The view of Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean is mind-blowing, and the effect of the sunlight on the ocean below is dazzling, contends Reet Singh

The splendour
and the
mystique
of Sydney

SYDNEY is Australia’s oldest, largest and most spectacular city. It is the capital of the state of New South Wales and was founded as a convict colony in 1788. Arthur Phillip, declared Port Jackson, ‘the finest harbour in the world in which a thousand sail of the line may ride in the most perfect security.’

As one is approaching Sydney, one can see tall skyscrapers. The view of the Sydney Harbour and the Pacific Ocean is mind-blowing. The effect of the sunlight on the ocean below is dazzling. Just before the plane is about to descend, one is enthralled seeing Sydney’s two most famous landmarks: the Harbour bridge and the Opera House. Both are situated on either side of the main ferry terminal at Circular Quay. To enjoy a full view of both these awesome pieces of work, one has to take a boat ride which continues through the day and night taking the tourists to and fro.

The Harbour bridge is the longest single span bridge in the world. Including its approach spans, it is 1,149 metres long. It stretches across Sydney Harbour from Dawes Point to Milsons Point. The bridge opened onMarch 19, 1932, took nine years to build and cost nearly 20 million Australian dollars.

The main section of the bridge is its central arch which is 503 metres long. The top of this arch is 134 metres above sea level. The clearance under the bridge is 52 metres. The deck which is 49 metres wide, carries eight lanes of road traffic, a double-track railway and two footpaths.

The road traffic is very heavy. Almost 100,000 vehicles pass over the bridge each day. Surprisingly, there is no noise pollution inspite of such a heavy traffic. Unlike in India, where the eardrums are ready to burst, I not even once heard a car horn. Seldom did one hear of anyone breaking the traffic rules.Even an infant is well strapped sits in the rear seat.In India, parents actually encourage children to sit in their laps and hold the steering wheel not realising the danger they are putting themselves and their child to. The Police Department is so competent that they are at the doorstep within two minutes of your call. How I wish the same could be said about our system here. The bridge was designed by Sir Ralph Freeman, an English engineer. JJC Brandfield, an Australian, supervised the building.

At night the Harbour Bridge takes on another look altogether — one is in a stupor. It looks so luminous and radiant with thousands of lights put up right across the majestic arch. The reflection of those tiny bulbs in the water underneath looking so tranquil and serene is breathtakingly beautiful. On national events they have a display of fire crackers. One can visualise how magnificent the whole place must be looking. People are seen sailing in boats illuminated with lights or having boat races — simply enjoying a starlit night. It’s mesmerising! The atmosphere is electric and contagious and one actually does not want the night to end.

Australians love to enjoy their holiday and Sydneysiders love beaches. Beaches like Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra and Cromilla are crowded with people especially on weekends. They are an unpretentious and friendly lot. I was greeted at the beaches and just about anywhere with ‘Lets ave a beer’ or ‘I’ll put on the kettle’.

Most of the houses in the suburbs are single-storeyed. There are no boundary walls dividing the houses. The lawns are well manicured with lots of flowers. Infact one has to admire the hardwork these people put in to maintain their houses. Australians seem to be very fond of pets. Almost each house has a pet whether they are dogs, cats or even horses.

Local buses are ideal to travel within the city. Men actually wait till the ladies have sat. To see such gallant and chivalrous behaviour shown to ladies comes as a jolt as one has become so accustomed to seeing a different scenario in India.

The Sydney Opera House is often considered one of the great buildings of the 1900’s.It stands on Bennelong Point, a peninsula jutting into Sydney Harbour. Its two sail-like roofs made of overlapping shells and its remarkable engineering have made it world famous. The Opera House can seat more than 6,600 spectators. The halls provide facilities for symphony concerts, open drama, ballet, films, solo recitals, exhibitions and conventions. The roof shells cover the two largest performing halls and a restaurant. The huge building cost more than 100 million Australian dollars.

The Darling Harbour Complex encompasses the Entertainment Centre, Power House Museum, Convention Centre and a large shopping area. A monorail carries tourists from the city to the area. The shopping area is huge. It feels one has entered another world. So much of fun and frolic. There are different kinds of joy rides taken by both children and adults. People are singing with guitars in their hands. Many join them. The whole ambience is such that everyone from a child to an adult seems to loose their inhibitions and join in merrymaking. There are many cafeterias within the shopping malls and the aroma coming from them is too much to resist. Tourists are seen devouring cups of cappuccino and eating cucumber sandwiches. Some are just enjoying the warmth of the sunshine, listening to the birds chirping or simply seeing the day pass by. Australians love Indian food and frequent Indian restaurants often. It’s another matter they order samosas for desserts and eat them with fork and knife.

The shopping stores are beautifully and tastefully decorated though prices are steep. There are some shops where one can get gift items and knick-knacks for a dollar or two. It becomes difficult to make up one’s mind as one is tempted to pick up everything one lays eyes on.

People of many nationalities live in Sydney. There are over 10,000 Indian families residing in Sydney alone. There are many Chinese and Pakistanis too.

Finally it was time to say goodbye. I knew in my heart that it was a temporary goodbye, for I will visit Australia again. The splendour and the mystique of the place still remains an enigma.