Sydney, Baby, Sydney!
Trip Start
Sep 04, 2007
1
15
18
Trip End
Feb 08, 2008
Sydney,
Australia
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Next day, we woke up early to begin cleaning up the house for the Duggan's going away party they were throwing for Jane and Neil. At 11:30 the first guests began to arrive. By that time Neil had already begun grilling the lambchops he'd been marinating all morning, and Anna, the oldest Duggan, had made a really nice couscous salad
a Wedgetailed Eagle at the birdshow @ Taronga
. As more people showed up, the table was suddenly gilded with a plethora of hors d'oeuvres from hummus to tzaziki with pita bread chips to mango dip and rice-stuffed grape leaves. By the time lunch came around, I was fully stuffed, with a fat stupid grin on my face. Needless to say, it was a good send-off, and as everyone departed, I was sad to reflect that I would be leaving the Duggan home early in the morning. They are wonderful, friendly people, and there home feels full of life and happiness. It's a feeling replicated every time I visit one of Jane and Neil's friends, and I feel very fortunate to have them as my guides, and that no one seems to mind the free-loading nephew tagging along. On Sunday morning, I got up a bit later than I probably should and dawdled about the house in a somnambulant sort of way, milking a cup of coffee. It was suddenly ten past seven and we should already have been on our way to the airport. Though the airport is only about ten minutes away, the morning traffic halted our progress for nearly half an hour and we finally made it to the JetStar kiosk at 7:41. The flight didn't leave until 8:25, but because it was for some reason operating out of the international terminal, this meant apparently that the check-in closed half an hour early, and that the clerk was required to be snide and condescending. It also meant that we had to transfer to the domestic terminal (at $8 a head), where we would have to purchase new tickets for a Qantas operated flight (another $125) leaving at 9:15
Ian makes a donation to the galah
. We only just made that flight by the time we'd been through the check-in line again and security and listened to other disgruntled passengers mutter to themselves and others about the "stupid airline *#@!%$ closing the gate early" and "the stupid roundabout *^%$ bloody takin' forever to get anywhere....*^^$%". One fellow, who had an extraordinarily unimaginative vocabulary and an apparent hearing problem was actually taken out of the line right behind us by an official after directing a particularly unkind critique at some airline clerks. We took this lesson in step and paid our way like good little sheep and in an hour and a half found ourselves in Sydney, being picked up by the amiable face of another of the Ross' worldwide network of friends, Sandy Conte.Sandy took us around Sydney that morning- showing us the famous Bondi Beach, the fish market, where we picked up some oysters and prawns for dinner, and treating us to some gorgeous views of the harbour from various hillsides around the city. That night, as ever, we were overly hospitably wined and dined, and I was only too happy to help with the dishes.
Monday morning we got up at the crack of 10 o'clock, and Sandy dropped us off at Taronga Park (aka the Sydney Zoo.) We spent probably five hours hiking up and down the hillside replete with an amazing diversity of well-designed animal exhibits from every nook and cranny of the globe. Among the best of these was a large aviary where you could walk in amongst dozens of native Australian birds, of which I am happy to say, I could readily identify a great many
scaley brestead lorikeet and a bronzewing
. Also, there was a "Free Flight Show," wherein a vast number of well-trained birds responded to various cues to come flying out of the foliage around a small amphitheatre overlooking the harbour to zoom just over the heads of the audience and perch at predesignated places. It was pretty amazing. Also, I must say, I could have watched the platypuses swim about their aquarium for hours---they're just ridiculous and utterly fascinating creatures! After the zoo, we spent a brief time walking about the Rocks, which is the historical district of Sydney, with a rich and swarthy history stretching back to early colonial times.Today we were afforded a surfeit of sunlight to enjoy Sydney in all its splendour. We again woke up a bit late, and finally headed out of the house a bit after 10. Lewis, who is about the same age as Ian, played hookie to act as our personal tour guide. Since the next ferry into Circular Quay (the central stop-off for Sydney exploration) wouldn't come till 11, we spent the intervening time walking around the old cottage where Australia's celebrated poet "Banjo" Patterson used to stay at his grandparents'. (Banjo Patterson wrote the great work "The Man from Snowy River", as well as "Waltzing Matilda," Australia's national anthem.)
Once in downtown Sydney, we beelined for the Museum of Contemporary Art. There we spent about an hour perusing the works of a Pakistani artist named Shahzia Sikander. http://www.shahziasikander.com/ Jane and I agreed we had rarely seen a recent artist whose works were so immediately impressive and engaging
closeup of the infamous lapwing
. After that, we found a food court and, since we could not find anyone offering potato chips to accompany our packed lunch of PB&Js, we settled for a box of salmon sushi rolls, which we tucked into in the warm sun in front of a newly erected Christmas tree. I'll admit, it was strange, but oddly satisfying. A little random mish-mash is good for the soul in my book.After lunch, we spent at least an hour investigating the informative displays at the Discovery Museum, which laid out the fascinating history of European colonialism, its affect on the native populace of Australia, and how the area of the Rocks had undergone several great changes in the past decades, to become a bustling and profitable tourist district. A short walk out of the Discovery Museum, we found a large group of people huddled around something near one of the ferry docks at the wharf. I at first thought it must be a street performer, but upon our approach, we realized it was Victoria Beckham talking to a reporter, undoubtedly discussing her husband's team's loss last night in the Sydney FC-LA Galaxy exhibition match. We got a bit closer and started taking photos. It was really surreal, since we just happened by and all of a sudden were mere feet from one of the biggest celebrities on the globe. Then, the reporter asked if anyone wanted a photo with Posh. No one immediately responded, apparently taken aback by the offer, and then Ian offered himself, brave lad that he is, and we shoved him forward
echidna
. So Ian got his pic with a former spice girl at the ripe age of 11! Well done lad. Before I could offer myself up the crowd had realized what was going on and started frothing at the mouth like a bunch of wolves, suddenly furious with their camera phones and we thought it best to leave the circle of Papparazzi. Instead we headed for the botanical gardens and one more art museum. Jane forced me into going there, twisting my arm with the suggestion that I HAD to see Sidney Nolan's work (a real quintessential Australian artist I found out later she had read about the day before), and I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed his work, even though I was tired from lots of walking and too much high culture. Nonetheless I persevered and was really impressed with the landscapes and abstract portraits of the fabled Ned Kelly. But then we were finally ready to head back to Gladesville, to be fed a wholesome dinner of salad and lasagne and enjoy the good company of our hosts Michael and Sandy. For dinner, the Conte's daughter Georgia made us a delicious plate of tiramisu. (It's all just too good.) Jane, Ian and I will be leaving early in the morning for Melbourne to stay with the Cooks down there for a few days, and I may meet up with Brendan and some of the others from Wallaby Creek. I've really enjoyed Sydney, and though I've only been here a couple days I feel that staying with the Contes and having them to show me around has allowed me a great glimpse into the life of a Sydneysider that I would not otherwise have experienced. I am sad to leave the Contes, but I know Melbourne will be amazing too. Well, ciao for now.
Matt
Comments
Your Career
I think your writing is as good as Bryson's. You should be a travel writer, but only in your spare time - we in the scientific community would hate to lose you.