The World Youth Day event at Randwick Racecourse seems like a long distant memory now, and after months of absence, the horses and racing return to Randwick tomorrow. The big event on the racing calendar however is the Spring Carnival, which kicks off on 27 September and runs through until Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday 4 November. Time to pull the suit out of moth balls and ... Read full entry

I didn't think this was the idea... certain of Sydney's businesses enjoyed quite a windfall during last week's World Youth Day event. Adult Business Association spokesman Chris Seage said the boom in business had taken brothel owners by surprise. "The brothel owners are having to put on extra girls to meet the demand," he said. Could this be part of the $231 million "mojo maker" that The Sydney Chamber ... Read full entry

Take note, no guerrilla, or "ambush" marketing materials allowed. Larger image. More World Youth Day site photos.

Preparations for World Youth Day events at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse are in full swing with work now taking place around the clock. The racecourse is floodlit through out the night and the off-white lights cast what seems like a golden glow over the site. Sound tests of the audio equipment have been in progress this morning, and ... Read full entry

A quick public service announcement here, since I am seeing a lot of search queries from people seeking information about road closures in Sydney in relation to this week's World Youth Day (WYD) event (which is actually a SIX day event by the way). For full, and hopefully regularly updated, details regarding actual road closures please bookmark the RTA's WYD traffic information page. There's quite a ... Read full entry

The transformation of Randwick Racecourse for the World Youth Day event next weekend is well under way. You'd just about have never thought it was a horse racing track such are the changes that are taking place. Workers have spent most of today attaching this fabric signage to the racecourse boundary fences along Alison Road.... Read full entry

The eleventh commandment has just been handed down, thou shalt not annoy pilgrims attending World Youth Day events in Sydney this July. Whatever "annoy" actually means... Linguistics expert Nick Riemer, from the University of Sydney, said the word annoy had its origins in the French word for annoyance - ennui. The Oxford Dictionary defines 'annoy' as causing "slight anger or mental distress'', but Dr Riemer said the word ... Read full entry

Every 85 pilgrims attending Pope Benedict XVI's mass at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse will have the use of one toilet between them, thanks to Ken Talbot and company who are currently installing 3,500 toilets at the World Youth Day site. It is unlikely pilgrims will run into the big man himself "in the bathroom" though, as he will enjoy special provisions, according to Talbot. The project manager from Seven ... Read full entry

World Youth Day attendees could end up with an unusual memento of their experience courtesy of protest group the "NoToPope Coalition" who plan to hand out condoms to pilgrims as they walk to Pope Benedict XVI's outdoor Sydney mass at Randwick Racecourse in a few weeks time. Condoms will be handed out to pilgrims en route to a papal Mass at Randwick Racecourse on World Youth Day ... Read full entry

Now I thought Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore was a catholic. I remember walking passed the St Francis of Assisi Church in Paddington, Sydney, one Sunday some years ago, and seeing Clover standing outside chatting with the parish priest, after a service. I was therefore surprised to read that Clover is now blocking the use of Sydney's Hyde Park after World Youth Day organisers failed to pay ... Read full entry