Taylor Swift pays a visit to Sydney Zoo, Nobu during harbour city stay
Taylor Swift’s getting to know the harbour city ‘All Too Well’, visiting Sydney Zoo in the city’s west before before she dined out with her entourage at a luxe Crown Towers restaurant.
NSW
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Singing megastar Taylor Swift has hit the harbour city in Style – making the most of all Sydney has to offer with her entourage, including a trip to the zoo and dinner at a luxe Crown Towers restaurant.
The 34 year-old and her entourage boarded a cavalcade of black SUVs for the 25 minute drive out to Accor Stadium for a sound check during one of her days off from her Eras tour.
After an hour the convoy of four black Range Rovers and a top of the range Lamborghini SUV returned to Crown where she is staying in the $38,000-a-night Presidential Villa on the 88th floor.
But then the American and her convoy were seen leaving Crown again around 5pm, before she was spotted enjoying the sights of Sydney Zoo in Bungarribee on Wednesday evening with her entourage and dancers.
In footage of her visit, Swift is seen walking through the Australia zone of the zoo and peering into the Tasmanian devil enclosure before spotting other native animals, snapping a photo of one of her companions posing in front of the exhibit.
She dressed casually for her excursion, wearing light blue tshirt, a frayed denim skirt, white sneakers and black sunglasses as she walked around the zoo with a black camera in hand.
But a trip to see some of Australia’s native fauna wasn’t the end of Swift’s itinerary on Wednesday.
Late on Wednesday evening, the ‘Karma’ singer and her pals were seen arriving at top Japanese restaurant Nobu inside Crown Towers Sydney.
Dressed in a high-neck, textured taupe gown complete with a black and gold belt and elegant updo, Swift enjoyed her meal in a private room at Nobu with her entourage, fellow diners inside the restaurant told The Daily Telegraph.
The group appeared to be celebraing, with raucous laughter heard from the room as well as a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.
Eyes inside the restaurant said the group ordered plenty of hand-prepared sushi rolls from the 16 sushi options on Nobu’s menu, with staff ferrying plate after plate into Swift’s dining space as eagle-eyed security watched on.
It is in stark contrast to her time in Melbourne where she remained holed up in her luxury penthouse at Crown Towers for the duration.
Once in Sydney, Swift was quick to Shake It Off and see the sights.
On Tuesday night she stunned fans with dinner at Surry Hills Italian restaurant Pelegrino 2000 with fellow singer Sabrina Carpenter.
On her first night she is understood to have chosen from the fine dining restaurants including a’Mare and Oncore for dinner in the suite but by 4.30pm yesterday she and her crew were back on the road.
Fans had hoped for another instalment of her Love Story with Kansas City Chiefs footballer Travis Kelce after her chartered private jet left Sydney for Honolulu on Tuesday.
However her Swifties hopes were dashed when the silver Bombardier Global 6000 flew on to Seoul in Korea in what was believed to be a separate charter.
It is expected to return to take Swift and her crew to perform in Singapore after her final concert on Monday night.
Fans were quick to analyse her jewellery choice during her dinner on Tuesday night. They divined that the gold T-bar necklace from British designer Tilly Sveaas, which sells for $590 with a 40cm chain, was a nod to her boyfriend.
What she wears and where she goes had been proven to provide an economic boost that has been dubbed the Swift Lift.
When she wore Australian fashion designer Dion Lee’s crochet top to cheer on Kelce in his team’s victory at the Superbowl in Las Vegas it sold out within minutes.
Unfortunately for Aussie designers on Tuesday night she chose a black Chicca corset top by British brand House of CB which retails for just $169 and a pleated green skirt.
Her visit is expected to generate an extra $130 million for the NSW economy and ensure
Pellegrino 2000 will be booked out by Swifties for 18th and 21st birthdays at “Taylor’s table” for the next decade.
Swift is generating so much excitement in the city that even the diners who were in the Italian restaurant on Tuesday night when she arrived were being interviewed on radio.
Diner Sarah was interviewed by 2GBs Ben Fordham about her reaction when the superstar arrived.
“I’m sitting down at the table with my two friends and there was like a big kerfuffle as this lady was coming down the stairs with all her security guards,” she said.
“And my friend turns to me and goes ‘that lady looks like Taylor Swift’ and my other friend goes ‘damn she’s so tall’.
“And then I look up and see Sabrina Carpenter sitting next to her and I’m like ‘oh my goodness it’s her, it’s her’, and we start freaking out.”
They contemplated jumping in for a photo but in true Aussie fashion “decided not to and let her enjoy her dinner.”
Celebrity chef Luke Mangan said a visit from a superstar like Swift put a restaurant on a global stage for years to come.
“It is great for business for everyone,” he said. “I remember when Elton John and Tom Cruise would come to my restaurant Salt and people would flood in to see what the fuss was about.
“I would love Taylor to come to Luke’s Table in the pylon on the Harbour Bridge, how good would that be for Sydney?”
Two weeks ago fellow superstar Pink took her entourage to The 4 Pines in Manly after being turned away from the Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club for not having any ID.
Four Pines shift manager Angus Andrews said the club missed a massive opportunity.
“We have certainly noticed an uptick in custom since Pink dined with us,” he said. “If Taylor Swift came I don’t think we would have enough chairs.”
Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou said his economists expected the initial prediction of a $130 million boost to the NSW economy would be exceeded.
“Hotels are telling us they’re at full capacity or close to it. Crown at Barangaroo has had its biggest month since it opened,” he said. “Restaurants and pubs are packed.”
“Pictures of Taylor Swift eating out at an Italian restaurant in Surry Hills sent a burst of confidence throughout Sydney that the CBD with its restaurants and cafes is there to enjoy.”
Meanwhile the ripple effect of the Swift Lift continued to spread across the whole of NSW.
30 year-old Samantha Casey took her love for Swift to the next level, getting the songstress tattooed onto her leg on Wednesday.
“She has always been a massive inspiration for me,” Mrs Casey said.
“She is a powerful, successful, brilliant business woman and her songwriting is just next level
... There will never be another Taylor Swift in our lifetime.”
Emily Swift, no relation, from Orange based Printhie Wines was delighted her Swift Sparkling was chosen by Destination NSW to be served to guests heading to the first concert by boat tomorrow.
“It is amazing to think an international star can have such a positive effect on a regional business in Orange,” she said. “The action is happening in Sydney but the impact is being felt here too.”
Originally published as Taylor Swift pays a visit to Sydney Zoo, Nobu during harbour city stay
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