Making the most of the harbour city: Sydney Fish Market explored

The smell of the sea. Hustle and bustle as rowdy customers move closer to their prize. The satisfaction of de-shelling a fresh prawn in the morning sunshine as the hungry seagulls circle overhead.

Sydney Fish Market is my favourite weekend treat. Picking up the freshest fish, deciding which mouthwatering recipe to try out and serving up the results that night. It’s a day-long affair and one of the most enjoyable things to do in Sydney.

The fish market itself now offers lots more than just fish – there’s a fresh deli to start. With cheeses, cooked meats or specialist pantry goods. You can grab a coffee and a baked treat from the mini cafe. There’s also a greengrocers with fresh fruit and veg.

Here’s my trip to the Sydney fish market in images….and the results of my visit that evening in the form of a Sydney-style Spanish Paella…..

Oyster-shucking at the market

One of the larger fishes I spotted

fresh fish to eat at the market

Seagulls tear apart a piece of discarded fish

Fish on ice

Plus, everything else on offer at the market:

Deli cheese

Deli meats

Trying to avoid purchasing any of this..

Finally, the results of my shopping trip….

The final results….a delicious paella

And some sangria with fruits from the on-site greengrocer

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Books on a budget: Sydney’s best second-hand bookstores

Books are pricey in Australia (Image of Berkelouw Books in Paddington, Sydney)

As a keen reader, I took it forgranted in the UK how cheap it is to buy the latest paperback books. Wander into any supermarket and pick up 3for2, 3 for ten pounds or buy one get one half price on best-selling authors.

Over in Australia I had a shock in the local bookstore when I found average paperbacks retailing at around $25 each (GBP15 pounds). Like the cost of many everyday items in Australia, it’s been hard to adapt to books being so expensive.

So, over the last few years I’ve taken to visiting second-hand bookstores in Sydney to pick up nearly new versions of some of the best selling books on the high street. A bonus is that the sellers will often buy back books from you as well, so I try and take in some to sell before I buy any more too. Here’s my selection of my favourite second-hand bookstores in Sydney.

1) Darling Street Books, 648 Darling Street, Rozelle

This really is the treasure chest of second-hand books. Every single nook of this tiny store is crammed with books – fiction and non-fiction. From the latest best-selling chick lit, to autobiographies of Australia’s past prime ministers, you can find anything you want here. Worth the visit alone is the opportunity to see the shopkeeper tally up your sale and pencil it into his thumbed notebook of books sold – there’s no cutting-edge till system in use here and it’s a quaint and traditional shopping experience.

Darling Street bookstore in Rozelle

The entrance to Darling Street Books in Rozelle

2) Gleebooks, 191 Glebe Point Road, Glebe

Three years ago as a skint backpacker I took a walk out to Gleebooks from my hostel in search of a book to read. I wasn’t disappointed. There’s a huge range to choose from and reasonable prices if you’re on a budget. Plus it’s an easy stroll from most of the backpacker accommodation in the Sydney CBD, which means it’s top choice for the traveller.

3) Sappho Books, 51 Glebe Point Road, Glebe

If you’re visiting Gleebooks, then you’ll also want to pop into Sappho Books a short walk down the street. Settle in to the bookstore for the afternoon as it also doubles as a cafe and wine bar.

4) Berkelouw Bookshop Paddington, 19 Oxford Street, Paddington

Not only does this bookstore sell new AND second-hand books, but it also houses a cafe and is open til late in the evening.

Better still, it also looks completely amazing and is my favourite for a Saturday browse followed by brunch in the local area.

The beautiful Berkelouw Books in Paddington

So, that’s my top picks for second-hand bookstores in Sydney. Where are yours?

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A weekend in the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains on a crisp spring afternoon

Just as Sydney enjoyed the first warm days of Spring, we drove two hours west of the city this weekend to a substantially cooler climate – the Blue Mountains.

Temperatures at this time of year (late September) reach just 11-13 degrees at most (compared to around 23 degrees in Sydney). But the chill in the air and the brisk winds provide the perfect weather to enjoy what the Blue Mountains were made for – walking.

1)   Three Sisters

First stop is the epic Three Sisters. We travel to the Echo Point viewing platform near Katoomba town which provides a panoramic sight of the mountains. It’s worth the effort to walk around halfway down the 500 steps of the Giant Stairway to get an even closer look at the rocks. Be warned the steps are steep, uneven and can get very crowded….that’s why I mention that the halfway point is fine!

Pulling on our walking shoes we then embarked on a two-hour return trip around the ‘upper pathway’. This was an opportunity to see some of the less busy viewing platforms, stretch our legs and enjoy some fresh country air.

Don’t worry about researching a walk to do before you go; a tip is to pop into the Information Centre on site prior to your walk for a tailored suggestion depending on how long you want to walk for and whether you have a car.

The Three Sisters viewed from Echo Point

2)   Wentworth Falls

A short drive away is Wentworth Falls. Here, we took a five minute walk down stairs to another stunning viewing platform of the falls from across the valley. Again, you can choose to extend you walk to take in more of the scenery or even walk across the summit of the falls or the foot of the falls.

Wentworth Falls as a rainbow appears on the water

3)   Govett’s Leap

The Govett’s Leap lookout was my favourite of the day. Combining a magnificent waterfall and views of the Blue Mountains, it is also much quieter than the Three Sisters or Wentworth Falls which are packed with tourists. Access Govett’s Leap via the small town of Blackheath and stop off for a cup of coffee and a wander among the vintage shops and art galleries too.

The view from Govett’s Leap

The view of the Blue Mountains from Govett’s Leap

Where we ate, drank and stayed:

Kubbba Roonga Guesthouse: In the small town of Blackheath, Kubba Roonga is a comfortable guesthouse with full English breakfast, complimentary chocolates on arrival and complimentary newspapers and Port next to the roaring fire. A great choice for a cosy weekend stay.

Cabin and co.: As you travel through Blackheath on the way to the Govett’s Leap lookout, stop off on the high street (Govett’s Leap Road) for a coffee. Cabin and co. is a cute homewares shop with a hidden ‘snug’ at the back of the shop serving delicious homemade pastries and hot drinks. This family-run business had only been open three weeks when we stopped by, and the coffee was great.

Keep an eye out in Blackheath for Cabin and Co. serving great coffee in the ‘snug’ at the back of its retail shop.

Leura town: Avoid the bland Katoomba and stop off in Leura for a picturesque lunch overlooking the mountains. There’s plenty of delicious cafes to choose from and lovely shops to browse if you need a break from the mountains.

An indulgent Hot Chocolate and marshmallows from one of the many cafes on Leura mall

Dinner: Ashcroft’s restaurant on Govett’s Leap Road in Blackheath was the perfect dinner choice. It’s not cheap ($78 for two, or $88 for three courses) and you can’t do BYO, but the portions are huge, the wine delicious (even by the glass) and it’s a Sydney Morning Herald award-winning restaurant. Make sure to book before you go.

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The rumours were true! A walk across Pyrmont Bridge….

Anyone who has visited Sydney will have spent some time at Darling Harbour.

And if you’ve been to Darling Harbour, you’ve probably walked across the Pyrmont Bridge, which connects the city to the harbourside.

Living in Pyrmont, I walk over the bridge twice a day to journey into the city. Early on when I moved to Sydney there was a rumour going around among my British friends that the bridge splits in half four times a day to let  boats through.

It was hard to believe that this hundred-year-old bridge could actually separate in half.

I’d walked across the bridge hundreds of times and never seen it swing open.

But then, one sunny weekend, it happened! At the approach to the bridge, wooden gates blocked our path and the crowds watched as the central island of the bridge pivoted around to create a gap to allow tall ships through.

It all takes just a few minutes, and then the bridge swings back into place allowing the tourists to carry on their way.

So, now I know. Pyrmont Bridge does still open to let ships pass. Every day without fail at 10.30am, 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. What’s more, it’s one of the world’s oldest surviving electrically operated swingspan bridges. It really is a sight to behold.

Last weekend, I captured the bridge opening in photos from the other side of Darling Harbour. See for yourself:

The centre island of Pyrmont Bridge swings open to let ships through – yet the monorail still passes overhead

The bridge begins to close, as the monorail approaches overhead

If you’re interested in reading more, the Darling Harbour Pyrmont Bridge history is available here.

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Five lessons this Brit learnt about ANZAC Day

Despite living in Australia nearly two years now, this ANZAC Day – 25 April – was actually my first in the country (owing to our trip back home last April).

And I must say, it’s been a complete eye-opener.

I’ll explain exactly what ANZAC Day is all about, but firstly, I should confess that sadly I wasn’t able to participate in any of the activities due to a monster cold that hit me out of nowhere on ANZAC Day Eve. But, a day in bed feeling sorry for myself, did give me the opportunity to write this blog, so it’s not been a total failure.

Here goes….

1)   ANZAC Day is basically a ramped up version of the UK’s Remembrance Sunday

It’s celebrated each year on April 25 to remember the armed forces in World War One. The best overview of the main traditions of the day is here, on this government website.

But, what struck me most is the (rightful) prominence Australia gives to this day. Allowing people to have the day free from work to celebrate just that – freedom – and everything the armed forces did for today’s people.

It means that it’s hard for anyone to ignore the day and to understand its importance. However people choose to spend their time, the ANZAC celebrations will play a part. Pubs are decorated and themed with ANZAC remembrance and the TV stations, newspapers and radio shows will be filled with coverage of the remembrance events.

2)   ‘Two-up’ isn’t just an extra drink in the pub

When I first heard people at work saying they were going to spend ANZAC Day ‘two up in the pub’, I just assumed they meant they would be drinking lots of alcohol.

But after the third person had said this phrase to me, I decided to google it and found out that 2UP is actually a game of odds, where players bet on whether coins will land heads or tails. The link to ANZAC comes because the Army would play this game during the war. It’s actually now banned in many pubs because of the fear it encourages gambling.

And 2UP isn’t the only tradition of the day to help get Aussies into the spirit of the event. Delicious oatey Anzac biscuits have been a staple in the office this week too. Yum.

3)   It’s good to get up early.

I did set my alarm, I really did, but this cold just got the better of me. The Dawn Service of Remembrance took place at 4.15am(!) in central Sydney, attended by thousands of people from all across the region. Public transport opened early for events to help people easily get into town. And, if that was too difficult for people, hundreds of similar ceremonies are held in local suburbs too.

4)   It’s for all ages

I watched on TV the crowds gather in Sydney for the parade which began at around 9am this morning. Young and old together joining to cheer the servicemen travelling through the streets. Whilst the older ones were able to remember grandparents or great-grandparents they had once known to serve in the wars, the parade is a way to educate the young, in a fun way of what has passed into history. That seems the greatest outcome of ANZAC Day: that it will live on for generations to come.

5)   It’s a great day to be in Australia

I thought Australia Day was Australian patriotism to its best, but ANZAC Day has been something very special to have witnessed….even if it was just from my bed.

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Attack of the bats!

St George Open Air cinema

A beautiful evening in Sydney last night to watch the film ‘Carnage’ at the St George Open Air cinema in Sydney.

The recent heavy rain had us worried that we’d have to forfeit our tickets (the cinema doesn’t refund for bad weather). But with mostly clear skies, perhaps someone should have told us to watch out for the other liquid falling from the sky – bat poo!

The Open Air cinema, temporarily established during summer in Sydney’s Domain, is home to a huge number of ‘flying foxes’, large bats weighing up to 1kg. According to the Royal Botanical Gardens and Domain Trust website:

“They sleep during the day and feed on pollen, nectar and fruit at night. In the wild they are important pollinators and seed dispersers of native trees. Seeds are discarded in the faeces or fall where the fruit is being eaten. These seeds germinate when conditions are suitable and ensure that dispersal occurs in a wide area.”

And ‘disperse’ they did, with hundreds of pellet-shaped poo drops being missile-launched onto the unprepared crowd as night fell. The most under-attack seats are at the back of the auditorium, under the trees, as the bats settle in the branches above. Within a 15 minute gap whilst we bought drinks before the show, our seats became covered in their droppings. Thankfully, this gave us time to move to safer ground at the front of the auditorium. The intermittent yelps from (mostly females) indicated that a lot of people hadn’t been so lucky to escape the poo. When you consider that a single bat can disperse up to 60,000 seeds in just one night, this isn’t a surprise!

A view of the bats circling overhead as they descend at nightfall in The Domain

The bats provided more amusement during the film, from time to time flying through the vision of the projector screen, adding an eerie touch to visuals and a random and unwanted ‘extra’ to the scenes of the film.

Great film by the way – ‘Carnage’ is based on a play and tells the story of two sets of parents who meet to deal with a fight which has taken place between their sons. Starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly, it’s a great comedy which is unusually set in mostly one room for the entire duration and features just the four main characters and a couple of extras.

St George Open Air cinema is one of the highlights of the summer season in Sydney, with gorgeous views overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Doors open early and you can sip champagne as the sun sets over the city. 

Just remember to choose your show seats carefully – and watch out for the ‘Domain rain.’

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Bondi Open Air cinema – first night

Bondi Open Air cinema screen

Yesterday was opening night of Bondi Open Air cinema 2012.

Held on a grassy bank overlooking the beach, the Open Air cinema is scheduled through until early March, taking advantage of the warm summer evenings and everyone’s inclination to get outside as much as possible.

We watched Bill Cunningham New York, the story of New York Times fashion photographer Bill and the life he has dedicated to his work. It’s one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen; I knew nothing of Bill before I sat down to watch the film last night and left feeling like I’d known him for years and heart-warmed by the passion he has for what he does.

Ben and Jerry's ice cream, a picnic blanket and biscuits...

We were given free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for the movie, along with a goodie bag to take away filled with Sonoma muesli, Aesop body balm and the latest Time Out Sydney magazine. Not bad for a $12 ticket!

There was also live music prior to the film and a random magician act which was a bit pointless as by the time he came on it was dark and no one could see anything!

Okay, there were a few technical hitches with the sound and the lighting, but there’s plenty of time for this to all be ironed out over the next few weeks.

It’s a different story for the wet weather Sydney is currently experiencing as this now looks set to play havoc with the success of the Open Air cinema. Even last night, a few people left the film because of the blowing wind, before crowds got up to exit several minutes before the end when the rain did finally come. Films will go ahead in the rain, so it’s best to be prepared unless you’re happy to leave without a refund.

By the time summer is over I will have experienced all three of the main Sydney outdoor cinemas: this one at Bondi, along with the Moonlight Cinema in Centennial Park and finally the most popular – St George Open Air cinema in the Domain where the screen rises from the water and the audience overlooks the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. What better way to watch a film!

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A second time around….

As 2012 begins, so will my second full year in this country. I reckon this one will be even better than the first.

Arriving from England back in late 2010, I can look back now and admit how hard I found my first year in Sydney.

I never expected the culture shock I got when I moved to Sydney. This blog has been one way to cope with that. Writing about some of the peculiar things I’ve observed has helped to understand it in my own mind.

Surely Australia would just be England with sunshine I thought? No, not at all. From the serious matters, such as Australia’s uneasy history with the Aboriginal people of this country, through to the silly – like the sight of kangaroos hopping down the streets in Victoria. Every day has shown me something new.

It’s taken me over 12 months to adjust to having so much sunshine for a start. Being able to explore far flung beaches, go kayaking, walk along the coastline on weekends. Instead of arranging afternoons that actually avoid going outside in the rain like I was doing in the UK.

My diet has changed. I was used to casseroles and pastas. But here, year-round we eat barbecued meat or fresh fish from the market and salads almost every evening. I’ve never eaten so much Sushi or Thai food or Banana Bread either.

I’ve stopped complaining too much about the price of everything. Though I still feel like I’m being robbed every time a can of soup costs me $4, or a bottle of water on the street $3.

My dad told me last week my accent was changing. He hates it when I go up at the end of every sentence, Aussie-style. It’ll go I said, ‘No worries mate.’

I know not to get offended when I see ‘Coon’ written on a packet of cheese, or hear Wog used in the workplace. I know my Rangas from my Bogans. I still call my ‘thongs’ ‘flip-flops.’

I’ve met some great Australian friends now, not just ex-pats. People who’ve lived in Sydney their whole lives and with whom I can have a conversation without talking about what we miss from home.

Yes, I still shop for clothes online at Dorothy Perkins, but I also find a lot I like in Marcs, and Myer and Sportsgirl.

I’ve experimented with the sunrise exercise routine, getting up at 5.30am in the mornings, when the heat is just bearable in the summer. I’ve still felt inferior to the gorgeous Aussie girls who just seem so lean and glamourous and blonde.

I don’t really miss Eastenders or Strictly Come Dancing anymore. But I’d recognise Dani and Hayden from Australian Masterchef in the street.

I check smh.com.au in the mornings now, instead of bbc.co.uk. I subscribe to Mumbrella for my media news. We’ve got the Gruen Transfer boxset.

I can get stopped on the street and offer a tourist directions. I can tell you where to get the best cup of coffee on George Street and where serves the best Mojito (not too sweet, not too sour).

I keep my mosquito repellent at the side of my bed, and I make sure I’ve got my Factor 30 on for the morning walk to work.

I can tell you that it’s a nightmare trying to catch a bus home from Bondi on a busy Saturday…but the North end of the beach is your best bet.

I’ll know where’s best to stand for a good view at the Chinese New Year parade. I can tell you not to forget to arrange a meeting place for your friends at Future Music Festival. I can tell you what radio station to listen to on Australia Day.

I know my NRL from my AFL. My CBD and my QVB. My capsicum from my eggplant. I remember to ask for no beetroot on my burger. 

I know that I would have known none of the above without living in this country.

Am I changing? Am I losing the person I was when I arrived here?

I hope not. I think for the first time since I arrived here I’m finally feeling like I belong in this city. Not feeling like some outsider visiting for my holidays, not really ‘getting it’. But a true resident, like I’ve turned it from my house to my home, like I’ve been invited into the party.

Yes, it’s great to do new things and discover new adventures each and every day.

But I reckon there’s also a lot to be said for doing things the second time around too…..

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Mining and Mad Max: An unforgettable road trip to Broken Hill

An epic road trip to Broken Hill

Anyone would think I was going to the moon.

That would explain the general reaction of disbelief from friends and work colleagues when I mentioned that I was going to the Outback city of Broken Hill last weekend.

Could it really be that bad?

Broken Hill sits in the very west of New South Wales, around a 12 hour drive from Sydney or a six hour drive from Adelaide.

We take the second option and as we leave the city behind, realise there is little to hold us up on the journey, no other cars, no other towns – Broken Hill really is in the middle of nowhere.

The motorways out of Adelaide soon turn to single lane country roads. Then the hilly landscape flattens and finally all flora and fauna disappears. Everywhere you look, in whatever direction you look in, there is just nothing. Dry, red and dusty land – utterly untouched – except for this road, our car and the odd tin can flung from a weary traveller, now rusting in its resting place.

This massive, empty beast of a country is sweltering in desert-like temperatures. And then us, slicing through it like we’re the very first.

I thought to myself, this might as well be the moon.

The road to Broken Hill

Out of nowhere, after six long hours, four Mars Bars and 500km of empty earth, there appears Broken Hill:

A beautiful bright sky in Broken Hill. This looks out to the south of the city, where you can see just desert in the background

We check-in to our clean, modern motel in the centre of town, then lunch at Broken Earth, an imposing restaurant built on the top of the remnants of the mines and which overlooks the City. From up here you can see exactly where the borders of Broken Hill begin and end. It’s a grid-like formation, not sprawling, but quite compact. The architecture is quite impressive, dated but grand, and the wide open streets give a calm and elegant feel to the centre of town. Argent Street, the main street, forms the hub for the 20,000 locals who all live within 20 or so streets away.

The imposing Broken Earth restaurant as seen from Broken Hill

 

You can see the edges of Broken Hill from the Broken Earth restaurant

A close-up of one of the main streets in Broken Hill with the cathedral in the background

Later that night we decide to do a bar crawl, to get a feel for the town. Half a dozen pubs later, we’ve exhausted all our options (including two pubs we didn’t even bother going into) and feel utterly downcast.

We’re off to our final pub of the night – it’s a little off the beaten track even for Broken Hill – yet we’re assured this is where the party is at!

It’s empty. Not just not busy, not just quiet, but stone. Cold. Empty. We are the only two people in one of the most recommended bars in Broken Hill. And it’s 10pm on a Friday night.

At least we get a bit of chat out of the barmaid, a lovely local women who’s lived in the area all her life. For not the first time on our trip, she tells us ‘you need at least a week’ here. We smile and nod.

As we’re about to ask her about her top recommendations the door swings open and a group of nine enter the pub to join us.

“Game On” shouts the barmaid, clapping her hand. Never have we been more pleased to see a small group of randoms.

Young people are noticeably absent in Broken Hill. The city was created after the discovery of ore, and as a result most of the population have some sort of connection to mining employment. Ex-miners, the retired and visiting business or tourists make up the rest. Many of the young people are sent to Sydney or Adelaide for boarding school, a chance to discover the world out there. They don’t come back.

For the teenagers that haven’t been sent away to school, sitting in an empty Hungry Jacks outlet on a Saturday afternoon seems the best option when there is little else to do.

The high street is a ghost town by 4pm on a weekend afternoon because the few shops there have closed.

And later that night we discover the one bar open past midnight is little more than a converted community centre with a canteen in the corner of the room.

Anyway, back to those randoms we met in the pub. It turned out they were actually journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph, in town to record the visit of Princess Mary to the Royal Flying Doctor Service that morning.

Yes, the biggest day for Broken Hill since Fergie visited in 1990 and we missed it.

But it did put Broken Hill on the map for one day and gave credit to the importance of the Flying Doctor Service to isolated communities like Broken Hill.

To be fair, Broken Hill does get its fair share of visitors. It’s billed as ‘the accessible Outback’, and is a stopping point on the transnational Indian Pacific rail line. Tourists jump off for a few days, or fly in from Sydney, or drive in from Adelaide as we did. There’s over 30 galleries within Broken Hill and plenty of filmakers were inspired to shoot across the backdrop of this jaw-droppingly isolated location. You can see ‘the biggest canvas painting in the world’,  find out about mining history at the city museums, and even get to visit the locations for the filming of Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Mad Max 2. Both shot locally.

Images from Mad Max II, filmed near Broken Hill adorn the walls of the local pub

The setting for Mad Max II, with souvenir shop for the tourists

 

But it is the mining which is the heart and soul of this town. It gave the city its fascinating history, dating back to the 1880s when the area was discovered. Broken Hill has provided the largest single source of silver, lead and zinc ore ever discovered on earth. The grand palatial buildings we see on the high street were founded on mining wealth and in the 1970s the draw of employment helped the population to peak at 30,000.

The Darling Hotel - one of many of the large pubs on the main street

We visit the last remaining remnant of the biggest mining giant there is. BHP Billiton – which stands for Broken Hill Proprietry Ltd. BHP helped create this city and drew in the people by offer of work, which lit the economy and put Broken Hill on the map.

BHP has all but left the area now – gone as soon as the ore was – leaving just the chimney from its office as a reminder of the days gone by.

This is all that is left of the headquarters of BHP - the company which first began mining in Broken Hill

Mine machinery on display at Broken Hill

And I think that’s what gets me in Broken Hill. Everything is a reminder of days gone by. It has a history and it seems that nothing has come to replace that history or to help it to thrive once more. The huge drive-thru fast food restaurants stick out as an awkward jump to the real world happening six hours away in the city of Adelaide.

The population has dwindled as the young leave the for work in the City and now sits at about 20,000.

“The Government want it to go down even more, to about 18,000 would suit them because then they can take away the infrastructure,” explained local businessman Tex.

“See that there,” he points, “that’s our hospital, it used to have hundreds of beds then they knocked it down, told us they were going to rebuild it, but it’s little more than a first aid unit now with just 70 beds.”

Broken Hill needs another boost, and soon.

I will never understand the desire to live in a place like Broken Hill. I couldn’t deal with the remoteness, the lack of choice that we take so for granted nowadays, the absence of people and the hustle and bustle that makes life.

But one conversation I had got me thinking that maybe, that works vice versa as well.

“I went to Sydney once,” said the man from Broken Hill we met over a cold beer in the local Hotel.

“Didn’t like it. Anywhere you have to wait at traffic lights behind more than three cars I don’t like.”

Maybe. Maybe he’s right.

 

Visit Broken Hill?

Do it! For one of the most thought-provoking, fascinating insights into what it’s like to live in the Australian Outback, give Broken Hill a go. It’s a weekend you’ll never forget….

For more information on Broken Hill, check out the Visit NSW site or this dedicated Broken Hill website.
Although in NSW, remember Broken Hill follows South Australia time, setting clocks half an hour earlier.

To eat and drink:

Eating options are fairly limited. We were disappointed by the food (and particularly the service) at Broken Earth, but very impressed with the food at The Astra.
Argent Street has the most food options (where The Astra is located), or you could eat in the restaurant of your Motel, which generally will offer a pretty good standard of food too.

Broken Earth Café and Restaurant
Astra
Mario’s Palace

Fine dining at The Astra, Broken Hill

To see:

I wouldn’t say there’s enough to keep you in Broken Hill for a week, but if you like art galleries, sculpture and museums and you are interested in the history of mining, then at least a weekend is good. Here’s a few of the options:

Line of Lode hilltop lookout
Silver City Mint & Art Centre (the main attratction here is the biggest canvas painting in the world: The Big Picture)
Silverton Hotel (setting for Mad Max 2) Note: Do not eat the ‘famous’ hotdogs!!
Royal Flying Doctor Service

The view from the Line of Lode overlooking Broken Hill

A proper Outback pub - The Silverton, around 20kms from Broken Hill

To stay:

Broken Hill now has lots of recently renovated motels to choose from, all within easy reach of the main centre of the city.

Old Willyama Motor Inn (where we stayed, very clean, modern and close to town)
All Seasons

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