What to Do in Sydney, July 2011

It is winter and the weather is fresh. So what to do in Sydney in July, if you want to go out? You could admire boats at the International Boat Show, learn about Aboriginal history or smell the coffee aroma in the Rocks.

NAIDOC Week

Every July Australia celebrates the Aboriginal populations, their culture and history. It is the week long NAIDOC festival, hosted by a different city every year.

In 2011 it is Sydney that is hosting the event, between 3 to 10 July.

NAIDOC is an acronym standing for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.

Each festival culminates with a ball and an awards ceremony, which honours the accomplishments of various Indigenous people for creating awareness of the issues that face them and improving their lifestyle.

The awards recognise:

• a person of the year,
• a male and a female elder,
• a young person,
• people who have shown various skills and achievements in the fields of art, sports, work and study environments, including a lifetime achievement award for the contribution to Indigenous people.

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre

In 2011, the NAIDOC week celebrates change under the theme "Change: the next step is ours" and the award ball takes place in Sydney on Friday 8 July at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, in Darling Harbour.

To support the festival, you can learn more about Australian Aborigines, understand their culture, get familiar with, or buy some Aboriginal art, get more information about Indigenous names and visit places rich with Aboriginal significance, for example Uluru or Alice Springs.

What to Do in Sydney in July - The International Boat Show

If you are into boats, sailing, water skiing, scuba diving or just want to know more about fishing, the Sydney International Boat show is for you.

Cockle Bay Marina

Head to the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and Cockle Bay Marina, Darling Harbour, between 28 July and 1 August.

Here's the Cockle Bay Marina, waiting for the beautiful boats on show. It is just across the convention centre and close to all the other attractions and entertainment in Darling Harbour.

The program is packed with great events, which include:

• sailing fashion;
• a fishing clinic where you can learn all the tips and tricks of catching fish and where to do it best;
• guest speakers who will share boating, kayaking and sailing stories;
• a boating photography competition;
• a 5o minutes free harbour tour, which leaves every hour on weekdays and every half hour on weekends from Cockle Bay;
• a boat building competition;
• a live cooking show;
• a display of some old Australian boats restored for you to visit.

All that for just $16.50 online, or $19.50 at show. And if you take your kids, the tickets for them are $9.50 online or 11.50 at the show. For more information check www.sydneyboatshow.com.au

What to Do in Sydney in July - The Rocks Aroma Festival

Stalls in The Rocks

If you are in the City on 31 July, make sure to visit The Rocks, admire the best Australian icons: Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and sip delicious coffee, taste sweets and chocolate on offer from various stalls that line up the streets.

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