IN SEASON
Sydney
As the vibrant hues of summer slowly fade, Sydney emerges in a new light. From a kaleidoscope of colours to the spectacular events and festivals, Sydney in autumn is a true feast for the senses.
WORDS Katrina Lobley
PHOTOGRAPHY Destination NSW
Sydney (Warrane) is a summer show-off, but dig deeper in autumn and you’ll find the Emerald City offers a multitude of pleasures, ranging from botanical fireworks to glitter bombs and mesmerising light shows. The annual Mardi Gras parade and Vivid extravaganza bookend the season, but plenty happens between those key events. Best of all, it’s still warm enough to dip into the sparkling harbour and ocean pools.
LIGHTS, CAMERAS, ACTION
Autumn kicks off in Sydney with rainbow colours with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. This leads the way to autumn’s finale, where the city again dons a cloak of colour. Over an extraordinary 23 nights, Vivid (May 24-June 15) transforms Sydney into a sparkling wonderland. Slip into your comfiest walking shoes to see the art installations and light projections that magically transform several precincts. While you could technically start at Central Station and wend your way along The Goods Line, through Darling Harbour (Tumbalong), Darling Square, Barangaroo, Walsh Bay (Tullagalla), The Rocks (Tallawoladah) and Circular Quay (Warrung) before finishing at the Opera House, that’s not the best way to take in all the razzle-dazzle. Venture out over several nights to see each precinct in a more leisurely fashion and head out on the water to admire the spectacle from the harbour.
ART FOR ART'S SAKE
Last year, the Art Gallery of NSW opened Sydney Modern – an eye-catching, light-filled new building neighbouring the existing gallery. Stroll in past spaces showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and wind your way down to the decommissioned WWII naval oil tanks that are now a gallery with soaring, seven-metre-high ceilings. Adjust your eyes to daylight when you pop outside to the Stepped Terrace, home to Yayoi Kusama’s Instagram-worthy polka-dotted sculpture, Flowers that Bloom in the Cosmos.
AUTUMN COLOURS
The Blue Mountains (Colomatta), near Sydney, might be synonymous with autumn colour, but Sydney’s parks and gardens pop with red, russet and gold foliage too. At the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, besides admiring the flowering camellias, roses, begonias and hibiscus, there’s a maidenhair tree – or gingko biloba – that’s especially stunning when the sun gilds its butter-yellow, fan-shaped leaves. Likewise, gingko trees are an autumn attraction at Darling Harbour’s Chinese Garden of Friendship, along with the ruby-red foliage of Manchurian pear trees and candy-coloured camellias that last until mid-August. Centennial Parklands, a short bus ride from the city centre, also has autumn stunners, such as liquidambars, weeping willows and tulip trees, along with the lemon-tinted blossoms of the wallum banksia.
SPLASHING AROUND
Sydney Harbour boasts a new surprising swimming spot. Between Barangaroo Reserve and the Walsh Bay theatre precinct is cosy Marrinawi Cove. This free swimming spot, edged with rough-hewn sandstone blocks and protected with a shark net, is popular with office workers taking a lunch-time dip and others who have time to sprawl in the sun and let the saltwater dry naturally. If you’re game, you can even dive-bomb off a platform at the end. Once you’ve dipped your toe in the water, tick off a few more stunning ocean pools. Bondi’s (Boondi) Icebergs is the most famous but others, such as Malabar (Boora) Ocean Pool offer more serenity.
FUN AND FOOD
The inner west’s popularity after dark continues to soar. Take a train to Newtown and wander lively King Street and Enmore Road. Both are packed with hip bars – such as Earl’s Juke Joint, The Midnight Special and Enmore Country Club – and fabulous eateries such as Colombo Social and the ever-popular Thai Pothong.
8 Things to do in Autumn in Sydney
Click the pin icons to find out how to spend an autumn day in Sydney.
THE DETAILS
TOUR Cruise Sydney’s Vivid cruise offers a front-row seat to the spectacle that’s on show during the festival season. As part of the official Vivid Sydney flotilla, it’s the best way to avoid the crowds and glide past twinkling city lights. Cruise Sydney’s Vivid cruise starts at $168pp, and is available May 24-June 15.