By Rebecca Lee

One of the highlighted activities of this year’s Sydney Festival is The Beach at the Cutaway, in Barangaroo Reserve.
It’s a man made beach of 1.1 million recyclable polyethylene balls that make an ocean where you can take a dip, sit or relax in a deck chair without fear of sunburn, sharks or seagulls.

Apparently the balls have have been coated in a number of antibacterial chemicals to keep things hygienic.
This is a FREE event which we would recommend for families with kids 4+ or babies that won’t mind queuing for at least an hour to have a go. Once you’re in though, it’s completely worth it. Stay in for as long as you like (recommended duration is 45mins). Note that there are no pass-outs – including for the loo so take a comfort break before you queue and bring some snacks for entertainment.

According to The Sydney Festival website, “there are three different ways you can experience The Beach. Everyone will get free access between 10am and 5pm, but if you wish to avoid the lines and guarantee your spot, then perhaps try one of the ticketed sessions. Each morning we have an all-ages ticket session from 9am-10am. Tickets are only valid for stated session time. For those that wish to experience The Beach at night without the kids, then grab a ticket to the 18+ only sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings. These sessions have a limited duration of 90 minutes.”
We parked directly under the Cutaway (was $12) or else Barangaroo is accessible from Wynyard station.
All the details here