Sydney In A Day- January 8, 2010

In order to feel like you’ve really gotten a handle on all Sydney has to offer, you most certainly need more than a day. And until you’ve had the chance to sample a few wines and different ethnic cuisine offerings, you can’t really say you’ve “seen” Sydney. On that note, I definitely need to return to that gorgeous, sun-kissed place before I leave Australia.
I had one full day in Sydney; not counting my first jet-lagged stupor of a walk-about day which basically consisted of getting totally lost. My usually keen sense of direction is confused and reversed down under. I was off to meet Dane, my brother, who had already been in the country for several weeks, on Saturday. He had dropped off his girlfriend, Tanya, in Adelaide for her nursing practicum and was quickly getting bored and lonely.
I could have wandered Sydney’s central business district (CBD or city centre) for days. Any kind of food from any country you could want is all available along with delicious, fresh seafood. Shops selling unique books, clothes, gifts and organic items invite further exploration at each turn. Open air markets sell Ugg boots at a price that is making me contemplate taking home a pair (and I don’t even really like them.) And the wine! The wines are incredible. Whole shops are devoted to strictly independent Australian vineyards. Restaurant menus boast delectable pairings and offerings. If I had the time (and the money) I’d just sit and sample the day away.
But I had a mission. If I did one thing in this city it was to see the opera house. As touristy as it may sound, I’ve always wanted to see the famed, soaring structure. I’ve heard of Sydney’s gorgeous parks and beaches and I did make it to one museum, but the opera house was my main goal.
I came first to Sydney’s stunning harbour and Harbour Bridge. The harbour is filled with high-end hotels and restaurants. It’s hard to miss the bridge, known affectionately as ‘the coat hanger.’ It is a massive steel structure, looking more sturdy than graceful, but beautiful in a rugged sort of way. Two Aborigine men were selling CDs and playing the digeridoo. The haunting music filled the harbour and I sat with the older of the pair. He asked me where I’m from and upon hearing Canada, asked if I “ride them bulls at that Calgary Stampede.”
I rounded the corner of the harbour and caught my first glance of the opera house. I couldn’t help but laugh and smile uncontrollably as the building held me in a trance. It’s hard to imagine being put into a stupor by Swedish tiles (1,056,000 to be exact) concrete and glass, but trust me, it’s possible. The outer walls soar and curve and look perfectly at home against the blue sea and sky. The front entrance boasts a long, wide staircase and you feel like you’re walking into the sky. Even the bathrooms are architectural in this building, as the stalls follow the curves of the ceiling.
The Sydney Festival, a summer holiday mix of theatre, dance and musical performances begins tomorrow but there is a preview for one of the shows tonight at the opera house. I ended up getting the last ticket for the show.
Bale de Rua turned out to be fantastic. Complete with live percussion and a passionate singer, the show incorporated the samba and the colours of Carnival with Brazilian street-inspired hip-hop, capoeira and African dance. 14 well-muscled men and 1 woman flew through the air in mock attack mode, always smiling and often shouting out choruses for the audience to repeat.
I left smiling and was surprised to see the wharf beside the opera house absolutely packed with people. The opera bar boasts a jazz band and views of Sydney’s best on either side. The city, like so many others, just seems to come alive at night. But there’s something different about Sydney’s heart and soul. Many say it’s the perfect location or the iconic architecture. The wonderful food, wine and shopping can’t hurt either. The woman I sat beside during Bale de Rua says the people living in Sydney are very different from those in the rest of the country and I believe it. I just wonder if they know how lucky they are to have all of this at their doorstep.