Back To Canada

On the morning of December 15th, we woke up, got dressed, and checked our luggage to see if everything was packed. We had entered the last leg of our trip: the journey home. Sure, it was fun travelling around Australia for the last month but as Dorothy Gale would say, “There’s no place like home.” After carrying our luggage down to the ground floor, we checked out of the Hyde Park Inn and waited for the airport shuttle. When it arrived, my parents & I bid farewell to my brother and wished him luck in his future studies. He would be catching a bus back to Canberra. The airport shuttle stopped by several other hotels to pick up more travelers. It was a little cramped but we made it to the Sydney International Airport with plenty of time to spare. The airport shuttle cost about $12 per person.

The Air Canada check-in line was long, as were the lines for the other airlines, but we finally made it to one, only to be told that our flight from Canada was delayed due to winter weather. Here we go again. To prevent us from causing a scene, the check-in clerk gave us $10 restaurant vouchers. With even more time to spare, we decided to use the vouchers at The Terrace Bar & Brasserie and dine on a formal breakfast, having eggs benedict. Following breakfast, we passed the time sitting outside on a patio reading books, and I walked up to the observation deck to photograph the scenery. When it was time, my parents & I walked through security and made our way to the gate. Unfortunately, that meant walking through the Duty Free section, an area that caters to the travelers’ addiction with ‘cheap’ alcohol and chocolate. What caught my attention was a Swarovski diamond bottle on sale for $4000AUD.

For the trans-Pacific flight to Vancouver, I was assigned a seat a few rows ahead of my parents. As the plane filled with passengers it appeared that I would have an entire row to myself. However, that hope was dashed when I was informed by a stewardess that the other two seats would be occupied by a father & his infant child after takeoff. Not wanting to sit next to a crying baby for 13 hours & 45 minutes, I accepted an offer to switch my seat with the mother who was also looking after a child, thereby letting the family of 4 sit together. The mother’s seat had more leg room and easy access to the washroom so I guess it was a good deal. During the flight I occupied my time listening to music, watching the film Inception again to fully understand the plot, eat the okay food, and lapse in & out of consciousness. Somewhere in the middle of the flight, the plane crossed the International Dateline and leapt into the past.

Upon arrival in Vancouver, we disembarked from the plane and stood in a long line to clear customs. Past that, we picked up our luggage and made our way to the Air Canada domestic transfer desk only to be told that we had missed our flight to Regina. Figures. Along with other annoyed passengers who had missed their transfer flights, we were re-booked to fly first to Edmonton, then to Regina in the evening. Seeing that we had an entire afternoon to kill, we had lunch at Monk’s Grill, dining on good food & wine.

The delays were far from over. Upon reaching the gate for our flight to Edmonton, we were told to wait some 45 minutes more because the crew had yet to arrive from another flight. My parents & I passed the time watching the evening news and having a quick nap. The flight crew finally arrived from a previous flight and got the plane ready to depart. Everyone was boarded and the plane took off towards Edmonton.

At this time, the news in Edmonton was not that great. A huge winter storm was blowing through the area, dropping the temperature to -15 degrees Celsius, and making air travel more difficult. Thankfully, the plane safely touched down and we made it to the gate for the Regina flight with time to spare . . . because it too was delayed. Now up until this point in our return trip, we had not come into contact with the harsh Canadian winter, thanks to air bridges and heated terminals. Our bodies were still used to the warm Australian climate. In Edmonton, however, that all changed because we had to board our flight to Regina via the open tarmac. I was glad that I was wearing winter clothing and had a hat & gloves to put on because I was greeted by strong winds & numbing cold when I stepped onto the snow covered tarmac. Once safely inside the small Air Canada Jazz jet, the plane was de-iced by ground crews, and then took off into the night sky.

Fate decided to throw us one last scare by getting the pilot to announce the possibility of the flight being diverted to Winnipeg due to low fog in Regina. The tension was raised even further when the pilot later announced that he was going to try and land in Regina but if his first landing attempt wasn’t successful, he would have no choice but to divert to Winnipeg. I stared out the window during the final approach, hopelessly trying to see the city lights below the plane. The runway suddenly appeared and the wheels touched the ground with a ‘thud.’ The plane came to a full stop and then the pilot taxied the aircraft to the terminal. There, we were met by my uncle & his oldest daughter who had winter coats for us. We would stay with my grandmother for the next two days, recuperating from jet lag, before flying back to Ottawa.

And that’s how our Australian trip turned out. It was fun & exciting. In a span of 4 weeks, I got to explore many places for the first time and capture it all on camera. In total, I took about 500 digital pictures and a short video of my brother’s graduation. I can now say that I successfully climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and attended a concert at the Sydney Opera House. I’ll definitely be back because there’s still a lot more to explore & experience. Australia has a lot to offer so give it a try some time. You won’t regret it.

Manly

And so the big day had finally arrived. Two episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show were going to be filmed at the renamed Sydney Oprah House, entertaining viewers with many acts and celebrity interviews. Thankfully, we would be nowhere near the harbour front while the whole spectacle was happening. For today, we would be spending time with The Motyka’s, friends of my mother, in the northern suburb of Manly. A university professor and a medical doctor, the Motyka’s were born and raised in Australia and continue to practice their professions in Newcastle.

Manly lies 17 kilometres to the northeast of downtown Sydney and is currently home to around 14,000 people. The area has been a seaside resort for residents and tourists since the late 19th century. Queenscliff Beach, North Steyne Beach, and Manly Beach all make up a 1.5 kilometre stretch of sand on the ocean side of the neighbourhood, lined with restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlours, recreational stores, and palm trees.

In the early morning, we met the Motyka’s in front of our hotel and briefly spoke about our Australian adventures up until that point. We waited at a nearby bus stop and hopped on the free CBD Shuttle (Route 555) that chauffeurs passengers around the heart of the downtown core. When the bus was near Circular Quay, we jumped off and walked to the area to catch the ferry to Manly. Oprahmania had swept across Circular Quay with Oprah flags flying from light posts, tourists wearing Oprah shirts & hats, buskers playing music for anxious fans, and hired security guards directing ticket holders to the audience entrances.

It took several minutes to wade through the crowd and purchase our return ferry tickets at the ferry terminal. After waiting some more, we got on the ferry (as did many others) and sailed towards Manly. A line of orange water buoys had been placed around the Sydney Opera House to prevent private boats from getting close to the stage. But that didn’t stop an armada of sailing boats and private vessels from streaming towards the opera house to see the show. The armada crossed paths with the ferry we were on and was being watched/recorded by two helicopters in the sky.

We arrived at the Manly ferry 30 minutes after departure and disembarked onto unexplored territory. If I didn’t value my teeth, I would have bought a ton of lollies from the candy stall inside the ferry terminal. The best way to get to the beaches is to walk through the The Corso, a pedestrian street mall where one can find hotels, restaurants, artistic sculptures, clothing boutiques, and a church. On Google Earth, the walkway appears to have been made out of zebra skin. Since it was a sunny summer day, The Corso was crawling with families & loud talking teenagers.

The mood was the same when we emerged onto North Steyne Road, the main road that runs along the sandy beaches. Since we didn’t come to swim, we just walked around and gazed at the Miami-like scene. Our ‘beach-gazing’ was interrupted by the rumblings of our stomachs, so it was decided that they needed to be silenced by food & drinks. We ate outside under the sun at the Whitewater Restaurant on South Steyne Road, enjoying a variety of dishes and white wine. Many topics and future plans were discussed during the delicious meals.

After lunch, we headed back to the ferry terminal since none of us had a craving to shop. I should have stopped into the church to see if the priest was also a surfer. Overall, Manly is a nice getaway place to take a break with friends. Maybe next time, we’ll explore the North Head Army Barracks at the nearby Sydney Harbour National Park. The 30 minute ferry ride back to Circular Quay was windy & uneventful. I passed the time photographing the surrounding area. After disembarking from the ferry we caught the train back to our hotel. There, we parted with our friends and hoped to see them again the next time we visited Australia.

Since this was our last night in Australia we decided to have dinner somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be a Kebab Pizza Pide shop on a street I can’t remember. We ordered one large pizza, half BBQ meatlovers and half margarita, and 2 soda cans, all for $20AUD. The food quality was good. When we were finished, we walked back to our hotel, packed up, and went to sleep.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb

The 13th of December wasn’t over for my brother & me, for we had a historic bridge to climb. Nicknamed ‘The Coat Hanger,’ the Harbour Bridge is the world’s widest long-span bridge, and tallest steel arch bridge (134m). Construction began in 1923 and was completed in 1932 during the Great Depression, linking the central business district to the North Shore. The structure is held together by 6 million rivets and carries 8 vehicle lanes, two train lines, and a foot & cycle path.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb opened its doors on October 1st, 1998, providing thrill seekers the opportunity to climb to the top of the bridge via service catwalks & ladders. So far, over 2 million people (local, tourists, & famous celebrities) have climbed to the 134 metre summit and my brother & I were going to be the latest. There are 3 climbing options to choose from. The Bridge Climb is a 3 & a half hour walk along the catwalks & ladders. The Discovery Climb is also 3 & a half hours but you reach the summit via the bridge’s inner arch. The Express Climb is a ‘quick’ 2 hour & 15 minute trek to the summit. Prices vary according to day & time: between $198 to $298 for adults, and $128 - $198 for children.

We decided to do the Discovery Climb during the Twilight hours, meaning by the time we reached the summit, the cityscape would be brightly lit at night. Before you step out onto the catwalks, there are several procedures that you have to complete. First is a waver/consent form followed by a breathalyzer test. No drunks allowed. Next you suit up and go to the washroom for ‘the last time.’ Yes, there have been accidents at the summit. As an added precaution, I swallowed some Gravol to prevent nausea & vomiting. You’re assigned a locker where you place all your valuables & loose articles (ie wallet, watch, necklace, & camera) so that they are not lost during the excursion. And finally, you’re briefly instructed on what to expect and how to operate your harness & equipment.

Our enthusiastic & energetic Climb Leader led our group of 10 thrill seekers onto the metallic catwalks as night settled across Sydney. After making sure all of our safety lines were attached to the railing, we slowly walked beneath the bridge as our Climb Leader talked about the history & construction of the bridge. The first notable landmark we passed was the luxurious Park Hyatt Sydney Hotel, which sits beside the bridge. Our Climb Leader explained that many famous celebrities stayed & continue to stay at this hotel when they visit Sydney, occupying the top penthouse suite (private pool included) that costs $6000 a night. He even mentioned seeing Will Ferrell & Catherine Zeta Jones on two separate occasions. He also added that he wouldn’t be surprised if Oprah was staying there.

With every step we took, the catwalks became narrow & low forcing us to crouch and avoid hitting pipes. While we inched our way closer to the summit, the constant rumbling of passing vehicles & trains filled our ears. Having skydived twice in New Zealand, climbing a bridge wasn’t that scary for me. In fact, if you keep looking out towards the skyline & harbour, you don’t get the feeling that you’re high up and exposed. The feeling only surfaces when you look straight down. My brother was a little anxious & hesitant during the steeper portions of the climb but he toughed it out till the very end. Like I’ve said before, skydiving will cure anyone’s acrophobia.

As we neared the summit, our Climb Leader enlightened us with several interesting stories that happened on the Harbour Bridge, mentioning BASE jumpers, eloped weddings, and people climbing up to the top to drink beer with friends or to place large objects at the top. This was well before security cameras and chain link fences were installed around the bridge. I was surprised to hear that several locals had managed to place a shopping cart at the top.

We were greeted by a large Australian flag on a flagpole as we reached the summit, overjoyed to have achieved what some thought was impossible. Oprah & several of her diehard fans made the same ascent just the day before. We posed for pictures and walked around, gazing at the beautiful 360 degree scenery. This was the best place to view the Sydney Opera House and downtown Sydney. The only other place with a great view of the city is the Sydney Tower.

‘What goes up must come down.’ The descent was just as interesting because we were walking down the other side of the bridge, and we had to look down meaning more feelings of anxiety. But by this time, I wasn’t having any of it. I was having fun.

Once we were inside the main building, we were all congratulated on a job well done and instructed to remove our climbing gear and fill out a survey. We were then presented with a certificate of completion & a complimentary photo. You also have the option of purchasing the other pictures that were taken during the climb but my main complaint is that the price is too expensive. Since I looked stoned in the complimentary photo, I bought two better looking photos on CD. It cost $35AUD; $25 for the first and $10 for the second. Way too much! Of course, if you want to spend more money, there is a wide variety of t-shirts, baseball caps, mugs, cards, models, and DVDs to buy at the gift shop.

It was around 11pm when my brother & I walked out of the Bridge Climb building. I congratulated him for confronting his fears & said that he was ready for skydiving. He said he’d think about it. To celebrate, we had a drink at the nearby Harbour View Hotel. From there we returned to the hotel and got some much needed sleep.

If you have the time, energy, and cash, give this climb a try. It is truly a worthy experience to have, especially for acrophobics looking to cure their illness.

The Blue Mountains

The 13th of December was a very busy day for the family & me. Thankfully, I wasn’t feeling sick so I was ready to seize the day (Carpe Diem). The day began in the early hours of the morning, with everyone slowly crawling out of their beds, getting dressed, and eating a like breakfast. Then we walked several blocks to Central Station to catch a train to the town of Katoomba, located next to the Blue Mountains. My parents had been there before but the visit was spoiled by fog. Return tickets cost around $16AUD each. There was a slight hiccup at the train station when it was announced that we had to switch trains because of a technical fault. Along with a wave of passengers, we exited the train and quickly walked over to another platform and got on the replacement train just in time.

The Blue Mountains is a mountainous region located 50 kilometres to the west of Sydney, consisting of sandstone plateaus and gorges up to 760 metres deep. Before the arrival of the Europeans, the area had been inhabited by the Gundungurra people for millennia. Europeans began exploring & mapping the area in 1799. Katoomba (est. 1879) is the area’s main town, with a population of around 7,600 and sitting 1,017 metres above sea level. The economy is heavily based on tourism, showcasing the spectacular mountain views and extensive bush & nature walks in the surrounding area to visitors from around the world.

The train slowly pulled out of Central and we settled in for a quiet two hour ride. Unfortunately, the quiet atmosphere was disrupted by a group of loud talking Asian tourists. All. The. Way. There. I guess there was something very important to discuss. Anyway, despite that, the scenery around the train gradually changed from urban to suburban to rural to green wilderness. The wilderness was vast, majestic, and appeared undamaged by mankind.

We were greeted by warm and sunny weather as we stepped off the train in Katoomba in the middle of the morning. We slapped on sunscreen and took a bathroom break before exiting the near deserted train station. My brother was lucky enough to get two small bags of chips for the price of one from a vending machine. In the town centre one can find cafes, restaurants, bookstores, and the Carrington Hotel (est. 1880), the town’s main hotel. The main street that runs through the city centre is called . . . Katoomba Street. We stopped into a café for a light snack and a used bookstore that also had Internet access. After checking my email, I scanned through the vast collection of titles, eventually purchasing Worst Journeys: The Picador Book of Travel, edited by Keath Fraser, and originally published in 1994. The book is a collection of travel stories (the bad kind) written by many experienced trekkers, surprisingly, many of which are Canadian.

My father, brother, & I walked all the way to Echo Point, leaving my mother to explore the town. The ascending & descending roads made it a challenge for my dad but we succeeded in reaching the place to photograph the breath-taking scenery. Echo Point was crawling with tourists and a face painted Aboriginal busker playing a didgeridoo. The tourist site is basically a large concrete balcony built on top of a steep cliff and I do mean steep. When you look over the metal railing on the lowest balcony it’s a straight drop to the green trees below. I thought to myself that this would be a perfect place to establish a bungee jump platform but I guess that would prevent people from photographing the majestic landscape around them. Just to the right of Echo Point is the famous Three Sisters rock formation. The formations were created from erosion over time and are called Meehni (922m), Wimlah (918m), and Gunnedoo (906m).

Once we had photographed everything from every possible angle, we walked back to the town centre under the hot sun. It’s a good thing we drank some fluids before leaving otherwise we may have passed out from the heat. We met up with my mother and had a deli-like lunch at the Mountain Ridges Restaurant. By then it was the afternoon and time for us to head back to Sydney. While waiting for the hourly train at the train station, I passed the time reading my newly purchased book and wondered ‘How would I rate this recent half-day excursion?’ Despite the minor annoyances at Central Train Station & on the train, our Blue Mountain trip turned out quite well. It was nothing compared to the stories in Worst Journeys.

The two hour train ride back to Sydney was much more relaxing and the scenery around the train slowly morphed into an urban metropolis. We disembarked at Central Station and walked back to our hotel, reminiscing about what we just saw. If we had more time, we would have done a scenic trail walk and ride the Katoomba Scenic Railway.

Evening Performance

I’m not sure what it was but the following morning my head was spinning. Maybe it was leftover jetlag or too much wine from the previous night but it was constant and left me unbalanced. Taking pain killers wasn’t an immediate help so I chose to stay in the hotel room all morning and sleep while my parents & brother went out to explore more of Sydney. The added hours of sleep helped a lot and slowly the headache or hangover slowly dissipated until it was no more.

With time leftover before the family would arrive, I passed the time watching some television. The biggest news happening at the time was the impending arrival of American talk show goddess Oprah Winfrey & 300 of her loyal fans to record two shows at the Sydney Opera House. Oprah had announced the Ultimate Australian Adventure trip on September 13, at the end of the final season premiere show. Of course, her audience went ballistic like children who get everything they ever dreamed of having at once. And I thought evangelical Christian congregations were bad. Anyway, Oprah and her handpicked audience arrived in Australia the day before and were busy enjoying all that Australia had to offer. According to several Americans being interviewed, this was the first time they had ever left the United States and they were loving every minute of it. (Only 22% of Americans own a passport). Oprah’s entire operation was pumping $47 million USD into the Australian economy.

With the arrival of the late afternoon, the family & I changed into more formal clothing and walked from our hotel down to the Sydney Opera House. The building is probably the most recognizable Australian landmark followed by the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and completed in 1973, 14 years after construction began. Yes, that’s a long time but it was worth it. Despite the name, the Opera House is not one building but several containing: a concert hall, opera theatre, drama theatre, playhouse, studio, The Utzon Room, and a large open air venue called the Forecourt.

When my mother was planning the Australian excursion, she was able to secure 4 tickets to a performance of Handel’s Messiah, probably his most popular oratorio. An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. The lyrics are often derived from religious texts. G.F. Handel composed the oratorio in 1741, organizing it into 3 parts: Annunciation, The Passion, and The Aftermath. The lyrics are taken from the King James Christian Bible.

The sun was just descending behind the clouds as we entered the area around the opera house. Like always, the area was filled Sydney residents and tourists. I don’t think this area ever gets quiet. The bars & cafés that line the waterfront were just filled with people. Also, the plaza in front of the opera house was fenced off because workers were putting together the grand stage for the Oprah Winfrey Show. We made our way inside the opera house and up the escalators to the concert hall area. I should mention that this was the first time we would see a performance at the iconic opera house. As we were waiting to be let into the concert hall, I was surprised to see staff selling programs for $9 AUD. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I think selling programs is wrong & they should be free. Maybe the global recession was taking its toll on the place?

Our seats gave us a good view of the main stage and after several minutes every seat in the concert hall was occupied. It was also surprising to see how big the production was; the choir alone had 250 people! The orchestra was about 60 people and there were 4 soloists. It would take too many pages to describe each part so I’ll just say that the performance was very good. Following the two century old tradition, everyone stood up during the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus. There was one funny moment when there came a loud ‘thud!’ from above. I thought someone had just suffered a heart attack but my dad argued that someone must have fallen asleep and then fallen out of their chair. Either way, I congratulate the conductor for not stopping the performance.

After the performance, we walked along the waterfront pondering where to go to next. Night had settled but the waterfront was still alive and jumping. Seeing hundreds of people sitting at the bars & drinking made us want to do the same. We settled on a place called the ICE Bar and ate very good food & drank good fine under the brightly lit Sydney skyline. What a night to remember.