No Images? Click here MEDIEVAL MASTERPIECE ON DISPLAY IN SYDNEYOne of the world’s most prestigious art exhibits has arrived in Sydney, and will open exclusively at the Art Gallery of NSW tomorrow. The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry series – often referred to as the ‘Mona Lisa of the Middle Ages’ – is considered one of the greatest surviving masterpieces of medieval European art. NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said, “The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are remarkable and rare, and I’m delighted that the NSW Government has assisted the Gallery to bring this masterpiece of Western medieval art to Sydney.” Designed in Paris around 1500, the tapestries depict a lady flanked by a lion and a unicorn, surrounded by an enchanting world of animals, trees and flowers. One of the most intriguing aspects of these six large-scale artworks is the mystery of their origin and meaning; for whom were these masterpieces made? What do they symbolise? What stories do they tell? The tapestries, which have only left France on two previous occasions, are on loan from one of Paris’ most visited museums – the Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge – where they are the number one attraction. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these magnificent artworks in Sydney. For more information and to book tickets, visit the Art Gallery of NSW. Image: 'Taste' c1500, from the The lady and the unicorn series, wool and silk, 377 x 466 cm, Musée de Cluny – Musée national du Moyen Âge, Paris. Photo © RMN-GP / M Urtado. LORD HOWE ISLAND STARS ON VANITY FAIR COVERLord Howe Island is being showcased to UK audiences in all its glory this month, with the island gracing the front cover of Vanity Fair On Travel magazine. The initiative was secured by Destination NSW in partnership with Tourism Australia and is designed to entice UK travellers to book their next holiday to the World-Heritage listed paradise. Lord Howe Island is a two-hour flight from Sydney or Brisbane, and only 400 visitors are permitted at any time. The island’s twin peaks, Mt Gower and Mt Lidgbird, are two of the highlights along with lush Kentia palm forests and crystal-clear waters teeming with marine life. Popular activities include swimming and surfing, snorkelling and diving, fishing, kayaking, bushwalking, and birdwatching – the island is one of Australia’s premier birdwatching destinations. Vanity Fair On Travel is well-known for its coverage of luxury lifestyles and inspirational travel content, with the March edition featuring Lord Howe Island is on sale in the UK now. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN SYDNEY UNVEILS NEW DIGITAL EXPERIENCEThe Royal Botanic Garden Sydney made history this week, becoming Australia’s first major visitor attraction to roll out free high-speed wifi using ground-breaking small cell technology. Forty ‘smart nodes’ providing wifi have been installed across 63 hectares of the Sydney Harbour foreshore, enabling visitors to connect with the Gardens and Domain, including through a new interactive app featuring online tours and augmented reality experiences. The $10-million wifi network has limitless capacity and will enable thousands of visitors to access a reliable, high-speed connection, including at major events. Testing over the New Year’s Eve period revealed extraordinary results with more than 7,000 users simultaneously using the wifi from 6pm to 2am across nine events. There is also a new app, available in English and Mandarin, offering real-time wayfinding, a place where users can save favourite experiences and find information about plants and the Gardens. The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s digital transformation has been achieved in partnership with ENE-HUB and Optus. Find out more. UK SUPER LEAGUE TEAMS ARRIVE IN NSWWigan Warriors and Hull FC have touched down in Wollongong ahead of the first UK Super League game to be played outside of Europe. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall and Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward welcomed Wigan and Hull at the iconic Flagstaff Hill on Monday, with the two sides set to face off at WIN Stadium tomorrow. “NSW is, without doubt, Australia’s home of rugby league, and I am thrilled to welcome both Wigan and Hull to our wonderful State and in particular to Wollongong for this world-first Super League game,” Mr Marshall said. “The NSW Government has secured this three-game tour exclusively for Sydney and Wollongong in partnership with Wigan RLFC and Destination Wollongong. "The tour is expected to attract around 5,000 interstate and overseas visitors to NSW, injecting more than $7 million into the State’s visitor economy." Tickets for tomorrow’s Wollongong game are on sale at Ticketmaster, and buy tickets for the Sydney matches on 17 February from Ticketek. NEW HOME OF THOROUGHBRED RACINGAustralia’s largest purpose-built thoroughbred racing precinct, including a luxury five-star hotel and event centre, has opened its doors at Warwick Farm in Western Sydney. NSW Minister for Western Sydney Stuart Ayres joined Inglis Deputy Chairman Arthur Inglis and Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster on Monday to mark the opening of the $140 million Inglis Riverside Stables. “The opening of this first-in-class racing and entertainment precinct, by the country’s oldest thoroughbred auctioneers, is testament to the appeal of Western Sydney as an investment opportunity,” Mr Ayres said. “It’s quite symbolic, one of Australia’s oldest businesses with deep roots and history in the east, investing in its future in Western Sydney. “Western Sydney is fast becoming a new hub for the equine industry, creating future jobs and attracting thousands of national and international visitors.” Riverside Stables includes 823 stables, a 144-room William Inglis Sofitel Hotel with suites named after champion race horses, restaurants, cafés, a pool with cabanas and a unique ringside bar where people can dine and inspect the thoroughbreds. NSW’S ICONIC PALM BEACH TO STAR IN NEW MOVIESydney’s famous Palm Beach is to provide the stunning backdrop in a new film starring Bryan Brown, Sam Neill, Greta Scacchi and Jacqueline McKenzie. A comedy drama, Palm Beach will follow a group of lifelong friends meeting up to celebrate a special birthday: the trip starts well, but soon tensions mount and secrets are revealed. NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said the production will showcase Sydney’s northern beaches to viewers from around the world. “Film is a powerful medium to showcase destinations, with a location so often becoming a central character in itself in many screen stories. "We’re delighted to be supporting this new Australian comedy which will showcase Sydney’s picturesque Palm Beach and surrounding Pittwater region to a worldwide audience,” Mr Marshall said. Film production will start later this year. NSW PRO SURF SERIES HITS BOOMERANG BEACHThe Great Lakes Pro, the third event in the NSW Pro Surf Series, is underway at Boomerang Beach. Over 200 male and female surfers are competing in the event, which will see over 18 different countries represented across both divisions. The NSW Pro Surf Series was developed for Australian and international surfers to gain ranking points and prize money on the World Surf League Qualifying Series. The Series also creates a NSW coastal road trip for visitors to explore the variety of waves, visit local communities and enjoy NSW surfing culture. The Great Lakes Pro runs from 7 to 11 February 2018 and is free to attend; the final stop in the NSW Pro Surf Series is Avoca Beach for the Central Coast Pro, which will run from 7 to 11 March 2018. For more information on the NSW Summer of surfing, go to visitnsw.com/surfing. 2018 PARRAMASALA PROGRAM ANNOUNCEDNow in its eighth year, Parramasala, the vibrant festival celebrating the cultural diversity of Sydney and NSW, is to receive $600,000 over three years from the NSW Government. One of the State's largest multicultural arts festivals, Parramasala includes music, dance, theatre, food and film, and represents more than 40 nationalities. NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Williams announced the additional funding during the 2018 program launch today. “Parramasala is a vibrant festival showcasing Western Sydney’s extraordinary multicultural identity, and its growth as an economic and social hub. “The NSW Government is committed to supporting the evolving arts and cultural scene of Greater Western Sydney,” Mr Williams said. The 2018 program, Many Cultures. One Sydney, features some of the best in international and domestic acts, including free concerts by Grammy-nominated group Hiatus Kaiyote and Grammy Award-winning Saharan band, Tinariwen. Crowds will also enjoy the opening night parade, interactive drumming and dancing workshops, and the delicious Masala markets. Parramasala will take place between 9 and 11 March 2018. To find out more about the festival and the 2018 program go to parramasala.com. THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS ON WEEKEND SUNRISEThe stunning natural attractions and tourism experiences of the Snowy Mountains will be beamed into hundreds of thousands of Australian homes on Sunday when Weekend Sunrise weather is broadcast live from the Snowy Mountains. NSW Member for Monaro, John Barilaro said the broadcast was secured by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, as part of the $100,000 Tourism Snowy Mountains The NSW Government funding from Destination NSW’s Regional Tourism Fund will help drive overnight visitation to the Snowy Mountains outside the peak holiday period. “During the warmer months, our region becomes an adventure playground, and I am delighted that the Snowy Mountains is benefiting from the Regional Tourism Fund,” Mr Barilaro said. “This funding allows Tourism Snowy Mountains to deliver a cooperative destination marketing campaign that puts our region front and centre. “Growing tourism in the Snowy Mountains is a key priority for the NSW Government, and the exposure of the region to the national Weekend Sunrise audience is invaluable for local businesses and the tourism industry. Weekend Sunrise weather with James Tobin will be broadcast live from Lake Crackenback Resort on Sunday. JOIN THE UK AND EUROPE ROADSHOWDestination NSW is pleased to offer NSW tourism suppliers and destinations the opportunity to attend its 2018 Roadshow in the United Kingdom (UK) and Europe. Taking place from 6 to 15 May 2018, the Roadshow is designed to showcase Sydney and NSW products and destinations to key tourism partners. The UK and Europe Roadshow will visit Munich, Frankfurt, Manchester, Glasgow, London and Paris. For more information and to read the terms and conditions, click the link below. NEW EVITA TICKET RELEASEDue to overwhelming demand, new tickets have been released for the upcoming production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s EVITA, secured for Sydney by Destination NSW. Opera Australia, John Frost and David Ian are bringing this acclaimed original West End and Broadway production of EVITA to the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House from 13 September 2018. Broadway legend Hal Prince will direct, and Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre star Tina Arena will play Argentina’s leading lady, Eva Perón. VENUES OPEN LATE NIGHTS FOR SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL ART SERIESDue to popular demand, both the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Art Gallery of NSW have extended their opening hours for the respective exhibitions, Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean and Rembrandt and the Dutch golden age - masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum. Both venues will be open until 9pm from next Friday, 16 February until the exhibitions close on Sunday, 18 February. The exhibitions are part of the Sydney International Art Series, which brings the world’s most outstanding exhibitions exclusively to Sydney and is proudly supported by Destination NSW. NEW CRUISE SHIP TO CALL SYDNEY HOMEViking Sun, the newest addition to the Viking Ocean Cruises fleet, will be visiting Sydney for the first time tomorrow as part of its inaugural world cruise. Carrying 930 passengers, guests will have the opportunity to experience a wide variety of immersive onshore excursions to explore the food, culture, people and customs of Australia’s Harbour City. Viking will start home-porting from Sydney in December 2018, spending three months of the year cruising between Sydney and Auckland. NORTHERN RIVERS RAIL TRAIL FUNDINGThe Northern Rivers Rail Trail is set to benefit from a $6.5 million Australian Government investment, following a $6.5 million commitment from the NSW Government last year. It is envisaged the 132-km regional cycling and walking trail will revitalise small communities along the route, underpin the tourism industry and boost destination appeal, encouraging visitors to stay longer and inject more money into the local economy. An estimated 88,000 visitors are expected to use the rail trail each year. NEW REPORT ON YOUTH TRAVELYoung Australians are spending more when they travel in NSW, according to the latest youth market research published by Destination NSW. In the year ended June 2017, NSW received 6.7 million overnight youth visitors from around Australia who spent $2.9 billion in the State, a growth of 11 per cent on the previous year. Sydney, the North Coast, South Coast and the Hunter were the most popular destinations for youth visitors, with most choosing to travel to their destination by car. |