Voyages of the World: Sydney, Australia

The magic of Sydney still remains! I recall the goose-bumps experienced a year ago during our first sail-in - Darling Harbor, directly past the Opera House & under the Sydney Harbor Bridge...it was no different this year, with the exception of the time & weather. We entered the harbor well before sunrise this year, the weather was warm, but threatening rain. More commentary to follow tomorrow...but first, a few pics from the day.

Docked & Ready For Two Exciting Days!

Cheryl's Australian Relatives

I was FINALLY able to meet some of Cheryl’s relatives who live here in the Sydney area! Pictured here is Aunt Helen, son Michael & his boy, daughter Katrina and her four children, and Uncle Ron. I found Helen to be a real sweetheart, Michael a very nice young man who works at the Sydney Convention Center doing audio visual, Katrina a gem like her mother who has four wonderful, very well-behaved kids, and Ron to be much like his sister Judi (my mother-in-law) – very personable, full of energy, and extremely nice! We were scheduled to meet them at the aquarium in Darling Harbor at 11:00am. At 10:45 the bottom fell out of the sky and poured rain for 30 minutes. Hundreds of tourists were wedged into the lobby of the aquarium to escape the driving rain, so Cheryl had to circle through the dripping wet, ‘soaked-to-the-skin’ crowds to locate her Uncle & cousin whom she hadn’t seen in 20 years – no easy task!! After a few passes through the swarms of people, she found them. After the rain eased, the four of us walked across the harbor to meet & talk with Helen, Katrina, & the kids. We all had lunch at McDonald’s and shortly after, it was time to say good-bye. Such a wonderful family and not nearly enough time with them! We’ve all promised to stay in touch.

Our Tour of the Opera House

As you know from our comments last year, Sydney captured our hearts – we will forever be fans of this magnificent city & its people. We've spent several hours touring the city…north, south, east, & west. Back at Circular Quay (pronounced key) we decided on the spur of the moment to check into a tour of the Opera House. Last year, we crawled all over the exterior but never set foot inside. It was 3:55 when we got to the ticket counter…last tour was to begin in just 5 minutes – talk about perfect timing – and they had two available spots remaining! As you probably know, it's not only Australia's most recognizable building, but is also one of the world's greatest icons of creative and technical achievement. Since its completion in 1973, it has attracted worldwide acclaim for its design and construction, enhanced by its location on Bennelong Point within an awesome harbor setting. The design of the building, with its soaring white roof shell shaped sails atop a massive red granite platform, has been internationally acclaimed as an architectural masterpiece of the 20th century. As a dominant sculptural building that can be seen and experienced from all sides, it is the focal point of Sydney Harbor and a reflection of its character. It is placed right at the end of Bennelong Point, adjacent to the harbor and completely to scale in relation to the Harbor Bridge, the sandstone cliff face, Macquarie Street and Circular Quay. Viewed from a ship, from the air, or by approach on foot, the vision is dramatic and unforgettable.

Photos are not allowed in any of the theaters for the privacy of employees. In fact, a few passengers from the ship actually had their cameras confiscated by security and were forced to delete the pictures. This seems radical, but we were all warned before the tour began. The ONLY interior photos allowed are those taken inside the building but EXCLUDING theaters. Our pictures below are in compliance, yet there seemed to be employees in those areas as well, but rules are rules.

It took 16 years to build, and was constructed between 1957 and 1973. Complex engineering problems and escalating costs made it a source of great public debate that only subsided when the beauty and achievement of the completed building placed it on the world stage. According to our Tour Guide, the original construction budget was $7M - final cost was $102M. It was also scheduled for completion in 1963, but was 10 years late! So bottom line, the project was completed ten years late and more than fourteen times over budget! The technical challenge of how to construct the roof sails alone took four years to solve. The roof sails were based on the geometry of the sphere and the designer used this to demonstrate the creative potential and the assembly of prefabricated, repeated components. It was seen as a structure at the leading edge of endeavour. Today the Opera House is a national cultural center that has gained widespread recognition and respect as a performing arts venue, and includes a concert hall, opera and drama theaters, a playhouse and a studio. Fortunately, we were able to visit them all, including the backstage areas.

We had an excellent, knowledgeable guide. All participants were given headphones, and the guide’s voice was the only thing we could hear as he spoke into his microphone – very nice. We toured all theaters in the Opera House to include the backstage areas and the main warehouse where all of the props are stored between shows. Neither of us have any interest in opera so we didn’t purchase a show package through the ship. Many people spent hundreds of dollars for opera tickets just so they could say they attended a show in the facility – made no sense to us. Why go if you don’t enjoy it? As we were leaving one particular theater, the guide was describing the current show that was playing, and it wasn’t an opera at all. Rather, it was a combination cabaret, new burlesque, circus, and vaudeville. It was called…La Soiree. The theater itself was a square facility with the stage in the middle of the floor and tiered seating on all sides – there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. As the guide was describing the show, we both looked at each other and knew immediately what the other was thinking – LET’S GET TICKETS! Back at the booth after the tour, they were only a few seats remaining for the performance that started at 7:00 that evening. It was 5:30 – we were both wearing shorts – we caught a shuttle bus back to ship, changed cloths (needed long pants) and raced back to the Opera House. It was 6:45 – we made it! We no sooner bought drinks than the theater doors opened and we were inside. Again – not a bad seat in the house – we were only a few feet from the stage. This was a young crowd, 30’s, & 40’s, with a few clearly in their 70’s, but they were the minority. We knew we were in for a fun evening, and the show didn’t disappoint! Trying to describe the various elements of the show would take several pages & too much of your time to read – but just try to picture the first two rows of the theater with guests covered in sheets of plastic so they wouldn’t get wet from the bizarre activity on stage - that’s what kind of evening it was – truly outrageous, astounding, & FUN!! The place was rocking with applause & laughter!

…then I think about those poor folks who had to dress in suits & tuxedos…pay an outrageous price…and listen to an opera in a language they didn’t even understand! Really???