FOR KIDS
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The LEGO Christmas Tree
Heading to Pitt Street Mall for some last minute Christmas shopping? Why not scoop up the kids and take them to see the LEGO Christmas Tree while you're at it? Made entirely of LEGO bricks and featuring a LEGO Santa and sleigh as well, the striking tree can be found at the juncture of Market Street and Pitt Street. Nightly light shows can be seen between 8 and 9pm - a welcome relief for kids and parents alike who need a brief respite from the pre-Christmas madness. What's more, the display is the largest LEGO Christmas tree in the southern hemisphere, so prepare for your budding bricklayers, architects and engineers to be inspired. The tree is conveniently next to the David Jones Christmas window displays and, of course, all the shops you might need for last-minute present dashes, so it's easy to make a night of it.
On display daily until December 26, nightly light shows 8pm-9pm, Pitt Street Mall, Sydney, free, sydneychristmas.com.au.
Dugong Island
Kids will love the new Dugong Island exhibition at Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, featuring two of only five dugongs on display across the globe. Visitors can meet the charismatic Pig and Wuru - both rescued after being orphaned at an early age - and learn about these majestic animals through the interactive exhibition. Pig, 15, was rescued in North Queensland after being separated from his mother. He was released back into the wild, but was taken back into captivity after being washed ashore because there were fears he would not survive in the wild. Pig's companion Wuru might be 6 years younger, but is double his size at a whopping 400 kilograms, as is the norm for female dugongs and their male counterparts. Along with viewing the two dugongs, Sydney Aquarium will also host kid-specific activities as part of the exhibition, including a treasure hunt, interactive talks featuring fun dugong facts, and craft sessions.
Open daily 9.30am-7pm (hours vary on Christmas Day and NYE), Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, 1-5 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour, adult $40, child $28, children under three free, 1800 199 657, sydneyaquarium.com.au.
World's Largest Snow Globe
Head to Market City for an Australian winter wonderland: the world's largest snowglobe has set up home in the middle of the shopping centre. Enthusiastic shoppers can enter the dome, which measures 8.5 metres in diameter, and experience a white Christmas with a little help from a snow machine and snow blower. The snow globe also boasts a Christmas scene built by professional set-makers. Visit for a welcome "chill-out" from last-minute Christmas shopping.
Until January 1, Mon-Wed and Fri-Sun 10am-7pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Market City, 9-13 Hay Street, Haymarket, free, marketcity.com.au.
Disney Fairies Trail
This summer, the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden in Mount Tomah will serve as the picturesque background for an exciting fairy adventure. Using a smartphone app, kids can search for fairies scattered among the garden beds, trees and ponds, recording their findings in a free "collector passport". There are plenty of fairy favourites for the kids to frolic with, including Tinker Bell, Fawn, Rosetta and Silvermist. Plus, every child who uses the app to find fairies will also receive a free packet of Disney Fairies seeds from the Visitor Information Centre.
Until February 28, daily 9.30am-5pm, Bells Line of Road via Bilpin, Mount Tomah, free, 4567 3000, bluemountainsbotanicgarden.com.au.
IN SYDNEY
Sydney Fish Market
Christmas in Australia is characterised by blistering heat, backyard sports, barbecues, and, of course, seafood. Luckily for us, the Sydney Fish Market is putting on its trademark Christmas marathon, opening for 36 hours straight, until 5pm on Christmas Eve. Over the long pre-Christmas slog, the market is expected to sell more than 600 tonnes of seafood, including about 120 tonnes of prawns and almost 70,000 oysters. An impressive 100,000 seafood lovers are expected to head to the markets seeking the perfect seafood for their Christmas lunch. Buyers are advised to bring a chiller, or to ask their fishmonger to pack their purchase with ice to ensure it stays cold at all times. Be part of the crowd and enjoy some of the freshest seafood in Sydney. Parking is available, but fills up rapidly. Try the Metro Light Rail or the 501 and 443 buses, all of which leave regularly from the city.
From 5am Dec 23 to 5pm Christmas Eve, Sydney Fish Market, Bank Street, Pyrmont, 9004 1100, sydneyfishmarket.com.au.
The Monday Jam at Ginger's
For a unique live music experience, check out The Monday Jam at Ginger's, a New York-style cocktail bar on Darlinghurst's Oxford Street. This successful weekly night, presented by Rifton Records at The Oxford Hotel, is a must-attend experience if you are a Sydney-dweller and lover of live music. Monday is traditionally a day off for musos, when venues close and they have a break, but The Monday Jam puts a love of music first, creating a space where musicians and listeners can come together to appreciate the spontaneity and energy of a good old-fashioned jam session. Each week a different performer kicks off the night, with past jammers including Jessica Mauboy, De La Soul and Naturally 7. Do not head home after a long Monday at work - grab a drink at Ginger's, enjoy some food and, most of all, get into the jam.
December 22, 8.30pm, Ginger's, 134 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, free, theoxfordhotel.com.au.
Carol Singalong at The Opera House
Are you sick of hearing tinny Christmas carols on repeat in shopping centres? Learn to once again appreciate the music of Christmas at The Opera House, as Rachael Beck features in the Christmas Carol Singalong. All of your Christmas favourites will make an appearance on the song sheet, including Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Away in a Manger and - although the Australian heat suggests otherwise - White Christmas. This event will feature the 48-piece Sydney International Orchestra and a Christmas Choir, playing together under conductor and host Brian Castles-Onion. This show is great for the whole family, with kids encouraged and Santa Claus making a guest appearance in the foyer before each show. Catch a train to Circular Quay and walk up to The House.
December 22, 7pm and December 23, 2pm and 7pm, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, standard tickets $49-$95, 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com.
The Urban Landscape
This important exhibition, presented by the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, showcases the artwork of people living with HIV. On display at the Kings Cross Library, The Urban Landscape features the work of 15 participants in the Foundation's Phoenix Art Program. In the program, people living with HIV come together to learn how to paint and draw, and in the process, connect to others going through similar experiences. Artworks in The Urban Landscape show familiar Sydney scenes, from landmarks such as the Harbour Bridge to everyday street sights of this diverse city, including terrace houses and the familiar "NO PARKING" scrawl on garage doors. Visit to support the Bobby Goldsmith Phoenix Art Program and enjoy paintings of the city. Catch a train to King's Cross Station and walk a short distance up Darlinghurst Road to the library.
Until December 31, various hours, Kings Cross Library, 50-52 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point, bgf.org.au.
Dirty Dancing
It's summer of 1963 and 17-year-old "Baby" is about to learn some serious life lessons at a holiday resort. Head to the Sydney Lyric Theatre this summer for a live retelling of the 1987 smash hit film Dirty Dancing, featuring all your favourite songs from the movie and some stunning choreography. You will have the time of your life revisiting this classic tale of love, dancing and crossing social lines, which was the first film to sell more than one million copies on video. Starring Kurt Phelan as Johnny Castle and Kirby Burgess as Frances "Baby" Houseman, the talented cast put on a show full of energy and emotion. This show was first performed in Sydney in November 2014 and has since toured to Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Auckland. Catch the light rail to the Star Casino stop to get to the Sydney Lyric Theatre - it leaves regularly from the city.
Until February 8, various dates and times, Sydney Lyric Theatre, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, $71-$173, 9509 3600, sydneylyric.com.au.
OUT OF TOWN
Christmas at the Civic Centre, Wagga Wagga
Snazzy Christmas light displays aren't just for the city. If you are in Wagga Wagga this Christmas, head to the Civic Centre to check out the stunning light projections. It is the second year the regional city has been lit up by these Christmas lights, which feature festive messages and Christmas scenes. Visitors can set up on the banks of peaceful Wollundry Lagoon from dusk and view the lights until 11pm. Bring the kids, pack a picnic and enjoy Christmas in the country.
Until January 1, Mon-Sun dusk-11pm, Civic Centre, corner Baylis and Morrow streets, Wagga Wagga, free, 1300 292 442, waggawaggaaustralia.com.au.
Come to Bethlehem, Wagga Wagga
If you have an entire evening free in Wagga Wagga, head to Come to Bethlehem at Holy Trinity Parish before you go out to see the lights. For three nights in the lead-up to Christmas, visitors can walk through a historical remake of Bethlehem City as it might have looked 2000 years ago. People in period costumes, realistic city scenes and live animal will all feature - a delight for kids and history enthusiasts alike.
December 22-24, 8pm-9.30pm, Holy Trinity Parish, Bardia Street, Ashmont, Wagga Wagga, adult $2, children free, 6931 3601, waggawaggaaustralia.com.au.
Bells Family Carnival, Batemans Bay
Bells Family Carnival is an annual South Coast institution, attracting thousands of eager ride-goers during summer each year. It features classic carnival rides such as the ferris wheel, the Cha Cha, dodgem cars, the Wipe Out and the famous Super Slide. Kids will have the time of their lives. An armband gives them access to the enormous range of rides for three hours straight. Carnival attendees can also enjoy Dagwood Dogs, fairy floss and other treats from the carnival food stalls. Well worth a visit, regardless of whether you are a local or kicking back on a South Coast holiday. The carnival will also have a fireworks display on New Year's Eve from 9pm-9.30pm, which is a perfect way to enjoy New Year's Eve fireworks on but not deal with Sydney crowds.
Until January 26, Mon-Sun 7pm-10pm, Corrigans Beach, Batehaven, $25 for access to all rides.
Kilgour Prize 2014, Newcastle
Central Coast art-lovers can get their portraiture fix at the Newcastle Art Gallery this summer, where the Kilgour Prize 2014 is currently showing. Named for Jack Noel Kilgour, known for his academic modernism, this prize for figurative and portrait painting sees a selection panel award $50,000 to the winning entrant. In 2014, that talented person was Alan Jones, who won for his portrait of Robert Forrester - a distant maternal relative of Jones who arrived in Australia as a convict on the First Fleet. Jones' work explores the tension between his personal and family identity in the wider context of the colonisation of Indigenous Australia. Other artists on display include Anh Do, Stewart MacFarlane, Deborah Wilkinson and Mark Tweedie.
Until January 25, open Tues-Sun 10am-5pm (closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day), Newcastle Art Gallery, 1 Laman Street Newcastle, 4974 5100, nag.org.au.