Parramatta Lanes was a great experience with plenty of food options to satisfy anyone. We did get…read morelost a couple of times, but I do think they did the best that could be done with the streets and locations. Different themes in different locations, but also a mix of cuisines all around the place. Some popular names were there such as Butter, KOI and also a few food trucks like Happy as Larry and Eat Art Truck. Plenty to see and listen to as well, with a magical hanging garden and jazz depending on where you go. Definitely worth checking out when they're back on again.

Once a year, thousands of people gather from all walks of life, to sit in a park together to watch…read morefilms made by 16 talented filmmakers.... this event is free, its fun and it's called Tropfest. This unique cultural event is the brainchild of John Polson. He created the festival which is now the largest film festival in the world! Basically filmmakers are given a key word which they have to incorporate into a 7 minute film - the top 16 get screened on the night and the filmmakers win awesome prizes and accolades... The films start in the evening and the program runs for about 3 hours... it's super fun and a wonderful way to spend the night.... Now there can be a fifty thousand people in the park - so may I offer a few suggestions to get the most out of the expereince. 1. Get public transport 2, Get there early if you want a good seat 3, Go with friends 4. Bring a picnic blanket 5. Bring clothes for changing weather incl for rain 6. Bring your own food because it's expensive 7. Bring a sense of adventure... Tropfest is one of my favourite times of the year and its a wonderful way to bring people together..... FUN FUN FUN...

As a film maker, I'm not much of a fan of Tropfest, but as a spectator and lover of entertainment,…read morethis is one of those must-go-to events of the year. Heading into its 20th year, the event has now spread to the US, Asia and the Middle East, having started as a one short-film showing in the Tropicana Café in Darlinghurst. It now attracts around 150,000 to The Domain in the middle of February (next years festival will take place over 3 days, but the main showing takes place on the Sunday), so be sure to get there early to make sure you can get yourself a decent patch of grass. It's free to enter and if you get there early enough you'll also get to see the Mobile Screenfest and Junior Tropfest entries. The films have to be under 7 minutes long, so if you've got a poor concentration span, you should be ok with these. The 16 films are shown over around 3 hours, so it's a full evenings entertainment.

Beautiful gardens, thoughtfully planted. November is the time to enjoy the rhododendrons…read more The gardens are a lovely place to walk. Bird watching is also good here.

I have never seen so many smiling faces in one place…read more While the Rhodo festival is nearly a month long, I went up this weekend for the big markets, and found myself, unexpectedly, at the Grand Parade. It was the 59th Annual Rhodo fest, timed over late October and early November to showcase the beautiful gardens the area's known for. And the markets reflected that too, with stalls selling iris bulbs, pruning equipment and wool quilts for cold Blackheath nights. Besides the work of local artisans and craftspeople. Markets are fab, we know this. These were especially good in the unexpected sunshine. Thinking the day over, I wandered down the street to find that my very kind driving companion had accidentally parked along the imminent parade route. With traces of my inner-city cynicism intact, I expected to tolerate the next half hour. To my surprise, the evident pride in their community and sheer joy on the faces of all kinds of people walking past, surprised the heck out of me. Groovy vintage dressed people with their daschunds, kids from the local pre-schools barely able to contain themselves, local community groups making themselves visible for a bit of recognition for the wonderful work they do. Truly, I'm a bit humbled. Hope there's at least 59 more.

Okay, I haven't been to the festival (and didn't know anything about it until I typed Wisteria…read moreGardens into Yelp) but I have been to the gardens and they are absolutely amazing, especially in spring (which is when I came here). I suspect that the gardens are a part of Westmead Hospital, namely because I had to wander through parts of the hospital to get here, but there is also a convenient entrance from Parramatta Park which allows access here as well. I would suggest coming in spring because that is when all the flowers are in bloom and it provides a very lovely and tranquil place to while away some time.

Really good experience you will have for spending your afternoon at Leichhardt…read more So many food stall, from ribs, bangers, burgers, gelato and coffee. Oh, that's right, I forget the juices for adult, wine and alcohol! They are promoting Peroni, since this us Italian village festival. Bangers are nice, you guys can check from social media #the fancy banger. Gelato are nice too $4.50 for the single scoop. The beef ribs are cook to perfection, fall of the bones. Sauce is deep and rich so delicate. Come and check them out, the are finishing at 5 pm this afternoon.

Consider this review my Oliver begging bowl request for more…read more A one-off market showcasing the talents of local artists and artisans, I hope this is a sign of things to come. While I normally baulk at paying for entry to a market, this time my $5 was handed over without a qualm as I had a lovely Sunday morning chatting with wonderful people capable of making beautiful things. More than a few Christmas presents were found, and I found a drop dead stylish black handbag which was just waiting for little old me. It's a wonderful thing to be able to support the work of local creative people, and the quality of the items available here was impressive. Many of the artists seem to be represented in the local co-op The Nook in Leura, but nothing beats being able to buy directly from them. Please, a little more?

I caught the train up to check out the Leura Village Fair this weekend, a yearly event held in…read moreOctober to coincide with the Leura Gardens Festival. You can check out the Leura Village website to confirm the dates. The main street of this tourist mecca village in the Blue Mountains is closed off for the duration and a plethora of stalls are set up selling everything from trendy fashion from labels just starting out, to pottery, jewellery, and local produce from freshly made lemonade and bread to locally crafted gifts. The permanent stores also spill out onto the pavement, offering sales and tastings and there was a funky brass trio down the end busking to everyone's delight. If you've ever been to Leura, you'd know its renowned for its gardens and today the flowering cherry trees that run down the middle of the street were in full bloom. The wind was blowing and the petals were gusting everywhere - it was like walking through a cloud of pink snow.