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Autumn 2008
Wow, what a summer we just had! RAIN RAIN and more RAIN. Not that you would notice in fabulous Sydney..! At least we can stop complaining about the drought.
As we move into autumn the nights are getting a little chilly, but the days are fantastic. Yeah, yeah it’s still raining a little ...
. It’s a good excuse to go out and buy new clothes.... Daylight saving ends which is a bummer, but the change of season gives a fresh feel to life.
 The Team
To accompany the new 2008 brochure (out in May), the US (Ultimately Sydney) team posed for a photo in front of the iconic Luna Park, Milsons Point. For some reason, summer seems to bring leisure visitors to Australia more than any other time? But really, autumn and spring are the most fabulous for numerous reasons: There are no crowds, the weather is very very very pleasant and, winter rates (off peak) are starting to kick in...
We, the team of US - Helen, Greg, David and Alecks invite you to come to Sydney and experience our fabulous City in the most ‘Ultimate’ way. Allow us to fill you in on the ‘The Story of Sydney’. A wonderful insight which will help you appreciate Australia’s most vibrant city even more.
Please take the US word of advice. As soon as you hit the ground and settle into your hotel, make Ultimately Sydney’s half-day city tour your first priority. The knowledge gained in 3½ hours will be invaluable. It will help you accurately plan your entire stay.
What's on in Sydney
Autumn Racing Carnival 2008
The nation’s racing royalty descend on Rosehill Gardens and Randwick Race Course this month for the annual Autumn Racing Carnival extravaganza (22 March – 10 May). Fifty 'glorious days' leave the gates with the Toohey's New Royal Randwick Carnival and Inglis Easter Saturday, featuring the Inglis Galaxy and Chipping Norton Stakes and over $1 million in prize money opening the Easter Racing calendar. Enjoy Easter Monday with a picnic and all the excitement and atmosphere of a day at Royal Randwick where the action will take place on the Kensington track.
There's no rest, even if you're not wicked, with Guineas Day (29 March), Doncaster Day (26 April), featuring the Australian Derby, Oaks Day (30 April) and the Sydney Cup Day (3 May) to indulge your racing and fashion predilections.
The Golden Slipper Festival is held over three Saturdays (5, 12 & 19 April) and two venues, and is the perfect opportunity to witness the making of champions, culminating in the world's richest race for two-year-olds, the AAMI Golden Slipper, with $11 million in prize money.
The Archibald Prize is the Holy Grail of the Australian art world, and spending time with the works of 40 finalists is a spiritual experience and one that I treasure annually. In its 87th year, this coveted prize is more than its $50,000 monetary reward. It is prestige and international recognition and a place alongside artistic gods such as Brett Whiteley, William Dobel and John Olsen.
Gazing at each painting is like looking into the window of a soul, both the subject's and the artist's, and in some cases they are one and the same. This year's winner, You are what is most beautiful about me, a self portrait with Kell and Arella, by Del Kathryn Barton, reflects this personal observation perfectly. As the artist herself said, "My children have taken my world by storm and very little compares to the devotion I feel for them both."
The same can be said for the 'runner-up' portrait, Heath, by Vincent Fantauzzo. It portrays a troubled individual, confused by the messages in his world.
The Archibald Prize would not exist without controversy, and this year, it is the self-portrait of Sam Leach dressed in a Nazi Uniform. Among faces like Akira and Sarah Blasko, it is crass and unworthy of attention. Beside beautiful impressionistic paintings by Zhansui Kordelya Chen and Jun Chen, it is a joke.
That aside, the trustees have chosen well this year. What is revealed walking through the exhibition is quality, diversity and creativity. It is what I call "sacred" and should be experienced by all. Click here for more information.
8 March - 18 May 2008
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Art Gallery Road
Sydney
Meet The Staff - Alecks Mitchell
US is proud to announce the recent outstanding achievements of Alecks.
Certificate 4 Tour Guiding with distinction – Dux (top) of the class actually!
Of Sydney’s history, who or what do you find the most
intriguing?
Capt Arthur Phillip and The First Fleet
With over 1000 souls under his care Phillip sailed 16,000 miles around the world without the loss of a single ship. An amazing achievement.
Which is your favourite
Sydney beach?
Clovelly because it has its own protected reef, perfect for snorkelling.
What is your favourite
drink?
Wild Turkey bourban 'the genuine thing'
What is your favourite meal at
dinnertime?
Homemade Lebanese cuisine.
Who is your
favourite Aussie band?
AC/DC with Bon Scott
What radio station do you
listen to?
WSFM 101.7 Jonesy and Amanda for breakfast
What do you like to do when you’re
relaxing?
Spend quality time with my wife Rose
What book
are you reading at the moment?
Hope in Hell by Deborah Beck - The history of Darlinghurst gaol.
What is your favourite restaurant &
why?
The Summit - it's where I proposed to my wife - 'twice'
What type of coffee do you drink? Where do you like to drink
it and why?
Cafe Latte at the Westin inside the old GPO, drinking in the history.
Keeping up the Standards
All Ultimately Sydney guides
are IATG (Institute of Australian Tourist Guides) accredited. IATG is a tour
guide association striving to keep up the standards within the tour guiding
profession. The membership requires all guides to attend regular famils to
update their knowledge and skills. Two of the great benefits of being associated with IATG are the relationships
gained within the tourism & hospitality industry and the valuable support
given from your fellow tour guides. It is a challenge to always maintain your enthusiasm after working 6 days straight. For more information
about IATG, go to the website at www.australiantourguides.com.au
Did you Know...?
 About 470 million years ago, what is now the Australian continent was part of the Gondwana, a mega-continent which included Antarctica, India, Africa, Arabia, South America, New Zealand and New Guinea. Two hundred million years ago, large mountain ranges stood to the east, south and west of Sydney. A great, fast-flowing river sprang from these mountains and ran northward across where Sydney and much of the eastern edge of Australia lies. Over millions of years the river laid down sediments as it flowed and these sediments were compressed to form Sydney’s sandstone, out of which some of the city’s finest architecture has been built. The sandstone is subtly layered in colours that range from white to yellow to grey, orange and red, depending on what particles the ancient river was carrying, and the speed at which the river was travelling at the time. The layering of the sandstone is most easily seen along the coastline, and at the heads of Sydney Harbour.
Extracted from - ‘Sydney, biography of a city’ by Lucy Hughes Turnbull
The Ultimate Restaurant of the season
Catalina, Rose Bay
They make their own sour dough, the oysters are consistently fabulous, the staff is both professional and friendly, you can watch the sea planes taking off & landing, the bathrooms are always immaculate & their sommelier is very charming, so make sure you don’t drive....
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