Night Tours of Sydney

Sydney is known for its vibrant nightlife. In fact, after the sun has set and cast its radiance over the Sydney Harbour, the life in the city is just getting started.

Attractions at Night

strip-outs waste management sydneyTourists who have a penchant for escorts can have a tour of Sydney brothels and nightlife. But if you have kids with you or would want to experience the city’s attractions at night, you can start your excursion at Sydney Tower. Take marvel at the spectacular view of the city lights or feast at the sumptuous food served in the Tower’s restaurants. You should also visit the Sydney Observatory. Look at the stars, planets or other heavenly bodies using the telescopes at the country’s oldest observatory. After a little astronomical experience, head to Sydney Aquarium. Kids and those young at heart will surely enjoy the country’s marine life. If you’re up for a hair-raising and spine-chilling experience, sign up for The Rocks Ghost Tour. Of course, the best time to revisit Sydney’s dark history is at night. Listen to real life stories of murders, suicide and hauntings while exploring dark alleyways and haunted places. For a more spooky experience, book the tour during the Halloween.

Theatres and Clubs

Apart from the famous Sydney Opera House, you can watch the country’s finest actors at Walsh Bay. You should also make a trip to the State Theatre and the Capitol Theatre. For party animals out there, party ’til you drop at the nightclubs in the city’s Central Business District. Among the must-visit clubs are the Chinese Laundry, One22 and Grandma’s Bar.

Lowlights of Sydney’s Nightlife

Just recently, the state government introduced new liquor laws “to ensure the safety of tourists and residents.” This is partly in response to the attacks on teenagers while enjoying the city’s nightlife. These laws entail a liquor ban in some areas and curfew on establishments that serve or sell alcohols. Because of these legislations, the once throbbing and vibrant nightlife in Sydney is starting to fade away. In fact, the once packed and alive Oxford Street is now swarming of establishments with the “lease” sign. It is a must that tourists and residents enjoy a nightlife, where they feel safe and comfortable. Maybe a sober city might be good after all.

Asian Hotspots and Karaoke Bars in Sydney

Sydney is full of great Asian hotspots and karaoke bars, where locals and visitors mingle under the spotlight and sing to their heart’s content. Awesome sound systems beat out a booming beat and the disco lights complete the kaleidoscopic picture. There are beautiful girls and great looking guys with all the right moves making boogie on the dance floor. Asian hotspots and karaoke bars in Sydney are varied and offer lots of unique experiences for participants. Usually located in the pulsating centre of the city, they are places of visceral entertainment.

When you grasp the golden microphone at Big Echo you know that stardom beckons for that moment. The volume blasts out your choice of song and you are off swinging those hips and trying to keep time with the lyrics. Plenty of alcohol choices and some great Japanese food on the menu too. This place is a Sydney karaoke institution.

Asian Hotspots and Karaoke Bars in Sydney

K-Square is a subterranean Sydney karaoke spot beneath George Street and very popular with the locals. They have a great list of songs with the original video clips by the artists themselves. Powerful sound system and several rooms available within the underground space. Lots of yummy Thai food on the menu and plenty of beer/alcohol.

Karaoke World is an oldie but a goodie; and has recently been renovated. With 18 rooms to sing in it could be compared to a karaoke golf course. It has a huge song list with all the latest hits. Very basic menu featuring fried food like spring rolls, chips and chicken wings.

Dynasty Karaoke in China Town is very futuristic with lots of reflective surfaces, bright lights and digital screens. Good solid sound system and easy to use touch screen remotes. Good service and some very tasty Asian food. One of the best karaoke bars in Sydney.

CEO Karaoke is a fancy pants style joint with light-up tables and super plush seats. There are rooms with individual interior design themes and plenty of room to move. Great drinks menu and a good selection of food to eat.

Mizuya Japanese Restaurant and Karaoke has some 24 rooms for you to Karaoke in. Karaoke used to be about public embarrassment but now it seems that you can confine the shame to your intimate circle. This place has great food and lots of drinks to choose from. You can even take advantage of package deals for dinner or lunch with karaoke. A top Asian hotspot in Sydney to party hard in.

 

Iconic Sydney Venues That Have Closed Since the Lockout Laws

The Lockout Laws in Sydney which prevent customers from entering a venue after 1.30am are killing businesses in the hotel and night club industries. This law was ostensibly brought in to curtail the violence that had resulted in the ‘king hit’ deaths of two young men in Sydney in recent years. It seems we must punish the many innocent to stop a minority of guilty violent youths who cannot handle their drinks. The upshot of it all has been iconic Sydney venues closing forever in response to these financially damaging laws.

The Exchange or ‘Sexchange’ Hotel went last year and I know personally that I exchanged large amounts of saliva with peoples unknown in dark corners of these subterranean bars. Sydney’s Darlinghurst will never be the same; Oxford Street will be missing something like a back molar in the mouth of some salacious beast. Where has all the disreputable fun gone from this city? Where, indeed, not to the ‘Cross’, because Hugos Bar and Lounge has also closed down. That Bacchanalian expanse of late night bodies crammed into some Roman like pavilion, where one would go when other joints had dimmed, is no more.

Iconic Sydney Venues That Have Closed Since the Lockout Laws

Late night Sydney bars and clubs are becoming an endangered species and the #lockoutlaws are killing fun. #keepsydneyopen and #casinomike are raising awareness about the conservative wet blanket choking the life out of ‘sin city’.

The mighty Lansdowne Hotel has also gone. The sticky carpet on the floor, the grunge bands and the almost desperate ambience; which had lasted for 90 years is now a distant memory. I remember pool tables and quiz nights full of large amounts of beer with my now ex-wife; Sydney has changed forever. Where will my children go and let their hair down, take drugs and meet other girls and boys?

Kings Cross is a ghost town with the closing of so many late night venues. Kings Cross was a late night destination; how can you be a late night destination if all your venues are lock outs? The Soho has closed, with the loss of late night business, according to owner Andrew Lazarus, squarely to blame. Night clubs due to ‘nanny state’ laws are no longer financially viable; there are so many compliance costs that without the late night alcohol sales it is unfeasible.

Bar Century in the city has closed down. Just about every place that was known as a late night option has shut its doors forever because of the lock out laws. Goodgod Small Club and The BackRoom have both shut down. Is everyone doing yoga and going to bed early these days? Such a dying shame!

Can Psychics Help Police With Murder Cases?

There have been reports of psychics helping police with their investigations into cases of murder, and these usually involve an attempt to locate the missing body of the presumed victim; in most instances the psychics have not been successful. There have been a few reports claiming that a psychic did help the police locate the body of a victim, but often the actual help has been exaggerated by the media.

Most police forces, including those in Australia, state, that they do not consult with psychics to determine the whereabouts of presumed victims or the identity of perpetrators. However, unofficially these things do go on; especially when police are unable to solve these questions themselves and cases remain unsolved over a lengthy period of time. Psychic investigators are seen as some silver bullet, by a credulous public seeking answers.

There is a great body of fiction, which feature psychic detectives, and these stories read in books and seen on television contribute to society’s ongoing belief in the ability of psychics to solve crimes. The majority of cop shows on TV feature a detective grappling with strands of evidence and attempting, by dint of intuition, to unravel a mystery. Most crimes are actually solved by the dogged cross referencing of evidence by police operatives.

Many parents of missing persons and presumed murder victims have been deeply hurt by the spurious attempts by psychics to solve the mysteries involving their children. There have been multiple cases of psychics, stating publicly, that someone was murdered and their body is located in such and such place, when in reality that person turns up alive and well later on. Certain psychics seek celebrity through involvement in high profile murder cases, and the fact that they are, usually, always unable, to solve the case or clearly wrong, does not seem to harm their reputation. People who believe in psychics are not greatly troubled by evidence, which discredits their belief; it is more important to them to maintain these beliefs – much like religion.

The rational and scientific modus operandi of police forces is often viewed as inadequate, especially by the media who feed on events like murder. These irrational events sell newspapers, as the public gain stimulation from nefarious acts committed on other people. The talk around water coolers is abuzz with chat about crimes and questions like, can psychics help police with murder cases? We all want to believe in an overmind, which can be tapped into by a psychic, as an example of good over evil; someone who can bear witness to the ultimate truth of the matter.

The Trots and Dogs: Night Racing in Sydney

A great night out in Sydney is a visit to the trots and/or dogs. The buzz and frenetic action of these racetracks can pep you up no end. I remember many a time I dined at the Harold Park Raceway, in Glebe, with a beautiful woman on my arm and the exciting track lit up beneath us. Sipping Champagne and enjoying a sensational meal, with the added stimulation of a fistful of betting tickets on the table. As the horses pulling their chariots surge down the track, you could be transported back to the Circus Maximus in ancient Rome.

This sport was the one that captured the hearts of the citizens of the Roman Empire. There were factions, the Greens, Blues, Reds and Whites, akin to a mixture of owners/financial backers and football teams; in the tribal allegiance they inspired in the punters. It became highly political and fan passion for the chariot races almost brought down emperors on occasion. Harness racing has a rich tradition and connects us with the forebears of our western civilisation. As you hold your breath and watch your chosen runner head for the finishing line; you can feel the excitement in your blood. Harold Park has sadly gone the way of the Dodo; eaten up by the rapacious love of real estate in Sydney.

The Menangle Park Raceway in south-west Sydney, after many renovations, now hosts the premier harness racing events, including the Miracle Mile. This venue, also, offers a great night out and some great racing. Racing at night is doubly exciting because we all naturally feel more alive at night, the bright lights contrasting the night sky. Work is finished and now we are ready to play, a sexy woman beside you dressed to the nines, and a flutter in your pocket with the promise of riches. Do you feel lucky tonight punk? “He who bets has a better time”, I think Confucius might have said that.

The dogs race at Wentworth Park, again in Glebe (no surprise that Glebe used to be the home of Sydney’s great crime families back in the day), every Saturday and Wednesday nights. Greyhound racing is seriously quick, these animals flash by in their chase for the synthetic bunny. They charge out of their boxes, unmuzzled and hungry for the sweet taste of success. The races are over in more seconds than minutes, and it is high excitement borne of pure animal testosterone and hormones. These dogs love to run, they are born to run and boy do they run. A night at Wentworth Park will get you in the mood for mating and you might just win a few bucks too.

 

Home Invasions a Constant Threat

It is an unfortunate fact of modern urban life in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne that home invasions are a constant threat. Violent forcible entries by gangs of men into homes where there may be women and children present. Robbery is usually the prime motivation for these terrifying acts perpetuated upon innocent people; but physical assaults also regularly occur. Drugs are often a big part of the story, with the offenders either high or desperate to raise money to buy drugs. It is also a common thread that these acts of home invasion are targeted upon vulnerable victims.

These include the elderly, often frail and living alone, women and children when husbands are not present; these are cowardly acts committed by physically aggressive young men. The chosen victims have usually been observed by gang members, their houses being watched to find out the most opportune times for invading the victim’s home. These youths are often wearing clothing and jewellery associated with American gangs, as if they are attempting to emulate the things they have seen on TV. These violent behaviours are the underbelly of American urban culture and Australian gangs, usually made up of some particular ethnic group, are mimicking this behaviour.

The top five Home Invasion Sydney articles on Google include: a woman being forced from her home by a half naked man with a gun; a blind man being robbed and injured in a western Sydney home; four children experienced an invasion of their home; and a pregnant woman was injured in another home invasion. Drugs are nearly always a motivating force in the cowardly acts of these men; whether you can really call them men is debatable, boys, bullying boys picking on the weak and vulnerable is a better description of them.

In the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics Annual Recorded Crime Report for 2014 all crimes were down on previous years except stealing from a dwelling, which was up 3.2%. What can you do to protect yourself from a home invasion? Firstly, I would recommend engaging locksmith services to assess and install locks and security devices on all ports of entry into your home. Next, I would pay attention to anybody who may be watching your home, as they may be casing your joint in preparation for a home invasion. Talk to your neighbours and get them involved, perhaps the whole street. Do you have a neighbourhood watch program in your suburb? There is safety in numbers, and in community spirit and action.

Bars in Newtown

Bars In Newtown (and surrounds)

The most biased view of places to go drinking in Newtown you’ve probably ever seen. Read ’em and weep!

 

The Midnight Special

44 Enmore Road

www.themidnightspecial.com.au

The Midnight Special is one of the Inner Wests best small bars. It’s intimate with gloomy lighting and a large range of music being played, often times by local DJs on vinyl too, as I guess much of the area is. Awesome hotdogs alongside an intriguing mix of cocktails. Favourite memory? Drinking Martinis and listening to a ska version of the James Bond theme which inspired me to be classy and stumble out into the street looking to get tattooed. Good times.

 

Corridor

153a King St

www.corridorbar.com.au

An aptly named small bar which hides the fact that there’s rooftop space available, a nice mix of drinks and friendly staff, but exceptional cocktails. Get here in the early afternoon to grab a great space, because they get busy whether it’s warm or winter.

 

Blacksheep

256 King St

www.blacksheepbar.com.au

Large deer head on the wall, chandeliers from the ceiling, general classiness, it’s kind of a shock if you’re used to wasting time at the Townie. They have curly fries and sliders. Yes! What’s more they have an old Nintendo out back. Favourite memory? Smashing some burgers, having a cocktail and being a Nintendo champion.

 

The Hive Bar

93 Erskineville Road

Unsurprisingly this place is in Erskineville, being on Erskineville road, but well worth the short walk down. Bars upstairs and downstairs and perpetually busy but with a super laid back feel, the place to come during the day while you’ve got some time to waste. Favourite Memory? Pedro, the infamous northern soul dancer, trying to make me dance, no luck bud, I’m made for drinking and not much else.

 

Newtown Social Club

387 King St

I don’t go here. There’s nothing wrong with it. I just like playing in the dirt. Favourite memory? When it was the Sando. No offence.

 

Kelly’s on King

285 King St

This is the place where literally 50% of all adventures happen. I’ve partied here too many times to count and so has everyone! Kelly’s is open late, drinks are nicely priced and they have a large but simple range, and they’re willing to play. Not many places round these parts will sell you an Irish Car Bomb cocktail. Favourite Memories? Anything revolving around Irish car bombs, or being the one to hold yours down.

 

Miss Peaches

201 Missenden Road

www.misspeaches.com.au

Setup to be something like a deep American south experience, I’ve personally never been, I can’t really judge the place on authenticity. But the reason this place is worth a mention is because it is different, the food is different (spice coated shrimp and popcorn), and they make their own soda. There are dancing classes too. I don’t dance.

 

Mary’s

6 Mary Street

This place is a bit hit or miss depending upon what you’re looking for, like loud music and burgers, fried chicken etc. Cool. Like hearing what your friends are saying and reasonably priced food not of the Hungry Jacks variety? Then you might not be into it. I can go either way on any given night, mainly cos I enjoy the odd Jack Attack (trademark pending) and there isn’t one close enough to me. Favourite Memory? Closing my eyes and thinking of HJ’s. More of a general statement really.

Natural Night Highlights of Sydney

Naturally enough, Sydney is an attractive city precisely because of nature. The natural beauty of Sydney Harbour, while stunning by day, is even more evocative by night.

The greatest time of all to visit Sydney for its visual night delights is December-January when, apart from the explosive vision of the Sydney Harbour Bridge haemorrhaging fireworks, there’s firework displays seemingly every night due to the proliferation of Carols By Candlelight in every suburban park leading up until Christmas, followed by a great final summer firework show at Darling Harbour on the night of Australia Day.

However there is now a night event to rival December-January and this is the winter night event Vivid Sydney an outdoor festival of light which is utterly enchanting.