I've never been to the races before I came to Sydney. Since moving here a year ago, I have been to…read morethe races three times now. The first time was for a friend's birthday in October, second time was for St Patty's Day and the third time was this past Saturday. I live right across the road from the race course, so it's super handy. St Patty's day was rainy and a bit miserable but this past Saturday, the weather was nice and sunny. The first race starts at about one but you gotta get there somewhat early to grab a table, otherwise you're in heels standing all day. Be warned, if you are in the general admission area, you will have to pee in a porta-potty. It's surprisingly clean though. Overall a pretty good venue - drinks can be a bit expensive, so pre-drinking is a must. Certain sections will charge you more for drinks, which I think is a bit ridiculous. You do get hungry after a day of drinking so the sausages or "snags" can be pretty tempting. It's fun to see all the people drunk and dressed up in their finest. Can get a bit expensive with betting, drinking and eating, but good fun.

This is a great racecourse - only 6km (3 miles) from central Sydney, it's a pleasure to visit…read more There's plenty of space for members and non-members alike. The grandstands have indoor and outdoor options, all with great views, and there's plenty of betting places. The mounting yard is behind the grandstands in the "Theatre of the Horses", which is a really great area to get up close to horses, trainers and jockeys. There's lots of options for food also. You can even visit the race day stables where the horses are prepared, if you're interested. It's not far from all the action, everything's close. A taxi fare is about $15-20 from the city and there are public transport options, but nothing direct. Train and bus combination will do it. Overall it's a great venue.

First time running a half marathon in Sydney, Australia. First time in the city of Sydney. First…read moretime in Australia. So glad that I found this race in part of my quest to run a half marathon in all 7 continents. Australia was #3. I found myself looking through various world marathon websites / online race calendars to see where I can go for my 7 continents quest. I found the Blackmores Sydney Australia marathon and half marathon, which fell very neatly on the 3rd Sunday in September. Race day also happened to be one day before my birthday, so that was the deal that sealed everything and I ended up signing up. It was great that the weather on race morning was cold, as Sydney was coming off winter and spring time was upon them at the time. Weather at the time was around 8 degrees Celsius and it was indeed running weather! The marathon and half marathon weaves through the streets of Sydney, although the first 6 miles of the course featured a local highway and the Sydney harbor bridge. I didn't really mind that though. For the most part though, the Sydney Australia half marathon was fun and somewhat scenic. While the course featured some out and backs and the Highway portion, the course was nice and I liked the last 2km, where we got to run along the waterfront. The finish line was lined with crowds and spectators, but the course itself wasn't so lucky. Still, it was a good long distance race for me overseas. The overall experience here at the 2018 Blackmores Sydney Australia marathon / half marathon was good and electric. It was great to have gone overseas (not including Canada) in 4 years since continent #2 in Europe. I did love the fact that the finish area was basically the Sydney Opera House, the iconic vestige of Sydney Australia. Upon arrival to packet pick up at the Sydney Town Hall on George Street, I felt like this expo was going to be large. On the contrary, it was way smaller than expected. I was in and out of there within 15 minutes. Half of the space used was for packet pick up and the other was basically for vendors. There wasn't too much stuff for the vendors there and I was out of there. They said they emailed you your race info and bib number, but if they haven't, there are volunteers there to help you look up your number and be on your way. The start area was located at Bradley Park, which was basically near the Sydney harbor bridge. We got to run on the bridge for the first 2km before veering off onto other parts of the highway around 5km, I think. There was a lot of people for the half marathon. So much so, that I didn't start running till about 20 minutes after the official start. Plenty of people! The course was nice and sometimes scenic, as mentioned about the water front sections of the course and the last 2km especially. It was nice to see the Sydney Opera House in view about the 18km mark when we were rounding the edge and coming in for the finish. The streets were sometimes narrow, since there was a few out and back sections. I didn't mind though. The biggest difference between races in the USA and the rest of the world is converting miles to kilometers. Still, the finish was excellent and it was cool to see a sea of people at the Sydney Opera house steps. After the finish, there was recovery aids, which may or may not cost money - like a big sandwich vendor and liquor that day. The recovery area spilled out to the Sydney botanical gardens area and there was a festival filled with spectators and participants. It was cool to see the marathon runners run through Hyde Park while I was walking back to the city center. I cheered them on and wondered why I didn't sign up for the marathon instead. Still, it is a wonderful marathon / half marathon To get to and run in Australia. If you are one of those that love Destiination races or even trying to run a marathon or a half marathon and each of the seven continents, consider this one for you. Mid September is a great time for a race because of the weather and typically cool temperatures on race morning. Check them out! 4.5 stars for the overall experience. Medium small race in the Sydney city center. Thank you to all volunteers who make this race a success year after year. Great organization and festive atmosphere. Run more! Support local! A

I have always been a fan of puzzles and problem solving. Escape Hunt offers players a real life…read morerole play of solving a crime and being the hero. The facilities are excellent here. Once you get upstairs your instantly transported into a room of mystery and intrigue. The lounge area while you wait is filled with puzzles to keep you entertained. Biscuits and tea or coffee are freely available. It's located on George Street close to Martin Place Station, Town Hall and Wynyard so perfect to get to. The tone for each room is set out with a description of what your about to encounter on a manual. The excellent hostess also described a brief history of the 3 stories to each room which got us all pumped and ready for our challenge. Each room offers mental challenges and mathematical problem solving as you attempt to make your way along the crime solving journey. The game is challenging and your given 60 minutes to get out before it's too late. My group and I found it very tough and required a lot of brain storming. Definitely be prepared to be challenged. The hostess provides you with a walkie talkie for those moments your struggling with clues which is great when your going the wrong way. The reward for getting out is some fun picture moments with some props like a magnifying glass or pipes. Your chance to look like Sherlock Holmes. This place is perfect for a group of friends celebrating a birthday or work bounding experience. I highly recommend the place and the staff here and superb professionals and go out of their way to ensure everyone leaves with a smile. Best thing is they got 3 different rooms and frequently update them so you can return again. Thanks Escape Hunt for a good experience.

Who stole the money from the cottage?…read more That was what my team of three had to uncover. The place was dimly lit, the brick looking wall paper, the costumes and the other decor gave the feeling of being in a sherlock holmes novel. They even have the accompanying outfits, large magnifying glasses and smoking pipes. There were many of us detectives, we were divided into groups and had different puzzles to solve and were given an hour to solve the mystery! The team I was with was the first to solve the mystery (woohoo!!! - I even have a certificate to provide it!) There were a couple of rooms and in each there was a clue and using that we had to find the combination to a lock. Opening a lock usually means uncovering the next clue or getting access to the next room. Upon unlocking the final lock, you'll learn who the culprit it (in our case, who stole the money). While you're suppose to feel like Sherlock Holmes in this game, I have to say that I felt more like the mentalist. Mainly because the clues we were given were about the behaviour of the possible suspects and we had to decipher the cryptic text and find the correct items to get the combination for the next lock. And also because the place is located in the heart of the Sydney CBD right on George Street. I walk past there countless times and didn't realise that this cool establishment existed. There were plenty of nibbles where we first arrived and there were also little puzzles for us to solve while we waited for our game to start. And at the end, there were champagne and wine to enjoy while we share our last 60 minutes experience with the other teams. Our team solves the mystery in 47 minutes. How long did yours take?

Best Paintball location by far. Also have Go karting which was great fun. Was very affordable and…read moreall the staff were relaxed, friendly and made the event unforgettable. It's been built all inside so the weather isn't an issue and all the equipment is in great condition and well maintained. All other places are so far out of Sydney but this is literally a 20 min train ride from the CBD. Extremely enjoyable and the best Sydney has to offer.

I have hosted two 10 year old boys birthday parties here in the last two years, the latest being…read moreyesterday. We love it, super easy, super fun, super awesome staff! This isn't your flashy hyperkart experience. Its gritty, it's petrol motors and that's what makes it even funner! we are looking forward to hosting another party at this venue soon. Kids had a ball. Thanks Spitfire!

Rosehill Races - Easter Saturday - being there with the 25,000 or so other racegoers for Golden…read moreSlipper Day. Apparently it's one of the biggest days of the racing calendar - a must see for over the top fashionista sistas. The highest heels and craziest fascinators you will ever see. Nowhere else do people wear these kinds of clothes - not weddings, not cocktail parties, not proms - it's crazy! The ladies go totally over the top to show off their 'racy fashion looks' (pun intended!). And the guys don't look so shabby either. Dashing in their suits and ties! So many beautiful people - it's a people watchers paradise. If you've never been to the horse races then you are missing out on a unique cultural event. So it was the Golden Slipper yesterday and I was there performing as Zelda Ukulele Performer at the Figtree Bar (which is right near the entrance of the train station) and what a fun vibe - the bar was packed all day. The 5-Seeds Promo gals and I were working up a great vibe and as the shadows of the day got longer the punters got braver and at one stage the whole bar joined in with me for a great old ukulele singalong to some of the more iconic songs such as 'The Gambler', 'Eye of the Tiger', 'Jolene', Baby (Justin Bieber's hit) and the anthem for the Y Generation 'What's Up!'. Lots of fun and you really get to meet some lovely friendly people - young and old from all over Sydney - it's a top day. So next time Golden Slipper Day rolls around jump on a train and join in the fun. You'll love this all-day party atmosphere.

Conveniently located next to the train station - literally, the entrance is on the platform - this…read moreis a pretty good way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Don your best suit (well, maybe your 2nd best, this isn't the Melbourne Cup!), have a few beers, aim to win some money with your betting bible in your inside pocket, lose miserably, few more beers, head home/to the pub. Sounds good to me. Although, the wait in between races can get a bit tedious, especially as the beers aren't cheap - but it's still pretty fun. It's a relatively old course, but on a nice, sunny day, you're not really bothered by that, as you spend most of the day outside. My last experience there was for our football end-of-season get together, and although it was busy, it wasn't crowded, so it made for a good, casual afternoon. Obviously it'll be much busier during the Sydney Carnival, but on any other Saturday, it'll be pretty relaxed. No reason not to look your best though!

Absolutely great place to visit for sport lovers. The place is filled with both old and new cricket…read morelegends and Vanessa our tour guide was just adorable. She was so courteous to show us around though we hadn't booked for the tour. She is knowledgeable and very loving person.

Such an amazing place to visit while in Sydney. It is a beautifully historic venue and a place to…read morewatch some fast-paced footy.

Ultimate Karting Sydney has an amazing track, and the carts are supreme. Juicy goose has great…read morefood. u should go there :)