Day 48 – Sydney, Australia

It seemed like everyone on Viking Sky was up very early this morning to be on deck as we sailed into Sydney Harbor. The sun was just rising as we glimpsed the Sydney skyline, passed by the iconic Sydney Opera House, and then sailed under the Sydney Harbor Bridge. This must rank as one of the top ten spectacular sail-ins in the world.

My First Views of the Sydney Skyline, Opera House, and Harbor Bridge

The Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Harbor Bridge, from Both Directions

The Many Skyline Views of Sydney

Australia requires a face-to-face immigration inspection, and like New Zealand, strict biosecurity measures are in place. Our ship was cleared by 8:00 am, and I proceeded ashore for my inspection and then my optional tour, “Sydney Opera House, Harbor, and Bondi Beach.” This is the description:

Discover the best of Sydney’s iconic harbor and its most famous ocean playground, Bondi Beach. You will start where modern Australia began as a penal colony in 1788, the Rocks district. This historic enclave nestled in the shadow of the Sydney Harbor Bridge depicts the heritage of two centuries along its narrow, twisting streets. Then, discover the Sydney Opera House, one of the world’s most distinctive buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, during a short guided tour and viewing of the sail-like roof. Continue east along the shoreline to The Gap at Watson’s Bay, the southern head of Sydney Harbor. Take in spectacular views before proceeding to Bondi Beach, a world-renowned surfing haven and magnificent arc of golden sand. Disembark your coach to take photos before returning to Sydney along the narrow streets of Paddington, with their picturesque terraces framed with iron-laced balconies, sandstone houses, designer boutiques, galleries and cafés.

Our ship was docked at White Bay Cruise Terminal in the Sydney Harbor, and we made out way from there into the Central Business District. Unfortunately, a motorcoach is not the best way to see a downtown area due to the scale of the buildings and the narrow streets. Unless one is riding on the upper level of an open-air bus, it’s virtually impossible to see above the lower stories of the buildings. On the other hand, when one has only a short time in a city, a motorcoach tour allows one to cover more territory.

As we left White Bay, our guide Michael pointed out rows of Sydney terrace houses, a classic example of Australian architecture. I always enjoy learning about vernacular architecture and found out that a terrace house typically features a front verandah and is not unlike the homes found in London during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Some, like the ones we passed, are two to three stories in height and feature cast iron balustrades on the verandahs.

Sydney Terrace Houses

The Sydney shoreline is characterized by a series of finger wharfs and many harbors, and we drove past several of them. A favorite was Darling Harbor, a large recreational and pedestrian neighborhood adjacent to the downtown area.

Darling Harbor

We stopped for a photo op near the base of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and then drove through The Rocks, the birthplace of modern Sydney. The Rocks is named after the rocky, sandstone peninsula where convicts and their guards first stepped ashore and settled. Today, it is a popular entertainment district with a pub on almost every corner. This area is one that can only be appreciated on foot, but there was no time for that today.

Sydney Harbor Bridge from Below

A Few Buildings in The Rocks

Sydney’s Central Business District contains a wealth of significant modern and historic buildings, and Michael tried to point out most of them.

A Few Buildings, and a Park, in the Central Business District

By this point, it was time for our much-anticipated tour of the Sydney Opera House. The Opera House has its own guides, and we had an excellent tour of both the theater, where photos were not allowed, and the concert hall, where we could take photos. Our guide explained how the opera house came to be, its architecture, its controversies, and its importance to the people of Australia.

Various Views of the Sydney Opera House

Joan Sutherland Theater Foyer, Corridors, And Details

Terraces Overlooking Sydney Harbor

Concert Hall Foyer, Corridors, and Details

Concert Hall

The Roof Is Comprised of Precast Concrete Shells Covered with Glazed Tiles

After our tour, we began our drive to Bondi Beach. We drove through two of the city’s wealthiest suburbs and passed by beautiful houses with spectacular views. We stopped at The Gap, an ocean cliff that faces the Tasman Sea, and then saw the Macquarie Lighthouse, the first and longest serving lighthouse site in Australia. The current lighthouse was completed in 1883.

Beautiful Views, The Gap, and Macquarie Lighthouse

Since I’m not a beach person, I wasn’t particularly interested in our stop at Bondi Beach, one of the most visited beaches in Australia. I did take a few photos but mostly used the time to stop at an ATM for Australian dollars.

Bondi Beach

Overall, this excursion hit the highlights of Sydney for me and gave me a good feel for this amazing city. I just wish I had more time to spend here.

The highlight of our afternoon was a special performance by the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. The Brandenburg is Australia’s premier ensemble dedicated to the performance of baroque and early music, using period instruments. The concert, which included pieces by Vivaldi, Bach, Corelli, and others, was phenomenal, and Tim and I were especially grateful that Viking, a major partner of the orchestra, offered this unique cultural opportunity.

An Afternoon with Brandenburg and Viking (Photos of the Performance Were Not Permitted)

Today marked the end of our second World Cruise segment, from Los Angeles to Sydney. I had hoped to get a screenshot of the map to illustrate this segment, but the Ship Tracker was not cooperating.