This past weekend myself and the fam visited the all-new Novotel Sydney City Centre, located in prime position in Wynyard (one of my fav parts of the city). The hotel has recently had a $20M refurbishment and is unrecognisable, in all the best ways.
There’s something magical about the city during the festive season, it’s a vibe. The Christmas trees and twinkling lights, the heat, and the energy is just something else. We spent two nights, covered a lot of ground, and with the boys now 3 & 5 we definitely made some core memories.
Here’s what we got up to:
“WICKED” HIGH TEA
WICKED is currently in cinemas, starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jonathan Bailey (aka ‘Anthony Bridgerton’ for the Bridgerton fans). The musical film comes from the stage to the big screen and tells the untold story of the witches of Oz. Novotel Sydney City Centre is a walk or light rail trip to George Street Event Cinema and is currently running a WICKED themed high tea experience at their in-house restaurant Birdie Bar & Brasserie, which is truly *magical* and includes ‘bewitching charcoal bun sliders’, matcha green tiramisu, ’emerald city’ green wraps, and ‘enchanted beetroot verine’, along with your choice of themed cocktails and mocktails.
MANLY FERRY & SWIMS
Just a short walk to Circular Quay we were in the perfect location to jump on a ferry, cruise past the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, and land ourselves on the beach at Manly for a dip and an ice-cream.
DARLING HARBOUR & DARLING SQUARE
Always the crowd favourite among the kids, we made our way to Darling Harbour and Darling Square where the hours disappeared amidst the laughter and joy. This park and water play area is our all-time favourite having stayed this end of town many times. It’s a short light-rail ride from Wynard to Chinatown (or walk the boardwalk from King Street Wharf around Cockle Bay). The master stroke this time was bringing the kids scooters (and definitely don’t forget a change of clothes). While here, you also can’t miss the beautifully restored vintage carousel (which will only set you back $7 per person). Hot tip: wander past the Chinese Garden of Friendship to spot frill neck lizards and giant Coy fish.
GIANT CHRISTMAS TREE – MARTIN PLACE
Martin Place at Christmas time is magic too. The giant Christmas tree is truly GIANT. Such a spectacle – and not just for the kids. There were street performers, markets, and Christmas displays for photo opportunities. In fact the whole city is filled with trees and some cool Santa tinsel sculptures.
OTHER THINGS TO DO CLOSE TO NOVOTEL SYDNEY CITY CENTRE
Honestly, it was impossible to fit everything into one weekend, but if you’re planning a trip to the city, Novotel Sydney City Centre at Wynyard is central to all of the activities – including these which we missed out on this time:
• Wundrful World of Christmas at QVB
• Christmas Fireworks at Darling Harbour – 9pm Sat’s until 28th December
• WildLife Sydney Zoo and SeaLife Aquarium at Darling Harbour
• Outdoor OpenAir Cinema at Mrs Macquaries Point
• Luna Park
Thanks again to Novotel Sydney City Centre for hosting us. Until next time, wishing everyone a happy and safe festive season.
With Love,
Nicky x
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