Sydney Opera House -- Tues afternoon 12/06/16

A very full and special day -- morning at Taronga zoo, and an expert-led guided tour of Sydney's Opera House in the afternoon, followed by an evening performance in the Joan Sutherland Theatre of The Australian Ballet's, Coppélia.  Can it get any better?  I don't think so.  Way to go, Road Scholar!

Yes, it is iconic, a veritable celebrity in its own right, the Sydney Opera House.

From the ferry, our RS group walked around Circular Quay to the elegant Opera House, where we'd meet up with our tour guide.  I was amazed, more like appalled, at multiple tour groups, thronged with loud people crowding the entry, strident voices all seemingly trying to outdo each other.  We were jammed slap in the middle.  What else would you expect, I suppose, when today it's one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres and Australia’s number one destination, with more than 8.2 million visitors, 363 days a year -- that's a whole lot of people.  Our tour tickets purchased, we waited our turn to enter.  A few groups followed ours, but the Opera House is large enough that, once inside, there's room for everyone. 

Above, we're checking out one of the large foyers which had installed a regal-looking purple carpet, perhaps to make the room look majestic.  A quirky story is on the Internet about Luciano Pavarotti refusing to step on this purple carpeting because, "in Italy, purple is an unlucky color, and it would be bad luck for me," tho I don't know if it's true.

Layered roof lines!  They look like sails.

Apart from glass curtain walls in the foyer, the building's exterior is largely clad with aggregate panels composed of pink granite quarried at the small town of Tarana in NSW, and interior surface treatments also include off-form concrete.  For the life of me, I studied and I looked and I simply cannot figure out how the inside is put together.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the building was formally opened on October 20, 1973 after a prolonged gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. A long story between the initial stage and the final stage can be found all over the 'net.  Handsome native Australian white birch plywood and something called brush box glulam are used to good effect inside.

I wish I could fill you with technical detail, but I discovered this link that you can copy and paste in another tab, which gives a wonderful, brief overview, accompanied by the lilting music of Scheherazade.  From there you can go in any direction to explore further, and it's well worth the effort, IMO.

https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/u/0/exhibit/2gLiv2k0SqPEJg

The Opera House isn't just one particular venue -- it hosts seven flagship performing arts companies: Opera Australia, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Theatre Company, The Australian Ballet, Bell Shakespeare and Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Tonight we sat in stellar seats to watch the Ballet's performance of Coppélia.  Mind you, we knew nothing of Coppélia beforehand, but it was a delight, and we had such a great time watching this family-oriented, comic ballet that premiered in France in 1870 ... so while we've been napping, it's been around a long time!

Standing between two of the largest shells (as they're called),

you can see why this section is affectionately known as "the cleavage."

I believe I mentioned in a previous post that the roof tiles actually feature a subtle chevron pattern, composed of more than a million tiles in two colors: glossy white and matte cream.  The cream tiles keep the roof from becoming blinding in direct sunlight (tho it can be bright), and the mix allows the roof to take on the shade of its surroundings.  The tiles are very striking seen in person.

Our tour took us all over the Opera House, up and down stairs, even into a theater where rehearsals were being held (very quiet, please), but as we entered, the troupe left for lunch.  When the tour was over, we returned to our hotel for dinner and to change clothes into something a little more suitable for "going to a ballet."  Since everyone is living out of a suitcase for a month, we didn't have fancy finery to wear, but we fit right in.  Dress codes have relaxed!

Jimmy is waiting for our evening performance to begin.
Of course, no photos were allowed in the theaters.

Not easy to get a nighttime shot of the Opera House because of all the extraneous lighting. 

The show ended after 10pm, and we joined the departing crowd inching along toward the exits.  Our coach was waiting coach for us on a nearby street, and we strolled along the quay into the lit-up and still warm Sydney night.  This would be a late night for us.  Wow.

Even the Harbour Bridge takes on a new persona at night.

So ended our superb day, almost.  Back at the hotel, we had to pack and be ready for tomorrow's departure.  Although we've seen only a fraction of Sydney, it has been smashing.  Where to next, you wonder?  Melbourne, and new adventures on Australia's south coast.

Taronga Zoo, Tues Morning, 12/06/16

First off, we don't frequent zoos, but going to this zoo was on today's RS's morning agenda and it appeared like it might be fun.  I dislike seeing anything caged, and even when I had pets, I never kept them cooped up.  That being said, visiting Taronga Zoo seemed like an opportunity to glimpse animals, etc., that we would otherwise never see.  Yup, this zoo was that, and more, it was a fascinating look at Australian fauna and flora, and our entire little group of 17 (plus Albert, of course) really enjoyed stomping around here for a few hours.

After a hearty breakfast, we boarded our coach for the drive across the Big Bridge, and were delivered to the zoo on Sydney's north shore.  We saw a whole different "cast of characters" at this zoo.

Pretty cool Black-necked stork.
Giving us the eye?

Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo -- an ancestor of kangaroos and wallabies who decided long, long ago to live in trees probably to escape predators or look for food.  They're good climbers, and check out that tail, wow!

White-headed Pigeon ... who knew there were so many pigeon varieties?

Me and the Rhea just wanderin' around the zoo paths!

This Laughing Kookaburra, a fairly good-sized bird who we heard cackling, is a carnivorous member of the Kingfisher family.  It's another drop-in to the zoo, and could fly away anytime it wanted.  Native to Australia. 

Not a very good picture of a swimming duck-billed Platypus, a seriously weird semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, but it never stopped moving.  Taronga Zoo has been successful with a breeding program, and the platypus newborns are called, "Puggles!"

How cute!  Li'l Puggles!

Ginny is surprised to see a Wallaby sitting just off the pathway.

A Koala doing what koalas do 20 hours each day ...
resting in a Eucalyptus tree.

Quokka.  Never heard of 'em.  One of the first Australian mammals Europeans saw and they thought it was a large rat!  It's a Wallaby.  Large numbers live on Rottnest Island (off the coast of Western AU), but on the mainland they're threatened with extinction because they're eaten by pesky foxes.  

Looks dead.  It isn't.  Just having a nap, I guess.

Not all of the animals or reptiles are caged or confined ... this Eastern Water Dragon was just minding its own business parked on a rock.  Come or go at will! 

While we were at a free and sort of hands-on show, with a keeper to present critters like this Eastern Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa), a short-tailed, slow moving species of blue-tongued skink found in Australia, I was watching the show below that most of the others couldn't see -- two 'roos playing. Not sure if the two were friends, foes, kin, or potential lovers, but they held my attention!  BTW, I touched the ugly dude above.

So much fun to watch!

Meanwhile, the keeper brought out this goobery-looking character:  a short-beaked Echidna. Their spines are actually long, tough, hollow hair follicles and it's their main defense. These guys can dig and will burrow into the ground, leaving only their spines exposed ... or roll into a spiny ball.  Using that short beak, they break into ant and termite nests and use their long, sticky tongues to catch prey, and I say YAY for them! These guys are found in all habitats in Australia.  Seriously strange critter, wouldn't you say?

Then suddenly those two playful 'roos hopped up to the amphitheater -- what the heck?

One followed the other, hopping up the stone steps to resume play on the path above, out of sight, leaving the audience both started and delighted!  Ibby and Bernice (in gray and red) were busy capturing all of it with cameras.

Back to the Echidna.  The guide was very careful when he picked it up.

Man, look at those claws ... are they backwards?

Gorgeous ginger, slightly fragrant, near the piazza, where we had a buffet BBQ lunch.

Not sure, but it was oversized!

We loved Taronga Zoo, what an exotic adventure!  After lunch, Bernice, Ibby, Jimmy and I took the Sky Safari down to the ferry pier, where we boarded a ferry back across Sydney Harbour to Circular Quay.  From there, our group walked around the Quay to the ... ready? ... magnificent UNESCO World Heritage listed Sydney Opera House.  Woo-hoo, we're excited! Next post, ok?

Let's get back to ... Sydney, AU -- Monday, 12/5/16

I managed to squeeze in a short swim early this morning, a pastime I dearly love.  Next came the buffet breakfast in our hotel -- very good spread.  Following the morning's lecture on Australian history and settlement, we took off on a field trip to South Head, part of Sydney Harbor National Park, to view the narrow entrance to Sydney Harbor, and learn all about its defense facilities.  We like hopping on the coach for field trips; in new countries, you never know what you'll get to see!

The Australian Magpie is curious, nearly tame, and just as vocal as it's US counterparts.

While we were off the coach to explore and learn about South Head history, a couple of us were looking at birds and plants (yep, I'm one of the guilty ones)! At this striking view of South Head, above, you can see across the 2km-wide strait to North Head ("The Heads"). The South Head peninsula is really a site of true natural beauty, but it’s also one of the continent’s top suicide spots. The Gap is a steep cliff that overlooks the Tasman Sea, and each year, FYI, about 50 people leap to their death there.

I think it's great that efforts have been made to convince potential jumpers to turn back. An inward-facing security fence provides a physical barrier, and a number of Lifeline telephone booths have also been installed along with security cameras.  We spotted this phone booth as we walked long the path looking at flora.

Intrigued about this cool-looking thing, we asked what it could possibly be.  It's the flower of a Banksia tree, endemic to Australia.  I looked it up and discovered there are around 170 species in the family.  I'm not sure which Banksia this is, but the flower spikes were approx 4-6" tall.  

Macquarie Lighthouse, aka South Head Upper Light, was the first, and is the longest serving, lighthouse site in Australia.  Looks like a classic, doesn't it?  We didn't stop here, I caught this on the fly as the coach drove by; wish we could've toured inside.

Nearby, we stopped at Bondi Beach ... pronounced Bond-eye, so we were informed.  Part of our itinerary for the day, it was just a beach, no big deal, but we ate lunch at one of the clubs here. Afterwards, we were back on the bus.  The rest of our day was free to do with as we chose.  Jimmy and I, along with Bernice and Ibby, asked to be dropped off near Sydney's Australian Museum.  We'd been given easy-to-use Opal cards for public transportation on trains, buses, ferries or light rail, so we were all set.

We wandered through the museum, skipping the frightening spider exhibit altogether (eeek!), and eventually running into Carolyn and Larry on the 2nd floor.  The museum is full of Australian exhibits, animals and reptiles, minerals, First Australian galleries, dinosaurs, and so much more.  

From "stuffed" Koalas to

Native spears

to Tutini (Pukumani grave posts) on display,

Boomerangs,

Australian Moths and Scorpions, 

One of the world's largest crocodiles, and 

this marvelous mask.  A terrific museum!

* * * * * * * * * *

The four of us walked through Hyde Park toward the towering Gothic St Mary's Cathedral, a landmark easily seen from much of the city and a sanctuary we wanted to tour (uh-oh, as we approached, we noticed that ominous blue-black sky).  Wowzers, what an extraordinarily grand monument!  If you'd like to know more about it's construction, click on the link.  I will tell you that the Archbishop commissioned William Wilkinson Wardell to design a new St Mary's following the fire of 1865 which ruined the original cathedral.

Massive and beautiful.

Outside the cathedral, more than one couple was having wedding pictures taken, but the bride and groom above agreed to be photographed by us, and then our little group proceeded up the steps and inside. We spent quite a bit of time walking about and taking pictures, admiring the beauty and workmanship, and about the time we were ready to leave, we heard thunder. Rain. Crashing, LOUD thunder and then a gully-washer was upon us. We settled in a pew to wait out the storm. The bride, smart girl, was wearing flip-flops, but her dress surely got wet.

* * * * * * * * * *

Despite having the Opal card, once the rain quit, we walked back to our hotel; it wasn't that far, and we were enjoying the Sydney afternoon.  

Dinner was on our own tonight.  The four of us decided to eat Asian food, since Chinatown was a block away.  The evening was warm and kind of muggy.  I wish I had a video of the four of us checking out which restaurant to eat at, 'cause we peeked in windows, even sat down in three different restaurants, deeming each either too hot or too noisy, got up and continued our quest for the best one.  We finally settled on Xi'an Grill, upstairs and air-conditioned.  

That's when the fun began!  The restaurant was packed and loud, full of young Asians, and we were the only Anglos present, and old ones, to boot.  No one was speaking English and everyone was using chopsticks.  It took us 20 minutes and three different young people (two were practicing their English) to decipher the menu and what to order, and only 10 minutes to devour the Barramundi with mushrooms and eggplant, and whatever else the cook wanted to throw in the dish for four, tho not exactly the "sides" we thought we'd ordered.  As soon as we'd placed our order, the waiter brought forks to our table!

Yum!

It was good, too.

I know these posts are long, but our days are jam-packed, and I like sharing each of our Downunder days, hoping you enjoy seeing NZ and Australia through our eyes. Here we are, Bernice and me, above, still smiling after our long day and challenging dinner experience! Tomorrow we're in for a real treat. Actually, more than one. Can't wait to show you. Well, that'll be the next post or two.

The End.  Sorry, couldn't resist it. 😏