After Sydney Tower Eye, let's continue our visit to Merlin Entertainments Group's parks with Sydney Aquarium. It is located on Darling Harbour, one of the prettiest parts of Sydney in the heart of the central business district. The aquarium is the most visited attraction in the city. The figures speak for themselves: 12,000 animals, 650 species. This is a huge amount, among the multitude of species you can get up close and personal with this sawshark (photo) and the Japanese Spider Crab, the largest in the world. Prefer public transportation to get there. Traffic and parking in Sydney is just a nightmare.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Merlin Entertainments Group.

Sydney is a big city. To have a 360° view of what it looks like, climb aboard one of the three elevators that will propel you to over 300 metres high at the top of the Sydney Tower Eye. It is the tallest structure in Sydney and the second in Australia (the first being the Q1 Tower on the Gold Coast). This is also the second highest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere (after Auckland's Sky Tower in New Zealand). The more adventurous can even try the Skywalk experience that provides access to a platform outside. It is possible to buy combo passes for Sydney Tower Eye, Sydney Aquarium, Wild Life Sydney and Oceanworld Manly attractions and save a lot compared to single tickets.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Merlin Entertainments Group.

We recently attended a National Rugby League (NRL) championship game between two teams from Sydney area, namely Cronulla Sharks and Manly Sea Eagles (defending champion). The NRL is one of the most prestigious competitions of rugby league in the world and the most popular in Australia in terms of attendance, audience and merchandising. It operates on a franchise system in a closed championship (as in the NBA, NFL or NHL). It is composed of sixteen Australian franchises from the east coast and one from New Zealand. The atmosphere is similar to the one you can experience at the Montreal Alouettes or Université Laval's Rouge et Or. A must do during a stay in Australia!

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of National Rugby League.

The Hunter Valley is located in the country west of Newcastle. Sydney is only two hours away. As its name does not suggest this is one of the major wine regions of Australia (and therefore one of the main tourist destinations in the area). Paradise for foodies, the Hunter Valley is home to many fine restaurants. Do not miss all the tastings available to you: wines, cheeses, olive oils and chocolates. It is also in the region that the Wyndham Estate lies (photo), home of the first Australian Shiraz.

The Newcastle Regional Show is the kind of event not to be missed if you want a taste of rural Australia. We were able to attend the stock car races, woodchopping competitions (photo) and stock horse events. The show is held annually in Newcastle, and has been for over 100 years!

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Newcastle Regional Show.

We are pleased to announce a new partnership between iPhoneography Oz and Fit n Fast, a chain of health clubs located mainly on the eastern coast of Australia. In the coming weeks we will be able to use their facilities in order to review the services offered in their different locations and share it with you.

This week we begin with Fit n Fast Charlestown. The gym is located on the ground floor of Charlestown Square, a large shopping centre in the suburbs of Newcastle, just ten minutes away from the city centre. No problems with parking as the centre has a massive car park (the first three hours are free). Once again, as it was already the case at Ezyfit, we are pleasantly surprised by the facilities and the cleanliness of the place. The equipment is modern and in perfect condition. They even thought to group it into different sections depending on the type of exercises desired, facilitating the workout (quotes printed in large letters on the walls are there to remind you). The membership fees, in our opinion, are excellent value for money. It is also possible to choose a no commitment membership, which is always good to know when traveling! All information is available on Fit n Fast website.

iPhoneography Oz was a guest of Fit n Fast.

All ways are good to reach the beach to go surfing in Australia. It is very common to meet most of the surfers on the sidewalks, their boards in hand. But in Cadel Evans's homeland (winner of the Tour de France 2011), we must admit that some of them are ingenious (photo). The most difficult part must be taking 90° turns when the wind blows. Anyway we trust them!