the host streets closed to traffic – making space for outdoor dining, roving entertainment and live performance. Following a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country facilitated by traditional custodians of the land, activities at the various events will range from origami workshops to dog agility, with each event specific to its suburb. Local businesses will be hosting pop-up stalls, with the neighbouring restaurants and shops included in the action. Although the specific businesses and events will vary, Sydneysiders can expect family-friendly fun and music into the night across the board. After the Macleay Street event on Saturday, February 15, Sydney Streets will take over Darlinghurst’s bustling Stanley Street on Saturday, February 22, Harris Street in Pyrmont on March 8, Glebe Point Road on Saturday, March 15, Redfern Street on Saturday, March 29 and Crown Street in Surry Hills on Saturday, April 5. Keen? You can learn more over here.  Stay in the loop: si

Back in February, a major milestone was announced by the people behind Sydney Fish Market, with the spectacular roof canopy confirmed as complete. Rumours had already been circulating about the financial viability of the project, but these were denied by the developers, and all appeared to be running smoothly, with the development reportedly moving onto “the home stretch”. Now, it’s been reported that one of the companies behind the construction has entered administration as the cost of the project has gone beyond budget. Here’s what we know so far.The financial position of Sydney Fish Market was initially called into question back in February, when the company failed to publish its financial results for the 2024 financial year on time. The redevelopment of the iconic market – the largest fish market in the Southern Hemisphere – was initially slated to cost $750 million, but the current figure for the cost of Sydney Fish Market 2.0 is $836 million. As costs have blown over budget, one of the key contractors working on the project has officially gone into administration, with Multiplex – the construction company managing the project – calling for government support. Photograph: Supplied | NSW Government Due to house 38 tenants (you’ll find a few of the big name venues revealed here), with more than 26,000 square meters of retail, dining and community space across three levels, the new Sydney Fish Market is being brought to life by several different contractors. Late last wee

Hiking is having a moment in NSW – with every man and their dog lacing up and setting out on a big bush-bashing adventure, stomping through the outback for hours on end, or planning entire holidays around a single hike. Luckily, you don’t have to venture far to get your blood pumping, because Sydney is home to some incredible walks – with the longest hiking trail in NSW starting right here in the city, and a heap of stunning day hikes within easy driving distance. If you’re keen to jump on the hiking trend, AllTrails has just revealed the top five trending trails in Australia for 2025 – and a hike just outside of Sydney has topped the list.Despite only opening in March 2024, the breathtaking 19-kilometre Grand Cliff Top Walk in NSW’s Blue Mountains saw the biggest increase in popularity across Australia over the past year. This next-level two-day walk winds its way along a spectacular cliff-edge track from Wentworth Falls to Gordon Falls to Katoomba, offering elevated views of the Three Sisters and Jamison Valley along the way. With spectacular waterfalls, lush native flora, and the chance to stay in a dreamy historic village, it’s the perfect introduction to multi-day hiking.  Photograph: Supplied | NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service The stunning mountaintop trail was the only NSW hike to crack the top five, with Melbourne ranking as Australia’s hiking hotspot for 2025, claiming three of the top five trending trails, and a gorgeous four-kilometre hike in Queensland ro

Summer in Sydney has officially come to an end, and soon, we’ll have to say goodbye to the next best thing: daylight saving time. Since October last year, Sydneysiders have been soaking up an extra hour of evening sunlight – spending post-work sunshine hours at our city’s beautiful beaches and rooftop bars. But all good things must come to an end, with daylight saving officially wrapping up on Sunday, April 6. Here’s everything you need to know about the end of daylight saving in 2025, including when to turn your clocks back. When does daylight savings end 2025? Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday in April at 3am local time. In 2025, this falls on April 6.  Do we lose or gain an hour when daylight savings ends? One good thing about daylight saving time ending is that we score a bonus hour of sleep on the morning of April 6, as the clocks wind back from 3am to 2am. With the shift, sunrise and sunset will happen one hour earlier, meaning brighter mornings but darker evenings. So, hooray for sunrise strolls, but boo for commuting home from the office in the dark.  Do I turn the clock back or forward when daylight savings ends in NSW? Anyone who uses their smartphone as their alarm clock won’t have to worry about this one – it’ll automatically do the job for you. But if you’re kicking it old-school with an analogue clock or watch, you’ll need to wind it back by one hour in the morning on April 6. We suggest doing it the night before so you don’t rock up an hour early to

Sydney has no shortage of beautiful walking routes, but if you’ve worked your way through the best trails in the city and exhausted the magical secret tracks that line the coast, we’ve got good news. Last week, a fresh new walking track opened up on the banks of Sydney Harbour: a stunning 3-kilometre trail showcasing the area’s historic military buildings and next-level views across Sydney Harbour.Starting at Middle Head–Gubbuh Gubbuh, the trail traces the coast for three kilometres to Georges Head, leading hikers past some of Sydney’s most incredible historic military relics and creating a missing link along the banks of the harbour. Built over six years, the $9.5-million trail is an extension of the Bondi to Manly walk, connecting to Chowder Bay and makes an excellent addition to the already beautiful Bradley’s Head to Chowder Bay walking route. Photograph: Supplied | NSW National Parks and Wildlife And while the views from this clifftop trail would be reason enough to add to your weekend hit list, it’s the military significance of this walk that sets it apart from the city’s other coastal trails. Winding along the coast between headlands, the trail takes in an impressive series of former military structures, including a network of restored World War II twin 6-pounder gun casemates and military forts which were carved around the headland to protect Sydney from attacks.The track also includes several new lookout points, and a new bridge with crazy-good views across Sydney’

It's the era of the big communal bath house in Sydney – with Bondi Junction's Xtra Clubs kicking off the movement last March, the stunning subterranean Slow House opening up beneath Bondi Beach, and One Playground's super-affordable Urban Oasis bringing communal sauna-ing to Sydney's Inner City. Next month, another will be joining the ranks – with Soak Bathhouse Alexandria set to open up its doors.When Soak Bathhouse revealed plans for their stunning Bondi Junction bathhouse way back in 2023, Sydney’s spa lovers went a little bit wild – keen to get a taste of the bathhouse experience that’s been keeping Brisbaneites and Gold Coast residents in zen for a good few years now. And although the Bondi Junction space is still yet to open, Sydneysiders are set to get their fix from an Inner City space due to open in April 2025.  Photograph: Supplied | Soak Bathhouse Soak Bathhouse Alexandria – a sprawling 700 square metre bathhouse – will be one of the brand’s biggest locations yet, and will feature a series of magnesium pools (heated to 34 degrees celsius), hot spas (heated to 38 degrees celsius), cold plunge pools, a dry cedar wood sauna and a steam room. Alongside the communal bathing space, Soak Alexandria will also offer private therapies including infrared sauna sessions, LED therapy treatments and massages. Photograph: Supplied | Soak Bathhouse It will be housed within a new $230 million development designed by renowned Aussie architecture firm Wardle, which will also feat

Northern Beaches residents, we’ve got good news. After months of commuting chaos, sweet relief is on its way in the form of 60 new buses, which will help solve the transport deficit that’s been plaguing the beaches to city commute.Over the past few months, residents of Sydney’s Northern Beaches have been facing major delays (up to forty minutes at peak times, with queues stretching for hundreds of metres), as a limited supply of buses have struggled to meet demand. The bus shortage began in October 2024, when several of the 83 Volvo articulated buses operating in the Northern Beaches were removed from service due to safety concerns. With limited replacement buses on standby, the Northern Beaches region was instead faced with reduced and delayed services, resulting in a lot of unhappy commuters.This week, Transport for NSW has confirmed that they’ll be addressing the issue with a new supply of high-capacity buses, promising to buy 50 new articulated buses as well as 10 double decker buses to supplement the B-Line fleet. “We know it’s been a difficult couple of months for bus passengers on the Northern Beaches who’ve been dealing with the shortage of articulated buses. Our drivers have been doing their best, but the fleet shortage has meant many services haven’t been up to scratch. That’s why we’re bringing in more high-capacity buses,” explained Minister for Transport John Graham. Photograph: Supplied | Transport for NSW The additional high-capacity buses will improve reliab

Thrill seekers and nostalgia fiends, this one’s for you. For the first time in two years, Luna Park’s iconic roller coaster – the Wild Mouse – is back up and running, offering Sydneysiders an adrenaline-pumping experience on the banks of Sydney’s stunning harbour.  Since welcoming its first fearless thrill-seekers way back in 1963, the Wild Mouse has been a key feature of Luna Park Sydney, the heritage-listed theme park that sits like a colourful toy-town on the northern edge of the harbour. But back in 2022, the beloved theme park ride – one of the most popular roller coasters in Australia – was taken out of service. Now, following a multi-million dollar makeover, the hair-raising, gravity-led ride is back – welcoming guests from today (Friday, March 13). Photograph: Supplied | Luna Park With the Wild Mouse’s heritage-listed status making restoration a meticulous operation, the project has taken two years to complete, with a team of expert technicians tasked with re-building the 400-metre track piece by piece. Now the work is complete, the Wild Mouse is operating more smoothly than ever, with Luna Park Sydney CEO John Hughes describing the freshly refurbished ride as “a timeless favourite and a cornerstone of Luna Park’s enduring legacy.” One of only three of its kind still operating in the world, the ride’s historic design utilises a chain system to pull two-person cars to the top position, before releasing the car through a series of zig-zags and heart-in-mouth ups and d

When the Bankstown to Sydenham train line closed (to be converted into an extension of the existing Sydney Metro line) back in October 2024, residents of Sydney’s Inner West braced themselves for more than 12 months of replacement buses. Initially, it was estimated that the speedy new line would take a year to complete, with the opening date slated for late 2025. Now, after what Transport for NSW has described as a “complex and difficult project”, it’s been confirmed that the Sydenham to Bankstown metro extension won’t be open until 2026 – with no exact date confirmed. Yep, that means we're stuck on those train replacement buses for longer. Want more Metro intel? We’ve put together all of our Sydney Metro insights – from details on the station artwork to facts about accessibility and where the network will go next – over here.  In a statement released yesterday (Wednesday, March 5), Transport for NSW cited the “complexities” of transforming a 100-year-old railway into a state-of-the-art metro system, as well as the “130 days” of industrial action, as the factors that have impacted the project. According to the statement, industrial action has limited access to work sites, and prevented contractors from being able to obtain crucial work permits. These disruptions halted the schedule, requiring what Transport for NSW described as “significant reprogramming of vital construction activities”. “Works like upgrades to overhead wiring and station platforms, as well as electrical wo

Sydney’s love for running is showing no signs of slowing down. Following the run club boom of early 2024, our city went on to confirm it will be hosting Australia’s first World Major Marathon in August, and just last month, Sydney was crowned the third-best city for runners in the world. Now, a new study has revealed the most scenic running routes in Australia, and the winning route is right here in the Harbour City. To determine which Aussie running routes were the country’s most scenic, an Australian supplement brand analysed the most popular running routes in the country, and then looked at the AllTrails photo count to confirm the 'scenic value'. The data set of 94 trails – all moderate in difficulty, under ten-kilometres in distance and with less than 30 metres elevation gain – were each given a score out of 100 based on factors ranging from air quality to traffic levels. With a perfect score of 100, Sydney’s Wolli Creek Regional Park to Nanny Goat Hill trail was crowned the most scenic in the country, with only one other NSW trail cracking the top ten.Tracing through Wolli Creek Regional Park in Sydney’s south for 3.4 kilometres, the trail takes runners south to Nanny Goat Hill – a lookout with 360-degree views of the surrounding area, including the Cooks River, Botany Bay and the city skyline in the distance. Photograph: Alice Ellis | Time Out Sydney The other NSW trail to crack the top ten was a coastal route in the Central Coast: the Skillion via Terrigal Beach. Thi

Back in February 2024, plans were revealed for Bradfield City: an entirely new CBD set to be built next to the new Western Sydney airport. With projected capacity for 10,000 new homes, the huge new development will be the first major city to be built in Australia in more than 100 years, and it’s just reached a major milestone: with today marking the official opening of the first building at Bradfield City Centre. We got an exclusive look at the new Western Sydney International Airport.  A key part of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis (the major development of land surrounding the new airport), Bradfield City Centre is set to be a sustainable purpose-built city on the doorstep of the new airport. Backed by more than $1 billion investment from the NSW Government, the new city – set to be spread across 144 acres, five times the size of Barangaroo – will eventually feature 10,000 homes, 20,000 “high quality” jobs, and stunning green open spaces including a NYC-style Central Park. The building that opened its doors today is the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF): an innovation and industry accelerator offering shared facilities for training, technology, expertise and networking opportunities, with a focus on driving more investment into the Western Sydney region. Photograph: Supplied | NSW Government | Quentin Jones With the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport due to open by the end of 2026, investment in Bradfield City Centre and the Western Syd

Home to the fastest-growing population in Australia (specifically pinned to the Western Sydney area), Sydney is developing fast – with new development plans for various suburbs revealed every few weeks. Over the past two years, plans have been revealed for the largest affordable housing project in the country, a major redevelopment that will add 25,000 new residents to Sydney Olympic Park, and a whole new CBD (the first major city to be built in Australia in more than 100 years) connected to the new Western Sydney airport. Now, the plan to bring 3,030 new homes to a vacant stretch of land in Edmondson Park has been revealed – with the suburb’s population set to grow by 17,000 people in the next four years.  Developed by the state department for urban development, Landcom, the plan to reshape Edmondson Park includes a range of home styles and sizes at various price points, walkable public spaces complete with pedestrian access and cycle paths, around 5,000 square metres of retail and commercial floor space, 4.3 hectares of rehabilitated open space for conservation (including boardwalks and platforms for pedestrian access) and 5,000 metres squared of additional recreational open space. Photograph: Supplied | Landcom The 30-hectare “Town Centre North precinct”, set to be built on a currently unused stretch of land by Edmondson Park train station, will significantly increase the number of homes in the area: from 440 to 3,030. To accommodate high-density housing in the area, bui

In case you missed it, Drake is Down Under. The divisive star has had a big few months, to say the least – but we know when that hotline bling, it can only mean one thing. And this summer, you better believe it will be blinging – with Drake bringing his Anita Max Win Tour to Sydney for a series of five (5!) shows. Here’s everything you need to know before you go. When is the Drake Anita Max Win Tour in Sydney? Drake launched the news of his Sydney tour with just two dates, and has gone on to add an additional three shows – meaning he’ll be performing a total of five shows in the Harbour City. Drake’s Sydney stint kicked off on Sunday, February 16, with shows on Monday, February 17, Wednesday, February 19, Thursday, February 20 and Friday, March 7. Which Drake Sydney show was cancelled? Drake's fifth Sydney show – due to take place this Friday, March 7, was cancelled. In an official statement, Drake's team explained that they were "actively working on rescheduling these dates along with adding some additional shows." Why did Drake cancel his Sydney show?  The exact reason for cancelling the last few dates of his Australia/ New Zealand tour is under some speculation, with Drake citing "scheduling conflict." How to get to the Drake concert The 10,000 car parking spaces at Olympic Park are expected to be booked out well in advance. It can also get pretty congested leaving the car park at the end of the night, so public transport is often the best option for getting to Qudos Bank