Sydney in the rain

Rain, rain and more rain. It rained all the way back from the Blue Mountains, and it has rained for much of the last two days in Sydney. Although Peter has nominally found his voice, he is in danger of losing it again due to the volume of his complaints about the weather.

However, we have actually rather enjoyed our time in Sydney. In two full days we have seen most of the sights: Opera House, St James’s Church, (one of Dan Cruickshank’s 80 Treasures), The Rocks, Harbour Bridge, Queen Victoria Building, State Theatre, Monorail tour, the Aquarium, Darling Harbour, Harbour boat tour, Circular Quay, Botanical Gardens, Art Gallery of NSW, Manly.

We attended a performance of The Magic Flute, which was great fun. Neither of us had been to an opera before, so we are not in a position to judge this production. But we found it lively, entertaining and very imaginatively designed, choreographed and directed. A troupe of acrobats called “Legs on the Wall” performed throughout, and the dialogue between the libretto elements was thoroughly contemporary. And, of course, great music. A super evening. Although the Opera House is perhaps less impressive inside than out.

Sunday turned out to be a trail of convict history.

First we attended a service at St. James’s Church. Michèle said that it would cure Peter’s cold and help find our camera. Peter believed her. The first lesson was read by Her Excellency the Governor of New South Wales; we were in august company. It was the 185th anniversary of the consecration of the church, built by convicts. It was designed by Francis Greenway, an architect transported for forgery, whose talents were immediately recognised in the colony by the Governor at that time, until he repeated his offence of forgery in Sydney and died a pauper. Unfortunately the service lasted an hour and a half; very high church, with clouds of incense, genuflects and crossing. But at least they had the decency to offer us all tea and buns in the crypt afterwards.

In the afternoon we went on a guided walking tour of The Rocks. This area was where the First Fleet landed the original consignment of convicts in 1788. Many of the old buildings survive, and the area holds special significance for Australian heritage. The Australians appear to be very conscious of their ancestry, and love to trace their roots back to a particular convict. The status of a modern Australian appears to be in direct proportion to the seriousness of the offence for which the ancestor was transported.

Sydney is full of Victorian and Art Deco buildings, of which Queen Victoria Building and the State Theatre are absolute gems. And most of the other, more recent, buildings seem to blend together to give Sydney an enchanting character. The waterfront adds that final touch to a fine city.

The people are laid-back and cosmopolitan, the pace of life easy, and stress levels do not appear to be anywhere near those of European capitals. Public transport is cheap and easy. 

We had a final lunch with Frances Denny, and were very sad to say goodbye. It has been great to see her again, along with Zena and Simon.

A good place to live and work. No worries!