Get up and Go in August… Post Lock Down! We are forever hopeful!
Time waits for no man and while this past year has had some moments of waiting and watching and wondering where this world will end up, we reckon there’s no time like the present to get up and go seize the best of the west (hopefully, we’ll be out of lockdown by August).
In last month’s newsletter, we brought you some of the incredible things Western Sydney has to offer.
We weren’t done though. There was just too much for one newsletter!
So, in this month’s edition, we’re going to continue our journey through the west and look at what August has in store for us and assume that the lockdown will be lifted!
Get Entertained!
You don’t have to go very far to find amazing acts providing exceptional entertainment in Sydney.
At Penrith’s St Marys Band Club, there will be a performance by Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows on 6th August at 8:30 pm. Enjoy the music of one of Australia’s most popular, long-running bands as they rock to their greatest hits like So Young, Hit And Run, Shape I’m In, Hold On To Me, and Never Let Me Go.
Get ready for an evening of laughs! Mary Coustas is bringing her larger-than-life Greek Goddess “Effie” to the Club on 28th August at 8:30 pm. Have loads of fun as she shares her rib-tickling stories about the funny side of lockdown life!
The venue is wheelchair accessible and you can book tickets for either show at St Marys Band Club’s website or call (02) 9623 1211.
Over at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (CPAC), you can watch a touching play written by award-winning playwright Samah Sabawi.
THEM presents the story of a family in a conflict zone trying to decide whether to escape. Inspired by actual accounts of people living in war-torn countries, THEM is an eye-opening tale of survival and sacrifice. The show is coming off the back of a sell-out season in Melbourne.
The CPAC is wheelchair accessible, with assisted access toilets and elevators, and has a hearing loop in the theatre.
Get Interested!
Fascinated by firefighting? Mad on models? Or dilly for dollies? Whatever your interest, you’re sure to find events in Western Sydney to tickle your fancy!
Learn about the history of the heroic firefighters and fire service in Australia. Head over to Penrith’s Museum of Fire on 14th August for a free guided tour. Get the opportunity to see vintage fire engines and pumps dating as far back as 1765. Take an interactive journey on what it takes to be a firefighter. The museum is on a single level and is wheelchair accessible with assisted access toilets.
Did you know?
A firefighter’s uniform is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 1204°C. For perspective, gold melts at 1062°C.
Image from modelpark.org.au
The Sydney Society of Model Engineers Inc. (SSME) Model Park is having an open day on 29th August from 9:00 am.
Come and watch the action as SSME members take their model planes, cars, flying, driving and sailing trains, boats, planes, cars, slot cars, tether cars, and more.
Image from marketsandfairs.com.au
For those creative folks amongst you, the Penrith Dolls, Bears, Craft & Collectables Show is being held at Jamison High School on 29th August from 10:00 am-3:00 pm.
You will get a chance to admire collections, buy supplies and chat with fellow crafters.
The school is wheelchair friendly. Entrance for adults is $6.00.
Get Out of Town!
If you go just a bit further west than Western Sydney, you will find yourself in the majestic Blue Mountains. After all this lockdown, a bit of fresh mountain air is just what the doctor ordered!
Highlights that you can’t miss are the awe-inspiring Blue Mountains Three Sisters rock formation, the colonial and quirky Katoomba town and the beautiful town of Leura. If you have time, be sure to drop by Bygone Beauties. This tea museum houses the biggest private collection of teapots in the world. You can also have a Devonshire tea in their little tea room.
Image from yixing-teapots.net
Did you know?
The oldest recorded teapot is the Yixing teapot, which dates back to around 1500 AD and comes from Jiangsu Province, China.
Scenic World is worth a stop, too. Here, you can ride the Scenic Cableway or Skyway and get a fantastic view of Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, Mt Solitary and Jamison Valley.
You can also take a stroll or a roll along the Scenic Walkway through the rainforest.
All three are wheelchair accessible, although the Scenic Walkway is only accessible for 380 m between the Railway’s base station and Cableway’s base station.
Get Fed!
Last month, we mentioned the incredible mosaic of foods that the multiculturalism of Western Sydney has gifted us.
This month, we have rounded up the best restaurants (according to committed foodies), so you can do your own self-guided food tour, or just order in on those cold August nights.
Starting our tour in Cabramatta, we’ll head to An Nhien, acclaimed in Sydney for having the best vegetarian Vietnamese cuisine.
Try delicious dishes like Peking wraps and eggplant claypot.
That will be followed by a visit to Vinh Phat, which has been serving the yummiest Cantonese-style yum cha to Sydneysiders since 1985.
Image from persianmama.com
With our appetites well and truly whetted, we’ll continue to Auburn for some authentic Afghan cuisine at Khaybar. A must-have on their menu is the Buranee-Badenjan – slow-cooked eggplant in a chunky tomato sauce, topped with mint and yoghurt.
Time to treat our sweet tooth! Our next stop is Abla’s Pastries & Café to get some Lebanese cakes and sweets for our morning tea tomorrow.
We’ll then head north to Harris Park for South Indian comfort food at Chatkazz. Spice things up with the popular Medu Vada Sambhar (deep-fried black lentil doughnuts), savoury soups, and healthy vegan and vegetarian dishes.
We’ll follow that up with traditional biryani and haleem at Hyderabad House.
We’ll then pop over to Parramatta and sample some Singaporean-Malaysian dishes at the family-run Temasek restaurant.
A local food legend in Western Sydney, Temasek is popularly known for serving mouth-watering Asian classics such as Indonesian nasi goreng, Hainanese chicken rice and Singaporean-style laksa.
Next, we’ll hop across the road to Cicciabella for traditional Italian food and spirits. And because we’ve got room for more, let’s have a Chinese and South East Asian banquet of delicacies at Lilymu.
We’ll then stock up on belly-busting stuffed sandwiches for the road at Harvey’s Hot Sandwiches then settle the stomach with what is considered to be the best authentic pho in Sydney at Pho Pasteur.
For a final stretch of the tummy, we’ll head to Baulkham Hills to sample Calabrian three-cheese ravioli at Sarino’s and finally end the tour with a good old Lebanese shawarma at Al Aseel in Castle Hill.
We’ll definitely roll all the way home after this!
What an excellent food trip! All of these amazing options are just right on your doorstep if you want to satisfy your cravings of “travelling” by food!
After all that getting about, I think we can all agree we’ve had a wonderful time, but now our get up and go has gotten up and gone. But only for now.
Time for a rest and a cuppa.
Thanks for joining us on our trip and stay tuned for the next suite of destinations!
Over and out.
Do you need assistance to leave your home? Do you want some company to take you to places? If so, we can help! Contact your Coordinator now and ask how they can arrange assistance for you.
