AUSTRALIA 2011: Sydney Icons

AUSTRALIA 2011: Sydney Icons (May 10, 2011)

Every city in the world has certain icons that we tend to associate the city with. Just as New York has the Statue of Liberty and San Francisco has the Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney has its Opera House and the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge. These two icons are so synonymous to Sydney that you can find them on every magnet, poster, t-shirt, souvenir, or guide book showcasing the city. It goes without saying that a “trip to Sydney” cannot be called such without visiting these two icons. On our first day back from Port Stephens, visiting these icons was the first thing on our agenda.

F E R R Y  R I D E

The ferry ride from Parramatta

There are many ways to visit the opera house and the harbour bridge. One can drive, take a train, take a bus, or even walk. We had all the time in the world, so Tita Carmen suggested that Tita Anabelle and I take the more scenic way, which is via ferry. Tita Carmen drove us to Parramatta, which is one of Sydney’s western suburbs and is near Rooty Hill, where they live. We waited for the ferry in Charles Street wharf, and by 10:30AM we were on our way to the city.

Sydney's skyscrapers

Sydney has an extensive ferry system with around 15 lines from 4 wharfs in Circular Quay. The ferries go from the city to the surrounding areas, and people actually use it as an alternative form of commute. We took the Parramatta line, which has at least 14 stops along the Parramatta River, all the way to the Sydney harbour. The sights in the Parramatta river were mostly of mangroves and small seaside communities, and as we moved nearer the Sydney harbour the communities became bigger.

The bridge and the opera house

Our first glimpse of the city from afar was truly stunning, and seeing the harbour bridge and opera house from the water was quite an experience, with the occasional water taxi or yacht passing by. We even saw something that looked like a pirate ship. Soon we went under the bridge and docked in Wharf 5 of the Circular Quay terminal, ready to see the icons up close.

C I R C U L A R  Q U A Y

Circular Quay

When we got to Circular Quay it was around 11:30 AM, but we decided to go around first before having lunch. Circular Quay is a major transportation hub, as this is where the major wharfs for the ferries around Sydney are. It also has a bus terminal and a train station, and it’s right next to the Cahill Expressway, which leads to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. From Circular Quay we walked a bit, passing by some seaside cafes and shops. After a few more steps, we were already at the Sydney Opera House.

O P E R A  H O U S E

The thing with city icons is, you’re very familiar with them, but until you see them up close, you don’t realize how beautiful they really are. The Sydney Opera House is no exception. It was just around noontime when we got there, so the sun was beaming its rays down on us. From where we were we had a fantastic view of the Harbour Bridge, as well as of Circular Quay and the nearby skyscrapers dotting the cerulean sky. 

The Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House itself was massive. I’ve seen it from afar while we were on the ferry, but seeing it up close was a different experience altogether. The opera house was built in 1973 and designed by a Danish architect, Jørn Utzon. It’s currently a UNESCO World Heritage site and a venue for Sydney’s performing arts companies (not limited to opera) to showcase their talent. From afar the roof structures look like white shells, but up close they’re actually made of tiny alternating white and cream diagonal tiles. We no longer went inside the opera house, because seeing its beauty up close was more than enough. 

T H E  R O C K S

Customs House

After the opera house, we walked back to Circular Quay. Here we saw Hungry Jacks (their name for Burger King) so we decided to stop for some lunch. After all, we needed all the energy we could get for the long afternoon of walking ahead. From Hungry Jacks we walked along Alfred St., and along the way we passed by Customs House, one of the many beautiful heritage buildings we will find all over the city. We walked further along the street until we took a turn to George St., one of Sydney’s busiest. This took us to The Rocks. 

Walking along The Rocks

The Rocks is the heart of historic Sydney. It was the first permanent European settlement in Australia proclaimed by Captain Arthur Philip in 1778. Most of the buildings in The Rocks have been preserved in their original condition and architecture. Strolling along it, we saw many themed and historic pubs, as well as other shops that all look like they were taken from an old movie. 

P Y L O N  L O O K O U T

The pylon that we climbed

We walked the length of George St. until we reached Cumberland St. Going along it, we saw the entrance for the BridgeClimb, which is now one of Sydney’s most popular tourist activities. The BridgeClimb is expensive though, and you have to book it in advance due to the many people who want to try it, so we opted for the Pylon Lookout.

To go to the Pylon Lookout we had to climb the Bridge Stairs, which was also along Cumberland St. As we reached the top of the stairs we were already at the level of the Cahill Expressway, which leads to the bridge. From there a fantastic view of the opera house and surrounding areas can be seen, but we knew that the view from the pylon would even be better. We had to walk the length of the walkway that was along the Expressway, until we reached one of the Harbour Bridge’s pylons.

A picture of the bridge's construction

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an arch bridge, and its design has given it the nickname of “The Coat Hanger.” On each end of the arch is a pair of high concrete pylons, which provide support. Visitors can actually climb one of the pylons to go to the Pylon Lookout, which gives a panoramic view of the city, 87 metres above sea level. We had to climb 200 steps to reach the top, but each of the three levels has been transformed into a mini-museum with artifacts and other information regarding the bridge’s construction and historical significance. We found out, for instance, that what is now called “The Coat Hanger” used to be called “The Iron Lung,” because it provided much-needed employment to many citizens during the Great Depression. Hence, during the eight years it took to construct the bridge, it kept the economy alive and breathing. 

Panoramic view from the Pylon Lookout

The Rocks and the Cahill Freeway

When we got to the top, we got a magnificent 360 view of the city. On one side we could clearly see the Sydney Opera House, where we were just a few hours ago. We could also see Circular Quay and the skyscrapers of the city.

People doing the BridgeClimb

On the other side we could see The Rocks and the Cahill Freeway, with the cars that looked like moving  ants. Seeing everything from this vantage point was surreal, because we could hardly believe that we walked all the way from the Opera House to where we were.

The bridge up close

We also got a view of the other side of the harbour, where we saw the Anzac bridge and some yachts in a bay. We could also see Luna Park and the northern suburbs. 

Of course we could also see the bridge from up close, as well as the people who were doing the BridgeClimb at that time. This bird’s eye view we had was truly one-of-a-kind.

B R I D G E  W A L K

The opera house from another angle

After the Pylon Lookout, we went on to walk the entire length of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We were already there, and it CAN be done, so we might as well. Walking the entire length of it took around 10 minutes, and when we got to the other end we had a slightly different view of the sights that by this time, we were already so familiar with. While we were walking we saw some other tourists, as well as the regular pedestrian traffic, which includes joggers. As we were walking back towards the other end, the sun was already setting, so the Sydney Opera House had an orange glow about it, which made it look so beautiful.

Sydney at night

We walked the same route back to Circular Quay, and when we got there it was already quite dark. It was lovely to see Sydney’s city lights at night though. At night the city’s vibe suddenly changes, and the lights are beautifully reflected in the sea.

As we waited for our ferry back to Parramatta, where we’ll take a train to Rooty Hill, we sat and looked at our surroundings. To our right the Sydney Opera House’s glowing white roof structures were reflected in the dark imposing sea, and to our left the silhouette of the Sydney Harbour Bridge broke the monotony of the dark blue night sky. It was absolutely breathtaking, and the perfect way to end our first-time encounter with two of Sydney’s most popular icons.

"The Coat Hanger" and the night sky