Blossoming Seoul: A Free Day in Sydney

My fourth morning in Sydney started off a bit rough--I was supposed to have a 10am tour of the Opera House, but my body had other plans, so I holed up in my hotel room to wait things out. I was going to just rebook the tour for Saturday evening and say to heck with the $30 ticket, but I decided to try calling the box office and explaining what happened to see if they'd sympathize and rebook my ticket. Luck was on my side, and although the lady I spoke with said they never re-book tickets, she did anyway! One thing I noticed about Australians throughout my three weeks on tour is that they were all so very kind and helpful. It was refreshing when someone accidentally ran into you on the street to have them look you in the eye and apologize! In Korea I've become so used to getting pushed around, that I'd nearly forgotten what it felt like to operate in an English speaking society with different social norms and I quite liked it!

I had decided to give myself a bit of extra time at the hotel to rest and journal, so I departed at noon and headed to Paddy's Markets. I thought I'd do a bit of shopping, but it only took me a few minutes of walking around to realize that the chaos and "treasures" for sale just weren't for me. It felt a bit like shopping at Namdaemun Market--lots of people and a lot of stuff I didn't need! I high-tailed it out of there and walked back through Darling Harbour toward Hyde Park since I really wanted to tour the Barracks. Dheerja had mentioned it as something she had enjoyed on a Discovery Week of Sydney when she was a sophomore and if something stood out to a teenager as being good, then I thought it was a worthwhile way to take in a bit of Sydney's convict and immigrant history. She was right! In the hour I spent at Hyde Park Barracks I did learn so much about Sydney's past and Hyde Park Barracks' role in housing convicts, immigrant women, and the like. The audio guide they give you is great and you can wander at your own pace.

Layers of history...

Writing on the walls from mischievous craftsmen.

Artifacts buried in the barracks.

A list of the convicts and their offenses.

The sleeping quarters.

Hyde Park Barracks from the outside.

After finishing up at the Barracks, I made a quick stop at my hotel then headed to The Rocks to do a bit of shopping before my Opera House Tour. I am so glad I was able to get rescheduled for later in the day because the tour was wonderful! Our guide, Steve, was so informative and keen to get us into as many behind the scenes spaces as possible. We saw three of the theaters and one had a current performance taking place so the dancers were just warming up. I so wish I'd had more time so I could have bought a ticket to see Bangarra Dance Theater's Patyegarang, the story of an Aboriginal woman and the sharing of her language and customs with William Dawes, a British officer and astronomer, told in modern and traditional dance. From what I could see from a glimpse of the warm-up and Steve's evaluation of the show, I knew it would have been phenomenal! Check out this clip:

Back to the Opera House tour, it was very impressive to learn more about the history of the construction, and now the upkeep of Sydney's iconic landmark. Seeing it up close from both the inside and outside was a real treat and gave such a different perspective than the landmark photographs you see on postcards. That structure really is an engineering feat and such a beautiful one at that. Two of the three theaters in the main building are quite small, and the third looks small but can hold over a thousand people. When I left the Opera House I took the opportunity to photograph the Harbour Bridge and then the Opera House itself illuminated. Both are beautiful when the sun goes down, but still not as splendid as Darling Harbour from the night before! Walking back to my hotel I realized what a great privilege I had to be seeing such a special city!