Back on the subject of eating in Sydney, Australian pub grub has improved dramatically in the last decade, even to the point where my sister, a very busy business woman who eats out regularly, complained to me last week that her local pubs were getting a bit TOO trendy.

In Sydney a couple of years back I had a steak at the pub in Bondi Junction, I can't recall the name but it's right there when you get of the tram, that would have held it's own anywhere in the world. A quality piece of meat cooked EXACTLY to my specifications.

Tram? What Tram? The trains run to Bondi Junction but the trams stopped going there about 30 years ago mate. Ummm I think I know the bar that you are talking about but for the life of me I can't think of its name. Has been winning the NSW hotel association award for best "pub grub" for several years. The nicked the head chef from the Balmain Hotel which was my local watering hole back in the old days and he turned the hotel into a great noshery. That same bar has 60 beers on tap and about 300 in cans/bottles. I got beer Singha there last time I went back to Australia and the bar attendant (you can't call them bar girls anymore because it is sexist) tried to tell me all about it. My two mates were falling about laughing as she was giving me the speel on "Beer In Thailand".

CB

Wow, so much to do, so little time. I will be stuck in the Raddisson Hotel for much of my stay (during the conference) so on Friday I plan to wander around and get lost somewhere before flying up the coast that night to stay with mates.

The Opera House is of course a must see, but it looks like I will be printing off your suggestions and studying them against google and some maps. MG Garage sounds interesting, my second car was a MG BGT (hard top with chrome wheels) ahh the nostalgia.

Good to see the Ozzies take their beer seriously, how about Bundy Rum ?

Wow, so much to do, so little time. I will be stuck in the Raddisson Hotel

Good choice and very near the Opera House, Sydney Rocks, harbour bridge etc

for much of my stay (during the conference) so on Friday I plan to wander around and get lost somewhere before flying up the coast that night to stay with mates.

Where?

The Opera House is of course a must see, but it looks like I will be printing off your suggestions and studying them against google and some maps. MG Garage sounds interesting, my second car was a MG BGT (hard top with chrome wheels) ahh the nostalgia.

MG Garage is a very nice restauarant and started off as a car dealership. Decided to put in a coffee shop and then went to being a restaurant with cars parked between tables idea. Does very well out of it and they have some nice pieces of machinery there

Good to see the Ozzies take their beer seriously, how about Bundy Rum ?

Bundy rum and I are not a good combination - despite my quiet and gentle nature it sets fire to the beast within so I avoid it. Oz predominantly comes in two versions based on strength UP-underproof and OP-overproof. If you like rum and are intending on drinking it much of the night stick to UP. OP drinkers are predominantly younger men who have had 12 beers and decide to move over to the hard stuff. It can seriously mess you around so be aware of it.

When I drank it I preferred it with Ginger Ale to coke, I found the sweetness of coke removed much of the rum's character.

We also used to drink depth charges which is a schooner of beer and a shot glass of bundy OP. Take one mouthfull of beer (had to be XXXX in Queensland), gently place the shot glass into the beer glass so it sits on the bottom. Up end the lot and drink as fast as possible. The last mouthfull will be the rum. Not recommended behaviour now and in Sydney is actually illegal under the "responsible consumption of alcohol" laws.

Enjoy the trip

CB

If you like good beer, while in Sydney I would recommend sampling anything from the James Squire selection. It is real beer from master brewer Chuck Hahn (and in my opionion, along with Coopers, the finest readily available beer that Australia has to offer. There is a dedicated James Squire Bar on the King Street Wharf, the food is also supposed to quite good. Alternatively their beers are available at most good pubs either on tap or in the bottle.

Bundy Rum is also a top drop. I am partial to a Dark & Stormy myself (Bundy Rum & Bundy Ginger Beer).

Mmm Rum and Ginger Beer, sounds good, that is on the list for sure, that'll be a first.

CB I have a friend in Brisbane and another has offered me the use of his house overlooking Burleigh (sp?) Heads. I think Thai has a daily flight back to Bangkok via Brisbane so was thinking of taking the first leg of that flight on the Friday and taking the second part on Sunday.

I'm still looking into whether its possible, (not sure as it sounds too good to be true) but it would be great if I can, as the company would pay for it!

Mmm Rum and Ginger Beer, sounds good, that is on the list for sure, that'll be a first.

in my opinion it is best served in a tall 10oz "collins", better if light on the rum. Plenty of ice and with a long strip of lemon rind (about 5mm wide and as much as you can get from one lemon without breaking the peel" I also like it if you add some lemon juice to the drink - it adds a bit of freshness to the drink.

CB I have a friend in Brisbane and another has offered me the use of his house overlooking Burleigh (sp?) Heads. I think Thai has a daily flight back to Bangkok via Brisbane so was thinking of taking the first leg of that flight on the Friday and taking the second part on Sunday.

I'm still looking into whether its possible, (not sure as it sounds too good to be true) but it would be great if I can, as the company would pay for it!

Burleigh Heads is great - if you are a surfer, try to get hold of a mini mal board (wide rails and round nose) up there, perfect big rolling waves that go for ages. Little sticks get broken too easy and as a "larger model" guy I need the bigger board to help lift out of the water. The waves come in fairly quick and can be difficult to grab unless are 1) very lightweight or 2) stong paddler

It is common for people to use different entry and exit points in Oz. The country is so big it makes sense. A common way of doing it is entry Sydney and exit Brisbane or even better Cairns which is much further north. In your case you would be best up to exit Brisbane. Thai has flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth direct to Bangkok. I am also pretty sure that they have one from Cairns as well.

CB

I grew up surfing on the North coast of Cornwall, some breaks have some pretty respectable waves, especially in the off season. Its been a while so I doubt my fitness is up to scratch but I thoroughly intend on surfing Burleigh, a place I never thought I would see when I was staring at these rides in surf magazines as a boy...

Back on the subject of eating in Sydney, Australian pub grub has improved dramatically in the last decade, even to the point where my sister, a very busy business woman who eats out regularly, complained to me last week that her local pubs were getting a bit TOO trendy.

In Sydney a couple of years back I had a steak at the pub in Bondi Junction, I can't recall the name but it's right there when you get of the tram, that would have held it's own anywhere in the world. A quality piece of meat cooked EXACTLY to my specifications.

Tram? What Tram? The trains run to Bondi Junction but the trams stopped going there about 30 years ago mate. Ummm I think I know the bar that you are talking about but for the life of me I can't think of its name. Has been winning the NSW hotel association award for best "pub grub" for several years. The nicked the head chef from the Balmain Hotel which was my local watering hole back in the old days and he turned the hotel into a great noshery. That same bar has 60 beers on tap and about 300 in cans/bottles. I got beer Singha there last time I went back to Australia and the bar attendant (you can't call them bar girls anymore because it is sexist) tried to tell me all about it. My two mates were falling about laughing as she was giving me the speel on "Beer In Thailand".

CB

You're right as usual, the Bondi trams have long shot through, (that little bon mot will be wasted on most here but one can only try).

It was a while ago though, early '01, my first wife wanted some time with her boyfriend and said I was looking overworked and suggested I b*gger off for a week. I went to Sydney and was wandering through Surrey Hills in the early evening and saw a lovely Thai lady standing in a doorway. She invited me in, and when I left I decided there was a whole new world out there I was missing out on.

The food and beer were nice in Sydney as well.

Sydney still has a tram. It goes from central railway station past Darling Harbour and the casino. For some reason or other they call it the Sydney Light Rail.

Sydney still has a tram. It goes from central railway station past Darling Harbour and the casino. For some reason or other they call it the Sydney Light Rail.

Yes it has but it is a light rail and not a tram, I remember there was a whole debate in Sydney at the time about the difference between the two systems. The pedants in that debate would have had the ones here in awe of their ability to shave a point to within a micron

The other system is the Monorail which was hated when it was first installed and now has proven to be a great people mover to where the city council want to extend it. Originally a lot of building owners refused the monorail operator (then TNT) access to their building forcing the construction of stops over the street with stairs down instead of direct entry into the shopping centres etc. Now these same places are requesting (almost demanding) that they be added to the route.

CB

Some excellent suggestions there MiG - you really are an uptown girl aren't you

CB

I just enjoy food....hence you will notice most of my suggestions centre around food

and yes MG Garage is an excellent place! (but can only afford it once in a year perhaps )

gosh Im jealous and wish I were going too!! one day one day

Some excellent suggestions there MiG - you really are an uptown girl aren't you

CB

I just enjoy food....hence you will notice most of my suggestions centre around food

and yes MG Garage is an excellent place! (but can only afford it once in a year perhaps )

gosh Im jealous and wish I were going too!! one day one day

Hey Quiksilver you looking for a date while you are in Sydney - MiG is feeling peckish for a feed at MG Garage

CB

Hehe, first a sig and now dinner, I don't know.. Well I will be going there alone physically, but Im sure my wife's psychic powers will still work at a distance, I swear she is able to tell if I have even so much as glanced at another girl, let alone a dinner date with a chocoholic!

Im NOT in Sydney silly

hencewhy I would be jealous of the quicksilva getting to be there, albeit a short visit

by the way quickgoldie...we can skip dinner and just go for dessert at Max brenner instead. we can sit on different tables,andyou dont have to look at me. that way your wife will also approve

have fun....when are you gonna be there? gonna share some pics to make us even more jealous?

and yes....I wouldnt mind some more siggies either but you will have to make them the size/shape that works for this avatar

Edited: to add the missing 'b' my keyboard has been acting weird LOL

I grew up in Sydney. I suggest - take a train on the south west line pop into Cabramatta for lunch - for a lovely bowl of noodle soup. Last time I was there - just prior to my Thailand move - a soup was $3.50.

Mind you, that was a bit over 5 yrs ago. Had dinner with my family tonite (they just arrived from Sydney) - and apparently, a packet of cigarettes costs TWENTY DOLLARS and a glass of house wine is $9. No idea what the noodle soup is worth these days...

I grew up in Sydney. I suggest - take a train on the south west line pop into Cabramatta for lunch - for a lovely bowl of noodle soup. Last time I was there - just prior to my Thailand move - a soup was $3.50.

Mind you, that was a bit over 5 yrs ago. Had dinner with my family tonite (they just arrived from Sydney) - and apparently, a packet of cigarettes costs TWENTY DOLLARS and a glass of house wine is $9. No idea what the noodle soup is worth these days...

Telling him to go to Cabrammatta is like saying "head off to East LA and grab a burrito" You may enjoy it but you may not survive the experience That can be a very rough neighbourhood with the emphasis on the word "hood"

Suggest you stick to the more refined Eastern and Northern suburbs - at least if you get robbed it will be by a better class of mugger.

CB

I grew up in Sydney. I suggest - take a train on the south west line pop into Cabramatta for lunch - for a lovely bowl of noodle soup. Last time I was there - just prior to my Thailand move - a soup was $3.50.

Mind you, that was a bit over 5 yrs ago. Had dinner with my family tonite (they just arrived from Sydney) - and apparently, a packet of cigarettes costs TWENTY DOLLARS and a glass of house wine is $9. No idea what the noodle soup is worth these days...

Telling him to go to Cabrammatta is like saying "head off to East LA and grab a burrito" You may enjoy it but you may not survive the experience That can be a very rough neighbourhood with the emphasis on the word "hood"

Suggest you stick to the more refined Eastern and Northern suburbs - at least if you get robbed it will be by a better class of mugger.

CB

Hey quik how did the trip to Oz turn out? Where is the post trip review?

CB

I will most certainly post a review, I will be flying out at 1am on the 23nd returning at about 10pm next Friday. I'm really looking forward to it.

hahaha you still havent been? and we all thought you'd have been and back. i was waiting to collect my max brenner chocs (get the white choc with coffee beans in it )

Sign up while your there with the Australian Rugby Football Union. Even if you've got one leg you'll get a game for the national team

Sign up while your there with the Australian Rugby Football Union. Even if you've got one leg you'll get a game for the national team

Ha ha f**king ha..

So are you are Yarpie or a Pom ??

Now I dont want tp "piss in your pocket" CB but wow, what a place! I really liked Sydney. I was staying off of Pitt Street and in and around O Connell Street and Circular Quay. Love the mix of old and modern architecture, really nice!

Time was tight, so didn't get to do much tourist stuff really although did get to see the Opera House. Most of the time I was stuck in a conference or visiting clients in Rhodes, near the Olympic Stadium (v impressive!).

First night we had dinner atop of a circular revolving restaurant, there I sampled some of the best Ozzie wine I have ever tasted and had a great gourmet meal. I cant recall details as we had a fair bit drink... anyway it was not far from a cool bar called the establishment (which perhaps is too cool for its own good they actually refused to sell me more beer, sure I was tipsy but I wasn't blind, well not at that time, I was later).

Next day was work work work, (and it was tough) followed with quiet client cocktails in the Overseas Passenger Terminal bar at Circular Quay, early night that night as I had plenty of work to get through the next day.

Finally we had a dinner cruise around the harbour which left from a place near the Rocks just under the Harbour Bridge I loved all the old refurbed warehouses, very similiar to the London Docklands I thought.

The cruise really was the highlight of the trip, it was the annual awards dinner for Knight Frank we had a Dame Edna Evereage lookalike there, who really was pretty funny, and we sampled fine Ozzie cuisine in the form of surf and turf washed down with copius amounts of Crown Lager and errr, I think it was called Pedroni lager (?) can't say for sure the memory is a bit foggy...

That was it really, my spare day was eaten up with a client meeting on Friday morning in Rhodes and by the time I got there and finished I was ready to fly back. I did catch a glimpse of the new A380 at the airport though... it was big but nothing special.

Thats it my Oz experience in a nutshell.

Now I need to find a spare three weeks where my wife and I can really get to know this country. 4 days is just not enough, let alone 1!

Now I dont want tp "piss in your pocket" CB but wow, what a place! I really liked Sydney.

What is that warm feeling - is it raining

I was staying off of Pitt Street and in and around O Connell Street and Circular Quay. Love the mix of old and modern architecture, really nice!

Know the area very well

Time was tight, so didn't get to do much tourist stuff really although did get to see the Opera House. Most of the time I was stuck in a conference or visiting clients in Rhodes, near the Olympic Stadium (v impressive!).

Olympic Stadium is impressive but Rhodes is nothing like the place in Greece although I suspect it would be better if it was also under water.

First night we had dinner atop of a circular revolving restaurant, there I sampled some of the best Ozzie wine I have ever tasted and had a great gourmet meal.

The Summit Restraurant on the Sydney Tower - impressive view but scares the bewillijers out of some of the people when they look out the window and see that it is rotating. Pleased you enjoyed the meal - there are some very good wines in Oz and the food has really taken off in quality and style over the last 20 years. Hard to get a Steak, Egg, and Chips now unless it is a menu special at the pub and costs $26!!!!

I cant recall details as we had a fair bit drink... anyway it was not far from a cool bar called the establishment (which perhaps is too cool for its own good they actually refused to sell me more beer, sure I was tipsy but I wasn't blind, well not at that time, I was later).

I know the bar - they bought the original pub for 3.6 million and spend another 10 mill to refurbish it. Lots of people said they were crazy but the company that own it are all long establish pub owners and very smart operators in the game.

Sydney has very strict licensing laws "The Responsible Drinking Code" is bizarre. The basic premise is that if you are in any way intoxicated or any member of the staff believe you have had too much to drink they can and are legally required to refuse to serve you any more alcohol. The days of having the legal right to drink oneself to oblivion have long gone. The 'basic rule' is that if the patron has blood alcohol exceeding the legal driving limit (0.05%) then EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT DRIVING they cannot be served any more alcohol. Put into context that is 2 standard drinks in the first hour and one per hour thereafter. I like to buy a single shot of burbon and then have a beer chaser - that is now illegal in Sydney because you are mixing the drinks and it is called "hitting back" ie drinking too fast.

Next day was work work work, (and it was tough) followed with quiet client cocktails in the Overseas Passenger Terminal bar at Circular Quay, early night that night as I had plenty of work to get through the next day.

Nice bar - not many passenger ships use it so someone came up with the idea of turning it into a convention centre. They do the same sort of thing at the museum and Art Gallery.

Finally we had a dinner cruise around the harbour which left from a place near the Rocks just under the Harbour Bridge I loved all the old refurbed warehouses, very similiar to the London Docklands I thought.

Sydney Rocks are great but now the pubs are very expensive.

The cruise really was the highlight of the trip, it was the annual awards dinner for Knight Frank we had a Dame Edna Evereage lookalike there, who really was pretty funny, and we sampled fine Ozzie cuisine in the form of surf and turf washed down with copius amounts of Crown Lager and errr, I think it was called Pedroni lager (?) can't say for sure the memory is a bit foggy...

Surf and Turf, Dame Edna and beer - talk about a flick back to the 1970's so I guess the dessert was Pavlova then? <sigh>. Crown lager was the first butique beer in Australia before the made anything good

Thats it my Oz experience in a nutshell.

Now I need to find a spare three weeks where my wife and I can really get to know this country. 4 days is just not enough, let alone 1!

Pleased you enjoyed the time there - go back when you can and take the wife, see the country and check out places other than Sydney.

Cheers

CB