An Aussie In Oz

Another beautiful day today. Apparently there is a polar wind coming later this week, so this may be, finally, the end of summer. I still can’t get over how this is the equivalent of November in London, and it’s still shorts and t-shirts weather here.

This walk starts at the old fishmarket then it’s up over ANZAC bridge. The view from ANZAC is definitely worse than the Harbour Bridge. Maybe it’s that there are more cars and they feel a lot closer. The mesh is also tighter which restricts the view a bit.

This walk is one of two halves. The first half is very industrial, walking near the cruise terminal and shipyards. But then the second half is lovely, through Bicentennial park and on to the new fish markets.

Bicentennial park is lovely with a big off-lead area for dogs and even swimming spots for them in the sea. Though I’m not sure if humans should be swimming in there given the signs saying caught fish are not safe to eat.

This used to be serious industrial but they are revamping the whole area now, getting mangroves back and the walk around the foreshore is lovely.

There was even an AFL game on in Jubilee oval, but I only watched until someone did a sling tackle and knocked their opponent out. No one wants to see that.

Finishing off at the fish market with fish and chips and prawns was a pretty great way to end a lovely walk.

I’m waiting for a rainy day to take a day of walking. But that was not this day. Probably the best weather so far for walking, super warm and sunny and not windy. This was a long walk, maybe 12km, more of a city walk than the last two, less bush.

It did start in Martin Place, I’m not sure you can get much more Sydney central than that! Then it was out to Mrs Macquarie’s chair via the botanic gardens. Admiring the Phantom of the Opera set as I walked past.

Then up through the rocks and across the bridge. This one was a lot busier than the other walks. At least for this first section.

Once off the bridge on the north shore it quietened down a lot. There is just so much space so once you get away from absolute tourist central it’s really pleasant.

I carried on past Luna Park, need to go back to visit here. It’s free to enter and then you pay for the rides. They looked pretty tame after Disneyland. So I can probably manage them if I go back. Even though I had just had lunch the food inside was smelling particularly delicious. There is something about the smell of hot chips and tomato sauce that get my mouth watering!

Halfway around Lavender Bay there is a tunnel under the railway line and then some steps up. A house halfway up is where Brett Whiteley lived for a while. And now there is a garden that his wife created following his death. Wendy Whiteley had done an amazing job turning what was abandoned railway land into a beautiful oasis. It’s free and open all the time. It’s not owned by anyone it’s just something beautiful she has created for everyone to enjoy.

Once you get to Blues Point there is a small beach, underneath the ugliest apartment block on the north shore. Standing on that small beach is the only place in the city where you are right in the middle of the arch of the harbour bridge.

There is a lot more up and down on this walk. I do remember this part of the north shore being quite hilly. There is also less public accessibility to the waterfront here. More privately owned foreshore. So you have to keep walking up stairs to the roads and back down again.

Having said that there are some wonderful secluded parks, Sawmills Reserve in particular seemed like one worth a return trip.

This was a pretty short walk. But the legs were tired. The day was so beautiful I had to get out. And with the prospect of fish and chips for lunch I couldn’t say no.

Another great walk, I think it was only 3kms or something, around South Head. I popped up to see The Gap after lunch, but it was definitely not a strenuous day.

The houses in Watsons Bay are so cute. They are these little weather board cottages, that sailors and fishermen used to live in and now sell for like $7 million.

I love being able to catch ferries to these places. It makes the journey to the walk something as well. It really is great being on the water when the day is so wonderful.

It was a bit windy though, even though the sun was shining. It was a funny wind though, quite cold, and I was expecting that as we got onto the ocean side of South Head it would really pick up. But instead it was really calm on the ocean and the wind was coming from inland. Not something I am used to with winds in Sydney.

I had delicious fish and chips from Doyle’s, just takeaway and then ate in the park. I just love that about Australia, the parks and how anyone can access these beautiful places. The fish and chips were great, I’m not sure what the 3.8 star rating on google is about. Because even if they are super touristy, they were better than every fish and chip I ever had in the UK.

I think the thing you really need to do to get the best out of Sydney is to get out into the bush that is all over the city. In particular the bush that lines almost the entire harbour. I really like that about the city, how the waterfront seems, mostly, accessible to all.

I compared this to the Thames path in London, and that really wasn’t the case. There so much of the waterfront is in private hands and is out of bounds to the populace. Or where you can walk along it you are between the river and heavy industry. Where I was living you would go for runs and be passing scrap metal yards and sand factories. I guess it’s because London is so much older and the river has been used for work for that whole time. Whereas Sydney there is just so much more harbour so there is space for the bush and for business.

Last time I was living in Sydney, Balmoral beach was my closest beach. And I have to say I had forgotten what a great beach it is. It’s calm and long and beautifully sandy and there’s even an island that you can walk around.

I forget how great the beaches are here. You compare them even to the ones in Spain, which are meant to be good, and there’s no comparison. For a start there are just so fewer people here. And there isn’t that privatisation of the sand. And don’t get me started on the pebbly, wind swept things that the British refer to as beaches.

This walk from Balmoral to Taronga is really great. It’s not quite 9km and is easily accessible with public transport at either end. You can walk it in either direction, I think going to Taronga is an easier walk, more downhill, but then you don’t really have a chance to swim at Balmoral, or indulge in fish and chips. So it depends what you are after as to which direction you go.

The end into Taronga Zoo ferry is pretty great. The view from Bradley Head is lovely, you are really in the middle of the harbour there. Definitely a place to come back to with a picnic.

The maritime museum also had the Ocean Photographer of the year award on display. It’s probably not quite as good as the Nature Photographer of the year, but it was still pretty good.

It was looking a bit grey an overcast today, so time for something indoors. I hadn’t yet been to the Australian Maritime Museum so it was off to there I went.

Having spent the last decade in Greenwich, the home of the UK’s Maritime Museum and a rich naval history, it was interesting to see the difference with the Australian version.

What Sydney’s one had over London was a large collection of ships that you could board. There were also a lot of volunteers around who would give you lots of information about the different ships.

There was a submarine that was really great to look around on. It’s so cramped on there, just getting in and out was difficult because you had to go via these hatches. And so many pipes everywhere. I don’t think I would have enjoyed sailing on that.

Then there was a replica of the Endeavour, which was Captain Cook’s ship when he first visited Australia with Joseph Banks onboard. Banks paid £10,000 to sail, which is something like £5 million in today’s money. So he was a super rich dude which I didn’t really appreciate. So Banks paid for the ship to be modified to create more space for his team of scientists. It did mean there was a large section that was so low you had to walk around completely bent over.

There was also a destroyer and a tall ship that you could visit. It was cool that they had these ships over such a long period of time, so you could see how things had changed.

One of the volunteers was saying that this is the second best maritime museum in the world, behind the one in Greenwich. Since I visited all the ships first I was surprised this one was second, since London doesn’t have any ships, but after visiting the galleries I can see why London rates higher. There just wasn’t much in the galleries, I would not bother with them, just stick with the ships.

Having not grown up in Sydney, the royal Easter show has never been a thing for me. I think if you grow up here it’s one of your childhood memories and so I’m sure you would have a soft spot for it. When I was last living in Sydney it was never something that interested me, perhaps I thought it was too busy and I’ve never been that keen on rides.

But now being back I thought it’s something I need to go to at least once.

It was better than I thought it would be, it’s actually way more than just rides and showbags. It’s run by the Royal Agricultural Society, so it’s mainly animal judging. There are dogs, cats, pigs, goat, sheep, chickens, cattle and horses. All different breeds waiting to be judged. There is also the arts and crafts pavilion which was really great. Some people are very talented.

The main surprise for me was the woodchop arena. Who would have thought that it could be interesting, but it’s done on a handicap system, so the best choppers start last and it’s always a battle to see if they are going to catch up and finish first.

There is also a big stadium where they seemed to have horse showing, I feel like they could have used that more. But then I also didn’t make enough of an effort to find out the timetable for the various stadiums and arenas they have. So that’s definitely something I will improve on next year.

Because I am definitely going back.

The Art Gallery of NSW has an exhibition of Ron Mueck on at the moment. And I recommend a visit. Definitely try and go on a tour, they are free, but they add a lot to the experience.

He does these amazing, realistic statues. It was funny going to see this one after I had seen a lecture on Bernini (an Italian sculptor from the 1600’s). Bernini was very good at making marble seem like flesh, which he did with micro scratches. Apparently he would create his pieces in a dark studio with strong directional light, very like a photographic studio, as it was all about the shadows that make pieces look real.

I’m not sure if Ron Mueck also works that way, but he paints his pieces, so the hyper-realism comes mainly from that.

The first photo is actually his brother-in-law and he made this whilst his brother-in-law was getting divorced. Then the second photo is of just someone he saw on the street in London. I quite liked looking at the things in the shopping bags, as it was the same brands of stuff I would get when I was living in London, the can of tomatoes, the Yorkshire tea.

The last two photos I like to imagine that the young girl grows up into the old lady. There is no indication that is what he was doing, I just like to think that.

I haven’t seen anything else like this. The pieces were slightly creepy too, I’m not sure if that’s because the proportions were ever so slightly out somehow. Or maybe it was the uncanny valley feeling. Definitely recommend though.

I love visiting this zoo, I think it must be in the most attractive location of all zoos. Where else do giraffes have a view of the Harbour Bridge?

From the city it’s actually really easy to get there, just a direct bus. And since I went during the week it was like a private trip. Though there were a lot of school children once you get there.

I think it’s best to get the bus to the main entrance then walk down the hill visiting all the animals, ending up at the ferry station. Then catch the ferry back to circular quay. I mean what other city has this?

I would highly recommend the bird show, I think that’s the best of the lot by a long way and also with an amazing view.

I also really liked the aviaries, there were a lot of different birds and it was cool to see them up close.

It must have been 15 years since I was last here. And in that time I have been to actual Chinese gardens. It’s this quite small garden near Darling Harbour, you have to pay to go in.

It’s nice to visit though, it’s very calm after the bustle of Pyrmont and even though it’s near huge highways you can’t really hear the cars.

It reminded me a lot of the gardens I visited near Shanghai, in Suzhou. The attractive rocks they have and the paved paths, the hallways all reminded me of places in China. The only difference is that it’s not seething with people.

I don’t really remember the fish market being a thing when I was last in Sydney. But there had been a lot of noise about the new building that’s recently opened. So I thought I’d go check it out. It’s a fancy new building. I’m guessing the floor I am allowed on is for retail and the floor below the shops is the wholesale section. But the public isn’t allowed there.

There are a bunch of restaurants and the Chinese one I tried was very delicious. You can also get takeaway food and sit on the seats. But there aren’t a lot of seats and some of them are in the blazing sun so aren’t so popular.

It’s good to know where to go if I get a craving for oysters though. Because the ones I had were delicious.

Maybe next time I’ll actually buy some fish to cook.

I went to my first opera here in Sydney, at the Opera House no less. It was to see Puccini’s Turandot, though he died before it was completed so someone else finished it for him. It was interesting to see the difference in staging between this one and the Met Opera Zeferelli staging I had seen before. As well as comparing with the English National Opera and the Royal Opera House.

I hadn’t seen this opera before, but I do always like Puccini ever since being in a community choir for a run of La Boheme. This one has perhaps the most famous aria in opera, Nessun Dorma (Google it you would have for sure heard it before).

Turandot is a Princess in Peking who will only marry if the suitor can answer three riddles, and if they can’t they are beheaded. She is determined not to marry to avenge a long-dead ancestor who was murdered by the Mongol invasion. A visiting prince, who happens to be Mongol-ish, is fleeing the loss of his land when he sees Turandot and falls in love (of course). He successfully answers the three riddles, which horrifies Turandot, he gives her an out saying if she can discover his name by the next day, she can have him murdered. She tortures a slave of his, who murders herself rather than give anything away, before the prince tells Turandot his name anyway. Luckily Turandot decides she does love him and doesn’t have him beheaded. Too bad for that slave.

The staging was quite different for a ROH one and very different from the Zefirelli one. That one had too much going on, hundreds of people, massive sets, intricate costumes. The ROH also usually has good sets and costumes. Whereas the stage at the Sydney Opera House is really quite small, there isn’t room for any sets really. It was quite bare.

Got to do my first hike since arriving in Sydney. And it was a cracker. A 9km loop around La Perouse. Another one of those days that starts cloudy, 90% chance of rain ones, that end up being glorious. I really need to get a hat!

I don’t think I’ve been to La Perouse before, probably because there are so many beautiful places to go to in Sydney. It’s so close to the city and yet the beach is quiet, the water is calm and clear and the bush is great. It’s hard to get a loop walk in Sydney, you are usually walking along the coast, so very out-and-back, but this one you walk around this peninsula.

It feels kind of remote, in that it’s quiet and there aren’t many people around. But really you are walking around a golf course and it’s just there aren’t many people in Australia.

The walk out to Henry Head was probably the best section. You are walking through bush with views out to sea. I wouldn’t bother with the side trip out to Browns Rock, it’s all downhill and then the area is completely taken up with fisherman, so not much serenity.

Cape Banks is actually one half of the harbour entrance, which I hadn’t appreciated. Botany Bay is really a huge bay. So once you reach Henry Head you are just looking out over the Tasman Sea.

The second half of the loop is a lot more exposed. It’s the classic Sydney hike under the blazing sun, with the ocean on one side and thick, scrubby sand-dune vegetation on the other.

There is a little side detour to an old 1800’s cemetery as there used to be a hospital out here and it’s where all the infectious diseases were sent.

So there are actually two separate buildings that make up the Art Gallery of NSW. The second one has been built since I have been away so I’ve never been inside it before. I was in the vicinity, it was a hot day (isn’t it always) and thought why not.

I’m not sure about this new building. I mean they must have spent a packet on it. But it’s an art gallery and there is hardly any space to put art. It’s mostly just a big empty space. I’m sure architects go into raptures over it, but there just wasn’t much art in there. It was kind of disappointing to be honest.

I did see the HSC students art. That was interesting, some of it was really very good. Even though it was tucked away in the corner and you had to go down a very narrow, crowded corridor to see it.

I went to the Botanic Gardens the other day. They are in a prime position right next to Circular Quay. I am finding in Sydney that even if the day starts off cloudy and the BOM says there is a 90% chance of rain, you are still going to get a beautiful day.

The botanical were really nice, lots of different plants and things to see. They had an exhibit on whilst I was there about rainforests. It was in their shiny new exhibition space, but it’s not a must see. Though if you are having something to eat there I would recommend the Leaf Cafe, over the other cafe.

I went to the Australian Museum the other day. I guess it’s like NSW’s natural history museum. It had on the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer award at the same time. I would often go to the same award in London, but there it was always completely packed and kind of an unpleasant experience. I remember I once saw it in Birmingham purely by chance and that was much quieter and more pleasant.

This one in Sydney was also great, just not many people there. So you could take your time and enjoy the photos. It did make me want to visit everywhere they photographed. It was only locations in Australia and New Zealand, so very close to home.

I know people wax lyrical about how beautiful Sydney is, but it really is a beautiful city. I happened to be in Circular Quay, which I would say is like the Leicester Square of Sydney. But where Leicester Square has the M&M store and statues or movie characters, Circular Quay has the opera house and the bridge and ferries.

Then just sitting on the train platform waiting for the train, instead of rats and litter, this is your view.

I am so glad we are so far from Europe. Because they would all be here if we were closer.