Lucky Sydney
Trip Start
Sep 04, 2007
1
40
59
Trip End
May 28, 2008
Sydney,
Australia
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The customs people let me in with all my gear and no difficult questions like in NZ. As I was leaving the arrivals area a random bloke asked me if I had just arrived... I was expecting some sales pitch for a hostel or an offer of a taxi, but it turned out he had bought a 1-week travel pass for Sydney public transport that he no longer needed since he was flying home... So he was kind enough to give it away and I got 4 days free travel on all the Sydney buses, trains and ferries! When I arrived at my hostel I was told that they had a promotion on and I had overpaid with my booking....so they refunded $16. Not a bad start to OZ.
The highlight of my stay in Sydney was the Harbour Bridge Climb. The Coathanger is a very impressive sight and looks very similar to the Tyne bridge in Newcastle. The bridge spans 300m and the highest point of the arch is 134m above sea level. It is a huge bridge with 8 lanes of traffic, 2 train lines, a cycle path and a footpath. Construction required 6 million hand driven rivets, all of them from Lancashire. I hadn't previously realised that the two pylons at either end of the bridge are not attached to the arch. They are there for decoration, largely because back in the 1920s the public didn't believe that a free-standing metal arch would be safe.
Our group got kitted out in matching climbing suits, harnesses and caps. We introduced ourselves to the rest of the group members and chatted about travels. One couple were from Tickenham near Bristol, and it turned out that I drove past their house every day for a couple of years to get to work! We had a brief training session on how to use the static line that prevents people from falling off the bridge, before setting off with our guide for the 1-hour trip to the top. It was really interesting to walk through the bridge structure and climb up to the top of the arch. We had plenty of stops and it really wasn't that difficult to climb (the oldest climber ever was 100 year old!). The views of the harbour and Opera house were amazing, and we were lucky with clear blue skies and a nice cool breeze.
Unfortunately you are not allowed to take cameras on the climb because of "safety reasons". But we were allowed to wear sun glasses and caps which were all attached with cords. The no cameras rule is just a way to try and get tourists to buy the photos the guides take during the climb. We did get one free group shot, but it really isn't that great!
I spent the rest of my time looking around Sydney and making the most of my free transport with ferry trips around the harbour and a visit to the famous Bondi Beach. The surfers at Bondi looked like amateurs compared to the local guys on Easter Island, but the sandy beach was pretty nice considering it is so close to Sydney.
