12 quirky calendar dates to plan a trip around
Need a holiday but there’s no obvious or urgent reason to book one? Your birthday has passed, you’ve celebrated your recent anniversary already, and Valentine’s Day is too far off. How about jumping onto one of these dates for the diary as a perfectly reasonable excuse for celebrating and booking yourself a mini break?
If you need an excuse to get out of the house and enjoy a little Sydney staycation, look no further than these 12 annual days on the calendar by which to tie in a celebration.
International Croissant Day
30 January
What a day for celebration! Honouring the buttery, golden and flaky wonder that is the croissant seems highly valid, especially for lovers of an indulgent breakfast spread. Build a getaway around this day and you can get your croissant fix in a number of different ways! Enjoy one with ham & cheese for breakfast in Wayfarer’s Bar & Cafe here, after a blissful night’ sleep. Or venture out into Pyrmont and pick yourself up a delicious Almond Croissant from our neighbour PiOiK Bakery, filled with housemade almond cream and brandy.
International Margarita Day
22 February
A sucker for a good marg? Then this day is definitely for you. With so many hours in the day and plenty of excellent margaritas on offer in bars around Sydney, you’ll be spoilt for choice when planning your tequila-fueled fun times. Get the party started with our Firecracker Margarita, made with Agave Tequila, Cointreau and lime juice, garnished with an Australian Birds Eye Chilli and chilli salt rim. Inspired by Sydney’s world-famous fireworks, it packs a heat and kick that leaves you glowing. You can sip it in Wayfarer’s or take a bottled version back to your room.
World Sleep Day
18 March
Now this one’s a good one! What better way to justify swapping your bed for a bigger, better one than World Sleep Day? Get snuggly in your freshly-laundered crisp hotel bed sheets, sneak in an afternoon nap or enjoy an early night after bingeing on Netflix, then indulge in a sleep in the next morning. Need some help getting a great night’s sleep? Set yourself up for a slumber to remember with our top six tips for a superb night’s sleep.
World Environment Day
5 June
Spend a day being one with the environment, appreciating its beauty and doing your bit to protect it. Ditch the petrol guzzler and get about on two wheels, exploring the many bike tracks around Sydney. Explore and soak up the lush green spaces and parks scattered around our great city, including Sydney Harbour National Park right in the city itself. Visit Wildlife Sydney Zoo and learn how we can do better to protect and conserve environments for our native animals. Also take a look at these 7 ways you can travel and stay more sustainably on your next adventure, including simple things like carrying a refillable water bottle. You could also time a getaway with Earth Hour, and turn off non-essential electricity for one hour, on the last Saturday of March.
World Chocolate Day
7 July
The day sweet tooths look forward to every year! Indulge your chocoholic tendencies with a sweet stay in Sydney on this day and spend your time wandering from one sugar-hit to the next around the city. Choose from chocolate cocktails and decadent cakes to brunch-perfect chocolate-drizzled pancakes and macarons galore. Start with our Triple Choc Brownie drizzled with cream in Wayfarer’s Bar & Cafe, then try some of our local favourites, including some of these which double as perfect for Instagram and Tiktok.
National Pyjama Day
22 July
Take #robelife to the next level. Plan your own pyjama party in style on a lovely jaunt away. Check into your hotel, change into your PJs, don your fluffy robe, kick back and let the chillaxing begin. Here you can munch on locally-baked biscuits, sip on L’Or coffee and Love Tea, nibble on your own snacks stored away in your personal mini fridge, and enjoy endless Moda sparkling water – all complimentary as part of your stay. And you can feel good both inside and out, because this day is actually about helping The Pyjama Foundation raise much-needed awareness and funds for children in foster care, so you can make a donation while you’re at it!
World Photography Day
19 August
So many places to photograph in Sydney, so little time. What better way to get back into your photography than dedicating a day to it! This day is all about celebrating the art, craft, science and history of photography. No matter your setup, whether you have a digital SLR, a tripod or a camera phone, there are a tonne of views and photo opps in our neighbourhood awaiting your keen eye. Start with a wander through one of the local exhibitions, such as the Wildlife Photography Of the Year, to see how the experts do it, then venture out in search of the perfect shot. Maybe it will be of a fabulous local art installation like these 13 hidden works? Or you could snap a spectacular sunset from your hotel private balcony.
National Wattle Day
1 September
Wake up and smell the wattle. Well, almost. The first day of spring is a day worth celebrating unto itself, but double it down with a day honouring the beauty and significance of the Australian waffle, our national floral emblem, and you’re onto a winner. You can wake up to wattle when you spend a night with us – our guest rooms come complete with individually hand-painted murals bursting with hundreds of native black wattle above the head of your bed. Those little yellow sunbursts are a sunny start to the day and a wonderful way to greet a new season.
World Maritime Day
29 September
As a metropolis built on the harbour, Sydney is a spectacular place to appreciate the beauty of the sea and importance of maritime industry on this day, the last Thursday of September. Plan yourself a water-themed city escape – stay in a hotel overlooking Darling Harbour, embark on a luxury sailing adventure on the harbour or uncover our maritime history at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
International Coffee Day
1 October
Lovers of the mighty coffee bean, this day is for you. Create a caffeinated mini break hinged on coffee, basing yourself in one of Sydney’s buzziest city villages known for its coffee culture – Pyrmont. Our neighbourhood is brimming with alfresco cafes pumping out excellent coffees. Check out our local favourites or try our very own Wayfarer’s blend of 100% high grown Arabica coffee beans. Extend your coffee experience further with an appreciation or latte art workshop at Haven. This day also coincides with World Smile Day. Coincidence? We think not.
World Vegan Day
1 November
If you’re vegan, or vegan curious, this one will already be on your to-do list. If you don’t already have plans to spend it in Byron, get yourself to Sydney and partake in the many vegan activities and special menus on offer from restaurants and cafes throughout the city. Head to Sydney’s Vegan Mile in Newtown for some excellent plant-based eats and cruelty-free shopping. Take a look at our vegan’s guide to Sydney for more ideas and inspiration, courtesy of our vegan General Manager, Katharina.
World Tea Day
15 December
If coffee drinkers get a day, it stands to reason that the same should be offered to lovers of tea. For those keen on a cuppa, a tea-filled time in Sydney should always start in your hotel room, with a complimentary cup to kick things off. Ours is a range of organic Australian-made Love Tea. Then onto even greater things, like an afternoon sipping at nearby G&Tea, a shrine to tea leaves with a four-page tea menu and a list of tea-tails – tea-infused cocktails like the Green Tea Mojito with Jing Peppermint Tea, gin, basil seeds, soda water and mint. Or high tea with the works at the many wonderful establishments around town, like The Team Room or Reign At The QVB.