When we left the hotel this morning, I still wasn’t hungry at all. We took the M90 bus to Strathfield. From there, the T2 train to Circular Quai, which is closest to the famous Opera House. We sat down first in a nice Cafe for a coffee. This Cafe had a nice view of the small harbour.
The whole area is pretty alive, lots of tourists around. The main attraction is the Opera House. We slowly walked there to buy tickets for a guided tour. They charged AU$53 (€30) for a ticket. We had to wait for one hour and walked around the Opera House at the harbour.
After one hour we got some headphones which are connected to the guide. We could enter the Opera House and saw a short video first about the construction.
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a world‑famous performing arts centre and architectural landmark on Sydney Harbour in New South Wales, Australia. It combines striking sail‑like roof shells with multiple theatres that host opera, concerts, theatre, dance and other events year‑round.
Key facts
The Opera House stands on Bennelong Point on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour and has become the city’s best‑known symbol. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 as an outstanding example of 20th‑century
Architecture and design
The building was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, whose bold concept of interlocking white shell‑like roofs was selected through an international design competition in 1957. Construction took about 14 years, and the structure is widely regarded as a masterpiece of modern expressionist design.
History
Construction began in the late 1950s after the New South Wales government approved a purpose‑built venue for opera and orchestral music on the Bennelong Point site. The building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II and quickly became one of the most photographed buildings in the world.
Performance venues
Inside, the complex contains several performance spaces, including a large Concert Hall of about 2,700 seats and the Joan Sutherland Theatre, which seats just over 1,500. Additional smaller theatres and an outdoor forecourt host plays, film screenings and open‑air performances, together supporting well over a thousand events each year.
Pretty amazing! The tour lasts one hour. Taking photos was allowed inside, except when they were practising in the Opera or in the Theatre. And they were just practising in both locations. No photos, but we could watch them for a while.
After the Opera we took a ferry towards Manly. It’s maybe 20-30 minutes to cross over. Manly is a famous place for its beaches and it’s very touristy.
Back with the ferry, then we got a train to Strathfield. We had a drink and then went back by bus to the hotel.
Enough for today!
One response
Sydney is a very interesting city !
It’s great you did a tour of the O/House it certainly an amazing experience!
The weather looks like it’s been kind to you …