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I've made the decision to start a new website focused on my blog, which I've called Quirks and Perks. I've gone with Wordpress.org, and self-hosting on Blue Host, as it allows me more customisation and control over my website. You'll notice this page is now called "Blog Archive" - all the posts I've made on this site are all on the new page, and new posts (except for this one) will be posted there. Hopefully, this will allow for more interaction, and make it easier for people to get in touch. For example, the home page will display my Twitch stream when I am streaming (which I've been threatening to do lately!) The new site hasn't been lauched yet, as I am in need of graphics and a few other things to get it fully ready. You can look at it at www.quirksandperks.net Nicole
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As the Girl Gamer Festival gets underway in Sydney, I wanted to explore what a Girl Gamer actually is. Many people have their views on the topic, how it is a term that devalues the place of women in the Gaming Industry. I believe we need more women in public spaces, particularly in the media, to give girls strong, positive role models. The more diverse, the better in my opinion. While the stereotype of the female cooking in the kitchen is long gone in general, there are those who think females have no place playing video games. Obviously I disagree. Men can cook just as well as females (I can't cook at all, so definitely better than me!), so why can't women be competive in gaming as well? Most of this gender inequality comes from the early days of games in general, some were seen as 'boy' games, and others as 'girl' games. This is of course ridiculous - games are for everyone, it's just a personal opinion if you like a game or not. Also, this excludes non-binary people altogether, another thing I don't like. While gender has an impact on a lot of things, the kind of games you like isn't one of them. But I think the thing that annoys people the most about the term Girl Gamer is the use of Girl. Not Female or Woman. Me, I'm quite happy to be considered a girl. Being a girl doesn't make me weaker, or less than. Sure, I have more experience in years compared to a teenage girl, but it doesn't devalue my worth. I am female, whatever way you want to call it. While I am not a fan of shooters or other games like that, I don't feel the need to be to earn the title of Gamer. I play games and I am also a girl. So Girl Gamer is fine by me. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Nicole XBox One S Minecraft edition with Creeper controller Sometime ago, I ran a poll on my Twitter account asking people to choose between the two most popular gaming systems that I didn't already own. (I have a PC, and I've bought myself a Switch, so I left those options out). The choice was unanimous - Sony's PlayStation was the winner. I, however, am still not sure. Maybe, at some stage, I may be able to buy both. I have reasons why I like each of them. For a start, the XBox One S has a special Minecraft edition, in which the box is made to look like a block of grass. The controller has a Creeper design, but you can also buy the Pig controller, which is pink and even has a curly tail at the back. Special editions are not unusual in the console world, but I've loved Minecraft since I first played it, so it would be special to have a console related to it. Both consoles have their exclusives - games that can only be played on one console. But most of the games I am interested in are on both, so that isn't really a consideration for me. Perhaps in the future it might matter, if a game is released as an exclusive that I really want. Most games I like end up on PC anyway. I am still thinking about it. I would like to stream games in the future, so a capture card will be another item I would need. So if someone could toss a million dollars or so my way, that would be great! Otherwise, what do you think? PlayStation or XBox? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. NicoleSince it was announced that the Sims 4 base game would be free for a limited time, there has been a lot of uproar from people who bought it at full price. As I'm someone who paid for my copy of the game, I'd like to share what I think about it. Firstly, from a business point of view, it is a clever tactic. Get people interested with free content, then they will be more willing to pay for more. It should be noted that, since its release, The Sims 4 has given players a bunch of free content in patch updates. You can watch [this video] from The Sim Supply for a extensive video of free updates to the game. Secondly, I am thrilled that more players are playing the game I love. This has opened up the game to a diverse range of players, some who haven't played The Sims before due to the restriction of price. This can only be a good thing. As the developers of the game, rely on the opinions of its players, more players means more ideas, more opportunities for things that have never been in the game before to be added. If you have read this far, you can see I think The Sims 4 being free for a limited time is a good thing. I am not disappointed that I paid for the game and others have it for free - this is common with video games, giving codes and keys to YouTubers or streamers to play and promote their game. Which of course was part of the reason The Sims 4 did it. I enjoyed The Sims 3 so much, that I was always going to buy The Sims 4. I'm not the only one. I don't regret it at all - The Sims has introduced me to a bunch of fantastic people, and given me priceless experiences. I wouldn't change a thing. NicoleJust today it was announced on Twitter that a charity event would be on from the 14th June to the 24th. Called Australia: Endgame, the idea is to raise money for WWF, and awareness of the many endangered animals in Australia. Streamers from the WomANZ community will stream during the time period to get donations from their viewers for a great cause. The WWF have worked with ANZ streamers before for charity streams, but this is a first for the WomANZ community of streamers. Keep a eye on Twitter - if you follow the WomANZ account - @womanz_gg - you should already see graphics which have been made by community members. NicoleToday marks one year since the creation of WomANZ. If you are not aware, WomANZ is a community for women in Australia and New Zealand, who are a part of content creation and esports. It started with a single Tweet by Naysy.  Tweeted on 28th March 2018, by Naysy Since then, it has grown. The primary form of contact for the community is a private discord, which you can apply to become a member of [here]. There is a stream team on Twitch, and images for member to put in their panels under their stream, to show they are a member. The community is not limited to Twitch streamers, however. Anyone female, whatever their experience, is welcome. It's aim to for members to support each other in their careers online. My only in person encounter with the members of WomANZ was at PAX Australia last year, where they had a meet up, and gave some fanastic prizes away, I admit I felt uncomfortable at first, as I hadn't streamed in ages, and felt like I didn't belong. But I could see that others felt uncomfortable too. No one was mean, or bitchy, or competitive. It was very warm and supportive, and those ladies make me so proud to be a member of the community. In my opinion, we need more women online. All kinds of women, and particularly in games. The online world could always do with more diversity, showing that anyone can be a gamer, and have a gaming career. NicoleI've kinda disappeared from the Internet over the past few days due to computer trouble. On Saturday, my computer was beeping, and I tried everything I could to fix it. Nothing worked, so I decided to buy a new one. I had my computer for over two years, and I guess I was in need of an upgrade. My shiny new computer arrived on Tuesday, and what would you know? It worked! I turned it on to check I hadn't left anything in the CD drive - something I tend to do a lot. When I put it on, the beeps were gone. I connected a monitor, and everything was fine. I've since taken everything of use from my old computer, and reset it to default, so I can sell it second hand. I'm currently using my new computer. Hopefully I'll be able to stream over the weekend. Fingers crossed! NicoleThis is not a competition, so sorry if the title gave you that impression. I have a subscription to Loot Crate's J.K Rowlings Wizarding World, and I got the latest box a few days ago. Called "The Beasts Within" the products in the box centre around the magical beasts of the wizarding world. For some reason, I was sent two boxes. After getting in contact with Loot Crate via email, they told me I could give the spare crate to a friend. It didn't cost me anything, and apparently it was a mistake made by the warehouse. So if anyone wants it, please let me know. The following is the crate's contents - French Ministry Tin Sign Maledictus T-shirt, size 3XL Kelpie Tempered Glass Mug Baby Niffler Squish Stress Toy Set Matagot Pin Twitter is the best place to get in touch - check the connect tab above. I'll pay for postage, I just need to know where I'm sending it to. Australia is preferred, just due to the cost. Thanks, enjoy! NicoleAs some of you may know, I have two vlogs up on my YouTube channel. I am current getting some ideas together for a new channel centred around The Sims, in particular The Sims 4. I have a huge list of challenges that I want to do on the channel, which I hope people will enjoy. But right now, I'm trying to come up with a name for it. I watch a few Sims channels on YouTube, and a lot focus on building and Create A Sim videos. If I'm honest with myself, I'm not very good at either. My buildings start out square shaped, and usually stay that way. I have no sense of style, so the Sims I create ain't much better. But I am really good at the gameplay, and that is what I enjoy. I really like doing challenges in The Sims, you know, the ones that have rules and restrictions that you have to follow. However, these sort of "Let's Play" style videos have been done on YouTube before. I want to do something new, and innovative. I have noticed that people like to do Machinima, which is where they use the in game camera and video modes to make short movies. A common one is to recreate music videos in the Sims. While I find that an interesting angle to make a video of, I'm not sure if I could do that. I do want to give viewers a personal connect to the Sims in my challenges. So I wondered, what if they made vlogs? Where they talk about what's going on in their lives and what they're thinking? Maybe that would be an interesting thing to do. So now I just have to come up with a unique name. I'm finding that the hard part. Once I am ready with full details on the new channel, this website will have all the info you need, from the challenges to the videos. Any ideas on what I should call it? NicoleI was searching gaming news on Google when I came upon an article which suggests a cheaper Switch model could be launched by June this year. The article [link here] goes on to suggested the current Switch would be "upgraded" later in the year. If this is true, I personally think it would be fantastic. I know a lot of people who would love to buy a Switch, but they just can't afford it. Apparently the cheaper model would remove things like the vibration feature as "there wouldn't be many games released using the full benefit of it", according to one of the Wall Street Journal's sources. I'd like to point out that the sources are unnamed, and Nintendo declined to comment on the story. So we have no idea if the claims are valid or not. The sources pointed to an announcement in June, at E3, with the retail release to follow. For now, we just have to wait and see. NicoleSo some time ago I bought myself a Switch. It was cheaper as I traded in all my 3DS games. (I couldn't trade in the actual 3DS because I was missing the charger for it.) I love the Switch, mostly for its portability - I have not plugged it into a screen, just played it on its own, and it does great. Here are the titles I have in my collection:
Nicole#mymum is the newest hashtag that has been trending on Twitter. It has divided the Internet. While I am incredibly proud of my Mum and what she has done with her life, I also feel that a Twitter post doesn't do her justice. Granted a blog post doesn't do her much, as she won't see it, but maybe someday she will, and she'll realise how much I love her. My Mum was one of six children, right smack bang in the middle. When she came to Australia, it was a last minute thing. She had planned to go to Canada with her friend, who got pregnant and couldn't travel. As her sister was already here, Mum came to Australia. In the process, she met my Dad and the rest is history. Now a widow with two adult daughters, everyday she makes me see how much she does for me. I don't know what I would do without her. She has been by my side during some of the worst times of my life, as well as my best. My only wish is to make her proud, and all she wants for me, is to be happy. When you're young, you don't realise how much your parents do for you, what they sacrifice to make sure you have the best in life. I never once felt like I missed out, but I knew my parents weren't rich. They both worked so my sister and I would be fed, educated, clothed and all that other good stuff. I'm sure they missed out on things they wanted to do to look after us. This Mothers' Day, think about all the great things your Mum has done for you. How she has effected your life for the better. That's what the day is for, after all. NicoleI've decided that people like lists. So I'm going to blog about the conventions I would like to go to the most, and the reasons they interest me. The first convention I attended was PAX Australia in 2016, thanks to a three-day pass that I won on KryticZeuz's Twitch stream, I'm now one of his moderators, and have attended PAX AUS in 2017 and 2018. So here we go -
NicoleI had planned to put out a post on this blog every second day, but that plan went out the window yesterday. I was racking my brain for ideas. Then it dawned on me - I could show the progress I had made to my desk. Thanks to my lovely Mum, my room is so much tidier. As you can see below, however, the desk is still slightly messy. Totally my own fault.  My desk - taken just moments ago My Mum had made an attempt at cable management. The power board is now under the desk, with the cables to the power point hidden - no more tripping over the cords! It's actually quite neat.  Mum's cable management I am very lucky to have such a supportive Mum - she's been cleaning my room more times than I can count. I realise how special she really is every day. Just a reminder that, in Australia at least, it's Mother's Day this Sunday. So do something special for the Mums in your lives. NicoleI was trying to figure out a word I could use to describe myself. Individual and unique was the essence of what I wanted to stay, but I also feel that everyone is unique. So I wanted something different, something more personal to me. I liked the idea of a queen as an image of empowering women and girls, which got me thinking of Q words. I also liked the word quirky. As I'm a big fan of acronyms, I started thinking about a word for each letter of the word Quirk. I didn't know that this is actually called a reverse acronym. There are also generators online, which would make the process easier - I had to use my brain. I had the Queen for Q. I could've used Unique and Individual for U and I, but I went more personal. Unicorn and Introvert. Unicorn embraced my love of horses, and fantasy worlds - mermaids and such. Also I felt people didn't feel comfortable being introverted, and I wanted to celebrate that part of me. I chose Rebel for the R, as I don't always follow the crowd, and often I rebel against myself. Finally, I chose Kind for K, as I felt the world could stand to be more polite and kinder to each other. I hope that if others share the same views I do, they can be comfortable calling themselves quirks too and not feel alone in the world. NicoleAs it gets closer to my late father's birthday (3rd May), I can't help but think of the legacy he left behind. Looking at my immediate family, I am the last person born with the Lovell name that still has it. My sister got married and changed her name, and my Dad had two sisters. But I feel Dad left more than just a name. I feel, time and time again in my life, that I let both my parents down. Even at his funeral, my sister spoke, but I didn't despite being the oldest. So I do feel a burden to keep his memory alive somehow. All my parents wanted for me was to be happy. For most of my life though, I've been more than just unhappy - I've been depressed. Sure, it was beyond my control in some aspects, which I found out when I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. I felt I was a disappointment. With everything that has happen since Dad passed away, my Mum and I needed each other, and I realised how much I meant to her, and how much I still needed her. When I started this blog, I didn't expect it to amount to much - maybe the occassional post when I remember. But now, I keep thinking about it, while I'm at work. And I feel excited and inspired by it - something that I haven't felt in a long time. So my plan is to grow this blog as much as I can. But also, to have the courage to do other things that I love. For as long as I could remember, I wanted to be a singer. As a child I used to sing and dance on the stairs outside the kindygarden classroom. I was in the choir all my years at primary school. When I got to high school though, I stopped publically singing. Our school had no choir or dance group and when it did, I didn't join. I started to care what people thought of me, instead of what makes me happy and feel good. Even now, at 39, sharing this is difficult. I have never told anyone about my dream of being a singer. Now, what people think doesn't seem to be as important anymore. Life is too short, and too precious for that. I don't know much, but I do know that my Dad would want my life to be a happy one, whether he is here to see it or not. So I'm putting this out there, and I want to learn to write my own songs, and put an album together. I don't want fame - music just makes me happy, and I would love to have a career in it. NicoleAs I write this, a group of very lucky content creators and gaming influencers are getting the world's first look at the gameplay of Borderlands 3, the latest game in the Borderlands series made by 2K. I hope that I will be able to have a similar experience myself one day. You can follow the adventures of these Australians and New Zealanders on their social media accounts. To help you out, I'll list them below:- @BonnieDollz (Twitch) @Wyld (Twitch) @Jenzlinger (Twitch) @Loriipops (Twitch) @ZiggyDStarcraft (Twitch) @ChinglishTV (Twitch) @Tyr0din (Twitch) @SubParLover (Twitch) @Naysy (Twitch) Note the above names are also their Twitter handles. They should also lead you to other social media accounts of these fine peeps. More people to follow on Twitter if you're looking for Borderlands 3 news:- @2K_ANZ - The Australian and New Zealand account for 2K, who make Borderlands, but also NBA 2K, Bioshock, Civilisations VI, XCOM and WWE. Use the #Borderlands3 hashtag for tweets and accounts associated with the event. Special shoutout to @Pez_Bro who works for 2K, but is just a top bloke. NicoleSome of you may know I am a member of a special community. WomANZ offers support for women in Australia and New Zealand in content creation and esports. Everyone from Twitch streamers to professional esport players are welcome to join. You can apply to be a part of the community on their website. Today WomANZ announced that they had partnered with HyperX to give away a Quadcast Microphone. Just recently released in Australia, it retails for $189 at JB Hi-Fi, and is compatable with PC, Mac and Playstation 4. An all-round microphone for someone wanting quality sound, whether it's for podcasts, recorded video or live streaming. It's open for everyone to enter here. Good luck! NicoleIf you've been keeping up with this blog, you'll notice I haven't posted in a while - since my birthday in fact. I planned to make a vlog, as something different, but I kept putting it off. The sore throat didn't help, and my room is a bit of a mess, but these were all just excuses. So finally, today, I recorded a video. I show how my desk cleaning is going, and two things I got for myself online. You should also notice the website has a new Video tab. So far, there are just two videos - my The Nicole Experience vlog series. The second one is the one I recorded today - the first one was recorded almost a year ago. I decided I wanted to record videos and stream, to gain more confidence in myself. But I kept coming up with excuses not to do it. To be honest, I was scared. Scared of what people would think of me, that I wouldn't be good enough. But, now that I'm being honest and more of myself through this blog, those excuses don't carry weight anymore. One of my best qualities is the fact that I am unique - I've never felt the need to copy the crowd. So what people think doesn't matter so much. If you're reading this though, you've taken the time to read what I have to say, so you do matter, and I appreciate your support. Anyway, enjoy the video, comment on my YouTube channel and so on. NicoleSo, my 39th birthday is today (8th April, 2019). I thought I would do a really interesting blog post for it. I couldn't really think of any idea, so I decided to do a list instead. A list of things I love/like, want to do in the coming year or would like to do in my life at some stage. The Round the World Trip with my Mum - my Mum and I have decided that as I am 40 next year and she'll be 70, we'll take a trip overseas. She wants to go on the Spinning Teacups at Disney Land, and I want to go do the Harry Potter thing at Universal Studios. But, it's expanded to include a trip to the UK to see her family, Chicago to see my sister, New York, Las Vegas and more. I hope we can do it, as we deserve a trip with all we've been through in the past few years. Lose some (a lot!) of weight - I recently weighed myself, and I need to lose a lot of weight. Finding the time to exercise is hard, as I feel tired after work. Mum has been meeting up with me after work three days a week so we can go for a half hour walk, but I really need to stop eating junk food and soft drinks. I've also been taking my lunch to work, to stop me from buying bad stuff. More self confidence - This is a difficult one for me. I was bullied a lot at high school for being "different". Now that I'm older I realise that being different, being my own person and not following the crowd is something to be proud of and celebrated. It's really hard to change thinking patterns that you've lived with for over twenty years. But, I'll be honest. I never thought I would write that much with this blog and now I've made it a regular thing. So anything could happen. Making videos and streaming - These are two things I have done before. But I think I was too ambitious, and not able to keep up. Making videos is hard - YouTubers make it look easy, but it's really not, and it's even harder when you have a day job to keep the money coming in. I would love to have a more creative job than I currently have, but you have to work hard to get to a point where you can make a living from it. Get back into music - I loved music when I was in primary school - I still do. I was in the choir at school, and later on, the dance group. However, when I got to high school, all the doubts of not being good enough set in. Even in my twenties I did a course where I wrote songs and it was put on an album. We performed our songs live, and I won a scholarship. I bought a Mac and some other computer stuff. I took a TAFE course in music as well. After all this, I still didn't feel like I was good enough, even though I still loved music. I don't know what I want to do, but I feel like I can't give up something I love so much. Socialise more - When I went to my first PAX Australia, I felt like I could not only be myself, but also that I socialised a lot more than I usually do. Being accepted just as I am is a wonderful feeling, and one I would like to feel more often. It's hard because, in the past, people would make fun of me having "friends", like it was some kind of joke for me to be liked. It still affects me. But the past shouldn't control my future, and I've forgiven the people who were like that, as they didn't know any better. Get a cat - I would really love to own a cat. I can't be a streamer/gamer without one, apparently. I've always wanted a pet, unfortunately we can't have pets in the place where we live currently. Hopefully, we'll be able to when we move out. While Mum would most likely want a dog, I'd prefer a cat. Getting a mortgage/buying a home - This is scary, adulting stuff. I have saved a lot of money since I started my job over ten years ago. It's possibly enough for a small apartment - big enough for me and Mum to be happy. I guess I'm scared that something will happen and I won't be able to pay it off. Or that I will miss out on stuff because my money would be going straight into paying off the mortgage. I am lucky that I still live with my Mum, and she is more than happy to help me out. We really do need each other and I am so glad I have such a great Mum. NicoleAfter a whole bunch of internal debate, I decided to purchase a planner for the content that I want to create. I managed to find one online - this one. It hasn't arrived yet, however they sent me a template to use for the month of April. My biggest hurdle at the moment is procrastination. I have a sore throat, which started yesterday, and I am using that as an excuse not to make videos or start streaming. It's a fair reason, but deep down I feel kind of scared to put myself out there again. I've made a few videos which I've uploaded to Twitch. I have also streamed a few times, playing Minecraft, Sims 4, Sims Medieval and Stardew Valley. They are all games I would love to play again. Here are the ideas I have for videos so far:-
Nicole As you can see from the image above, tickets for PAX Australia 2019 went on sale at the Early Bird discounted rate. So what does that mean? Well, obviously, the discount means it's cheaper than the full price rate. Does that mean you should buy your tickets now? Personally, I think that depends on a combination of factors. Out of all the types of tickets available, the one that benefits most from the discount is the 3 day pass. In my experience, it is definately the most popular, selling out the quickest. Once they sell out, buying tickets for the individual days turns out to be more expensive. However, not everyone has the money for the 3 day pass. Does that mean you should miss out on PAX? No way! Buying a one day pass is still a great way to enjoy PAX, without the full on-ness of 3 days in a row. There are pros and cons, though. Choosing which of the three days to attend, I honestly don't have a favourite. I have had 3 day passes at all the PAX Australia's I've attended and enjoyed each day equally. If you can only have one day, you want to get as much in as you can. However, at this early stage, there is no schedule for the panels and other events. As for how busy it gets - all the days are equally busy, but more families come on Saturday, as that's the best day for their kids. So really, the choice is yours. If you are an International guest, I totally recommend the 3 day pass for International visitors. There are conditions attached, but it separate from the 3 day pass for residents. Having travelled so far to get to Melbourne, especially if you came just for PAX, it would be a shame not to enjoy all the fun the event has to offer. A reminder though - you don't need a PAX pass to enjoy the fun in Melbourne. The week before is Melbourne International Games Week - a celebration of gaming and technology with events all over the city. Find out more here. Buy your PAX Australia 2019 badges here. NicoleWhile I was searching Google for ideas for blog post, I happened upon this idea. Take a photo of your desk and write about it - what's in the picture, why it's there and so on. Since I'm looking to become more organized this year, I thought it would be a good way to change my habits.  My desk 15/3/2019 There's a lot going on. Starting with the peripherals - Blue Yeti mic, Razer keyboard and mouse, and the Razer camera, which I won from Rudeism. On both sides, there's stacks of books - the left is mostly blank notebooks, a diary from last year (unused) and the Thor DVD on top. The right stack is my Harry Potter and Narnia colouring books, Fallout 76 Survival Guide, a box for a mobile tripod (empty), a FitBit band box (also empty) and a journal I tried but didn't get far in. You can see I often start things, but never follow through - which was why I set up this website and blog - to hold myself accountable. There are also bottles - mostly Coke, but I'm trying to drink more water. I used to drink water all the time, and walk for 2 hours on the weekend - now that I'm working I can't be bothered. There's also an empty CC's packet, a Wizarding World Phoenix pin, a jar of wax, pads, and a pink lion. I bought him because I thought he looked cute. As you can see, organisation and cable management are non-existent here. My Mum (who's put up with my messiness for almost fourty years) bought me a set of draws to go under the desk, as you can see below.  The under desk draws. Thanks Mum! Yep, the rest of my room is messy too. The plan is for me to make a post each month, with a picture of my progress. This is great for me on many counts - as I'll be posting at least once a week, this takes up one spot of the four weeks. But also, it will show my progress and keep me on track. Let's hope this works people! Is there any bad habits you have that you'd like to change? Take one small step - and good luck. NicoleOver the weekend, I went to see that latest in the Marvel Superhero franchise - Captain Marvel. If you're looking for female empowerment - you'll find it here. From the struggles of the title character to those of her friends, there is a touch of humanity to this character. Which made her very relatable, and therefore a suitable role model for young woman. Sure, there's the kick ass Black Widow and Wanda Maximoff of the Avengers crew, but they both seemed out of reach. The music in the movie only adds to the relatability - songs I remember listening to in my teenage years such as No Doubt's Just A Girl and Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, took me back to a time in my life where everything was changing and I couldn't keep up. That seems to be a theme in the movie - self-discovery and re-invention. Of course, a lot of questions in the Marvel universe are answered. And it wouldn't be a Marvel movie without a Stan Lee appearance. Humour is not lost in the seriousness of the piece, however I found Thor Ragnarok more zany and mad capped. But that's just my personal view. Overall, a very enjoyable movie - would watch again on DVD, not at the cinema. I give it four and a half stars out of five. NicoleLast Friday, I had planned to meet up with my two friends, Dan and Oz. We stayed at Bondi Beach for a girls' weekend. All fun in the sun, right? Well, the weather was not on our side. As we discovered, searching online doesn't produce much in the way of things to do when it's raining - just go to the beach and walk. So I thought I'd share what we managed to fit in on the three days we spent together - all of them wet. Wild Life Sydney and Sea Life Sydney - Both located in Darling Harbour, so they are easy to get to, they both provide a great way to see native Australian animals up close - without endangering your life. You can have a photo taken with a koala at Wild Life, and go on a Penguin ride to see these adorable creatures face to face. We got a pass through NRMA, which gives their members a discount on entry to up to four Sydney Attractions (the other two are Sydney Tower EYE and Madame Tussauds Sydney - see here) Event Cinemas - These are one of the main movie theatre chains in Australia. My local cinema is a Hoyts. Seeing a movie is a rainy day standard - it eats up a little bit of time, and is fun for all ages. We caught the 397 bus to Bondi Junction, and went inside the Westfields Shopping Centre. So you can go shopping, even grab something to eat before your movie. You can pre-book online or via the app. We saw Captain Marvel, I may review it in another blog. (You can find the listings for Bondi Junction here.) Holey Moley Golf Club - Golfing, on a wet, day? It's possible, when you go to Holey Moley Golf Club - a putt-putt golf place, indoors! Three rounds of nine wacky holes, a bar, and karaoke make this fun for all ages. We went to the one in Darlinghurst, by catching the train from Bondi Junction to King's Cross. We had hawaiian pizza. And of course Dan won. Here is their website. Powerhouse Museum - One of the many museums in the centre of Sydney, but this one is more hands on. We went to the STAR WARS™ Identities: The Exhibition - which explores the famous characters of Star Wars - their identities on screen, and behind the scenes. All your favourite characters are there - from Chewbacca to Luke Skywalker, Ewoks, Jedis, and of course Darth Vader himself. You get to create your own identity in the Star Wars universe. Go here for more information. Need a map? I made a Google Map here - hope it helps! Nicole |
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