13D Australia Summer Trip: Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge
Whenever Sydney is being mentioned in any travel guide, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge are always included as places of interest. Hence, we did not miss out the chance to visit these two places when we were in Sydney. But first, we need to board the train from Central station.
You would need to purchase Opal card or train ticket before boarding the train. The train in Sydney is usually double decker train and to our amazement, the seats in the train are reversible. You can adjust them to face whichever direction you want. Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge are located near to Circular Quay Station. You can just follow the walking path to both attractions because they are so clearly visible from exit of the train station.
Circular Quay is very famous amongst tourists in Sydney because this is where the best attractions of Sydney are located. You can begin your adventure by taking a stroll along the harbour foreshore to the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden. If you are a lover of the museum, you may want to pay a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, on the western side of the quay, where the Rocks is located. Most buildings located in the quay are preserved to maintain its historical and grand architecture. You can also board all kind of transportation offered by the city (ferries, buses, trains) from Circular Quay to other attractions in Sydney such as Bondi Beach. You can also catch a ferry to Manly, travel along the Parramata River to Sydney Olympic Park, or head to Watsons Bay for seafood and the view of the harbour foreshore. Some of Sydney's popular restaurants are located around the quay: Aria, Quay, Bennelong in the Sydney Opera House, Cafe Sydney in Customs House, and the Dining Room in the Park Hyatt Sydney. You can also get water taxis, jet boats and even cruises here at the Quay.
While we were strolling at the walkway provided at the quay, we saw the Sydney Harbour Bridge from across. It is the world's tallest steel arch bridge which connects the northern suburbs of Sydney with the city centre. Around more than 200,000 cars are travelling its length each day so it's really a very busy bridge. You can enjoy the bridge in many ways but if you are looking to climb the bridge, you can book a climbing experience with BridgeClimb (www.bridgeclimb.com), which has been running since 1998. The wind can be pretty cold up there so make sure you are prepared for the experience. In addition, you need to be in good health and over 10 years old to join the climb. Climbs begin at regular intervals from dawn, day, twilight and night, and all the equipment you need is provided. The price for the climbing package starts from AUD 238 to AUD 373. The climb will be led by a climb leader and you will be given a photo of yourself on the bridge as souvenir (with no additional costs, I presume). Other than climbing, you can also take a closer look at the Sydney Harbour Bridge by catching a ferry from Circular Quay to Manly, Mosman or Taronga Zoo. Catching a ferry from Luna Park or McMahons Point will take you directly beneath the bridge.
Further down the walking path, we saw the iconic building of Australia, Sydney Opera House. It is Australia's number one tourist destination and it is one of the world's busiest performing arts centres, presenting more than 2,000 shows 363 days a year for more than 1.5 million people. Ironically, despite its grandious fame, the architect of Sydney Opera House left Australia midway through construction and it is said that he never return to see the building completed. I wonder if he pulled off an "into-the-wild" move back then due to piled up stress on his career.
Currently, The Unbelievables, a brand new theatrical blockbuster premieres at the Sydney Opera House, filling the concert hall with an interesting circus, music and magic acts. Do book the ticket for the show if you are interested to see how the Concert Hall looks like (because I don't think they open the hall for visitors other than for performances). Otherwise, you may also want to check out the spectacular seven-minute projection of Badu Gili which illuminates the Opera House's eastern Bennelong sail at sunset and 7pm.
