Australia > The Sydney Opera House

I wake up before the alarm in Australia. On the table in the hotel room, we spread out the food we bought yesterday at the supermarket—some rolls, cheese, and milk. A fine start to the day. At half past eight, I see all the travel companions again in the lobby. Derk explains the possible excursions during this trip. Some excursions need to be booked in advance, so he wants to know now who wants to join which excursions. The excursions together are not cheap, but I decide to join most of them. Only the climb of the arches of the Harbour Bridge in Sydney I skip. The nearly 200 euro cost is too much for me. After the administrative tasks, we head into the city. I follow Derk for a city walk through Sydney. First, we walk around the market hall opposite our hotel. On the other side lies Chinatown, a district where Chinese immigrants have settled. We continue walking to Blackwattle Bay, where the Sydney Fish Market is located. Sydney’s fish market is the third largest fish market in the world. Freshly caught fish is sold in luxury shops. We cross over to the Pyrmont district, which lies around Darling Harbour. The Pyrmont Bridge connects the two shores of Darling Harbour. The historic swing bridge from 1902 is one of the oldest still operational swing bridges in the world.

Australia - Darling Harbour in the Pyrmont district

Passersby confirm that the bridge is still in use. In line with the bridge are the Queen Victoria Market Hall and Sydney Town Hall. In Hyde Park stands the Anzac Memorial. The monument is dedicated to the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who served during World War I, but was later expanded to include victims of later conflicts. Australian soldiers fought alongside their motherland England during wars. St. Mary’s Cathedral has striking Gothic architecture and is the largest church in Australia. Construction began in 1868 but took decades to complete. On the square in front of the church, I have a view of the 309-meter-high Sydney Tower Eye. Although the tower offers a beautiful view of the city, I decide not to enter it. Via the art museum and the Royal Botanic Gardens, we reach the water. Here, I get my first glimpse of the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is known for its unique and striking architecture. The design consists of a series of white shell-like structures that resemble segments of an orange. The building was officially opened in 1973 and has since become a global symbol of Sydney and Australia.

Australia - The first view of the Sydney Opera House

As we walk around the bay, the iconic building looks different from every angle. When we arrive at the Opera House, it’s half past twelve. Time for lunch. At the bar by the water under the Opera House, I order a cola and some fried potatoes as a snack. Although maybe not a typical lunch, it’s a good filler. After lunch, we continue to The Rocks district. Here, in 1788, the first British ships arrived with emigrants and prisoners. They built their first settlement in The Rocks. These historic buildings are now surrounded by modern skyscrapers. Via a stone staircase, I reach the deck of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The 1,149-meter-long bridge has spanned Sydney’s center and northern suburbs since 1923. The arch of the bridge has an impressive span of 503 meters. Walking on the bridge, I have a view of the harbor and the Opera House. It’s beautiful. Looking down, I also see how high the bridge is. The clearance is 49 meters, allowing many ships to sail underneath without problems. Derk’s city walk ends at one of the bridge’s pillars.

Australia - The 1149meterlong Sydney Harbour Bridge was built in 1923

We have walked quite a bit—my step counter shows over fourteen kilometers. I decide to walk a bit further over the bridge with some travel companions. We cross the Harbour Bridge to take a photo of Sydney from the other side underneath the bridge. While we walk over the bridge, traffic keeps flowing non-stop over the arch bridge. The bridge is the main traffic artery to the north. On the other side, we descend to street level. There’s a cozy terrace here—a nice place to take a break. Along the quay, we find the photo spot: the Opera House, the Sydney skyline, and the bridge. Everything fits just into one photo. We decide to take the ferry back. For this, we walk around Lavender Bay to the McMahons Point ferry terminal. From the ferry, we have a beautiful view of Sydney’s Waterfront, the skyline, and the Opera House. The walking of today and the two previous travel days takes its toll on me. I feel tired. Many other travel companions do too. At a terrace by the harbor, we order some drinks. At the end of the afternoon, we walk back to the hotel. We walk in a straight line back. It is seven o’clock when I step back into my hotel room. For dinner, we stay near the hotel. In Chinatown, there’s a Japanese restaurant—a cozy and tasty choice. Afterwards, I return to the hotel and go to sleep.