Get Over-whale-med: The Best Whale Watching Cruises In Sydney

Ah! The Sydney Harbour – home to the iconic Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the first spot on every tourist’s travel itineraries and every Australian’s source of pride. The Harbour is sprawling with activity at every juncture – with the not-so-occasional sightseeing tourist sporting an ‘I ❤️ Sydney’ tee and a camera around their neck, the restaurants buzzing with conversation, wait-staff beelining their way through the hungry diners and the Insta-famous food blogger hovering over the table crouching and contorting awkwardly all for getting that perfect flat-lay for their feed (#followforfollow)! 

 

A well-informed lot of tourists make their way onto one of the many Sydney Harbour cruises for dining and sightseeing, smartly distancing themselves from the crowds. The views that one encounters on these cruises are truly spectacular – soothing stretches of coastal walks punctuated by silica sand beaches, all framed by endless expanses of the Pacific Ocean. Ah! The Sydney Harbour! 

 

Come late May to early November, a very special bunch of tourists, much too big to find ‘I ❤️ Sydney’ tees to span their 50 tonne heavy bodies (#bodyshaming?), arrive in Sydney. Eager to escape the biting cold of their Antarctic homes, traversing 5000 odd kilometres, these lovesick cetaceans are here to celebrate a truly epic babymoon (#babymoongoals!) or annual vacation in the warmer Australian waters. This trend validates us peeping Toms world over to indulge in our voyeuristic tendencies and book a whale watching cruise in Sydney! If you didn’t already guess that I was talking about whales so far, whale then, now you know. 

 

Breach, please! As you’ll soon find out after your whale watching tour along Sydney Harbour, Humpbacks are Antarctica’s top contenders for the acrobatics segment of the Olympics! They’re willing to always put on quite the show for all those watching. Humpback whale breaches are quite the dramatic sight, so keep your cameras (literally and figuratively) on deck.  You can fathom how difficult it may be to haul a 40-tonne body out of the water. I, myself, sometimes struggle to gracefully hoist myself out of a bathtub following a long bath that has rendered me wrinkled from head to toe! 

Heads Up For Tails! Amorously-inclined flirty female whales need their fair share of attention and sure know how to demand for it; an impactful pec or tail slap almost always gets the job done. 

Underwater & Undercover! Aquatic Sherlock Holmes reporting for duty – a particularly cute surfacing behaviour that Humpback whales exhibit is spyhopping, wherein their heads shyly break the surface of the water just to have a look around as you enjoy your whale watching tour in Sydney. Oddly enough though, this trait is quite reminiscent of my (not-so-cute) nosy neighbour. 

 

Be a part of and witness the beauty of the longest mammalian migration on the planet. Book your whale watching cruise in Sydney and scourge the best deals of the season. It’s Whale Watching Season In Sydney This Winter! 

Marvel at the electrifying sights on the harbour with a Vivid Lights cruise

For the 11th edition of the celebration of Vivid Sydney- the culmination of creative pursuits in the fields of lights, music and ideas, a Vivid Sydney dinner cruise is a novel experience you must book! Vivid Sydney 2019 is promised to surpass all expectations so gear up to witness the metamorphosis of Sydney Harbour into the best possible version of itself. To surround yourself with this marvel, jump right into the heart of the festival by opting for a Sydney Harbour Vivid Light dinner cruise. Tantamount to the definition of luxury, choose a glamorous all-inclusive glass boat to gain front-row access to the Vivid Sydney revelry.

 

With the crowds thronging the harbour onshore, you’re more often than not expected to push through the swarming pools of people to get a decent view of the lights. Large-scale projections onto the gems of Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, are most often way too far to appreciate. The premium vantage point offered by a Vivid Sydney light cruise is certainly one of the highlights of the experience.

 

Take in the visual spectacle as you enjoy roving views of the illuminated harbour against the autumnal Australian skies. This experience makes for a camera’s true delight as this elegant glass boat skims through the azure waters below with a blanket of twinkling stars overhead towards the twinkling skyscrapers that create the spectacular Sydney skyline. Take an album’s worth of photographs to cherish the moment. Photo-ops are plentiful on board a Vivid harbour cruise! The Sky Deck enveloping the roof of the glass boat serves as the perfect location to capture these beautiful moments and vistas on board. Entrees are served on the Sky Deck for you to munch on as you enjoy the view. Also, 360° harbour views are sure to impress!

 

Over the course of this 3-hour long glass boat cruise, your senses will be pampered to their limits. Aside from the visual delight that the panoramic and festively illuminated harbour view provides, there is an endless gustatory appeal. The carefully curated seated menus are made of the freshest ingredients on board this glass boat by professional chefs. The 3-course seated and served menu to your tables following a roving canape service are sure to satisfy all your cravings! Beverages like beer, wine and soft drinks are served throughout the duration of the cruise. Only guests above 18 years of age are permitted on board to maintain the decorum of the glass boat cruise.

 

When surrounded by loved ones, dining and merrymaking as you watch the best of Vivid Sydney lights, this makes for an experience like no other. The cutting-edge nautical design of this glassboat, elevates it to a new standard of luxury dining on the Sydney Harbour. The lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails and the imposing metallic frame of the Harbour Bridge are sights that you will be able to appreciate the intricacies of on board the Vivid Sydney cruise. This one-of-a-kind Vivid dinner cruise is one of the best experiences to partake in during the 3-week long festival to ring in the pleasant Sydney winters.

It Only Happens In Sydney!

The Christmas season has popularly been associated with snow, building a snowman, throwing snowballs at each other, enjoying a Christmas feast near the fireplace, and waiting for Santa to come in his reindeer sleigh bearing gifts for all. But for everyone in Australia, a ‘white Christmas’ is mere fantasy!

Being in the Southern Hemisphere, the country experiences summer during the month of December. With this unusual weather, Christmas celebrations turn out to be quite unique. Sydney, being one of the most popular cities in the continent, gets dolled up with fairy lights and glittery stars to welcome a large number of outsiders who come in to experience something different.
Numerous fun events and mouth-watering feasts are hosted at many Christmas party venues in Sydney to celebrate the joyous occasion, Sydney Christmas party cruises being the most popular. But what will mesmerise you the most are the unimaginable views you will come across as you stroll through these venues.

Be ready for these!

Santa ride on BOOMERS

Santa gives rest to his reindeers when he is in Sydney. Thus, nobody here knows ‘Rudolph the Reindeer’ or any of the reindeer songs. Sydney, in unison, sings ‘Six White Boomers’ for Christmas – a song which tells the story of how the heat is too much for the reindeers. Santa rides here with his boomers (Aussie slang for a male kangaroo) to deliver the toys and even help a little joey (a baby kangaroo) find his mother!

Santa loves Shorts and Surfboards too

Santa sheds his red woollen suit when in Sydney. The juxtaposition of Santa costumes and surfer dudes may be bizarre to a lot of us, but in Australia it is an actuality. To be honest, it’s a pretty amazing sight! If you cannot spot a surfing Santa anywhere, keep an eye out for the Instagram hashtags – they will take you to the right place.

Replace SNOW with SAND

Sydneysiders are not ready to give up the idea of building a snowman. But Christmas means summer and summer means the beach. So try your luck with building a sandman. If you want to follow the conventions, give him a carrot nose and a scarf. But don’t expect the nose to be there for long, the many sea-shore birds might snaffle it away!

And with WATER

With over 100 beaches around the city, Sydneysiders find it easy to replace snow fights with water fights. And when it comes to official business, Christmas party cruises are the first idea that pops up when shortlisting corporate Christmas party venues in Sydney. Families too love spending time cruising around Sydney Harbour as most of the operators come up with impressive deals, including a delightful feast.

CRICKET, any time!

Be it anytime of the year, Sydneysiders love playing their national sport. But the breezy summer holiday forces them to get out with a bat & ball and a couple of sticks to make a rudimentary wicket. The Australian professional Twenty20 cricket league, Big Bash League, is also held in the summer and usually hosts a match on Christmas eve. The entire city gathers at the Sydney Cricket Ground cheering their team along with the tunes of Christmas carols!

Fantastic Vantage Points in Sydney to Enjoy the Special NYE Fireworks Display!

New Year’s Eve is a special time to revel in celebrations. It is a time to carry forward the best of the current year and brighten the New Year ahead. With some clever planning it is possible to transform New Year’s Eve into an unforgettable experience.

New Year’s Eve is such a splendid time that you want to absolutely enjoy every moment of transition from the current year to the next year. There are some great vantage points in and around Sydney Harbour from where you can enjoy the spectacular New Year’s Eve Fireworks display that usher in the New Year with a big bang!

NYE Fireworks Cruises in Sydney

There’s no better vantage point in Sydney than the decks of any of the New Year’s Eve Cruises on the harbour. Most of the luxury vessels cruising Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve have access to the exclusion zone, treating the guests on board to uninterrupted, up close and personal views of the spectacular 9pm family fireworks and Midnight fireworks. These cruises have all-inclusive dinner, drinks & entertainment packages that are topped only by the amazing NYE activities on Sydney Harbour!

These cruises sell like hot cakes and if you’re really keen on enjoying one of these luxury experiences, you should book your seats at the earliest, especially when the early bird deals are still on!

If you miss your chance to go on a Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks cruise, here are some terrestrial vantage points where you can watch the brilliant NYE fireworks display:

Observatory Hill Park

The Observatory Park is located in the heart of Sydney near the Harbour Bridge. It can accommodate a large crowd up to 7,500 people. Get a stunning view of the fireworks display on New Year’s Eve from this location. You can commute to the park by train or bus. You can be seated comfortably on the steep grassy terrain with or without rugs. But make sure you get there early to find yourself a good spot!

Mrs. Macquiries Point

This is another popular location providing the best views of the annual fireworks display. Get a great view of the Harbour Bridge as the fireworks erupt into the night sky from its arches and pylons. It offers a good view of the western side of Sydney Harbour Bridge.  It can accommodate up to 16,000 people. You can easily get there by bus, train or ferry service. only 10% Come early with rugs and spread it out to relax. Later in the evening, the place will be crowded with visitors pouring in to watch the NYE fireworks display. This vantage point is well kitted out with food and beverage outlets, water refill stations, ATMs and first aid.

Cockle Bay Wharf

Cockle Bay is a small bay in Sydney located along Darling Harbour that connects to the larger Harbour. It is known as the Cockle Wharf, a waterfront entertainment area. There are cafes, pubs, restaurants, clubs and function venues here to explore while visiting the wharf. It’s a great place to enjoy light shows and fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve. The venue can accommodate up to 46,000 people. Be seated comfortably at the tables in the restaurants to watch the brilliant NYE fireworks display.

Bradfield Park

This park provides a great view of Sydney Harbour and Opera House turning it to be a top vantage point for watching the NYE fireworks display. It can house up to 35,000 people. The large park is clean, green and grassy with tables and benches. You can be comfortably seated in the grassy terrain with or without a picnic rug.

Wherever you are, make sure you treasure every moment of New Year’s Eve, bubbling with excitement and good spirits!