Exploring Sydney Harbour was an amazing experience, even if it was for a short visit. Australia is a beautiful country with bustling cities like the last one I visited, Melbourne.
For a long time, I had Sydney on my bucket list. On top of Sydney is Adelaide, but I had the opportunity to stop by Sydney and was very happy to see the Opera House with my own eyes.
Sydney is an internationally well-known city for the iconic Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It is a vibrant city with a bunch of stuff to explore, hard to believe it was once a British colony of exiled convicts. Today, Sydney is the most populated and diverse cosmopolitan city in Australia.
Visiting the Sydney Harbour
Our visit was very short, but we tried to explore as much as we could until the next time.
The weather was warm and pleasant, and we had a lovely time at the Sydney Harbour. From the Airport we took the train to go to the Harbour. We paid around AUD$2.50 for each.
The train stops right at the Harbour. As soon as we came out, a huge cruiser was anchored at the harbor.
“One of the great things about Sydney is that it has a great acceptance of everyone and everything. It’s an incredibly tolerant city, a city with a huge multicultural basis.”
– Baz Luhrmann
Then, we went toward Hickson Road Reserve to better view the bridge and the iconic opera house.
Sydney has this mix of old 1900s and modern style, making it unique. The harbor is busy, with lots of people and traffic, which definitely gives life to the city.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge has an interesting nickname. The Sydneysiders called their bridge “Coat Hanger” due to its shape in a thoughtful way. This bridge is 91 years old. The construction began in July 1923 and was completed in March 1932.
This bridge is massive. It reminds me of the Tyne Bridge from New York City. They are very similar. Sydney Harbour Bridge has a gigantic, towering arch 134 m (439 feet) high and 503 m (1650 feet) long. We have a longer bridge in the USA, but this one is definitely the largest of its kind.
A fun fact is that the arch height can change due to weather conditions. This makes sense since the steel expands and contracts with heat or cold.
Climbing up to the peak of the bridge’s arch is one of the most popular things to do in Sydney. The view from up there must be astonishing.
The view over the Opera House is incredible. I have seen this picture so many times in books, magazines, and on TV; I did not think I would be able to see it that close. I was very happy to have the opportunity to see it myself.
The opera house took 14 years to build, 10 more than it was expected. Since 2007, this iconic monument has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
An interesting fact is that Arnold Schwarzenegger won the final Mr Olympia bodybuilding title in 1980 in the concert hall.
The roof is supposed to look like a ship’s sails. However, it looks like a “motion,” the Spaniard helmet. This represents the many Australians who were originally settlers of the Land Down Under. They call Australia Land Down Under because of its geographic position in the southern hemisphere.
From the Opera House, we can see the Australian Rockery Lawn.
Exploring Sydney Harbour was a wonderful experience.
It’s too bad we only had a day to spend, but I will definitely go back and take more time to explore this bustling city. The bridge and the Opera house are incredible monuments, and I was fortunate to see them.
Maybe I should come back for New Year when the bridge is decorated, and the fireworks are supposed to be the best in the world.
“If Paris is a city of lights, Sydney is the city of fireworks.”
– Baz Luhrmann