GET YOUR SKATES ON!

Glide through winter with our guide to Sydney’s coolest season

1 Party on the Harbour Bridge. During Vivid, BridgeClimb Sydney offers night climbs with a light-up retro dancefloor so you can spy the festival’s spectacular lights from a thrilling (and funky) vantage point. 3 Cumberland St, The Rocks 2000. bridgeclimb.com. $188-$268. Until Jun 15. 2 One of the deadliest line-ups in Sydney’s music calendar takes place in the middle of our coldest months – Klub Koori takes over Carriageworks with young Aboriginal talent for NAIDOC Week. 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh 2015. carriageworks.com.au. 7pm. Sat Jul 13. 3 Go for a dip without the crowds. Prince Alfred Park Pool’s 50-metre, nine-lane pool is heated and open all year round. 105 Chalmers St, Surry Hills 2010. princealfred.org. Daily 6am-7pm. $5-$6.60. 4 It’s the only time of year when you can walk under the romantic Japanese cherry blossom trees at full bloom. Auburn Botanic Gardens’ Cherry Blossom Festival is ten days of tours, dress-ups and sumo wrestling. Chisholm & Chiswick Rds, Auburn 2144. www.cumberland.nsw.gov.au. $5. Aug 17-25. 5 We certainly don’t get the snowfall of our European cousins, but New South Wales has some beautiful alpine resorts that make going to the snow a lot cheaper. Head to Perisher, Thredbo or Charlotte Pass to hit the powder. Check their websites for sweet deals on ski and snowboarding during winter. www.perisher.com.au; www.thredbo.com.au; www.charlottepass.com.au. 6 Warm up by an open fire at one of the city’s historic pubs, like the Britishaccented Lord Dudley in Woollahra. 236 Jersey Rd, Woollahra 2025. www.lorddudley.com.au.