By Lindy Alexander
Art, architecture and landscape coalesce in spectacular style in the new standalone building at the Art Gallery of NSW.
THE ONE GALLERY
Art, architecture and landscape coalesce in spectacular style in the new standalone building at the Art Gallery of NSW. The new building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architects SANAA, is striking with limestone-clad pavilions, rammed earth walls and roof art terraces. But it's what's inside that really counts. Highlights include the Yiribana Gallery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, the delightful Dreamhome installation focusing on notions of shelter and home, and a series of unnerving sculptures by Adrián Villar Rojas housed in the cavernous and shadowy subterranean space known as the Tank (a decommissioned Second World War naval fuel bunker). See artgallery.nsw.gov.au
THE ONE HOTEL
Originally a tobacco factory and warehouse in the 1870s, the heritage-listed building that now forms part of The Porter House Hotel Sydney MGallery is one of grandeur and style. A modern 36-storey tower has been built around the original building and the lower 10 floors house 122 guestrooms. Inside the rooms you'll find echoes of the heritage Victorian building in the softly curved windows, fluted leather bedheads and natural timber floors. The Porter House Hotel embraces old world charm while delivering modern style right in the heart of the CBD. See porterhousehotel.com.au
THE ONE EXHIBITION
How do we inhabit the world? It's a question explored by curator Anneke Jaspers in Perspectives on Place showing at the Museum of Contemporary Art. With the work of over 30 Australian artists on display, the exhibition examines how different social and physical aspects of place impact our cultural consciousness. It includes new acquisitions from artists such as Janet Fieldhouse and Gunybi Ganambarr, a celebrated Yolngu artist who began his career painting on bark, but who now includes reclaimed and repurposed materials such as rubber, steel, iron and glass in his striking pieces. The exhibition runs until 30 April. See mca.com.au
THE ONE PARTY
What illuminates the Emerald City? It's Vivid Sydney 2023; Australia's largest festival that burns brightly for 23 days and nights from May 26 – June 17. This year sees the introduction of Vivid Food – the perfect accompaniment to the dazzling program of light, music and ideas. Food fans can expect vibrant and diverse menus from renowned world-class chefs, multi-sensory multi-course meals and striking artworks installed across the city's bars and restaurants. See vividsydney.com
THE ONE CLIMB
The view from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is always spectacular, but it's even more so when you hear and see the stories of Australia's First Nations people unfurl in front of you. On the Burrawa Climb, an Indigenous storyteller will show you where Gamaraigal woman Patyegarang taught William Dawes the local Gadigal language and you'll hear how Bennelong Point and Barangaroo received their names. The Burrawa Climb is a three-hour experience that runs twice daily on Wednesdays and Saturdays. See bridgeclimb.com
THE ONE DESSERT TROLLEY
Have a sweet tooth? You're going to want to save room for dessert at The Charles in King Street, an opulent art deco European-style brasserie and bar. Once the loaded dessert trolley makes its way past the tables, most diners find they are powerless to resist the decadent temptations onboard. Piled high with exceptional treats from head pastry chef Rhiann Mead (formerly of Quay and Bennelong), highlights include the 28-layer Russian honey cake (14 layers of sponge and 14 of dulce de leche cream), a perfectly tart lemon meringue pie and a heavenly carrot cake with cranberries and fresh Granny Smith apple. See thecharles.sydney
THE ONE DRESS
When Yvonne Dite first met her husband in 1968, she was wearing a cotton mini-dress. Now in her 70s, Dite wears the frock on each wedding anniversary. The dress in question? A bold Carla Zampatti number that Dite has lent to Zampatti exhibition at The Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo. It's a retrospective featuring 100 outfits from the fashion icon's estate, the wardrobes of well-known women and everyday devotees of her garments. Highlights include loans from HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Julia Gillard AC. Until June 11. See maas.museum/event/carla-zampatti/
THE ONE COCKTAIL LOUNGE
Cocktail lounges may bring to mind dark, moody spaces, but Henry Deane, which is spread over the top two floors of the Hotel Palisade, has light-filled rooms and stunning views of the Harbour Bridge. Come for a cocktail (try the 'old salty girl' made with Woodford reserve bourbon and salted caramel pearls) but stay for the bar snacks like crispy wombok parcels with pickled cabbage, and succulent prawn tails with macadamia and lemon myrtle. See hotelpalisade.com.au/henrydeane/
THE ONE CAFE
Credit: Lauren Gray
Tucked inside a charming 1840s sandstone cottage is Quick Brown Fox, a Pyrmont cafe that hits all the right notes. The menu includes brunch staples (think smashed avo or truffled mushrooms), but the real fun begins when you order the XO congee with a gooey-yolked 63-degree egg, glazed speck and house made XO sauce, or the silky scrambled eggs with blue swimmer crab folded through. See quickbrownfoxeatery.com.au
ONE MORE THING …
Once you've caught a seaplane to lunch, you'll never look back (except to get a second and third look at the Opera House glimmering in the sun). Taking off from Rose Bay in the late morning, you'll fly low over golden beaches and secluded bays before landing at The Newport in time for an exceptional four-course lunch at Bert's Bar and Brasserie. See seaplanes.com.au
Lindy Alexander travelled as a guest of Destination NSW
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.