About Briar
Briar Jensen is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer. Her blog covers travel tips, reviews, insights and inspiration, travel accessories and gadgets.
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There’s something visually reassuring about lighthouses. While a warning of danger from the sea, they are like a white sentinel of safety when viewed from onshore. This is Norah Head Lighthouse on the NSW Central Coast. You can stay in the lighthouse keepers’ cottages here, and what a view! #lighthouse #lovensw #centralcoastnsw @norahheadlighthouseHow gorgeous is this little Italian restaurant @achefsecrets on the waterfront at Berowra? It occupies a tiny boat she’d built in 1898. Sitting on the deck today with a gentle breeze watching the vehicular ferry come and go was a pleasant way to enjoy Friday lunch with Gaye Jensen. The food was super fresh, beautifully presented and utterly delicious. #restaurantaustralia #visitnsw #modernitalianOne for the #bookcommunity It was recommended I visit @harryhartogbookseller by a valued friend this week while I was at Macquarie Shopping Centre in Sydney. Wow, what a fabulous #bookshop with lots of space, interesting displays and stunning window dressing. Not to mention helpful and personable service. They also have a #secondhandbooks section out the front, where their sign is held up by these repurposed books. There are other stores in around NSW, Queensland and ACT so check out their website for details. Do you have a favourite bookshop?Stunning images at Wildlife Photographer of the Year, currently on display at the National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. I was blown away by the work of young photographers, but all images are amazing, which is to be expected as they are the best of 48,000 entries. On loan from London, the exhibition closes on 28th January, so visit soon. @nhm_wpy @sea.museum #wildlifephotography #australiannationalmaritimemuseum #photographyexhibition- My Tweets
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Category Archives: Sydney
Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi – on now
It’s on again – Sculpture by the Sea Bondi opened Thursday 23 October and runs until Sunday 2 November. I love Sculpture by the Sea – intriguing, whimsical, inspiring and challenging exhibits set against the stunning backdrop of Sydney Harbour, along the Bondi … Continue reading
Posted in Attractions, Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Travel, Travel News & Events
Tagged Bondi, coastal walk, family fun, interactive art, Local events, Sculpture by the sea
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Escape Hunt in Sydney – if you dare
We’re locked in. It’s pitch black. I have no idea how we’ll get out. And I’m scared. Scared I won’t be able to find the clues or solve the riddles that will help us unlock the door, and along the … Continue reading
Posted in Attractions, Australia, Sydney, Travel
Tagged attractions, challenges, escape hunt, family fun, fun, games
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Gift an experience: 10 Sydney experiences to inspire, excite and thrill
Can’t think of a gift for that special someone? Then give them an experience they will remember long after the Christmas tree has dropped its needles. Here are ten Sydney experiences for the grandkids to the grandparents, the adventure-lovers to … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Animals, Australia, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Segway, Sydney, Travel, Travel Accessories & Gadgets
Tagged animal parks, family fun, Hawkesbury, jet boating, sailing, Segway, sydney, travel
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Sandstorm of Fairytales & Fables in Windsor
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Narcissus, Gollum, Icarus and other fabled creatures have come to life under the shady jacarandas, oaks and pepper trees on the banks of the Hawkesbury River at Windsor, in Sydney’s northwest, for the 2nd Hawkesbury … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Hawkesbury, Sydney, Travel
Tagged family fun, Hawkesbury, sand sculpting
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Buttocks on the futtocks
Yes! I’ve got my buttocks on the futtocks*. Literally. I’m standing in the crow’s nest, or in this case, on a small metal plate, 15 metres up the mizzen (aft) mast of the timber sailing ship the Southern Swan. … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Australia, Sydney, Travel
Tagged family fun, sailing, sydney, travel
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Koalas – Up close & personal
The cleansing fragrance of eucalypts in the koala enclosure is a pleasant relief after the whiffy odour of bird poo, though that’s a small price to pay for their cheerful chorus that echos among the trees at Featherdale Wildlife Park. Unfortunately, it’s illegal to hold … Continue reading
Ballooning in the mist
It might be the middle of winter, but getting up early and rugging up for a hot air balloon flight has its rewards as my son and I found out this morning on a flight over the Hawkesbury Valley with … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Hawkesbury, Sydney, Travel
Tagged family fun, Hawkesbury, sydney, travel
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Sensational Segway Adventure
For sensational family fun don’t get on your bike, get on a Segway and float above the ground. OK, it’s not quite levitating, but the Segway personal transporter does feel like it hovers above the ground rather than rides over … Continue reading