“Queens of Pop” Arrive in Sydney to Get the Party Started

Sydney today welcomed the arrival of two of the biggest pop-divas in the world – Beyoncé and Britney – who have arrived in Sydney to get the ‘Queens of Pop’ party started at Madame Tussauds Sydney, just two days ahead of this weekend’s Mardi Gras Parade.

 Having first touched down at the Sydney International Airport this morning, the stars attracted plenty of media attention as they made their way through the airport with designer luggage in tow.

As paparazzi went wild, the Queens of Pop were warmly greeted at the airport by fellow Madame Tussauds residents and music icons, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, who will reside with Beyoncé and Britney for a limited time only at Madame Tussauds Sydney in Darling Harbour.

Both dressed to impress, Beyonce was wearing an outfit from the music video for her global hit ‘Single Ladies’ – while Britney was wearing a stunning, sparkling silver dress, holding just one of many music awards she has won throughout her career. “When the guys at Madame Tussauds asked me if I would like to be immortalised in wax I was very excited.

They took about 250 measurements and matched my eyes, hair and make-up perfectly,” commented Beyoncé from her sitting in 2004. Beyoncé and Britney have collectively sold over 175 million albums worldwide and have achieved countless number one hits spanning their international careers.

Through their many achievements and accolades, these stars are adored by the masses and are now role-models for many young women in Australia, as well as icons for many that will be at this weekend’s Mardi Gras parade on the streets of Sydney. “Extensive research has gone into achieving the exact look of Beyoncé and Britney. Both have such an international presence, with millions of fans that expect perfection.

We are thrilled with what has been achieved with the wax figures and are confident the fans will be too. We are also sure that they will get in the Mardi Gras spirit very quickly” explained Zoe Walton, Studio Manager, Madame Tussauds Sydney. Beyoncé, Britney, Lady Gaga and Rihanna will take pride of place in their very own VIP, disco themed ‘Queens of Pop’ exhibit where their hottest tunes will be playing.

The wax figures join the ranks of over 70 wax figures at Madame Tussauds Sydney where visitors have the unique opportunity to strike a pose and have pictures taken alongside these superstars and many more.

To find out more about Madame Tussauds Sydney and the great Australian and international figures it is already home to, visit: www.madametussauds.com/sydney

Where: Madame Tussauds Sydney, Aquarium Wharf, Darling Harbour (right next door to WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo)

Opening hours: 9am – 8pm daily

Deep Purple Live at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with Journey

Chugg Entertainment have announced the rock ‘n roll 2013 summer bill of the year with legendary groups DEEP PURPLE and JOURNEY.

DEEP PURPLE has sold over 100 million albums worldwide with iconic hits including Black Night, Highway Star, Space Truckin’, Hush, My Woman From Tokyo, Perfect Strangers and Knocking At Your Backdoor and Smoke on the Water, arguably the song known by generations of music lovers world wide celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Steve Morse and Don Airey continue to travel the scope of hard rock, having amassed so many songs that get coined under the “classic” moniker, set lists have been a never-ending debate among diehards and newer fans.  

But DEEP PURPLE has been more than in synch with fans’ tastes to remain a powerful drawing force since their formation in 1968.  

Joining DEEP PURPLE on the road for their first tour of Australia is legendary San Franciscan rock outfit, JOURNEY.

JOURNEY is one of the most popular American rock bands of all time, creating some of the best-known songs in modern music including Don’t Stop Believin’, Anyway You Want It, Faithfully, Who’s Cryin’ Now and Open Arms. Since the group's formation in 1973, the band has earned 19 Top 40 singles, 25 Gold and Platinum albums in the US with their Greatest Hits album going 15 times Platinum.

JOURNEY’s 2011 Eclipse World Tour was one of the band’s most successful tours ever, drawing nearly a million fans and ranked in the Top 15 Tours of the year.  

Band members Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Ross Valory, Deen Castronovo and Arnel Pineda were awarded the prestigious “Legend Of Live Award” at the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards.   Don’t miss your chance to see these two classic rock acts share the stage in 2013!

If you are attending this concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre,  Why not go to the Palace Hotel Sydney nearby pre or post show and take advantage of our offer – Show staff your concert ticket before or after the show to get $4 Tooheys New Schooner or House Wine

Sat 02 March 2013
Starts at 7 PM

Gold	Cash	$	135.00
Gold	Credit	$	137.99
Silver	Cash	$	99.00
Silver	Credit	$	101.16

Web: Ticketmaster
Telephone: 1300 883 622
Ticketmaster Outlet Locations
Special Needs Bookings

Ticketed Start Time from 7.00pm

Sellout Anticipated When SBW Runs On With The Roosters

HE HAS been cast as a mercenary and a villain by many, but there cannot be any doubting his pulling power. Sonny Bill Williams, who was accused of selling out on the Bulldogs, may now sell out Allianz Stadium, giving the NRL a record start to this year's season.

NRL and Sydney Roosters officials are hopeful the club's round-one season opener on March 7 against South Sydney, Williams's first match for his new team, will be sold out.

The hype around Williams's debut already had ticket sales tracking well, but the performances of the two sides in their final trials over the weekend - the Roosters' 28-16 win over Wests Tigers in the Foundation Cup and the Rabbitohs' 28-10 victory over St George Illawarra in the Charity Shield - have officials expecting a further surge in ticket sales this week.

 

 "Ticket sales are tracking along very well" ... chief commercial operating officer of the Roosters, Ted Helliar. Photo: Getty Images

''Ticket sales are tracking along very well,'' said the chief commercial operating officer of the Roosters, Ted Helliar. ''They've been extremely positive so far.

''I'd love nothing more than to put the sold-out sign up. It's probably a little too early to tell whether it will be. This time next week, we may have a better idea.''

A sellout would mean a crowd close to the stadium's capacity of 45,500, and a record for the Roosters in a home-and-away match.

Their SCG match against St George Illawarra in 2010 drew 37,994, a record for Roosters non-finals matches.

''It would be great to see a sellout,'' an NRL spokesperson said. ''It's the first match and the first round, and there's the Sonny Bill factor. But you can never make those sorts of predictions.''

It remains an unknown how supporters will respond to a Thursday night match but the television ratings for trial matches show the appetite for the start of the NRL season is
significant.

Friday night's Charity Shield match was the highest-rating contest over a busy weekend of televised sport on pay television, drawing 240,000 viewers.

The Foundation Cup - featuring an impressive Roosters side, without Williams but including other new signings James Maloney, Michael Jennings and Luke O'Donnell, dispose of the Tigers - drew 173,000, although the crowd at Allianz Stadium was small largely because of poor weather.

In comparison, Israel Folau's Super Rugby debut with the Waratahs against the Reds drew 174,000 viewers, giving rugby union the equivalent, perhaps appropriately, of a win by a late penalty goal over the NRL trial, screened on the same night.

The strong ratings for the Foundation Cup came despite the fact that Williams, who controversially walked out on the Bulldogs in 2008 to play rugby union, was sitting on the sidelines. Roosters coach Trent Robinson erred on the side of caution with the star signing, deciding to give him more time off the field as he recovers from a pectoral injury.

Robinson remained confident Williams would be fit to play the Rabbitohs.

The Roosters emerged relatively unscathed from their final hit-out before round one; Daniel Mortimer required eight stitches to a cut under his right eye, but is not expected to be in any doubt for the season opener.

Top 10 Art Month Sydney Events

Art Month Sydney 2013 will feature over 300 exhibitions, 200 art events and 100 art spaces across Sydney in its most creative and innovative program yet. But what to see and where to go with so much on offer?

We asked co-artistic directors Penelope Benton and Alexandra Clapham to pick the top 10 must-go-to events for Sydney’s largest annual celebration of contemporary art.

1. TWO’S COMPANY

A rich history exists of relationships between artists and people in the arts: family, friends, lovers, partners. As co-artistic directors, we’ve invited four creative duos for a performative dinner  to talk about art, collaboration, and creative conflicts. With Internationally acclaimed chef Kylie Kwong and respected Sydney artist Nell, sisters and artistic collaborators Emma and Katie Price from renowned Sydney art collective The Kingpins, acclaimed artistic collaborators and partners Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro, and Ursula Sullivan and  Joanna Strumpf of respected Sydney gallery, Sullivan & Strumpf Fine Art. 6-7:30pm March 6

2. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD - IS CONTEMPORARY ART A JOKE?

We’re really excited about this debate which takes its title from Damien Hirst's mother's bemused reaction to her son's infamous diamond-encrusted skull.

Six Sydney art minds go head to head, challenging divided ideas about what contemporary art actually is, and whether it's gone too far. Hecklers welcome!  March 16 at Alaska Projects.

3. GO WEST
 
Artist Tom Polo is taking a guided bus tour and day trip to major galleries and venues: Casula Powerhouse, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Blacktown Arts Centre and Parramatta Artists Studios.  This will be really fun, there will be talks, performances, interactions, art snacks, and prize giveaways from artists who live and work in Sydney’s Western suburbs along the way. Departs AGNSW.  March 10, 10am-4pm.

4. BEN QUILTY - “AFTER AFGHANISTAN” at NAS Gallery  


As part of the Australian War Memorial’s program of commissioning war artists, Ben was attached to the Australian Defence Force in late 2011. During this time, he observed the Australians’ activities in Kabul, Kandahar and Tarin Kot. His task was to record and interpret the experiences of Australian service personnel who are deployed as part of Operation Slipper.

As part of this exhibition, Ben Quilty and Wendy Sharpe discuss their work in the context of witnessing and interpreting war.  March 20, 6-8pm. Exhibition runs until April 13.

5. MOP PROJECTS - TEN OUT OF 10


10 artists celebrating the 10th anniversary of this exciting ARI.

Adam Norton, Newell Harry, Mitch Cairns, Christopher Hanrahan, Ms & Mr, Emma White, Gemma Smith, Rob McHaffie, Justin Trendall and Daniel Mudie Cunningham. March 5 - 24.

6. SCREAM  

Interactive exhibition by Europe-based performance/art/music/fashion collective Chicks on Speed at Artspace. SCREAM is described as a riotous layering of live performance, music, installation and technology. March 13 – April 21.

7. GUNTER CHRISTMANN SOLO SHOW

Gunter Christmann’s first solo commercial exhibition in Sydney in seven years recontextualises this major artist's paintings within his experimental sound and photographic works of the 1970s and early 1980s. On 9 March he’s running a slide carousel show in the gallery. Mostly unseen, these atmospheric works encapsulate the artist's broader interests in image making and abstraction. Exhibition continues until 16 March at The Commercial, Redfern.

8. NEW ROMANTIC    

Drawing out parallels and continuities between early Romanticism and the uneasy human-nature relationship of the contemporary world, Hayden Fowler's exhibition New Romantic re-examines the state of play more than two centuries on from enlightenment, the industrial revolution and the rationalisation of nature. This will be a beautiful exhibition, a must see! Artereal March 6-30.

9. BLAKSPACE  


A conversation tracing the 25 year history of Boomalli one of Australia's longest running Aboriginally owned and operated art galleries as part of the Boomalli Members Show for Art Month Sydney. Exhibition opens 7 Mar, Blakspace talk featuring Bronwyn Bancroft (Founding Member) , Euphemia Bostock (Founding Member and Current Chair), Keith Munro (Curator of 'Ripple Effect: Boomalli Founding Members') and Tina Baum (National Gallery of Australia) March 24, 11am.

10. COLLECTOR'S SPACE


New to Art Month this year is the Collector’s Space, a pop-up exhibition at CASSydney at 125A Kent St. See works from six significant private collections, including pieces by David Noonan, Shaun Gladwell, AES+F, Hany Armanious, Ken Whisson, Brook Andrew, James Angus, Destiny Deacon, TV Moore and more.

On the last day of Art Month at the Collector's Space, we ask about new beginnings and question what's the future for our galleries? Amanda Rowell, Barry Keldoulis, Joseph Allen Shea and Michael Reid discuss innovative approaches to an evolving commercial art market and ways to deliver unique experiences for their artists and audiences locally and internationally.  March 24, 2pm.

Sydney Entertainment Centre.. the Heartbeat of Sydney

Located right in the heart of Sydney – no matter which way and on what mode you travel, getting to the Sydney Entertainment Centre couldn’t be simpler!

The Sydney Entertainment Centre is a Sydney institution. Nestled between the bustle of Sydney’s vibrant Chinatown and the sparkling Darling Harbour precinct, the Sydney Entertainment Centre is the entertainment district’s heart and soul.

The Sydney Entertainment Centre is just a few minutes walk from the centre of Sydney; with the precinct offering a myriad of entertainment, dining, transport and accommodation options.
The Centre offers a multitude of transport options to suit any itinerary. 


Street Address
35 Harbour Street, Darling Harbour
GPS Coordinates - 33°52'42?S 151°12'10?E
Click here to download printable map  

By Foot
The Sydney Entertainment Centre is within walking distance of most major locations around the central business district.

From Town Hall:
Head south along George Street for three blocks. Turn right at Goulburn Street and head to the bottom of the hill. The Sydney Entertainment Centre is at the cross roads of Harbour & Goulburn Streets.

From Darling Harbour:
Follow the signposts walking parallel with the Urban Stream where you will reach Tumbalong Park and directly after the Chinese Gardens to your left, the Sydney Exhibition Hall 1 to your right. The Sydney Entertainment Centre is directly ahead.


By Bus
For information on bus timetables and services contact Sydney Buses
Tel: 131 500
Web: Visit Website

By Car For detailed driving directions from your point of departure, we suggest you visit the mapping website of your choice and input the destination address:
Place: Sydney Entertainment Centre
Address: 35 Harbour Street, Darling Harbour

click here for google maps   
click here for whereis

By Ferry
For information on ferry timetables and services contact Sydney Ferries
Tel: 131 500
Web: Visit Website 

By Rail
For information on train timetables and services contact City Rail
Alight Central Railway Station (approximately 8 minutes walk)
Take the Eddy Avenue exit from Central Station, turn left and walk to George Street. Turn right into George Street and take the second on your left into Hay Street. Walk until you reach the historic Paddy's Markets where you’ll find the Sydney Entertainment Centre sits on the other side of the light rail tracks.

Or alight Town Hall Station (Approximately 10 minutes walk)
Tel: 131 500
Web: Visit Website

By Monorail & Light Rail
Sydney Monorail – disembark at Paddy’s Market Station. The monorail runs every 3 – 5 minutes.
Tel: (02)  8584 5288
Web: Visit Website 
Sydney Light Rail – disembark at Haymarket Station (Located outside Paddy's Markets)
The Sydney Light Rail runs every 10 – 12 minutes.
Tel: (02)  8584 5288
Web: Visit Website

View the Offical Sydney Entertainment Centre Website

Is Melbourne Better than Sydney?

There are plenty of city pairs across the world with intense rivalries, but until Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution linked to this story I hadn’t suspected the long-standing competition between Sydney and Melbourne is of an order that attracts attention from beyond our shores.

It goes back at least to the late nineteenth century and the battle for the location of the new Federation’s national Parliament. Even in 1835 the first whites to settle Melbourne (from Van Diemen’s Land) chafed at the restrictions imposed on them by the colonial government in Sydney.

Maybe the rivalry is because the hierarchy of cities by size in Australia doesn’t follow the rank-order distribution common in many other countries. Sydney is bigger than Melbourne on most metrics, but it’s nowhere near twice the size as the rule requires.

Antagonism is probably inevitable when you’ve got two contestants close to each other in size. The challenger was once top dog and is prone to think the gap is smaller than it actually is.

And there is serious stuff at stake. During the 80s and 90s Melbourne bled finance jobs as Sydney assumed the dominant national role in this industry.

That all seems like ancient history yet every six months or so for as long as I can remember, another story pops up in the press suggesting one is better than the other.

There’s even a book on the subject – somewhere in my library I have a substantial paperback titled something like The Sydney-Melbourne Book, published in the mid 1980s (Google’s no help unfortunately).

Of course there are differences, most obviously in climate, topography and the cost of housing. If you can’t live without beaches or you work in the upper echelons of finance, insurance or the media, you’ll probably think Sydney is a better place to live.

If you work in the arts or medical research, love grunge, or your life revolves around AFL footy, you’ll probably prefer living in Melbourne. Housing’s cheaper, traffic congestion’s lower, and you get to see your city in a lot of TV dramas (a small delight that deserves more recognition!).

Right now Melbourne’s in a good place. It seems to have found a way to enjoy the advantages of size and density – especially in the city centre – without pricing out the sorts of activities that appeal to a hip demographic.

But whatever it is about a city that appeals to each of us is personal. It depends on a range of factors, like our tastes, interests, age, socio-economic status, and more.

One city will suit one person better than another. That congruence might even change with each new stage of life.

However I don’t buy the clichés like one city can’t produce good coffee or the people of one are friendlier than those of the other.

I reject the coffee claim out of hand. Sydney and Melbourne are big, diverse cities and they both have plenty of discerning customers demanding quality beverages.

Making good coffee isn’t that hard – if it were, elite baristas would be paid more than their customers! In the absence of hard evidence, it’s far more plausible the coffee is as good on average in Melbourne as it is in Sydney.

And people who claim as fact that one city is friendlier than the other are invariably extrapolating from subjective experiences. They don’t have objective and universal evidence; it’s just what happened to them.

I’ve lived in both cities for substantial periods. While there are differences, I agree with Anthony Sharwood’s (light-hearted) take that the similarities far outweigh the differences.

Despite variations in local geography, Australian cities are generally remarkably similar (that’s not true in some other countries). That’s the reason so many of them rank in the top ten on ‘world’s most liveable city’ indexes.

We’re apt to magnify the differences, but Australian cities are very much alike on critical variables such as education, health and personal security. And a job in Bunnings is a job in Bunnings no matter what big city you’re in.

They all have vibrant inner cities with cafes, pubs and music venues. They all have extensive tracts of suburbia (much of it interchangeable) for the 80%-90% who prefer something else. They all have the same TV channels.

It’s no surprise we tend to put a lot of weight on the marginal differences. The “best” city, though, is the one that suits each individual’s peculiar circumstances.

If you value an attribute in which one city excels, you’ll trade it off against those in which it does poorly.

Melbourne isn’t better than Sydney or vice versa, they’re just “different”. But they are more alike than they are different.

Linkin Park – Living Things World Tour w/ Stonesour

Multi-award winning rock icons LINKIN PARK are thrilled to announce two sideshows only (Sydney & Melbourne) on the back of the sold out Soundwave Festival.

As part of their Living Things world tour, these shows will surely be two of the biggest international rock shows over the summer of 2013.

Since their 2000 debut album ‘Hybrid Theory’, LINKIN PARK have spent the last 12 years doing something popular artists just don’t do:  going off-menu.  The learning curve was arduous, but a necessary and welcome challenge for the band. 

‘Hybrid Theory’ isn’t just the title of the first album, but a career mission statement.  From day one, LINKIN PARK built the band upon the premise of fusing all of their favourite styles of music—as disparate as they might be—into one signature sound.

Fast-forward 12 years to ‘Living Things’ and LINKIN PARK have not only developed new tools to make that philosophy a reality, but they’re finally comfortable embracing—and coalescing—every aspect of their career. 

Once again they have made the courageous leap into the unknown.  “Living Things” is a personal album, centred on human emotions and relationships implied by the title. 

It is informed by and built upon all previous albums, while still pushing the band’s sound into new territory.  It’s spirited, energetic, daring and unafraid to hybridize the past, present and future.  This is absolute proof to a radical theory six musicians have devoted their lives to testing.

Joining LINKIN PARK for this date is STONE SOUR.

If you are attending this concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre,  Why not go to the Palace Hotel Sydney nearby pre or post show and take advantage of our offer – Show staff your concert ticket before or after the show to get $4 Tooheys New Schooner or House Wine

Web: Ticketmaster
Telephone: 1300 883 622
Ticketmaster Outlet Locations
Special Needs Bookings
Pre-show Package

Carol King Live at the Sydney Entertainment Centre – Natural Women Tour

Live Nation is thrilled to announce the return to Australia of one of music’s true legends – the most successful and esteemed female songwriter in popular music history – Carole King.

King will play concerts in all states during February 2013, touring here for the first time since her 2010 sold-out arena dates with fellow singer songwriter James Taylor.

Carole King brings a rich abundance of timeless compositions with her – including ‘So Far Away’, ‘I Feel The Earth Move’, ‘It’s Too Late’, ‘Jazzman’ and ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman’.

As well as having released 25 solo albums, over 400 of King’s compositions have been recorded by in excess of 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles, including ‘You’ve Got A Friend’, ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’, ‘The Locomotion’ and ‘Up on the Roof’, many of which will be featured in these special evenings with one of the world’s most talented and prolific singer songwriters.

WHEN:

Thu 14 February 2013 – Starts at 7:30 PM

Prices

                                Cash                  Credit

Gold      $              159.90   $              163.46

Silver     $              129.90   $              132.77

Bronze  $              99.90     $              102.08

 

Web: Ticketmaster
Telephone: 1300 883 622
Ticketmaster Outlet Locations
Special Needs Bookings
Dinner Show Package
Find out More at the Official Sydney Entertainment Page

Ringo Starr Arrives in Brisbane

Ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has arrived in Brisbane to kick-off his Australian tour.
Starr is touring the country with his newest All-Starr Band this month, starting in Brisbane on Monday night.

The supergroup is the twelfth incarnation of the All-Starr Band and includes Steve Lukather from Toto, Gregg Rolie of Santana and Journey fame, Mr Mister's Richard Paige, Gregg Bissonette, who played drums for Dave Lee Roth, and multi-instrumentalists Todd Rundgren and Mark Rivera.

While the likes of 'Yellow Submarine' and 'I'll Get By With A Little Help From My Friends' are regularly dusted off during an All-Starr tour, the show also sees each band member perform hits from their own career.
Starr hasn't played an instrument in Australia since the Beatles twisted and shouted their way across the world on their legendary 1964 tour.

He remembers the "screaming atmosphere" and says he can't wait to return for longer shows than The Beatles' historic performances.

Ringo and his All Starr Band tour dates:

February 11 - Brisbane Convention Centre
February 13-14 - Sydney Hordern Pavilion
February 16-17 - Melbourne Festival Hall
February 19 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre
February 21 - Perth Challenge Stadium

British & Irish Lions Legend Jim Telfer Recreates Famous Everest Speech To Fire Up UK Fans

British & Irish Lions coaching legend Jim Telfer has recreated his famous 1997 players pre-match gee-up meeting in an online video that provides a rallying cry for the men of Great Britain and Ireland to travel to Australia for the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour.

The video is a tongue-in-cheek parody of the original "Mount Everest" motivational speech, which has become a part of the rich Lions folklore. The recreation sees Telfer preparing the men of Great Britain and Ireland for the battle that faces them in overcoming their greatest challenge - convincing their wives and girlfriends for permission to travel to Australia and follow the 2013 Tour.

"The British & Irish Lions Tour is the absolute pinnacle for players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are no excuses to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm urging every UK man to climb their Everest and support our team," Jim Telfer said.

While the video takes a lighthearted approach, The British & Irish Lions Tour is sure to be an incredible experience for players and fans alike and shouldn't be missed, according to Jim Telfer, who represented The British & Irish Lions both as a player and a coach.

As well as giving rugby union fans the opportunity to be part of sporting history, the event is also a stimulus for Australian tourism, with 20,000 fans from the UK alone visiting Australia for the 2001 Tour. Organisers anticipate a  similar level of support for 2013.

"British & Irish Lions fans are some of the most avid in the world, and we await the "Sea of Red" to invade our shores later this year. With nine games, including three Test matches, played throughout Australia, this will be a great boost for tourism and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the best of our country to as many as 20,000 travelling fans," said Andrew McEvoy, Managing Director, Tourism Australia.

"We have had a lot of fun making this video and hope rugby fans in the UK and Ireland will take it in the spirit it is meant, sharing it widely and encouraging as many of their male rugby friends to dig out their rugby jerseys and book their trip Down Under. A Lions Tour is special and you can't underestimate the impact the support of the fans has on a players' performance. 

Nothing will encourage the team more than running out to a sea of red Lions supporters, and we urge you to follow Jim Telfer's words of wisdom and come out to Australia with us," said Charlie McEwen, British & Irish Lions Director of Sales and Marketing.

The British & Irish Lions will play nine matches during the six-week Tour of Australia (5 June - 6 July), including three Test matches against the Qantas Wallabies and games against all five Australian Super 15 Rugby teams. The three Test matches will occur in Brisbane (22 June), Melbourne (29 June) and Sydney (6 July), with the Tour also including matches in Perth, Canberra and Newcastle.

This project is a joint initiative between Tourism Australia and The British & Irish Lions.

• Video - The video can be viewed on our YouTube channel
• Images - Behind the scenes images can be accessed and downloaded on our VNR site

More information about The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2013 is available at - http://www.lionstour.com

Match Schedule

• Wednesday 5th June v Western Force - Patersons Stadium, Perth

• Saturday 8th June v Queensland Reds - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

• Tuesday 11th June v NSW-QLD Combined Country - Hunter Stadium, Newcastle

• Saturday 15th June v NSW Waratahs - Allianz Stadium, Sydney

• Tuesday 18th June v ACT Brumbies - Canberra Stadium, Canberra

• Saturday 22nd June v Qantas Wallabies - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

• Tuesday 25th June v Melbourne Rebels - AAMI Park, Melbourne

• Saturday 29nd June v Qantas Wallabies - Etihad Stadium, Melbourne

• Saturday 6th July v Qantas Wallabies - ANZ Stadium, Sydney

Miranda - The Retail Heart of the Sutherland Shire

Miranda is the retail heart of Sutherland Shire, with large shopping centres such as Westfield and smaller shops and Business such as specialised Doctors Practices and Boutique Clothes stores making Miranda a draw-card from other smaller areas.

The Community facilities include a library and halls and Sports Clubs and Parklands.

There is Plenty to Do in the Sutherland Shire such as the national park for Walks and Nature Observation, and the great beaches that make the region so famous.

Find out what's on in the Sutherland Shire  

View Larger Map

Chinese New Year Australia: Chinese New Year Twilight Parade

One of Sydney’s favourite events, the Chinese New Year Twilight Parade is the highlight of the New Year festivities.

Bringing a magical beauty to the summer evening, floats, lanterns and dancers weave their way, snake-like, from Sydney Town Hall down to Harbour Street, illuminated by stunning projections on city buildings.

Join us for the pre-parade entertainment, with dancers, acrobats and music. As evening descends, gasp in amazement as the giant snake comes alive, shedding its skin along our streets in a symbol of renewal.

This parade figurehead is drawn from an ancient Chinese story – Lady White Snake – telling of a snake goddess who lived briefly with mortals and was betrayed by her love and imprisoned for her powers, only to escape back to her proper realm.

A powerful creature in Asian and Western cultures, both revered and feared, the snake features in stories throughout history. You’ll see the native American rattle snake, Snakes and Ladders, a witty take on Eve, Cleopatra and other women who tangled with the snake – and plenty of other snakes alive!

There’s fabulous dancing, floats from our local Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese communities and our visitors from Shenzhen will be treating us to a special parade entries. Don’t miss out on a night to remember as you welcome the Year of the Snake.

WHEN: Sun 17 Feb at 8:00 pm

WHERE: Sydney Town Hall to Chinatown, 483 George Street, Sydney

Entertainment schedule on the night

7 – 8pm

• Pre-parade entertainment
• Dancers & acrobats and all sorts of snake like entertainment

8pm

• Eye Dotting Ceremony – Town Hall

8.15pm

• Parade starts

8pm – 1am

• Sydney’s buildings transform with magical projections illuminating their facades.

Post-parade fireworks

• Join us for a stunning fireworks display at Cockle Bay to scare off the previous year’s bad luck and mark the beginning of the Year of the Snake!

An accessible viewing area for people with mobility support needs is available on Harbour Street outside the Sydney Entertainment Centre from 7.15pm.

The nearest public transport access point is the Paddy’s Markets Light Rail stop.  If you require access to the viewing area, please contact City of Sydney on 9265 9218 or email gmarshall@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.