Ahhhh.. Whats not to love about Australia and more specifically Sydney. There’s so much to see and do here. If we think back to our fondest memories, we have to exclude the fact we were stuck here in 2020 just when COVID hit the world in March. We had been in Australia since the January 2020 and were having the time of our life after beginning our world travels in April, 2019. Our plan at that time was to travel the world for as long as we were physically and financially able. We sold our house and two cars and all of our belongings and the remainder fit in a 5×15 storage building and we took 4 suitcases and 2 backpacks with the rest. What a wonderful memory to have but so sad even to this day of halting that part of our dream.
However, when this 9 month world cruise around the world became available, we jumped on it since it was the only way feasible for us to travel around the world again. (We bought a house and settled back down and dont want to start all over) and so here we are 90 days into our 274 day cruise. We have 6 months more to enjoy!
The majority of our tours are third party meaning we didn’t book through Royal Caribbean. We have been on a few of Royal’s tours but they just cant compare to what we have been receiving. Every once in a while we will get a bad one one but for the most part we have had every minute of our excursions detailed with so much information about the city and country we are visiting. Sydney was not exception, the tour guide was wonderful and really knew about the city of Sydney.
We started with a somewhat quick trip up to see the Harbour bridge which is more than just a bridge, it’s a symbol of Australia itself. It too is nicknamed “The Coathanger” by locals for its arch design, and unlike Auckland New Zealand’s coathanger, it is instantly recognizable around the world.
Construction of the bridge began in 1924 and took eight years to complete. The bridge is a steel through arch bridge, meaning the traffic travels through the arch itself. Here’s something we found interesting – due to the deep waters of the harbor, temporary supports were impractical while building so the bridge halves were built out from each shore, meeting in the middle in 1930. And would you believe back then with no safety harnesses, there were no reported deaths working on the bridge. AMAZING! The bridge itself stands 134 meters (439 ft) tall, spans 503 meters (1650 ft) across the harbor, and used 53,000 tonnes of steel held together by a six million rivets. That’s impressive!
What I found interesting was the bridge is a multi-purpose transportation artery. It carries Rail lines connecting the city center to the North shore, a 4 lane highway, a pedestrian bridge and a bicycle path. Very cool indeed.
What is most exciting to some of the adventurous is the infamous Bridge climb and unlike those that built the bridge, harnesses are definitely included. Some of our friends climbed it and had an amazing time. Especially since they climbed it at sunset. One of our friends, Jane from the U.K. is a little hesitant when it comes to small edges at great heights such as too close to a cliff. We are so incredibly proud of her. She climbed it. What a feat that is for her. We were totally impressed, even taken bets that she wouldn’t make it. I’m sure it’s a bucket list for many visitors but not us. It will cost you dearly if you decide to climb it.
Sydney, Australia itself boasts a rich history that stretches far beyond its iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
For at least 30,000 years, the Eora, Darug, and Dharawal people thrived on this land that is now called Sydney.
In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip led the First Fleet into Sydney Cove, establishing a British penal colony. The initial years were harsh, marked by struggle and a fight for survival. But they came out of this hardship and the city was growing.
In the 19th century, with convict labor, the arrival of free settlers further diversified the population and created its own identity.
Speaking of convicts, one of the interesting attractions was our walk through The rocks area. They are sandstone cliffs that in the earlier days, convicts and settlers began constructing structures like the first hospital, jail and the dockyard.
The Rocks quickly evolved into a vibrant port town but developed a reputation as a rough neighborhood, probably somewhat due to the convicts and crime. Overcrowding and poor sanitation led to outbreaks like the bubonic plague in 1900.
After lunch at this cute fish and chips place, we headed over to see an interesting set of trees. They have animals sleeping in them called Red headed flying foxes. Well, they aren’t foxes at all. They are bats! And big ones! Actually megabats, and they are the largest bats in the world, with wingspans reaching up to two meters (6 ft)! Another surprise is they are used to pollinate flowers just like bees. Hmmmm.
Thankfully, a shift in public opinion in the 1960s led to The Rocks’ preservation. Today, it’s a thriving tourist destination and very nice to stroll around enjoying the restaurants and hotels and the most beautiful scenery.
Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair was near where the foxes were found and it isn’t your typical piece of furniture. It was carved from sandstone in 1810 by convict laborers and was a thoughtful gift from Governor Lachlan Macquarie to his wife, Elizabeth. Lady Macquarie, as she was also known would often come here to relax and take in the view.
Facing northeast towards Fort Denison and the Pacific Ocean, Lady Macquarie would watch to see if any ships were coming. Pictures depict tourists watching as she once did.
Last but not least on our trip (except tonight’s opera) was the beautiful and popular beaches. Many surfers were out today as well as some topless young ladies. They say you can always tell the tourists from the Australians because the natives’ skin is white and covered up but the sun worshipers that arrive as tourists have dark skin and very little if any clothes on.
The beach we visited was Bondi. Many new surfers here trying their first time on the board. Was interesting and sometimes comical to watch the rookies.
This first tour now complete, we headed over to the Opera House for a tour, dinner and a presentation of “the Magic Flute”. The tour itself almost killed Chuck. At least a million steps up and down the stairs! His hips were on fire and he was miserable by the end of the night.
The Sydney Opera House has a billowing white sails design that is now a stunning landmark and very well known around the world.
The story begins (I’ll try to condense it) in 1956 with an international design competition. Utzon won the competition and construction commenced in 1959. However, the complexity of Utzon’s design soon became an issue. The shell design, initially envisioned as simple curves, proved to be very difficult.
In 1966, disagreements between Utzon and the government’s desire for a speedy completion, resulted in his resignation.
The project continued under a team of Australian architects and engineers.
After 14 years of construction, the Sydney Opera House was finally inaugurated in 1973. Queen Elizabeth II presided over the opening ceremony, marking the culmination of a saga that had captivated the world.
The final cost was a staggering 14 times the original estimate. The Sydney Opera House became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007, a testament to its enduring significance. A happier ending (not the happiest) was that Utzon was asked to come back on board to finish the project but after he accepted the invitation he became ill and couldn’t be at the site itself so his daughter carried out his plans for him and he had never seen the completed structure of his design.
It’s an amazing building and very different in the way the sound carries. All Opera performers here do not use microphones. The way the building is designed inside and out, the sound carries. We were a testament to that fact since we were in the nose bleed section and could hear every word.
Prior to seeing the performance we stopped for dinner and were served Wallaby which is in the kangaroo family. The good news is I didn’t look it up until after we ate. The meat was very tender and delicious. Some say it tastes like lamb. I haven’t had lamb before so for me it just tased like a mild roast beef. I wouldn’t have an issue eating it again. In talking to some Australian friends on the ship they say very few native eat it. They are trying to get it banned.
The opera was amazing. Not our cup of tea but we enjoyed how the sound and voices marveled in this building. The only issue other than the excruciating walk up and down the stairs, was the 2 hours and 45 minutes sitting for the opera. At least they were comfortable chairs.
After 13,000 steps made the entire day, 80% of it climbing the steps at the Opera House, we made our way to the ship. What a stunning day and one to remember for sure. This is our 3rd trip here and it never gets old. Looking forward to our next trip!
Tomorrow we are off to Newcastle. Stop 2 of our Australian journey.
May God bless you always!
Chuck & Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 