Sydney

Sydney is a beautiful city, settled in one of the largest natural harbours with its landmark bridge that elegantly straddles the bay; walking across it you have panoramic views across the whole city. But it is the Opera House that commands your attention, from a distance it is a cluster of brilliant white yacht sails, but up close they gain in mass and transforms into the jaws of a great whale. It is an incredible structure. Delving into a little culture we perused a few art galleries in the ‘historic’ Rocks and attended the opening of the Contemporary Art Museum, many pieces were bizarre and some I didn’t get or perhaps there wasn’t much to ‘get’. But a few caught my attention, like the grand-piano that played back a warped but recognisable version of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. The original had been beamed to the moon, bounced back from the crater ridden surface and recaptured in its incomplete and distorted form. Another piece, a 24 hour video featuring thousands of clips from movies and tv that showed time and clock faces that actually correlated with real time. The most impressive for me was Daniel Crook who messes with videos and the end product is pretty cool so have a look at his website. We took a short bus journey to Bondi Beach and sampled the waters; there are more surfers here than on any beach I have seen, but really not particularly good waves. The sands here are gorgeous and contain little else; they satisfyingly crumble under weight.

Whilst in Sydney we resided in Wake Up! it’s a lively hostel moments away from central station, and although it was fun something began niggling at me that I had first come up in Melbourne hostels. The majority of backpackers here in Oz seem distinctly different to those I befriended in Asia; they are harder to get to know, more immature (pot,kettle,black?) and want to drink, and only drink. Inside the clubs and bars of Sydney I felt like I was talking to the same people I had met a hundred times before. But there was no thirst for exploration and adventure that I had related with so much elsewhere. I believe I have an explanation for this contrast; Australia is often viewed as the safe choice of first time travellers, it is in so many ways similar to home, but this becomes the problem; I think people find it hard to break from their usual patterns whereas in Asia the cultural difference can be so vast that you do not hesitate to leave your comfort zone and embrace fellow backpackers with open arms. These opinions may well be expressed prematurely, after all I have only visiting two cities (and must I concede I have met some good people), but the difference amongst the many is still noticeable and worth mentioning.

Another problem I am having with traveling in Australia (and not working) is eating healthy. In Asia prices are low allowing you to dine in restaurants for the 2 meals a day, most convenient stores were modest 7elevens selling only essentials. Australia hails the return of the supermarket, it’s weird because I’ve been around them all my life, even working in them but after Asia they feel strange. As you potter around the hamsters maze under the bright fluorescent lights you are bombarded by the countless brands that shamelessly shout out at you in their boldly coloured packaging, and the trouble is that the unhealthy foods are less expensive and in greater quantities than any healthier options and this fact counts for a lot on such a tight budget. It’s a messed up scenario, but I can’t talk as I am guilty of eaten my fair share of McDonalds here in Australia, they are so numerous and relatively cheap, but that’s not the reason I keep coming back, it is the free wi-fi on offer. In Europe (and Asia) we are so spoilt for choice that you take it for granted whereas Australia, even in the large cities they have been slow to catch on, most hostels have capitalised on this fact and charge extortionately for internet. So unfortunately blogging has become an unhealthy habit..

I'm rambling on so back to the city, Sydney is far more busy than laidback Melbourne but there is many interesting spaces to discover (most featuring elaborate water features) that help to break up the urban grain. Walking around the botanical gardens you can appreciate why so many of us immigrate to Australia, this is their autumn and the sun still warms the soil underfoot with businessmen, student and families sharing the green with cockatoos and parrots. In the denser areas the plants grow large. Everything is on a greater more dramatic scale, like the over sized insects and fluorescent legged spiders that sit proudly in centre of their webs showcasing an impressive haul of mummified flies. Looking up searching for the origin of a screeching sound you see flying foxes swooping between trees, their leathery wings show blood vessels against the midday sun. On the outskirts of the gardens and nestled on the harbour edge is Andrew (boy) Charlton outdoor swimming pool (since colonial days it had functioned as natural baths but now has been adapted into a saltwater Olympic pool). I jumped in the bracing water, cool but perfect once the body warms up and I swam in the lanes for a good hour or so, I felt the old familiar ache in my arms and shoulders and welcomed it. The sun shone above and was reflected in a mosaic of light on pool tiles. I could see my distorted form on the bottom. Meters away million dollar yachts sailed on pass.