Australia's Sydney Opera House photo by G. Wilson

Now See the Inside

Recognized throughout the world as the Sydney Opera House, this well-known symbol shouts Australia. The architectural mastepiece, with its white, roof shells that resemble sails, is situated on the shore of Sydney's impressive harbour.

Its Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, whose earliest buildings were private homes, was the surprise winner of the competition for the Sydney Opera House. He set about designing a building and in six months drew up the design with its sail-like roofs, whose geometry, he said, derived from the sections of an orange. He commenced work on the project in 1957 and worked on its construction unitl 1966.

As a result of a scandal over cost overruns, design disagreements and continual conflict with the public works minister, who finally stopped payments in 1966, Mr. Utzon packed up and left Australia. He never returned. Government appointed architects took over the project. In 2002, Mr. Utzon was commissioned to design interior renovations, but he sent his architect son to carry out the project. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Sydney, which his son accepted on his behalf, Mr. Utzon, died of a heart attack at age 90 on 29 November, 2008. [*]

Three views of Melbourne Left: Yarra River Reflections at Crown Towers Centre: Paris end of Collins Street, one of the city's most beautiful avenues Right: Victorian Arts Centre with its 162 metre spire that has become one ofthe city's landmarks.

Our first stop in this island continent was at Melbourne, the country's second largest city with a population of 3.5 million. Called the Garden City, its broad, tree-lined avenues are impressive with their stately buildings and colourful boutiques. This financial centre is the home of a number of theatres and some really charming sidewalk cafes. All in all it is a most impressive city.

It was originally settled by Sydney ex-pats and competition between the two cities is immediately event to any tourist. Their 'fighting' finds its focus on their opera houses. While Melbourne's citizens recognize the brillance of Sydney's design, they brag with good reason about the acoustics of theirs, for Sydney's opera house has suffered criticism since its opening for its concert hall's poor acoustics. It is also faulted for its lack of performance and backstage space in the opera theatre. To add insult to injury, Melbourne gave birth to the National Opera Company, but it is now housed in Sydney's distinctive structure.

One of the tours took us to the Arts and Entertainment Centre, whose hodgepodge of architectural designs is very controversial, with few to whom we spoke having much good to say about its mishmashed appearance.

Arts and Entertainment Centre photo by G. Wilson

Another tour was to Sherbrook Forest. In addition to having the world's tallest hardwood trees, it also contained some of the most colourful birds imaginable. They have such names as rosellas, kookaburras and bellbirds ad lyres. They thrive on food, much of which is fed to them by tourists. They are so tame, they will eat from one's hand. The crimson rosella is the most colourful, the green young ones becoming a brilliant red as adults

Sherbrook Forest photo by B. Wilson

Scenes of Sydney

Our next stop was Sydney, which with some four million people, is the largest, oldest and Australians say, the liveliest city in the country. This beautiful city embraces its scenic harbour whose spectacular focal point and landmark of the South Pacifc is the Opera House. If Toronto is looking for an example of what to do with its waterfront, it need look no further than Sydney. Beautifully landscaped, it is a pleasure to stroll along the colourful, paved paths that wind about the harbour, with every twist and turn providing a wonderful view.

Darling Harbour Walkways photo by G.Wilson

Sydney's Darling Harbour photo by G.Wilson

These include The Rocks, the Opera House, St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney Tower, Darling Harbour and Harbour Bridge. As we sailed under it, we could barely see tiny souls shuffling along its arch on the narrow catwalk, tensely making their way to the summit, where they viewed the spectacular sight of the city and its great harbour.

Teeny, Tiny Bridge Walkers photo by G.Wilson

Sydney was not always so inviting. It was established in 1788 as a convict settlement, many of its sad souls having done litte more than steal a few pounds to feed their families. Few who travelled to the fiercesome place, ever saw the shores of dear, old England again. But tales filtered back from the few who returned of a savage land, home to hostile natives and weird, wild, deadly creatures, the like of which had never been seen before.

After a perilous and seemingly endless voyage, the convicts arrived at a primitive place half a world away from their homeland. The first sight they saw of what was to become their prison home, was the harbour, the birthplace of Sydney. Built with strength, endurance and perseverance, their monument is now this metropolis, which covers over 4,000 square miles. The city contains one of four of all Australians.

A Native Australian playing the didjeridoo photo by G. Wilson

A very popular tourist attraction was a show called, Sounds of the Outback, The Outback is the name Australians give to those areas deemed "the bush," the remote arid areas. The term can also colloquially refer to any lands outside of the main urban areas.

The didgeridoo is a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe". They come in all sizes and were a popular purchase by tourists who tried in vain to coax a chord or two from the stubborn pipes. After many had tried without success to make a serious sound, our Aboriginal guide proceeded to keep us amazed at the music he produced with seeming ease.

Governor General's Home photo by G. Wilson

Australia is a land of weird and wonderful creatures, that are found nowhere else on earth. One, in particular, holds a strange fascination for females, many of whom lined up for some time to hold one in their arms for a photo. The tiny, cuddly Koala bear bore it well and was none the worse for wear after more than a few women had held it for a price and smiled ever so sweetly at the camera. Kangeroos, of course, were widespread and the moms with joeys in their pouches were a particular source of interest. Wombats were also crowd pleasers.

A Koala and Friend

Joey and Geri photo by B. Wilson

A Wombat A dingo and A Don't go near, Dear photo by G. Wilson

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Darling Harbour, Sydney photo by B. Wilson

Queen Victoria Market photos by G. Wilson

Alice Springs

Ads for Alice Springs paint a rosy picture of this place in the desert of the Northern Territory. It is known as the capital of the Outback. We only went to Alice Springs to catch a bus to Ayers Rock and our time in that town was brief - fortunately. All the time we wilted away there, we were swating at millions of maddening mites, that assailed one en mass without mercy. They hovered about one's face and flew into any crack or crevice. Some savy tourists wore netting over their heads, for these pesky creatures, while they neither bit nor stung, drove one mad by flying into ears, nose, eyes and mouth. The sign of a citizen of this isolated town was flailing hands and handkerchiefs to keep the hoards at bay. While the town may have its fair share of great places to visit, we were happy to board the bus bound for Ayers Rock, a haven we hoped that would be free of flies.

Live and Learn; Two Innocents Abroad at Alice Springs

The Olgas The centre picture, which is the tallest dome, is 546 metres high. The Kurkora is a desert oak tree. photo by G. Wilson

Ayers Rock's claim to fame is rocks, great, red boulders, bearing the name of Olga. These Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) are made up of thirty-one individual domes and cover an area of thirty square kilometres. They are fashioned in a semi-circle protectively surrounding a central valley. The aboriginal name means "many heads" and they had great tribal significance for the native people who lived there.

Toasting Something photo by G. Wilson

Uluru the monolith photo by G. Wilson

An enjoyable tour at Ayers Rock required us to rise early and climb Uluru. A walk around its base included a stop at the Mutitjulu Waterhole.

Uluru up close photo by G. Wilson

Rock Paintings 20,000 years old Ferns; circles which designate waterholes. photo by G. Wilson

A Charmer with her pet Snake photo by B. Wilson

Catamaran at Cairns

Australia is a warm country, but it much of it is a dry heat and we never really minded it at all. Not, that is, until we were hit by the humid heat of Cairns. We came to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef and it was well worth the wilt.

Our transportation to the what was called the Outer Barrier Reef was by Quicksilver, a "high-speed, wave piercing" catarman. This sleek vessel took us to the very edge of Australia's Continental Shelf, where our vessel tied up alongside a colourful and crowded floating platform. A semi-submersible craft allowed us to see the spectacular, underwater world of life, where fish of every hue, flaunted their colours for all to see. Snorkelling, diving and coral viewing were also featured, following which we were treated to a "sumptuous, tropical, smorgasboard lunch."

Wonderful world of coloured creatures

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Snorkellers gallore photo by B. Wilson

Kuranda Train Tour photo by Mary

Next a Kuranda Train Tour aboard a narrow-guage railroad train, built between 1896-1920, It took us through the suburbs of Cairns before climbing through the Barron Gorge, Our assent took us through 15 tunnels and past two spectacular falls, Stoney Creek and Barron Falls.

Stoney Creek Falls (top) and Barron Falls photos by G. Wilson

When we arrived at Kuranda, we wandered around the village and took in its sights and the sounds, before travelling to Rainforest National Park, 40 hectares of rainforest in which 40 varieties of exotic tropical fruits grow. It also featured more falls and gardens in a World Heritage site, where the average rainfall is 100 inches a year. We were given a closeup look at its flora and fauna in an amphibious army duck, that bumped and banged over rough country and splashed through rainforest rivers and streams. The fauna included beautiful butterflies and birds, as well as turtles, eels, fish, crocodiles and pythons. Our "Duck" captain, knew her rainforest facts well and in her talk on the flora, she explained the mysteries of ancient ferns and forest trees.

Amphibious Craft

We next enjoyed a display of Aboriginal culture and history, the practical demonstrations by Aboriginal performers including boomerang and spear throwing and dancing. The decked out dancers depicted animals and how they hunted and gathered food. All performed in their authentically traditional manner.

Aboriginal Athletes photo by G. Wilson

Aboriginal Dancers

Our tour concluded aboard a cable car in which we floated for 7.5 km high over the lush canopy of the rainforest. It was a fitting flight to finish our tour of this scenic and sensual land where people went out of their way to welcome us to their fascinatingly varied and vast country.

Cable Car

[*]
The Sydney Opera House.
Saturday November 29 2008
Associated Press Guardian.co.uk,

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