Category: Sights & Attractions

Things to do in NYC

Post by: Jessica Festa

Need help planning your New York City itinerary? Look no further, as we’ve gathered some top Big Apple experiences featuring both well and lesser-known attractions. The following recommendations are provided by native New Yorker Jessica Festa, who also blogs regularly about NYC and beyond on her websites, Jessie on a Journey and Epicure & Culture. The following experiences will help you have a memorable trip while seeing the city from a local point of view.

1.   Immerse Yourself In Nature

While New York City is technically a concrete jungle, you may be surprised just how many lush parks and gardens you can find in the city. The most famous is Central Park, encompassing 843 acres (3.41 square kilometers) of greenery and outdoor attractions. While you can come here to simply sun and stroll, the park is also home to bird watching at The Ramble, kayaking, theaters, a carousel, a zoo with indoor rainforest and endangered animal breeding programs, sculptures, an inspiring 4-acre Shakespeare Garden with quotes from the author and plants mentioned in his works, a castle, sports fields, free walking tours, bike rentals and loads of free events like concerts, yoga clinics, photo safaris and performances. In Brooklyn, notable greenspaces include Prospect Park — created by the same designers as Central Park and full of flora, fauna and activities — and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden with its loads of themed gardens, guided plant walks and educational family events.

2.   Try Something New

There are so ways to do something quirky or novel in NYC. If you want to get active, hone your aerial acrobatics skills at the Trapeze School of New York/ or head to Bryant Park for a free Petanque lesson. If you’re a foodie, sign up for an excursion with Freegan Info to learn more about the culture of dumpster diving and salvaging wasted food. You can learn the art of sultry dance at The New York School of Burlesque, practice rock climbing at Brooklyn Boulders, taking a cooking class at the Institute of Culinary Education and more. You may also want to check sites like CanaryHop and Vayable to see what kinds of unique experiences are being offered by locals.

3.   Explore NYC, For Free!

There are a number of excellent tour companies in New York City offering insider knowledge and memorable experiences; however, for those on a budget FREE Tours By Foot offers complimentary walking, biking and bus excursions, typically lasting about two hours. While this list is by no means exhaustive — there are so many different tours offered — some suggestions include a “Subway Art Tour,” “2014-When We Were Idiots (A Comedy Walking Tour)” and “Ghosts Of Greenwich Village.” Every day of the week they offer about 10+ different excursions, so there’s always something to do. Just remember to tip your guide, as they only make what you give.

4.   Eat Sweets

My favorite neighborhood for sweet treats is the West Village in Manhattan, home to an array of high-quality bakeries and chocolate-focused venues. While Sockerbit sells Swedish candies with unusual textures and flavor combinations, Molly’s Cupcakes allows you to make your own cupcake or purchase one of their freshly-made treats in a whimsical space with swingset chairs and board games. At Sweet Revenge one can opt to pair decadent homemade cupcakes with wine and beer, at Popbar offers artisanal gelato on a stick dunked into gooey dips and coated with toppings, and Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar serves up delicious dessert pizzas and chocolate martinis.

5.   Take In A Beautiful View

Along with popular sites like the Empire State Building and Top of The Rock, there are loads of lesser-known places to take in a beautiful view. Head to Upstairs at the Kimberly for innovative farm-to-fork tapas, craft cocktails and front-row views of the Chrysler Building. For a free view of the Statue of Liberty, nothing beats the Staten Island Ferry. Walking or cycling over the Williamsburg or Brooklyn Bridges offers water-enhanced skyline vistas, while the DSW Designer Show Warehouse in Union Square allows for a unique vantage point of the Empire State Building, Metropolitan Life Insurance Tower and the Fuerza Bruta Theater.

What’s your favorite thing to do in New York City? Please share in the comments below.

Rocking Out in Rotorua

Hey…what’s that smell?! It’s the sweet smelling sulphur of Rotorua.  If you’re travelling around the North Island of New Zealand, you’ve got to stop in what the locals refer to as ROTOVEGAS. Locals are silly! It’s not a casino town! This is a spa town, so get ready to get down and dirty in the mud.

Mud is your Bud

Rotorua’s geothermal water and mineral-enriched muds are absolute must-do’s. These rejuvenating therapies spring from Rotorua’s thermal activity and you won’t see anything like them elsewhere in the world. You can go for a simple soak or book out a private pool for you and the whole family. There are plenty of spas that also provide traditional Maori massage that uses indigenous herbs. Whatever your budget, there’s some mud here for you. European settlers have been enjoying the muds here since 1874!

Let’s Get Physical

Before you start pampering yourself you should probably do something to deserve it. Make sure you bring your hiking boots because RotoVegas has 18 sparkling lakes and incredibly exotic forests to explore. Just five minutes from downtown Rotorua, the foxiest forest in the world awaits you. It’ll be easy to reach this beauty with your Transfercar rental…The 5600 hectare Whakarewarewa Forest has more than 70 trails for walkers, hikers, and mountain bikers from amateurs to experts.

Wet ‘n’ Wild

If walking isn’t your thing, get yourself to the rafts at Kaitiaki Adventures. The Kaituna River in all her glory is on display here and she will wow you with the world’s highest commercially rafted waterfall: the 7 METRE Tutea Falls. You don’t need to worry about bringing any gear as they supply everything for you. Just pack some bravery. And a touch of madness.

If you manage to survive…

Nom Nom Nom

…then you’ll want to get yourself to Te Puia and the NZ Maori Arts and Crafts Institute where you can stuff your face with an authentic Maori steam-cooked lunch as part of the guided tour to Te Whakarewarewa Geothermal Valley. After upgrading all your mad weaving, greenstone and wood carving skills, you’ll get to select your lunch from a range of traditional options, like kumara and lamb, which are then taken to the valley and cooked above the steam vents in the ground. That’s just crazy! You mean crazy delicious! You’ll eat your snack packs overlooking the infamous Pohutu Geyser while wondering to yourself why you’ve never been here before.

You’ve saved money on transportation, thanks to us, so maybe you feel like splurging. Te Puia also offers a dining option, the magnificent Te Pō Indigenous Evening Experience. It includes a traditional Maori concert, an authentic hangi within a lavish buffet, and a moonlight visit to the geothermal valley for hot chocolate. And you can roast marshmallows in a volcano. No, no you can’t. But you can take another relaxing soak in the springs! There’s just no other place in New Zed that can make you feel this good. You’re welcome.

Opera in Da House: Why the Sydney Opera House is Better than You

So, I hear you think you’re pretty great, huh? Being the best you can be. Do you think you’re anywhere near as awesome as Sydney Opera House? I’m here to show you how you’re not in 10 points. Buckle up.

10. At Sydney Opera House, 1,600 performances happen every year. And it’s not just operas, but ballets, plays, pop music, symphonies, comedy, contemporary dance, and musical theatre.

(You go to Karaoke twice a year.)

9. Sydney Opera House supports the Vivid Sydney festival. This festival transforms Sydney with fantastic arrays of light, music and ideas. Here’s a menu: 56 installations by 140 artists from 15 countries, 80 Vivid Music shows by local and international artists, 200 events that showcase creative industries and 550 speakers sharing ideas.

(You have an iPod shuffle. Jealous?)

8. The Opera and Koalas tour gives you VIP access to Sydney Opera House and a guided tour of Taronga Zoo where you will all the weird and wonderful creatures of Australia. There are kangaroos, koalas, snakes,  crocodiles and possums to name a few critters.

(You’ve got 5 cats.)

7. The Royal Botanic Gardens has 18 feature gardens showcasing herbs to Begonias to Rain Forest plants. The Rare and Threatened Plants Garden is a must for green thumbs. The Palace Rose Garden has more than 1800 roses. It’s a feast for the senses.

(You have dandelions in your garden. You also get hayfever.)

6. The architect Jorn Utzon was rejected by three judges in the 1956 competition to design Sydney Opera House. Remarkably, his entry was then singled out as “outstanding” by the renowned American architect Eero Saarinen, who was the fourth and final judge. Utzon beat 232 other entrants and won 5000 pounds. Go underdogs!

(You designed your garden shed and won nothing.)

5. The Cloudy Bay Fish Co features sustainably caught seafood from the Marlborough Sound in New Zealand and an outstanding menu which showcases seafood in a contemporary, delicious way.

(You like greasy fish ‘n’ chips from the local Chinese takeout.)

4. The star of Opera Kitchen is a sushi and sashimi restaurant by Kenji Nishinakagawa, Australia’s foremost sushi artist offers a variety of sushi and sashimi ranging from traditional to modern taste.

(See #5.)

3. Sydney Opera House’s construction cost $AUS 102 million.

(Let’s not even talk about how much money you have.)

2. Work started on Sydney Opera House in 1959, with a whopping 10,000 builders employed.

(It only took 2 people to make you.)

1. The building is 185 metres long and 120 metres wide.

(You’re only 5’9”. Size matters.)

But don’t take any of this personally, because the Sydney Opera House is better than everyone. An absolute masterpiece of late modern architecture, Sydney Opera House has earned a reputation as a world-class performing arts centre and is a symbol of the Australian nation.

Transfercar wants to be the one who gets you there. This is how we do: ride with us.

Auckland Sky Tower – I believe I Can Fly!

Auckland cops a lot of flak in NZ because, well, it’s the best. No really, it is. Sure, it may not be a hipster capital (I’m looking at you, Wellington), but it’s a bustling big city that can compete with other world beauties like Vancouver or Seattle. If you’ve only a got a few days in NZ’s biggest city, then there is One Thing You Must Absolutely Do in Auckland.

But it’s a secret, sooo, this is awkward….

Ok, fine, I’ll tell you.

It’s the Sky Tower. You’ve got to do the Auckland Sky Tower.

At 328 metres, this Godzilla-esque tower is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand. The stunning views of sprawling, dazzling Auckland are simply breath taking. While the views are a main attraction, Auckland’s Sky Tower isn’t just a pretty face. There’s plenty to explore up here, so take a deep breath (and maybe a shot of whiskey for courage) and let’s go exploring.

So, maybe you’re an adrenaline junkie, or perhaps you’re just plain nuts. Either or, the SkyJump may just be your fix. Crazies the world over have jumped and lived to tell their tales, touting it as an absolute must-do. The SkyJump is more like base jumping rather than the ol’ bungee. It’s simple: you’re attached to a wire and then you fall fast, 85km fast, and you land alive and well in the Sky City plaza. You even get a certificate proclaiming your insanity-er-bravery.

If you’re averse to falling then the SkyWalk is your deal. You can walk the line around the pergola 192 meters up the sky Tower, taking in the 360 degree panoramic views of this beautiful city, its harbour and the surrounding islands. Did I mention there are no handrails?! Whoops! But you’re all roped up, so it’s no biggie. Plus you get to make faces at the elite eating at Peter Gordon’s Sugar Club, which is a bonus in itself.

Now that you’ve survived two adrenaline pumping adventures, you’re ready to make it rain. The SKYCITY Casino is conveniently open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you’re feeling lucky, try your hand at popular casino games and machines. Just be sure to keep it real and play at levels you can actually afford.

If you’ve managed to make it out of the Casino with some cash, you won’t be holding onto it much longer once you walk past the Sky Tower’s fabulous restaurants. Where’s the beef? It’s at The Grill by Sean Connolly, a restaurant that celebrates all things bovine and other delicious locally sourced animals. Al Brown, the King Kong of NZ food has made his name at Federal Delicatessen and Depot, serving up incredibly authentic NYC Jewish deli-style food and beautifully cooked NZ cuisine like freshly shucked oysters, whitebait and paua.

Sure, the Sky Tower may seem a bit touristy, but guess what? You’re a tourist. Your experience is what you make of it and the Sky Tower has the goods, so get amongst it.

Things to do in Melbourne

The world’s Most Liveable City has quite the reputation to live up to, but Melbourne delivers on all of the expectations placed upon her. Voila a short list of the Things You Must Do or Die in Melbourne. They’re very easy, don’t be scared…

First things first, you’ve just driven miles to get here so you probably need a COFFEE. If you don’t like coffee, then just leave now, because Melbourne is basically the Coffee Capital of Australia. It’s a city built on café culture, like her great European counterparts Paris and Rome.

Melbourne has hundreds of sexy, independent cafes who each have their own unique design, beans and sweets. The cities best cafes can be found in every suburb and in the downtown concrete jungle. But where you really want to be is in…

…Melbourne’s laneway cafes and bars. The laneways of Melbs are like a sneaky-styley underground labyrinth of cool.  Whatever it is you’re into, you’re going to find it in the lanes. These incredible art-bombed alleys are covered in exquisite graffiti and sculptures that often serve as addresses for hideaway bars and shops. Amongst the caffeine dens and cocktail bars, you’ll be dropping your money on the most glorious food in all of Australia. Old faves like Pellegrini’s snuggle up against trend setting restaurants like Movida. Hardware Lane and Centre Place are dying to feed you: give in. Eat all of the foods. And once you’re done, keep moving down the lanes, pop into a few galleries and try to fit yourself into some clothes from Somerset Place and Rankins Lane. But they won’t fit. Because you ate all the foods. The best thing for you now, and for your new-found curves, is to take a long walk to The Queen Victoria Market.

Yes, there is much more food here, and you’re full, but you’re also on vacation so stop whining and get eating! This is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere and it’s that fabulous that it’s been listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. ‘Queen Vic’ is the beating heart of Melbourne for a reason. Spread out over two entire city blocks, it’s a vibrant and bustling inner-city Market where you’ll find anything from Aussie fruit and veg, diverse arrays of local and imported gourmet foods, to clothing, cosmetics and souvenirs. Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Markets is the Queen of all markets so… bow down.

Right about now, you’ve rested and digested and it’s time to see some nature. Hit the Great Ocean Road. Rightly called the most stunning drive not only in Australia, but the entire WORLD, (and therefore maybe the UNIVERSE), don’t even think about not seeing this road, ok? It’s 243km of pure, eye-melting beauty along the Victorian Coast. The vistas and views will not only kill you with their staggering beauty but the sunset, voted one of Australia’s Top 10 Sunsets (yes, it’s a thing), will destroy you with its awesome power. You’ll never look at the sun in the same way again. Be prepared for complete transformation, baby, you’re under Melbourne’s spell now.

Destination Australia: Coober Pedy, “The Opal Capital of the World”

Things looking dull in the city? Or maybe you’re looking for somewhere stunning as you visit Australia? The opal city of the world, located in the Australian Outback, is sure to brighten up your life.

Coober Pedy’s shining history

In the early 1900s a team in search for gold came across something more extraordinary. While wandering in the painted desert looking for water they stumbled upon traces of Opal. Reacting quickly and laying claim to the area, the Stuart Range Opal Field was constructed. Before the great depression of the late 1930s the area was renamed Coober Pedy, and since then saw a slew of ups and downs. Both in the 1940s and 1960s the Opal industry boomed dramatically, bringing Coober Pedy back from the brink of being wiped out.

Now you can explore this fascinating Opal themed town, making the most of their underground homes which were used to survive the harsh desert conditions.

Heading down under…ground!

Books & Goanna Land – Outback maps, books, guides and postcards can be found underground at the B&G Land store. Take something home to remember the underground experience by.
Art Gallery –  A collection of Australia’s finest artists have works at the underground gallery at Coober Pedy.
Faye’s Underground Home – Enjoy the snug and beautiful underground houses that Coober Pedy residents take shelter in. You’ll be surprised at how magnificent a subterranean home can be.
Crocodile Harry’s Underground Nest – See how the fame of Coober Pedy passed his days by visiting his home. Now passed, Crocodile Harry was notorious for having a wacky underground abode and even wackier personality. His home is filled with hoarded wears that are sure to make you smile, like his various sculptures of people in odd poses.

So if you’re looking for somewhere a little bit precious or you want to experience life underground, Coober Pedy is an outback experience you’ll not want to pass up.