Syndey Day 2 - Opera House and more

From Linda's visit to Australia

Monday. We had a lunch date with our friend Pat and so needed to create a schedule. Opera House and Royal Botanic Garden before lunch. Sydney Tower and ?? after.

It has been a couple years now since we last went on the tour of the Opera House and they've shaken things up a bit. Now, you can have your photo taken in front of the Opera House and the delivery van that is parked in front of the Opera House while waiting for the tour to begin. At the end of the tour you can pick-up that photo and take it home with you - for $45. An AMAZING price, I think. Even for Australia. (I thought that all morning until I learned you can get a photo of yourself/your party posed in front of a placard at the Sydney Tower for the same $45 price. Now the Opera House/delivery truck photo seems like a bargain.) The tour itself has changed in good ways. Now, they give everyone head phones so you can hear the guide very easily. And, the history of the design and construction of the building has been recorded. Three short video segments projected onto various walls. I couldn't understand how the sails of the Opera House were "lifted" out of a hemisphere until I watched the demonstration. (Not that I could describe it here nor re-create it - probably even if my life depended on it. Probably.) Anyway, I thought the videos were a very nice addition. Finally, I learned that Utzon's inspiration for the breathtaking (pun intended) stair to the opera house was from the temples of the Aztecs.

Kevin and I love the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the Gardens. I take the same photos every visit. It always feels like a great new find.



After viewing Sydney from the top of the Sydney Tower, it was time for a rest. Kevin and I went looking for the bus tickets we'd need the next day while Linda read in the room. We stumbled upon an excellent pizza deal and brought dinner back to the room. Later, making use of the bargain tickets we'd purchased at the tower, Kevin and I then explored the aquarium at Darling Harbour. I only seem to go there at night. I recommend it. Wandering through the rooms and glass tunnels inside the large tanks while everything is still and dark is magical.