Vivid Sydney is promising to deliver "the biggest and most culturally relevant" program when it illuminates iconic sites in the CBD this year.

The light festival will begin on May 26 until June 17, with a range of new installations to see over 23 days.

This year's theme, Vivid Sydney, Naturally, will reflect nature across more than 300 attractions in the festivals 14th year.

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Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini said she was "truly proud" of this year's program.

"We have raised the bar on the size and scale of the events and activated new parts of the city," Minervini said.

"There are world-firsts and festival-firsts, and both free and ticketed events to make the festival accessible to everyone.

"Audiences should be prepared to be blown away by the calibre of talent and a program that has been inspired by the beauty and diversity of nature."

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When does Vivid 2023 start?

Vivid 2023 kicks off on Friday, May 26 at 6pm.

The light festival will run for 23 days and end on Sunday, June 18, and is expected to attract millions of viewers.

"Last year Vivid Sydney was attended by over 2.5 million people and injected $119 million into the NSW economy," NSW Tourism Minister Ben Franklin said.

"With international borders fully reopening, we're anticipating this year's festival to be our biggest and best yet."

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Where can I see Vivid?

Vivid will take place across the Sydney CBD, with installations at Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line and Central Station.

Iconic buildings such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Museum of Contemporary Art will be lit up as part of the show.

More locations are expected to be announced closer to the start of the festival. 

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What can I see at Vivid? 

The main attraction is 49 light projections and installations spanning 8 kilometres of the Vivid Sydney Light Walk, and the Royal Botanic Gardens will join the festival for the first time.

This year will see the launch of "Vivid food", which will include pop-up restaurants to showcase the city's wide-ranging culinary culture.

Highlights from the program will include John Olsen's work lighting up the Sydney Opera House and a celebration of late singer/songwriter Archie Roach as part of Vivid music.

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Featured artworks will include the Barerarerungar project by Indigenous artist Maree Clarke – which will be projected on the Museum of Contemporary Art – as well as The Last Ocean installation by Jen Lewin.

Light show Written in the Stars will feature 1000 drones over six shows in what will be the biggest drone show in the southern hemisphere.

The full program can be found on Vivid's website here.

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When snake catcher Kane Durrant was called out to Sydney's south west by a homeowner whose toddler son had found a baby venomous snake, he expected to find perhaps one snake nest.

But he and wife Rachael were staggered by what they found when they lifted a slab in the yard at Bringelly.

Near the clothes line in the back garden discovered around eight old eastern brown snake nests, containing a total of 110 hatched eggs.

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Some of the baby residents were still there, and a red bellied black snake was also lurking.

"Snakes just started shooting out from under the slab," he said.

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Durrant said the creatures have clearly decided the spot is perfect to nest, and have just kept returning.

"Some of the eggs might have been several years old, it looks like several females have been returning to that spot every year," he said.

"They've all come to that conclusion that's the best spot to lay their egg- it's safe and there's plenty of food around."

Durrant, who runs company Wild Conservation said snakes lay an average of 15-16 eggs per clutch.

The Durrants relocated the three snakes they found and are set to return to help the homeowner lift the other old slabs to see what's beneath them.

They then plan to lay a less snake-friendly gravel so the snakes don't return to nest.

"It's a little sad that they're losing their long term nest site, but we can't have them so close to a family," Durrant, said.

Eastern browns are responsible for the majority of snake bite deaths, which is found across most of eastern Australia.

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Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino says she is "hurt and shocked" that her late father, actor Paul Sorvino, was not shown in the televised tribute to late film industry professionals at Sunday's Oscars ceremony.

"It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out," Sorvino wrote in a tweet on Monday.

"The Oscars forgot about Paul Sorvino, but the rest of us never will!!"

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Paul Sorvino, who starred in films including Goodfellas, died in July 2022. Mira Sorvino paid tribute to her father ahead of Sunday's event, recalling her Oscar win for best supporting actress for Mighty Aphrodite in 1996.

She said getting to share her win with her father — her "first and best teacher" — was special because she got to "give back to him what he had been giving me all my life- love and belief and admiration and gratitude."

"On this first year after his passing it is truly a bittersweet but beautiful memory," she said.

Like Anne Heche and other actors and entertainment industry veterans who died in the past year, the elder Sorvino was acknowledged in a more extensive tribute on the Academy's website that was promoted at the end of the segment with a QR code. Mira Sorvino said she felt her father had been "overlooked."

"Incredibly hurt and shocked that my father's lifelong, irreplaceable, enormous contribution to the world of cinema was overlooked by whomever made that list," Sorvino wrote in subsequent note on Instagram after the broadcast.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CptwvqwgE0y/

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"We his adoring family, and you, his adoring public, know just how unique and incredible he was. We hope @theacademy does something to put this right."

Paul Sorvino's widow, Dee Dee Sorvino, also expressed her disappointment in a statement obtained by People.

"Paul Sorvino was one of the greatest actors in cinematic history in Hollywood. It is unconscionable that he would be left out of the In Memoriam segment of the Oscars," Dee Dee Sorvino said.

"It's a three-hour show, they can't give a couple more minutes to get it right? Paul Sorvino gave decades to this industry and was loved by all. Paul was not the only deserving soul left out, and a QR Code is not acceptable. "

She ended her statement with a request for an apology.

"Shame on the Academy if this is not corrected, Sorvino wrote. "Mistakes are made, this was a big one. Please do something to make it right."

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For months, we've read stories about the cost of living crunch for renters and mortgage holders trying to pay off the family home as the pain of 10 straight interest rate hikes hits hard.

But a landlord who has multiple mortgages on his 12 properties says his property portfolio has also become unaffordable and wants to share the reality and consequences of the recent rate rises and how they are squeezing landlords.

Steve* – who doesn't want to be identified – is a retired businessman in his 70s who expected his dozen properties to fund his retirement in lieu of superannuation.

"We are really struggling financially," Steve told 9news.com.au.

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Before the iconic coat-hanger took shape across Sydney's harbour, officials considered dozens of other designs. From a sweeping three-way bridge over the water, to a brutally functional iron cage; here are the Harbour Bridge designs that didn't make the cut.

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With seven children at home and the pressure of trying to hold onto the top job in NSW as the state election looms, somehow Dominic Perrottet and his wife Helen manage to juggle it all. 

Perrottet and his wife spoke to Nine's Peter Overton about their high-flying careers, bubbly children and a private pain the family has been coping with.

In the middle of an election campaign, Perrottet made the rare appearance of testing his skills on the kitchen stove to make breakfast – which, his wife remarked, was a "lovely luxury".

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But as the family sat down to enjoy bacon and egg rolls, it was time to get serious.

When asked how the family was feeling a few weeks out from election day, Perrottet said it has been a busy time.

"Good. It's a lot of fun being on the road, you take things in good humour but it's a busy time," Perrottet said.

But for Helen, it is just "business as usual" at home.

"Our kids are pretty unfazed by everything – they think it's funny when people make a big deal about it to them," she said.

As for switching from thinking about policy at work to coming home to spend time with the family, Perrottet said it isn't easy to balance the two.

"It's not easy, whether it's politics or any job," he said.

"I think it's a real challenge that all parents face, today, balancing work and family life."

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Perrottet said despite fighting to be a premier and government for families, the job has meant he has to sacrifice some things.

"Take this weekend – my son's on his first father and son camp – so I drove him there last night. All the dads are there with their kids. And I had to drop him off, set him up and leave," he said.

He said while his son understood why he couldn't stay, it was still difficult.

Even though Perrottet holds state politics' most sought-after job, Helen said her husband always tries to make time for the children.

"It depends on what's going on. If things are blowing up at work it's a little bit harder. But when he can, he'll spend hours building a Lego ship or playing basketball with the kids."

Helen, who is a former Australian Federal Police officer, military police officer, political adviser, and now a lawyer and major in the Army reserve, says all of that is nothing to raising seven children.

"Looking after seven kids is my proudest achievement – and yes, that training does help," she said.

Perrottet joked it can be a little military-like in the household.

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But it hasn't all been smooth sailing for the family.

Helen shared the heartbreak they've been through which has become a spark for the couple's push for change.

"We've lost three kids, which was horrific," Helen said.

"When I had my first miscarriage, I was working at the time. 

"They said you can take a week off or whatever but you have to take sick leave. 

"No, it should be bereavement leave.

"I've just lost a member of my family … I couldn't understand why they were treating it as sick leave."

Perrottet said: "Seeing the grief and pain that Helen went through, we wanted to do something and that's why we set up miscarriage leave in the public service and we're going to do more and provide further counselling and support services for women who have a miscarriage."

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Even through the immensely difficult experience, the pair always makes time for each other and their guilty pleasures.

Perrottet shared that every Monday is date night and their guilty pleasure is British comedy.

"The 'Brittier', the better," Helen said.

When Helen was asked if there was ever a moment she wished Perrottet wouldn't succeed in the polls and returned to give the household his full attention, she paused.

"As a voter, I'd prefer that he won because I think he's better for the state," she said.

"Whatever job he's in, he's gonna give it his all.

"He's going to work hard to make a difference in people's lives.

"As long as he keeps getting his priorities right then inside politics or outside politics, it's fine with me."

There was one caveat though: no federal politics.

Watch the full interview with Dominic Perrottet and his family above.

The fire was able to be contained to one property.

The four offenders entered the school at around 10.45pm on Saturday.