Australia bellringing trip, 2007: S y d n e y
Sydney
[ ::back to Perth and Adelaide:: ]
| Might as well get the famous bits done first! Actually, I loved it. The harbour area of Sydney really is fabulous. It has to be one of the places to visit once during a lifetime. Or, more than once? From Circular Quay, where the ferries depart, here's a view of "That Bridge"... |  |
| ... and here's that iconic structure, the Sydney Opera House. What a location; quite stunning. |  |
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An arty shot. The shapes almost encourage arty shots. It is quite big when you get up close! |
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| About an hour's ferry ride cruising the scenic Sydney Harbour brings you to Manly Beach, just to the North. No jelly fish at this time of year :) Not many decent waves either. I thought this was a surfing country? Oh well, back to Cornwall then... |  |
| Of course, the nifty thing to do is to time your return trip on the ferry to get the sunset. So, with about a thousand other people who'd had the same idea, and with bags of shopping for the evening cookup, we were on the ferry back to Sydney in golden evening light. Magical views, accompanied by the sounds of digital cameras clicking away. Yes, clicking. Why don't people turn off that annoying sound; there's no need for digital cameras to click! |  |
| The bridge at night, from Milsons Point (North shore). There's really no need to do anything in the warm evening air except sit down, listen to the waves lapping the harbour wall, and reflect. |  |
| Cameras are banned from the Bridge Climb! I suppose you might drop it onto a passing car 100 metres below. Oh well, this view will have to do, from the South Pylon. This view is West-ish, and the other large bridge (The ANZAC Bridge) can be seen together with part of the Central Business District. The lanes of traffic lead to a toll at the far end, and two railway lines run alongside. |  |
| Sydney transport is well developed. The double-decker electric multiple units come in from suburbs in all directions, and many of them run round the City Loop which takes in the main centre including a stop at Circular Quay from where you can see the Bridge. Long distance trains stop in the terminus part, to the right of this picture. The trains are a mixture of new and old (such as this) stock. The seats on the old stock are reversible so you can sit facing either way. |  |
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Ringing!
There's plenty of ringing to be enjoyed in and around Sydney. In fact there are some excellent bells and I could happily live here! This is Burwood; I rang a peal here. 8 bells; tenor 11cwt |
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This fine cathedral houses an equally fine ring of bells (in the central tower). There are splendid views of the city as you walk
across the Nave roof, except it was dark when we went. Another place to return to one day. This view is taken from the shrubbery in Hyde Park.
12 bells; tenor 35cwt |
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Interior of St Andrews. Although rather hemmed in by other city buildings, this is a lovely church.
12 bells; tenor 29cwt |
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Randwick originally had steel bells which are well known for awful tone quality! Thankfully the tower now houses a very nice sounding ring of 8.
8 bells; tenor 14cwt |
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Its once you leave the (terrible) city traffic and head out on the
long open roads that you can get an idea of that great Australian asset: the vast outback. We only caught glimpses of it, but I was please to snap an example of the famous Aussie road sign as we zoomed along :) |
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| Only a few km (well, 100) from Sydney the foothills of the Blue Mountains rise. Soon, you can be there enjoying views like this. The tree cover is predominantly Eucalyptus (or Gum Tree) of various types. The blue haze is caused by the oil that evapourates from their leaves. In Summer fires can be very bad (for humans - it is natural for the forests). And of course, dangerous wild animals and spiders are behind every tree. Venture in if you dare. | |
| The panoramic views and tranquility are not captured very well on camera. The trembling haze and sound of water faintly trickling far below ... sorry, you'll just have to go and see for yourself! |  |
| Where you have limestone mountains, there are caves. Countless years before humans came along, rainwater was dissolving away the hills... dripping through cracks. The Jenolan Caves are a well trodden tourist attraction, but very well managed. This picture was taken in Baal's Temple, accessed by a long descent. It shows an explorer's drinking bottle. Imagine the first time the cave was discovered. No lights, scrambling through wet crevices. Gollum just around the next corner. In early days people would catch water from the regular drips. This bottle was left there after the cave was discovered. In the intervening 50 years or so it has gradually taken on calcium carbonate and merged into the "cave furniture"! |  |
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| Airport. Taxiing. Leaving! A splendid three weeks. And a final look at Central Sydney from Sydney International. Back to the Northern Hemisphere. |