Although winter feels far away, we are actually only about two months away from the season. Sydney is lucky to experience long hot summers but there's no harm in doing a little early planning for some winter activities. The following list could help you ease into winter and reduce the winter blues.
1. Mandarin Picking
Sweet juicy mandarins for you to pick
The mandarin season starts in late May and goes on for a good 3 months. There are several farms north of Sydney near the Hawkesbury river that are popular with fruit pickers.
Fords Farm is a pick your own citrus orchard and their opening day is the 26th of May. The orchard has rows and rows of mandarin trees of different variety, all ripe for picking. Mandarin picking makes for a great weekend outing as you can pack a picnic and have it on the orchard grounds while enjoying the surroundings.
Watkins Farm is another citrus farm popular amongst fruit pickers located in the vicinity of Fords Farm.
PYO citrus orchard Fords Farm
Customs House at Vivid Sydney 2012
Vivid Sydney was one of my favourite winter events last year. The lighting effects were superb and surpassed my expectations. My favourite lighting installation was the Customs House and I could watch it over and over and it never ceased to amaze me. This year Vivid Sydney is set to impress again with promises of new and exciting artwork combining light, music and ideas. Vivid Sydney will be back from the 24th of May to 10th of June so start counting down now. More details can be found on the website
here.
The Opera House at last year's Vivid event
3. Whale Watching at Cape Solander
A humpback whale spotted at a distance at Cape Solander
Cape Solander at
Kamay Botany Bay National Park is one of Sydney's best whale watching spots. The whale watching season starts from May and goes onto November each year, but the winter months of June-August are the best times to catch the elusive humpback whales migrating to warmer waters. The views at Cape Solander itself are worth a visit. Gorgeous rugged cliffs amidst blue seas paint the perfect backdrop for whale watching. During this season volunteers are onsite to participate in the long running whale counting program. Sometimes they are happy to answer any questions you may have and can often point you in the right direction to help you spot the giant sea creatures.
Whale watchers patiently waiting for that moment
