September 23, 2007
I ventured out today to see some of the more popular sights in Sydney including downtown, Circular Quay (pronounced key), the opera house, the harbor bridge, Manly, and the Rocks. I have included excerpts from Lonely Planet to give you some background that is a bit more in depth than I am able to give. The pictures, however, are all mine.
I took the taxi from my apartment (33.764307, 151.111944) to Hyde Park (-33.870968, 151.211743) in the Central Business District (CBD). Along the way I crossed the famous Harbor Bridge. The CBD is a mix of historical landmarks and new architecture, businesses, restaurants, museums, and shopping. The CBD is easily walkable, clean, and the people are friendly. From Hyde Park I walked north along Macquarie Street, past the state library of NSW (-33.866389, 151.213224) and the Botanical Gardens (-33.863093, 151.216421)on the way to the Opera House (-33.856838, 151.215198). Macquarie street has many historical buildings that were erected 200 years ago and provides access to many of the gardens and parks.
Crossing the Harbor Bridge heading south
Hyde Park
State Library of NSW
My first sighting of the Opera House - from Circular Quay
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is situated on the eastern headland of Circular Quay. Its soaring sail-like, shell-like roofs were actually inspired by palm fronds, but reminds me of armadillos. The opera house has four auditoriums and hosts classical music, ballet, theater, and opera. I have already booked a performance there on December 22nd.
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/sections/whats_on/boxoffice/event_details.asp?EventID=2279&sm=1&ss=1
The hullabaloo surrounding construction of the Sydney Opera House was an operatic blend of personal svision, long delays, bitter feuding, cost blowouts and narrow minded politicking. Construction began in 1959 after Danish architect Jorn Utzon won an international design competition with his plans for a $7MM building. After political interference, Utzon quit in disgust in 1966, leaving a consortium of Australian architects to design a compromised interior. The parsimonious state government financed the eventual $102MM bill through a series of lotteries. The building was finally completed in 1973, but it was lumbered with an internal design impractical (too small for one thing) for staging operas.
Circular Quay (-33.858228, 151.211464)
Circular Quay, built around Sydney Cove, is one of the city’s major focal points. The first European settlement grew around the Tank Stream, which now runs underground into the harbor near Wharf 6. For many years this was the shipping center of Sydney, but it’s now both a commuting hub and a recreational space, combining ferry quays, a train station, and the Overseas Passenger Terminal with harbor walkways, restaurants, buskers, fisherfolk and parks. You can catch a ferry here to just about anywhere in and around Sydney. Visit www.sydneyferries.info
View of Circular Quay from the north, looking south
Aboriginal musicians at Circular Quay
I took the ferry from Circular Quay out to Manly at the suggestion of the locals here. Known as the jewel of the north shore, Manly is on a narrow peninsula which ends at the dramatic cliffs of North Head. It boasts harbor and ocean beaches, a ferry wharf, all the trappings of a full-scale holiday resort and a great sense of community identity. It’s a sunsoaked place not afraid to show a bit of tackiness and brashness to attract visitors. In my opinion, I am glad to have visited Manly because of the scenic ferry ride and the beautiful beach, though I could have done without all of the trashy trinket shops lining the streets on the walk from the ferry to the beach.
Manly Beach looking south
Manly Beach looking north
After having a bit of a look around Manly, I took the ferry back to Circular Quay and the CBD. Here are a few photos of the Opera House from the ferry while approaching Circular Quay.
Opera house as viewed from the ferry
Opera House as viewed from the ferry
Opera House as viewed from the ferry
After disembarking from the ferry, I ventured over to The Rocks to have a look. The Rocks are located on the north side of Circular Quay and is tucked up against the Harbor Bridge.
The Rocks
Sydney’s first white settlement was on the rocky spur of land on the western side of Sydney Cove, from which the Harbor Bridge now crosses to North Shore. It was a squalid, raucous place of convicts, whalers, prostitutes and street gangs, though in the 1820s the nouveaux riches inexplicably built three storey houses on the ridges overlooking the slums. It later became an area of warehouses and maritime commerce and then fell into decline as modern shipping and storage facilities moved away from Circular Quay. Since the 1970s, redevelopment has turned the Rocks into a sanitized, historical tourist precint, full of narrow cobbled streets, fine colonial buildings, converted warehouses, tea rooms, and stuffed koalas. Not a bad place for window shopping and a nice dinner after an afternoon of sightseeing.
Sydney’s first white settlement was on the rocky spur of land on the western side of Sydney Cove, from which the Harbor Bridge now crosses to North Shore. It was a squalid, raucous place of convicts, whalers, prostitutes and street gangs, though in the 1820s the nouveaux riches inexplicably built three storey houses on the ridges overlooking the slums. It later became an area of warehouses and maritime commerce and then fell into decline as modern shipping and storage facilities moved away from Circular Quay. Since the 1970s, redevelopment has turned the Rocks into a sanitized, historical tourist precint, full of narrow cobbled streets, fine colonial buildings, converted warehouses, tea rooms, and stuffed koalas. Not a bad place for window shopping and a nice dinner after an afternoon of sightseeing.
Sydney Harbor Bridge
The much-loved, imposing “old coat hanger” crosses the harbor at one of its narrowest points, linking the southern and northern shores and joining central Sydney with the satellite business district of North Sydney. The bridge was completed in 1932 at a cost of $20MM and has always been a favorite icon, partly because of its sheer size.
The best way to experience the bride is on foot as you won’t get much of a view if crossing by car or train. You can climb across the top arch for a fee. This is a guided tour and costs upwards of $100. You can also cross the bridge on the foot path which can be accessed from Cumberland street on the south side. I plan on doing this another day.
Harbor Bridge, on the west side looking north and east
Harbor Bridge, on the west side looking north and east
Harbor Bridge, on the east side looking north and west
Wedding party at The Rocks
Small park in the CBD with a 200-yr old church and modern skyscrapers
They have many of the same fast food joints here in Australia that we have back home in America. Of the most ubiquitous are McDonalds, Starbucks, and Hungry Jack's (Burger King). I have only been inside a McDonalds, and the menu differs from the American menu. I took a picture of the Hungry Jack's for my son Jack.
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