Review: Adina Sydney Central

For this stay I was hosted by TFE Hotels.

For some reason, my go-to locality when staying in Sydney is Railway Square.

This slightly messy plaza to the west of Central Station is linked to the suburban rail platforms by a seemingly interminable pedestrian tunnel, with a scattering of fast food joints and hotels around its adjacent bus station.

Though it's busy in terms of both vehicles and foot traffic, it's very handy when I'm travelling as it's a short hop on the train line from the airport.

As it's Central Station, of course, it's on the train line (and two tram lines) to everywhere. In addition to suburban trains, I've caught the sleeper train to Melbourne from there twice, and the mighty Indian Pacific train to Perth three times.

I flit between two sets of accommodation at Railway Square: either the YHA Railway Square hostel, or the Adina Sydney Central. On my way to Seoul on my recent South Korea visit, I stayed overnight at the latter.

The Adina, an apartment hotel, sits within the magnificent Parcel Post Office which was constructed in 1912 to serve the railway station. It's a lovely building, with a sandstone and brick facade that appears both functional and attractive:

My room had a simple modern, uncluttered look. I liked the natural light allowed by the big old-fashioned windows, though sadly they didn't open to let in fresh air.

There was a touch of colour and comfort in my room, but mostly it was practical and businesslike, with the sort of big functional desk I really appreciate.

Downstairs there was a pleasant lobby, and out the back a decent-sized swimming pool with a view of the station's fine clock tower.

Off Henry Deane Plaza in the square there's a small supermarket for DIY catering, and a number of informal eateries including a good cafe, Coffee Trails, and an outlet of my favourite Sydney chain, the German bakery Luneburger.

If you're looking for a no-fuss, conveniently-located place to stay in Sydney, the Adina Sydney Central is an excellent choice.

Just the Facts:
Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Central
2 Lee St, Sydney, Australia
Phone: +61 2 9356 5062
Web: www.adinahotels.com
Rates: Rooms from A$150 per night. 

Art in Albury: MAMA Knows Best

Something that's impressed me in recent years is the quality of art galleries in Australia's regional towns and cities. As someone remarked a few years ago, they seem to have taken over from churches as the spiritual hub of communities in these secular times.

Last week Narrelle and I visited Albury, a city in New South Wales on the Murray River border with Victoria. I was keen to have a look at the Murray Art Museum Albury, MAMA for short.

It's certainly an attractive building from the front, housed as it is in the former Town Hall building on Dean Street:

The interior, however, is anything but old-school, with a modern extension stretching out behind the original structure:

As for the art, there are several galleries with interesting exhibitions. On the ground floor, the main gallery houses items from MAMA's permanent collection.

One that particularly caught my eye was this untitled piece by Allan and Phil Murray, Indigenous men from the Yorta Yorta people of the region west of Albury. It's a fascinating mix of ancient craft and modern presentation:

More works from an Aboriginal creator were on display in Flyblown, a series of large framed photographs with elemental themes, the title hinting at the effect of colonisation on the original peoples of Australia.

MAMA specialises in photographic art, and one gallery displayed entries in the 2018 National Photography Prize. I was particularly taken by the work of Kieran Butler, a Mauritian-born artist who upends conventions by mashing together photos and other materials to explore identity.

The most intriguing set of photos in this gallery was created by Tully Arnot. His large images, draped and curled around the space, featured high-definition shots of the human body, augmented by artificial intelligence filling in gaps.

The most engaging exhibition at MAMA, for me, was Flagging Opinion, which had a story behind it.

For a mural project in the town of Tallangatta, artist Ashlee Laing had painted a Muslim woman in a niqab (the traditional veil which covers most of the face) bearing the pattern of an Australian flag. The owner of the building which it was painted on had then removed it, igniting an intense debate about identity.

For MAMA, Laing recreated the original piece, and paired it with a Ned Kelly figure in a helmet decorated with an Australian flag.

Speakers dotted around the room played recorded comments from members of the public about the original work. It was bold and provocative art, sparking a conversation about the Aussie identity - and stereotypes of it - that is well worth having.

If you're passing through Albury by car (or my preferred option of train), I recommend MAMA for a dose of thought-provoking art.

MAMA is located at 546 Dean Street, Albury, Australia. Free entry, find opening hours and other details at its website.

The Historic Tree of Albury, Australia

Between Christmas and New Year's Eve last year, Narrelle and I stayed in Albury for a few days.

To anyone fascinated by borders (as I am), Albury is an interesting place. It lies on the north bank of the Murray River, which is the boundary between New South Wales and Victoria.

On the south bank, Wodonga is its Victorian twin; together they form a busy regional centre of about 100,000 people.

We arrived at Albury's impressive railway station (see photo, top right) via the XPT train which runs twice daily between Melbourne and Sydney.

It's a grand edifice partly because of its lofty station building, which marked its importance in the 19th century as the crossing point between colonies.

Another impressive aspect is its very long platform, a product of the insanity by which each colony had different rail gauges. Until 1962, passengers on the Melbourne-Sydney journey had to change trains here, crossing from one side of the platform to the other.

We walked to our accommodation at the Best Western Hovell Tree Inn, on the western edge of the city centre near the banks of the Murray. The river here is fringed by a beautiful section of parkland, the Noreuil Park Foreshore, a lovely place to walk and a credit to the city.

Nearby is Hovell Tree Park. One day Narrelle and I were sitting at a barbecue area there, eating something we'd bought from a bakery across the road, when I found myself wondering what and where exactly was this Hovell Tree?

So I walked across the grass toward the river and found the tree!

 

It was marked by the explorers Hume and Hovell on 17 November 1824, on their epic expedition from Appin, south of Sydney, all the way to Corio Bay near where Geelong now stands.

This journey took place over a decade before Melbourne was founded, so much of this terrain was unknown to the white newcomers to Australia, though had been inhabited for millennia by Aboriginal peoples.

They were apparently surprised to encounter such an impressive river as the Murray, and had to jerry-rig a boat using a tarpaulin, in order to cross it.

The rest of the trip was equally eventful, with many difficulties involving the crossing of rivers and mountains, with occasional backtracking; you can read about it here.

Anyway, it was interesting to discover a fragment of colonial history across from our hotel, almost by accident. I felt a bit like an explorer myself.

NSW Summer Series: Northern Rivers

Through January, I'm running a series of my previously published print articles about New South Wales. 

In 2010 I visited the Northern Rivers region of the state, courtesy of Northern Rivers Tourism. This is what I found...

When American author Norman Maclean wrote A River Runs Through It in the 1970s, he had in mind the US state of Montana. But his book’s title could well be applied to the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales.

Stretching from the broad banks of the Clarence River up to the Queensland border, this green region is threaded by numerous waterways, from humble creeks to mighty rivers.

It’s famous for its sandy Pacific coastline, which contains popular beach holiday towns such as Byron Bay. These places, though no longer sleepy, offer all the usual Aussie beach holiday pursuits of swimming, surfing, sunbathing... and sitting outside a pub with a drink at hand, not doing much at all.

However, the region’s interior is less crowded and also worth exploring, with its mix of subtropical rainforest, craggy mountains formed from ancient volcanoes, and small towns that have been re-energised in recent years by an influx of creative types seeking tree changes at an affordable price. As a result, they’re littered with good food outlets, quality accommodation and quirky shops.

With that pick-and-mix contrast of subtropical weather, interesting towns and extensive beach frontage, the region sounds like a good place to go in search for greenery, relaxation and good food.

Grafton

I've safely traversed the quirky iron bridge that soars above the Clarence River, before taking an unexpected bend as it angles down toward this inland city.

After that small adrenalin rush, I have an agreeable dose of calm here in the garden courtyard of Georgie’s, a restaurant within the Grafton Regional Gallery (158 Fitzroy St).

This 1880 building was once a doctor’s residence and a small hospital, the residence up front and the hospital at the rear. There’s currently a Ken Done exhibition within the gallery, which seems fitting as the artist lived in the area as a kid.

I’m more focused at the moment on the art of food, served to my table in the courtyard. On this balmy evening it’s an extremely mellow space, with a pleasant breeze wafting through the dimly-lit dining area, and fairy lights arranged around its perimeter. There are tables indoors, but why would you want to sit there on a night like this?

The food is a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t that long ago that it was hard to get a high quality meal in a country town this size, but the kitchen turns out a succession of dishes the equal of any city restaurant, with an emphasis on produce from the region. On today’s menu, there are prawns from coastal Yamba, haloumi from the Tweed Valley, and oysters from the Nambucca River.

Bangalow

Everyone knows about the popular beachside town Byron Bay, but fewer have heard of Bangalow. Byron Bay’s more sedate sister is located just a few kilometres inland, but has a completely different feel to the hedonistic coastal bustle of Byron.

The main street, once part of the Pacific Highway but now pleasantly unhurried, is lined with attractive buildings that mostly look as though they were built sometime between the late 19th century and the mid-20th.

Everything you’d expect of a village is present - a red-brick post office, an old pub, even some surviving red wooden phone boxes.

Though it does have regular shops serving local residents, Bangalow is also littered with the fancy little boutiques associated with upmarket holiday towns. As one local resident tells me, it gives visitors to Byron Bay something to do on rainy days.

Among the retail therapy options are Indian furniture emporium Wax Jambu (19b Byron St), and the art-dealing Barebones Art Space (44 Byron St).

Byron Bay

And finally to Byron. The first impression I have of this town is of bustle - actually a mixture of bustle and informality, as the streets are packed with people wearing not much more than bathers and thongs.

They’re bustling, but at a measured pace (if that makes sense).

To be honest, the town isn’t much to look at, as its streetscape is overwhelmed with commercial signage on fairly featureless modern buildings. But at the end of the main street is Byron Bay’s chief asset, its fine sandy beach, and this has been worth waiting for.

It’s a cracker, a long curling stretch of sand between prominent headlands, one of which is topped with Byron’s postcard-happy lighthouse. Loads of people are swimming and sunbathing today, and there’s an air of mellowness about the place.

Lunch is at the Beach Byron Bay (Clarkes Beach, Lawson St). It was once a humble beachside shack that went to seed, then was regenerated into a modern restaurant with a view directly onto the beach. The food is excellent, with yet more seafood and an emphasis on share plates.

The sharing concept is clearly a hit, as there are a lot of groups dining together on the deck section of the eatery. There’s something very “modern Australian” about this scene, the way the place melds beach informality with the craft of fine food.

I like it; in fact I’d say there’s a wave of relaxation breaking over me right now.

NSW Summer Series: Sydney Light Rail (Part 2)

Through January, I'm running a series of my previously published print articles about New South Wales. 

Last post, I started on a trip along Sydney's light rail line in 2011. Now the journey continues...

Tram Stop: Fish Market

As I step out of the tram, I can smell the faint aroma of seafood wafting up from the Sydney Fish Market. It’s a fascinating place, still a working market but also a place for visitors to drop by to enjoy a meal.

Its perimeter is dotted with shops both selling seafood to take home, and serving fish meals. On the waterfront, Claudio’s (Bank St) is packed with people browsing large trays of prawns on ice, oysters, and other marine edibles.

A nearby boardwalk runs along Blackwattle Bay, where stubby floating quays serve serious-looking fishing boats decked out with crates and nets.

The boardwalk is set with fixed tables in front of a strip of eateries, and dotted with people eating, and taking in the bay and the industrial relics along the shoreline. I’m struck by the array of dishes they’re sharing, from straightforward fish and chips, to meals best tackled with chopsticks.

The market’s a pleasant spot to visit, but I’m pleased to see it’s not as tarted up as similar precincts throughout the world; there’s still a rough-edged authenticity to the place. 

Tram Stop: Paddy’s Markets

As the name suggests, this stop serves the famous markets which have been located in Haymarket since the early 19th century.

On the other side of the rails, however, is Sydney’s Chinatown, and I’m interested in trying out a regional cuisine I’ve never before encountered.

Following busy Dixon Street through Chinatown to its quieter northern end brings me to Uighur Cuisine (2 Dixon St), a restaurant serving dishes from China’s northwestern Xinjiang province.

Being largely Muslim and connected by cultural ties to Central Asia, this part of China is quite different to the eastern regions that Australians are more familiar with. The Uighurs have produced a cuisine that’s distinctly different from what we usually think of as Chinese food.

The interior of the restaurant is that of a suburban ethnic eatery, down to the stark lighting, plastic vine leaves strung across the ceiling, and a bouquet of artificial flowers on the paper “cloth” across my table.

The images on the menu have an emphasis on lamb dishes, and so I order the goshnan, a kind of lamb mince pie, along with a salad of transparent noodles threaded with capsicum slices and a spicy red sauce. With a dash of vinegar or soy sauce from the bottles on the table, it’s a tasty meal.

As exotic music plays over the restaurant’s speakers, I chew happily while watching spectacular flashes of flame occasionally light up the open kitchen.

Other Attractions

There are many other sights located along the Metro Light Rail line, including the Capitol Theatre (tram stop: Capitol Square); the Powerhouse Museum (tram stop: Paddy’s Markets); the Chinese Garden (tram stop: Exhibition Centre); Darling Harbour restaurants, shops and museums (tram stops: Convention and Pyrmont Bay); and the casino (tram stop: The Star).

For more information about Sydney's light rail service, visit this section of the Transport NSW site.

NSW Summer Series: Sydney Light Rail (Part 1)

Over the rest of January, I'll be running two of my previously published print articles about New South Wales, Australia.

This article was first published in 2011, so some details may have changed. However, as Sydney is currently in the process of expanding its single tram line into a larger network, it seems apt to revisit attractions along the route of the existing light rail service...

“He shot through like a Bondi tram!”

It’s fading now, but this colourful expression was part of the Australian idiom for many decades, meaning to depart at high speed. Whether Sydney trams were ever that fast is another question; but since the city’s tramways were closed in the 1960s, there’s been little chance to find out.

Which is a pity, as around the world trams are back in fashion for their environmental positives. They’re also a tourist attraction in themselves, in cities as diverse as San Francisco, Lisbon and Melbourne.

There is, however, one exception - Sydney’s Light Rail, which opened in 1997 and runs along the route of a disused goods line that once snaked through the industrial suburbs of the inner west.

Though overshadowed by the big-ticket tourist attractions on Sydney Harbour, the tram line is a microcosm of Sydney, taking in restaurants, tourist districts, cultural attractions, neighbourhood shopping strips and suburban parks.

It’d appeal to anyone who’s been to Sydney more than once and is looking for something new - and today, that’s me. Stepping aboard at Central Station, I set out to discover some of the city’s lesser-known attractions at the stops along the way.

Tram Stop: John Street Square

Passing up the restaurants and museums by the tram line’s initial stops, I head onward to Pyrmont, to a cafe I’ve been told is a great place to have breakfast.

At this point the line lies within a deep cutting, and its rough-hewn stone walls add an unexpected dash of grandeur.

At the top of a steep flight of stairs (where I belatedly discover a lift) is Harris Street, an appealing collection of weathered buildings that speak of Pyrmont’s working-class past.

On one corner there’s a dilapidated old shopfront with a pitched roof, and opposite it is the atmospheric facade of the Terminus Hotel, clearly closed for decades and covered with old beer ads and a tracery of ivy.

A few doors down from these relics is Bar Zini (78 Harris St), a symbol of the gentrification of this area. Slotted into a narrow shopfront, it’s a light modern space with dark timber furniture, exposed floorboards and a long counter, a modern Australian take on the classic Italian cafe.

From the short breakfast menu I choose a panino filled with double smoked ham, tomato, fontina cheese, basil and tomato salsa. It’s basically a fancy version of a toasted ham and cheese sandwich - and it’s very tasty.

Tram Stop: Jubilee Park

From this stop I have a great view over a suburban gem that tourists seldom visit - the perfect circle of Jubilee Park, an old-fashioned cricket ground with a white picket fence and dainty pavilion, nestled within the curve of the old railway viaduct which carries the tram line.

Beyond the park is Rozelle Bay, one of the many nooks of Sydney Harbour. It’s a pleasant walk past the cricket ground and through Bicentennial Park, a former industrial space that was redeveloped as waterside parkland in recent years.

The view from the waterline is a snapshot of the area’s history, with neatly manicured greenery on one shore and a collection of shipyards and old factories on the other, including huge silos in the direction of the modern ANZAC Bridge. I sit on a bench with a view over the water, enjoying this haven, a quiet space on a weekday morning.

Tram Stop: Glebe

Backtracking, I step out at Glebe, whose tram stop opens onto a fascinating streetscape of sandstone ex-warehouses beneath a narrow park set into a cut, with a row of terrace houses high above.

A short walk away is Glebe Point Road, an attractive shopping strip lined with genteel terrace houses and lush gardens on one side, and shops on the other.

In the 19th century shopfronts there’s both the old and new: retro furniture shops, classy fashion boutiques, sushi outlets, Thai restaurants, discount stores, antiques emporiums and day spas. It has a village atmosphere, but one updated for the 21st century.

I walk along to Gleebooks (49 Glebe Point Rd), a renowned independent bookshop that’s a veteran of the strip and the host to many literary events. Inside, the lofty interior is crammed with volumes, the shelves taking up every part of the shop floor that isn’t necessary for customer access.

Browsing the stock, I’m pleased to spot two novels by my favourite British humorist, PG Wodehouse. In the self-help section in the centre, my eye is drawn to titles such as Hamlet’s Blackberry and Why We Lie; and I can’t help smiling at a copy of Stuff White People Like, a humorous poke at the tastes of people who live in gentrified suburbs just like Glebe.

[Next post: Fish out of water, and dishes of the East...] 

What's Hot in Travel in 2017 (Entirely According to Me)

Well, it worked all right last year. So So here's my Hot List for Travel in 2017, randomly based on my recent travel experiences. All items tenuously included because, well, I like them.

1. Lviv is the new Kraków. Seriously people, why aren't you in this Ukrainian city right now? If I didn't have other commitments after my May visit, I'd still be there.

As I said in this blog in June 2016, I love Lviv. It's a beautiful city of faded but glamorous baroque architecture, it has a thriving coffee scene, and it's incredibly cheap right now - as in "tram tickets cost ten cents" cheap.

It's also just over the Polish border and a long way from the Russian-backed insurgency in the east; about 1200km from troubled Donetsk, for example.

Lviv feels exactly like what it is - a piece of Central Europe that's come adrift and ended up in Eastern Europe (it was previously part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then Poland). Go there. You'll thank me.

2. Los Angeles is more than Hollywood and Disneyland. In 2016 I visited LA for the fourth year in a row, and as usual I discovered a plethora of interesting attractions beyond the city's stereotypical drawcards.

I visited a bunch of great science museums; visited late-night comedy clubs; ate tasty cheap food in the Downtown; and saw a musical in a beautiful old 1920s theatre.

I also hung around cool neighbourhoods such as Silver Lake and Echo Park, and joined an intriguing true crime tour about an infamous unsolved murder.

And that was just 2016! If you scroll down through my North America travel stories here, you'll find loads more quirky LA attractions I've visited over the past few years. Yes it can be difficult to get around, but Uber and the city's expanding Metro rail network can help with that.

3. Polish food and drink. It's come a long way from cabbage and dumplings (though those pierogi are still great). As I wrote here last May, there's an affordable and tasty range of food experiences to be enjoyed across Poland.

These range of the retro delights of communist-era milk bars, enjoying a hipster resurgence in popularity; to interesting fusions of traditional Polish cooking with international ingredients and flavours such as I enjoyed at the Gothic Restaurant within Malbork Castle.

Polish beer and vodka have always been good, but the classics have been joined by an explosion of craft beers. I even enjoyed great Polish cider while in Warsaw. As a local explained to me, when the Russians banned Polish food imports, Poles had to find something to do with the excess fruit. Russia's loss is our refreshing gain.

4. All-inclusive luxury rail journeys. I wrote about rail "cruises" in my 2016 list, but I've recently travelled aboard the Indian Pacific and that's reinforced the appeal of long-distance rail travel.

I hadn't taken this epic 4400km train journey from Sydney to Perth for five years, and in the meantime it's evolved into a truly impressive travel experience.

The food has has become very good indeed, often including ingredients from the region through which the train is travelling; alcoholic drinks are now included with the fare; and the off-train excursions have greatly improved.

Rather than a so-so bus tour or two, the excursions now include, for example, a wine tasting tour and dinner in the Barossa Valley outside Adelaide; and dinner at sunset at a remote Outback siding in Western Australia.

I wrote more about the Indian Pacific journey when I returned east from Perth to Adelaide.

5. Venturing beyond obvious cities and sights. As adventurous as Australian travellers are, I still meet a lot of people whose trips to Europe involve the obvious big-ticket sights and never venture east. Sure it's nice to glimpse the Mona Lisa, but if we spread around to include less-visited places we'd all feel less crowded and more stimulated.

I wrote about this for Fairfax's Traveller site in December, suggesting alternatives to the most popular (and most crowded) European hotspots. Hey, if I can spend a night in Chernobyl, you can dare to visit Budapest.

6. Hotels with windows that open. I can't stand sealed windows in hotel rooms, as sleeping under enforced air-conditioning gives me a headache. I resolve to spend 2017 requesting rooms with opening windows, and I hope you'll join me in that.

7. Airlines upsizing their Economy seating for a proportionate fee. Say, 20% more space for a 20% higher fare. OK, this is more of a wish list item than reality. But we can dream, can't we?

Review: My Fair Lady, Sydney

The rain in Spain
falls mainly
in the plain

The test of a good musical (or perhaps an effective musical) is whether its tunes and lyrics stick in your head after the final curtain.

In the case of My Fair Lady, that's a given. Hours after Narrelle and I filed out of the Sydney Opera House after being hosted by Destination New South Wales, the above number was still on loop in my brain.

This musical is not short of memorable songs. In addition to the one about weather conditions in the Iberian peninsula, other famous numbers include Wouldn't It be Loverly, I Could Have Danced All Night, and Get Me to the Church on Time.

They're performed with skill and confidence by the ensemble of this revival of the 1956 hit musical, which was based on George Bernard Shaw's play about a professor of linguistics attempting to mould a Cockney flower girl into a lady of refinement.

Interestingly, this version directed by Julie Andrews has the feel of a Hollywood movie of the postwar era.

Costume colours brighter and more stylised than anything seen on an Edwardian London street give the production a hint of vivid Technicolor. The the fine performance of Alex Jennings as Professor Higgins also has a hint of Rex Harrison's portrayal in the 1964 film of the musical.

Australian actor Anna O'Byrne plays the feisty Eliza, giving 'Enry 'Iggins as good as she gets with a bold performance full of personality.

The sense of artifice - the reminder that we're watching a story - is reinforced by the set design, with the entire stage enclosed within a giant golden frame that suggests a portrait.

Added to the stylised colour scheme and the distinctive sets, it suggests a production that doesn't want us to take it too seriously.

Is this distancing born of insecurity about whether the story would hold up in the 21st century? If so, the producers needn't have worried.

There's plenty here that contemporary audiences can relate to: Higgins' overwhelming sense of entitlement, the class prejudices symbolised by accents, the objectification of a young woman without regard to her actual needs, and the use of money to justify anything.

This production of My Fair Lady is sharp and snappy, with strong performances by both its stars and supporting actors. It won't change your life, but it has a lot of catchy numbers - and more food for thought than you first expect.

My Fair Lady continues to 5 November 2016 at the Sydney Opera House, then travels to Brisbane (March 2017) and Melbourne (May 2017). For more information and bookings, visit the production's website.

Doctor in the House: Doctor Who Press Conference, Sydney

When I received my invitation to the Sydney instalment of "Doctor Who: The World Tour", a whirlwind series of press conferences promoting the new series of the BBC science fiction TV series, I jumped at the opportunity.

Setting up a separate piece of travel writing research and some business meetings in order to justify the journey north, I flew up yesterday. This morning, heading toward the Dendy Cinemas near the Opera House, I suspected I'd found the right location when I saw this:

We would see more of that blue box later, in completed form.

Meanwhile, our miscellaneous group of mainstream media, freelancers, bloggers and fans (well, we were probably all fans of the show), were ushered into a cinema theatre after signing a non-disclosure form which I couldn't actually read in the dim light.

I think it said something along the lines of "If you disclose any spoilers from the following screening, the BBC will arrange for the deletion of your personal timeline."

So I can't tell you anything about what happened after Adam Spencer stood in front of the screen and announced we were about to view episode 1 of Peter Capaldi's first season as The Doctor.

I will say this: it was very good. As foreshadowed, they've given this incarnation of The Doctor a darker, more serious character, a turnabout from the energetic high spirits of The Doctor as played by Matt Smith.

A very welcome development from this change is the deepening of the character of Clara, as played by Jenna Coleman.

Now matched with a Doctor old enough to be her father, it was necessary we see the consequences of that shift in their relationship - and the episode, "Deep Breath", does an excellent job of repositioning her from Doctor's larky playmate to a more substantial companion.

The episode is spoiled a little, in my opinion, by writer Steven Moffat's ever-present need to include emotional button-pushing (please don't tell me what to feel, SM, I can work that out myself). Other than that caveat, it's a solid start to a new era.

After the screening, Capaldi and Coleman took to the stage for the press conference proper, fielding questions from the audience. They were confident and thoughtful in their answers, and clearly have a warm working relationship.

I asked Capaldi about his Doctor speaking in the actor's natural Scottish accent when fellow Scot David Tennant had chosen a standard English accent for the role.

"We did try some other options," he responded. "But I wanted to bring the role to myself, not cover it with layers."

Some other random quotes of interest I jotted down from Capaldi:

"The very first thing i had to do [when filming], was go into the TARDIS for the first time. It's not really bigger on the inside... there's me, Jenna, and a prop guy with a smoke gun."

A joking comment on the period before his ascendance to the role was announced: "I was pleased that no-one mentioned me, but also peeved that no-one mentioned me. A little insulted."

On knowing what lies ahead in the series: "I'm particularly kept in the dark, because I've asked to be kept in the dark."

"I didn't have a lot of input into the character of The Doctor. I trust Steven [Moffat] implicitly as a writer."

Coleman confirmed that the two knew little about the storylines ahead, other than the episode they were working on at the time.

She also commented on how interesting it had been as an actor to adjust to acting opposite a new character who was also an existing character.

Challenged by Spencer to each produce three words to sum up the seaon of episodes ahead, Coleman said "Good versus bad". Capaldi, more cryptically, came up with "tiny / listen / beware."

After the presser, we trooped out to quayside on Sydney Harbour for a photo call, with TARDIS and Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background. I'll leave you with a selection of shots:

As the photo call broke up and Capaldi and his minders headed off in the direction of the Opera House, I said "Good luck, Peter" and he shook my hand.

That makes three Doctors I've met over 20+ years, including Peter Davison in 1983 and Sylvester McCoy when he was in Melbourne a few years ago, playing (of course) the fool in King Lear.

Wonderful chap, all of them.

The eighth season of the 21st century edition of Doctor Who commences on 23/24 August worldwide, with the screening of "Deep Breath" (on ABC1 in Australia).

Disclosure time: On this trip to Sydney I was hosted by Travelodge Wynyard.

The Bed Report 2: Vibe Hotel Sydney Accommodation Review

Last week I attended the Storyology media conference in Sydney.

The venue was in Surry Hills, an easy walk from Sydney's Central Station.

This meant I was able to fly up from Melbourne at 6am, take the ten-minute train journey from SYD to Central, and walk to Reservoir Street in time to grab a coffee from Single Origin and be at the conference centre's doors at 8am.

Then, conference over, I walked five minutes north to my accommodation, the Vibe Hotel Sydney.

I'm fond of Vibe. It's a niche brand of the Toga Group, which also operates Travelodge hotels in Australia, and Adina apartment hotels worldwide.

Vibe is designed to be the opposite of the stuffy conservative business hotel, incorporating decor with a cool retro feel. There's a sense of fun about the design which I appreciate, especially when coming from a mind-bending conference about the future of journalism.

The Vibe Sydney lobby didn't disappoint. Near the colourful chairs and curvy urn-shaped lamps was a Happy Buddha statue, arms upraised in the sheer joy of being alive. Or perhaps, the sheer joy of being ceramic.

Upstairs, my room was a large space with plentiful windows looking down upon the gritty streetscape around Central Station. Chinatown and Darling Harbour are easy walking distance from here, as is Hyde Park.

This part of Sydney is never going to win awards for its lyrical beauty, but there's a energetic hum about its streets which is appealing. Standing at the glass, I could see the traffic below snaking away in the dark at the end of working day, with the brightly lit railway station in the background.

The living room's decor followed Vibe's trademark vaguely '60s retro look. The comfortable sofas were long and lime green with reddish-brown cushions, standing on a dark brown chocolate brown carpet. There were bright prints on the wall, with orange and brown tones.

The benchtop above the mini bar had plenty of space. I was particularly impressed to see the kettle standing right next to a handy power point. This shouldn't really have been so impressive, but it's amazing how many hotels make it awkward to plug in the kettle anywhere convenient and/or safe.

The bedroom was relatively plain but comfortably furnished, its green walls matching the colour of the sofa out in the living room. The shiny black-tiled bathroom had a bath in addition to the shower.

A negative in the bedroom: the pillows were too firm for my liking, a common hotel issue. But a big positive: the bedroom windows blessedly opened to allow in some fresh air.

Because of my conference commitments, I didn't have much time to explore the rest of the hotel. The breakfast room was open and pleasant, and I was informed of the existence of a pool and fitness room somewhere within the premises.

There was also a rooftop terrace, apparently. Next time I stay, I'm checking it out [work commitments permitting].

Just the Facts:
Vibe Hotel Sydney
111 Goulburn St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Phone: 02 8272 3300 (International +61 2 8272 3300)
Web: www.vibehotels.com.au/hotels/new-south-wales/sydney/cbd/vibe-sydney
Rates: From $135 per night

Disclosure time... I received complimentary accommodation at this property. To read previous accommodation reviews, click on The Bed Report label below.