Visions of grandeur

Hyde Park Barracks Museum behind the Downer Macquarie Arch

Part of this year's Vivid Sydney - the second annual festival of 'light, music and ideas' - is the nighttime light extravaganza along Sydney's Macquarie Street, starting at St Mary's Cathedral, with bits around Hyde Park too. Macquarie Visions features iconic Sydney buildings lit up by awe-inspiring light shows; educational to boot.

St Mary's Cathedral, College Street, Sydney

Designing the Nation - St Mary's Cathedral

Designing the Nation - St Mary's Cathedral

The Downer Macquarie Arch, Macquarie Street

The Downer Macquarie Arch

The Downer Macquarie Arch (from the north)

Fair Go - Hyde Park Barracks Museum

Common Wealth - The Mint

Common Wealth - The Mint

Macquarie Visions celebrates the 200th anniversary of Governor Lachlan Macquarie and his wife Elizabeth and goes some way in detailing the history of that era. I'm not one for history, but I walked the light trail through to the end and learnt a little more than I expected to.

Advance Australia - Parliament House

Words on the Street - The State Library of New South Wales

Words on the Street - The State Library of New South Wales

Words on the Street - The State Library of New South Wales

Light water feature

Pastimes - Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Pastimes - Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Pastimes - Sydney Conservatorium of Music

If nothing else, do check out St Mary's Cathedral at the very least. It is a simply stunning spectacle that even freezing fingers don't distract from. Macquarie Visions is on until Sunday, 20 June.

Hyde Park gets in on the blue light action

The Downer Macquarie Arch through Hyde Park

And don't forget to pick up a free torch from the booth outside St Mary's Cathedral from 5.30pm. Happy Visions!