Sydney Travel Guide 2015

We were on a cruise circumnavigating Australia which embarked from Sydney Harbour, next to the Opera House. The sailaway was great fun because of the unique views of the Opera House from the water. While the lighting was soft, we had a view of the use of plates and triangular shapes which created the architectural wonder.I went into ecstatic raptures when I saw the Opera House for the first time. It was the same reaction I had when I saw the Great Wall of China.

It can't be age I'm after; I must have a thing for iconic sites. I'll need to test this out by going to the Taj Mahal and the pyramids. They are on my very long to do list. One of the great things about the Opera House is it looks different from every angle. I could never tire of it. We even went to watch a play there, which was great though it had moving pieces of scenery and they got stuck at one point, but, hey, we are in the Sydney Opera House, who cares about minor details?

The Sydney Opera House was designed by Jørn Utzon a 38 year old Dane who in 1957 won an International competition to design an opera house at Bennelong Point, Sydney. Utzon had spectacular plans for the interior of the building, too, but did not get the chance to complete his work. In mid 1965 a new Liberal government was elected in NSW. The Minster of Works Davis Hughes began questioning Utzon's designs, schedules and cost estimates.

Utzon was forced to withdraw from the project in February 1966. The Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973. Jørn Utzon completed other architectural projects such as the Can Lis in Majorca (1972), the Paustian Furniture Store in Copenhagen (1987) and Can Feliz in Majorca (1995), Bagsværd Church (1976) in the suburbs of Copenhagen and the parliament building in Kuwait (1983). In 1999 after several approaches from the Australian government Utzon eventually came to Australia to see his completed masterpiece.

The Blue Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located about a little over an hour out of Sydney, the Blue Mountains are nestled among plateaus and some pristine rain forest. It's home to places of interest like Flat Rock, which affords excellent views of the surrounding areas of the valleys. There's also the Scenic Tram that takes you across the gorge, and also another tram that's the world's steepest that will take you down the forest floor.

There are walkways along the forest floor canopy that will take you near the Katoomba mine area as well. So many tourists the day I went, even though it was winter. I can only imagine how summer would've been, lots of families out. You might be able to spot some local wildlife, especially a lot of birds. I caught sight of a little kookabura nestled on a telephone wire.

Towards the last half of the tour, we even spotted kangaroos off the side of the highway! Going to the Blue Mountains is something you should do when you visit Sydney. Most hotels can book you tours, so it's easy. I've provided the website of the tour company I used. The tours leave in the morning and return about 6 PM. Mine also included a river cruise at the end.