On my first afternoon in Sydney, Australia, we made our way to the Sydney Opera House.
The view is majestic all around and I couldn’t help noticing the climbers across the bay atop the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
So I announced to my husband that I, too, was going to climb the Sydney Bridge in the next days. However, upon doing a bit of research online, I discovered that the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb was not only a bit out of my price range (think $150 starting cost), but also not as simple as I had imagined. Each climber is outfitted in a bridge suit and tethered to the bridge. No cameras are allowed and all jewelry, hair clips and other loose clothing must be left behind since the winds can be quite extreme. Given that standing anywhere near the edge of our 30th floor balcony in our apartment in Sydney makes my knees go weak, I came to the realization that a climb like this was NOT something I’d enjoy. Fortunately, the less daring adventurers like me have the more palatable option of walking across the bridge on the lower level…even better, this walk is FREE.
On Monday after walking my husband to work (did I mention that he’s a guest conductor with the Australian Ballet for a month of performances at the Sydney Opera House?)…
I climbed the grand staircase of the Opera House for a closer look.
There isn’t an uninteresting angle here, and the reflections from the Opera House windows are pretty neat, too!
Although I could have spent more time photographing, I decided it was time to make my way around the harbor to the bridge…
And so I did.
Finding the staircase which leads up to the Sydney Harbor Bridge in The Rocks neighborhood wasn’t hard, and up I went.
As I started my walk, the bridge climbers were just starting theirs…
And another group was on their way back down.
Speaking of, even from my vantage point on the lower level of the bridge, it felt like a LONG way down!
And I had to hold on to the railings every time I stopped to take photos (but as you can see, I didn’t let this hold me back.)
At the highest part of the bridge, in a show of support for Paris during the recent unfolding of tragic events, the French flag has been flying along with the Australian flag. (The Opera House has also been bathed in red, white and blue lights at night.)
As I stopped to reflect and pay my respect, I imagine that the climbers standing high above me near the flag were doing the same.
Oh my Joana- how exciting that your husband is guest conductor. Your photos are beautiful. Thank you for sharing them.
Oh my Joana- it must be so wonderful for you to be in Sydney for the month.
Congratulations to your husband.
Your photos are beautiful. I love that you caught the climbers going up.
Hi Susan,
I’m actually here for just a little over a week (my husband stays after I leave) but I’m still feeling very fortunate to get to experience being Down Under. The weather has been pretty fantastic, although today was a bit too hot for my taste (90 degrees!) It’s odd to see Christmas decorations in what feels like the dead of summer.
I hope your rehab is going well and that your knee is back to 100% soon!
With all best wishes, Joana
On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 10:27 PM, JOANA MIRANDA STUDIO wrote:
>
Wonderful pix…..guess what, our old pal Maestro Stu just ordered some Christmassy lapel flowers for his pops concerts…..not on Etsy, but rather, over FB Messenger.
Hi Helen,
Wow, that’s fabulous! I hope Stu gets someone to take pictures of him wearing the lapel flowers so that you can post them. I like your lapel buttons very much, too. May just need to outfit MY conductor with some soon, too. 😀 But first I must get back Stateside…
A big hug, Joana
On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 10:38 PM, JOANA MIRANDA STUDIO wrote:
>
I loved seeing the area through your lens. Your photos are wonderful! Enjoy your stay. And, by the way, I’d be very happy to see more photos while you are there. 🙂
Yes you have mentioned that your husband is the guest conductor, but you forgot to mention the Mystery Maestros’ NAME????!?
Was down under in New Zealand. Awesome. Australia is definitely on my Bucket list. A Rhode Scholar Tour or a National Geographic Tour. I want to really know about Australia, and must study the degeridoo while I’m there. Congrats to Andy on a terrific Ballet engagement in such a lovely part of the world. Cheers, Linda