One of the side effects of living in a city like New York is a lack of interest in spending too much time in cities while we are traveling, at least for Shanima and I. We prefer to escape the urban trudge and experience the natural wonder that foreign destinations have to offer. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t drawn to modern architectural wonders. So we were pretty happy to find a flight with a layover in Sydney that was just long enough to pop out of the airport for a quick visit to the Sydney opera house and the Royal Botanic Garden.
We landed at the international terminal at about 7:05am local time, 20 minutes ahead of schedule but we ended up waiting on the tarmac for half an hour before connecting to the gate. The customs process was quick and easy, and we were through in the amount of time it took us to fill out our arrival forms and walk out of the airport. Since we weren’t able to check into our Sydney to Cairns flight online, we hopped the free shuttle bus to the domestic airport before heading into the city. We waited curbside for about 20 minutes before the bus arrived, and then it took the bus about 30 minutes to make the trek from the international to the domestic terminal. In reality, they’re two completely different airports, but on paper it’s a single airport.
Once we made it to the domestic terminal we checked in to our flight and were given front-row exit seats for checking in super early. Shanima was pissed that I accepted the exit row offer because those seats generally don’t have a window and she is a window seat girl through and through. Once she got done giving me the what for, we headed down to the baggage level and stored her bag at the airport storage for A$9. We split my bag up into two parts (I have the Osprey Farpoint 70 liter bag) and each carried one of the two backpacks it comprises.
We were able to take the T8 train directly from the terminal (it stops at both the international and domestic terminals) to the Circular Quay (pronounced “kee”), which only took about 20-25 minutes. It was then just a short walk down the pier to the Opera House.
Along the way we grabbed a latte and a little breakfast. One of the greatest things about Australians that I’ve encountered so far is their love for savory breakfast pastries. I had a beef pastie that was proper delicious, and Shanima has a curry beef pie that was frankly even better. Something else I respect about Australians is that they know how to make a strong cuppa espresso. It is almost enough to offset the travesty that is their tendency toward instant coffee as an option at most of the tour locations.
When the Opera House came into view, the first thing that struck me was that the roof, which always appears bone white and smooth in photos, looked more like a scaly off-greyish tan color, even on a blue sky day. I also never realized that it has three separate sections of roof that are not connected which form its iconic shape.
Since it has been photographed so many times from across the bay and above, I thought it would be fun to try my hand at photographing the Opera House from right beneath it and from the other side. I came up with a couple of interesting compositions that I was happy with, and I’ll share them below.
Before we headed back to the airport, we took a walk through the Royal Botanic Garden, which is adjacent to the opera house, and it was a great first introduction to the wonder that is the Australian ecosystem. Even from the small sample of trees and birds present in the garden, it was plainly visible that this is a system that evolved apart from the rest of the world. We also got a dose of cheeky Aussie humor as we were greeted by a flower arrangement that spelled out “BITE ME” as part of an exhibit of either edible or carnivorous plants—that part wasn’t clear to me. There was a birdcage-themed gazebo on the grounds and we couldn’t help but take some photos there. Shanima hammed it up pretty good. I don’t think she would do well in prison. Me, i look a little more comfortable behind bars than I probably should.
It was a solid start to the journey and a good warmup for things to come.