It was a Saturday morning ( 02 July 2005). I am still in St.Leonards, not able to find any apartment still ! Anyway, the real estate agents will not work on weekends( some work till noon on Saturday). So why not start enjoying the place. This place I stay is anyway very near to the city centre, only 3-4 stations away. Again, the train crosses the Harbour bridge everyday on its way to Parramatta, and we can see Opera House at a distance.
We started around 10:30. Train to get down at Milson’s Point, which is just before the bridge. Walked to the end of the platform and there was a spectacular view of the bridge which was taking a right turn in front of me. The bridge was huge than I have thought even while crossing it in train, containing a 6 line highway, two rail lines, and foot paths at two ends( the one on the right side is dedicated to cyclists, and the left one for pedestrians) ! It grows high to the middle and comes down like a trajectory of a body in projectile J. At the top in the middle, two Australian flags flying gloriously ! Took some snaps, we walked down and climbed the steps for the pedestrian footpath for the bridge( first with climbed the cyclist one, which was not steps, and then saw it was only for cycles).
The bridge seem to be too long. Checked the actuals to see I was true, it is something around 3900 feet (1.1Kms) ! It was a fantastic view of the Opera house and land part surrounding the waters with an island in between ! This experience was almost same as the one I had, when I first got out of Westminster station and saw Big Ben just in front. From each step I walk and look back, I feel that is the best spot to take a snap, and across Thames, seeing the big picture with house of parliament included, you feel that is the best and by that time you would have blinked your lens eye for at least 5-6 times L ! The same was here with the sights I got about Opera house. It was getting closer and closer, and at distance some Yatches became visible. Each beam I cross, I get a new view, a new look, of the waters below !
I finished some 8-10 snaps there itself! Walked down some steps in the direction of Opera House. It was still far away! But, these are some times we really loose the sense of time. I don’t have an idea how long we were there, watching the ferries coming and leaving 6 jetties in Circular Quay, licking a cone with chocolate and raspberry flavours reluctant to melt even with afternoon Sun directly falling on it, watching the Seagulls. Then, we slowly started walking to the Opera house. It was much massive than we thought, took some snaps around, and went in till the area where we could go without a ticket. The souvenirs seemed much costly than those in UK, and anyway, it is too early to buy them.
The time was around 3. We tried the local McDonalds for ‘lunch’J. I would say, I have never expected McD to be this bad – they still got the crowd, but they don’t have a veggie burger, and their finger chips are stupid! But anyway, we were enough hungry to eat a so called veggie pesto, and chips with coffee spending some 8 AU$ each for that stupid meal.
It was raining, all of a sudden, when we finished our ‘lunch’ and came out. We just waited for the rain to finish off and then slowly walked towards the nearest station. That was the end of the day for us. During the walk around, we have collected some information brochures for Sydney site seeing trips, harbour trips and some maps which could give us an insight of what all to see, and where !
The walk was tiring for Krithi, she was looking at me pathetically and then I let out the secret, anyone walks with me ends up in the same state :D.
Tail piece :- As if now, I have got a place to stay and have almost settled down. The rest of the renting home story, I will send sometime in the middle of next week. I have given my magic castle's address below. Why 'Magic castle' ? Wait. I will tell you in a couple of days.
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