Sydney (January 4)

After another long night spent in an airport, Matt and I arrived in Sydney. Navigating the subway system proved to be convenient and easy to follow once we figured out the route we wanted to take. We disembarked at the stop closest to Sydney Harbor to make our way across the Sydney Harbor Bridge and of course check out the Sydney Opera House. We stopped briefly at a cafe for an excellent bacon and egg breakfast, where Matt made a friend with whom he was kind enough to share his water.

Then, we made our way across the bridge to take in the view...

View from Sydney Harbor Bridge

Panorama from a pylon on the Sydney Harbor Bridge overlooking the bay

The views were excellent and we decided to pay a little extra to enter one of the pylons to get a more aerial view and snap a few panoramas. Prior to the bridge opening in 1932 there was a ferry that shuttled passengers across the bay to connect both sides of the city.

View from the pylon

View from the pylon

Our next stop was the Sydney Opera House and our guided tour, but first we strolled along the bay seeing street performers and vendors galore!

Sydney Opera House

Matt and I being tourists

Sydney Harbor Bridge

Squeezing in a workout...

Now for the tour:

Interior of the Concert Hall

Coming into the tour I had no idea of the uniqueness nor controversy that surrounded the construction of the Opera House. The Danish designer and architect, Jorn Utzon, had been selected in 1957 as the winner of an international design competition. Interestingly, his design was initially disregarded for not meeting all of the qualifications of the competition, but was ultimately selected when a new city official decided to go through all of the entries. The work began in 1958 with Utzon directing the construction. The initial budget had been for $7 million dollars and a completion date of January 1963. Given Utzon's unique design, many of the worlds leading architects thought it impossible to build such an ambitious structure that presented the amount of design challenges of the Opera House. Due to increasing costs and scheduling overruns, Utzon was forced to resign in 1966 when the city of Sydney refused to continue paying his salary.

The project continued under the direction of a specially appointed Executive Board. The facility officially opened on October 20, 1973, ten years after its projected completion date. Its final price tag was a whopping $102 million dollars, which was $95 million dollars over-budget.

 

Internal view of the shell ribs that hold the structure together and allow it to have its unique shape

Utzon Room 

In an attempt to reconcile with Utzon, the Sydney Opera House Trust commissioned Utzon to refurbish one of the smaller rooms in the Opera House. It was made precisely to Utzons specifications and oversaw by his son. He designed the tapestry located at the back of the room. The redesign was completed in 2009 shortly after his death in late 2008. After Utzon's forced resignation, he never returned to the Sydney Opera House.

I found it to be a compelling narrative, that someone who has designed one of the most distinct and recognizable buildings in the world and Sydney's most iconic structure was forced to resign. And as an additional slap in the face they give him a tiny closet like side room as compensation for his efforts. If your ever in Sydney take the tour.

Following our tour, the remainder of the day was spent walking through the Royal Botanical Gardens and killing time window shopping until we met up with our hosts Samir and Shampee. You can see me checking out this sweet Chicago Bulls hat that I regretfully didn't purchase. On a side note, all Australians seem to be Bulls fans. Everywhere we went, Bulls jerseys both old and new were seen. I felt like I was walking around Chicago during the summer.

Matt and I met Samir and his wife Shampee in downtown Sydney where they took us to Star Bar for a few rounds of drinks and some excellent conversation about both my principal Anba and politics in Singapore. Samir was a former employee at my school in Indonesia and close friend to my principal. We laughed a lot and were able to relax before an outstanding Indian meal in the Indian area of Sydney. They were incredibly gracious hosts that let us stay overnight at their apartment before we headed off on the final leg of our Australian journey. We shared a bottle of Panton Hill Chardonnay Liqueur that we purchased outside Melbourne and soon fell asleep.