Total Eclipse 2012 - Australia Nov 13th.

[Moonliner]

I checked into the travel visa for Aussiland. Turns out it's less off a background check to see if you are OK to visit down under and more of a "Welcome mate! That's $20 to come in" thing.

[lashbear]

...and to make sure you aren't associated with any hedonistic chat-boards.

[lashbear]

So, do we have a booking for 3 persons @ Midday on the 11th Nov at Sydney Tower Buffet? Would you like me to call and book if not?

Also - do you want to go to Coney Island that afternoon? The whole CBD is quite compact, and it's a lovely ferry jaunt over to Luna Park from Circular Quay.

[Moonliner]

We do have ressies for three people on Sunday at the Sydney tower for Midnight, or as you Aussies call it Noon.

I've given up on the Dinner cruise thing, due to a combination of high price and mediocre reviews so riding the ferry over to Luna park sounds perfect. However allowing for a 2 Hour lunch at the tower, plus ferry/travel time we won't get much time at Luna because they close at 6pm on Sunday.

I'm still on the hunt for a good restaurant experience to close out the night with as well as what to do with the 1/2 day I have in Sydney on Monday.

[lashbear]

Do you like Asian cuisine? Billy Kwong's is run by Kylie Kwong who is one of my favourite chefs. http://www.kyliekwong.org/BillyKwongs.aspx

For a more special occasion (with a price to match), you can see if there are tables free at http://www.guillaumeatbennelong.com.au/home.html or http://www.tetsuyas.com/index.html

Failing that (and I think they're booked up months in advance) we can try http://www.ariarestaurant.com/defaul...ticle&ID=21609 or if it's a real Aussie Steak you want to experience, then Kingsley's is the place: http://www.kingsleysauststeak.com.au

Half Day Monday, I would suggest popping around to our hotel in the morning, leave your bags there, then off to breakfast (Yum Cha in Sydney's famous Chinatown is right around the corner), and we can then tailor sightseeing for you until it's time to hop the train directly to the airport where we can wave lace handkerchieves at you and bid you a tearful farewell.

[Kevy Baby]

Do they have McDonalds down under? You should go there to experience an upside-down Big Mac

[cirquelover]

Yes they have McD's but Burger King is more fun there because it's called Hungry Jack. At least that's what I remember.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by lashbear

Do you like Asian cuisine? Billy Kwong's is run by Kylie Kwong who is one of my favourite chefs. http://www.kyliekwong.org/BillyKwongs.aspx

For a more special occasion (with a price to match), you can see if there are tables free at http://www.guillaumeatbennelong.com.au/home.html or http://www.tetsuyas.com/index.html

Failing that (and I think they're booked up months in advance) we can try http://www.ariarestaurant.com/defaul...ticle&ID=21609 or if it's a real Aussie Steak you want to experience, then Kingsley's is the place: http://www.kingsleysauststeak.com.au

Half Day Monday, I would suggest popping around to our hotel in the morning, leave your bags there, then off to breakfast (Yum Cha in Sydney's famous Chinatown is right around the corner), and we can then tailor sightseeing for you until it's time to hop the train directly to the airport where we can wave lace handkerchieves at you and bid you a tearful farewell.

While the "Real Aussie Steak" option was tempting, the location/view at Aria looks like it would be hard to match. So I booked us three for 7:45pm at Aria.

[lashbear]

Fantastic - Matt Moran is a very famous chef in Australia, and the restaurant has a great reputation.

Also, see the Burger King / Hungry Jack story here for the reason that they changed the name. It was all because of a single takeaway food shop in Adelaide.

On the Monday, you're welcome to try our local Aussie junk burger offering, the most classically Australian of which is Hungry Jack's "The Aussie" (now that Maccas has stopped making the "McOz").

Beetroot on hamburgers has been an Aussie institution since Adam was a bachelor, and so rather than try the Americanised one at HJ/BK, we should go to an authentic seaside fish and chip shop on Monday and get you a REAL corner-shop Aussie Hamburger with The Lot (Burger, lettuce, tomato, caramelised onions, tomato sauce, bacon, egg, pineapple and Beetroot). We could take a trip out to Bondi for that, see Bondi Beach, and then be back at Central in plenty of time to get the train to the airport (which is 12 mins from Central Station)

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by lashbear

Fantastic - Matt Moran is a very famous chef in Australia, and the restaurant has a great reputation.

Also, see the Burger King / Hungry Jack story here for the reason that they changed the name. It was all because of a single takeaway food shop in Adelaide.

On the Monday, you're welcome to try our local Aussie junk burger offering, the most classically Australian of which is Hungry Jack's "The Aussie" (now that Maccas has stopped making the "McOz").

Beetroot on hamburgers has been an Aussie institution since Adam was a bachelor, and so rather than try the Americanised one at HJ/BK, we should go to an authentic seaside fish and chip shop on Monday and get you a REAL corner-shop Aussie Hamburger with The Lot (Burger, lettuce, tomato, caramelised onions, tomato sauce, bacon, egg, pineapple and Beetroot). We could take a trip out to Bondi for that, see Bondi Beach, and then be back at Central in plenty of time to get the train to the airport (which is 12 mins from Central Station)

Wait, did you say "seaside fish and chip shop"? Yeah, we can stop right there, we have a winner.