A Night at Wareamah

Overview

If you haven't been over to Cockatoo Island in a while, now might be the time to do it. The historic Sydney Harbour site is preparing for a big Ai Weiwei installation as part of the 21st Biennale of Sydney and is currently playing host to a pop-up shipping container hotel.

While a night at the boutique hotel will set you back $305–385 a night, the attached pop-up restaurant and bar Don Tapa is a more affordable way to visit. It's open Wednesday to Sunday each week, but for two nights this March the restaurant will bring in Indigenous chef Zach Green for two very special dinners.

On Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 14 Green and his team from Elijah's Kitchen will take over Don Tapa for A Night on Wareamah (Wareamah being the Indigenous name for Cockatoo Island). The evening will start with a Welcome to Country and a traditional smoking ceremony, before you make your way through a six-course feast. Each dish will hero native ingredients (some of which are found on the island) and be matched with stories about the food and the Indigenous culture it's tied to (as well as A. Retief wines from Urban Winery).

Of course, if you fancy making a proper stay of it, you can always book a waterfront shipping container hotel room on-site. A further program of one-off Contained events will also be held over the coming months, including more guest chef dinners. And the 21st Biennale of Sydney will run from March till June.

Tickets are $120 but include six courses, matched wines, snacks and petit fours. You'll have to make your own way there and back on the ferry though.