My Visual Travel Experience: Sydney

In 2011, I walked out of the corporate sector after 15 years, and I decided to set up my own business of travel souvenirs. That first year, I pursued my dream and traveled extensively. The first trip I did was to Australia. I spent over a month in the country, and my stint in Sydney was for around a week. I absolutely loved Sydney, and was on my toes throughout that one week.

It was in Sydney's Circular Quay that the first British fleet arrived in 1788, with convicts, soldiers and officials. Today Sydney is Australia's largest and most cosmopolitan city, and has a population of close to 4.8 million.

Sydney Opera House is the city’s most iconic landmark. The complex has a series of theatres and halls beneath its white shells. In 1957, the plan was approved after a design competition, which the architect Jorn Utzon won. However, there were huge cost and time over-runs and the Opera House was eventually completed in 1973.

Sydney Opera House

Harbour Bridge lies just opposite Sydney Opera House. It was completed in 1932 and was an engineering feat at that time. The bridge connects the city centre at the south of the harbour to the residential north. The bridge is over 500 meters long, and saves a circuitous 20 km road route.

Harbour Bridge

Circular Quay and Writers' Walk lead up to the Opera House. Circular Quay is a popular place with restaurants and cafes. Writers' Walk has plaques commemorating many Australian and overseas writers.

Aboriginal performers at Circular Quay

Mark Twain plaque at Writers' Walk

The Rocks is an area of historical importance because in 1788, the British under Governor Phillips made their first makeshift buildings here. By 1900, the area was in a dilapidated condition, filled with disease. It was subsequently refurbished.  Campbell’s Storehouses at The Rocks were built by the merchant Robert Campbell to store tea, spices etc imported from India. Construction began in 1802. The area was redeveloped in the 1970s and now has a set of trendy restaurants.

The Rocks

Campbell's Storehouses

The Royal Botanic Gardens are the lungs of the city, situated very close to the city centre. The gardens cover an area of 75 acres. The gardens were established in 1816 and have an impressive collection of plants from Australia and overseas. There are also many fountains, statues and monuments. Some of the highlights include Mrs Macquarie’s Seat (the spot from where the governor’s wife used to watch the harbour) and the 290 meter long Macquarie Wall (built in 1810, to segregate the convicts from the “respectable” citizens).

Rose Garden, Royal Botanical Gardens

Darling Harbour is a work of urban development near the centre of town and was opened in 1988 to commemorate the bicentenary of New South Wales The area is full of hotels, shops and eateries, and also boasts of the Sydney Aquarium, Wildlife World and the National Maritime Museum.

Darling Harbour

Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour  has around 11,000 animals from 65 species in recreated marine environments. The aquarium has two underwater walkways under massive water-bodies that give the visitor a chance to observe sharks and other popular attractions at close quarters. There is also a Great Barrier Reef exhibit, a seal sanctuary and a touch pool.

Baby Penguins, Sydney Aquarium

Starfish, Sydney Aquarium

Stripeys, Sydney Aquarium

Situated adjacent to Sydney Aquarium, Wildlife  World is a great place to experience popular Australian animals like koalas, kangaroos and crocodiles. One can touch koalas and be photographed with them.

Koala, Wildlife World

Kangaroos, Wildlife World

Hyde Park was named after London’s Hyde Park in 1810 by Governor Macquarie. The fence around the park marked the perimeter of the township. The park has the beautiful ANZAC Memorial, which commemorates Australians who died in World War I. It was opened in 1934.

Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park

Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park

Queen Victoria Building is a large, beautiful shopping centre which was originally a produce market. It was built in 1898. It has a large copper dome and a curved glass roof that lets light in. The produce market closed at the end of WWI, and Queen Victoria Building re-opened in 1986 with close to 200 shops.

Interior of Queen Victoria Market

Queen Victoria Statue outside Queen Victoria Market

Sydney Tower was completed in 1981 and has the highest observation deck in the southern hemisphere. The tower is 305 meters tall. It has a couple of restaurants, a coffee shop and an observation deck with a 360 degree view of the city.

Sydney Tower

Luna Park is Sydney’s main amusement park. The entrance has a large happy face, surrounded by two towers. The park has a carousel, a giant ferris wheel and numerous dizzying attractions.

Entrance, Luna Park

Ferris Wheel, Luna Park

St Mary’s Cathedral was completed in 1928 though the foundation stone was laid by Governor Macquarie over a century earlier in 1821.

St Mary's Cathedral

The Art Gallery of New South Wales was established in 1874 but saw major building extensions in 1988. The gallery has an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures by Australian artists, but overseas artists are also well represented. There is also an impressive photography section and an Aboriginal art section.

Cezanne's Banks of the Marne,
Art Gallery of New South Wales

Kirchner's Three Bathers, 
Art Gallery of New South Wales

Aboriginal Kangaroo Painting, 
Art Gallery of New South Wales

Boyd's The Expulsion,
Art Gallery of New South Wales

Smith's The Curve of the Bridge,
Art Gallery of New South Wales

Tom Roberts' Golden Fleece,
Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Australian Museum is a large natural history museum founded in 1827. The building faces Hyde Park. The collection covers the Australian region and has  exhibits on dinosaurs, animals, birds, minerals and Aboriginal culture. The dinosaur section is particularly impressive.

Australian Museum

T Rex Skeleton, Australian Museum

Seal and Penguin, Australian Museum

Aboriginal Painting, Australian Museum

Albatross, Australian Museum

Powerhouse Museum is housed inside what was originally a power station for Sydney’s tramway system, completed in 1902. The museum opened in 1988. It has a fine collection of objects from the field of space, transportation and technology, including locomotive engines, early bicycles, early planes, satellites and robots.

Locomotive, Powerhouse Museum

Plane, Powerhouse Museum

Taronga Zoo ranks among Australia’s best zoos. It is on an island, a short ferry ride away from the city. It has an impressive collection of animals from Australia and from around the world.

Kangaroo being fed, Taronga Zoo

Ferry at the Wharf, Taronga Zoo

Bondi Beach is the city’s best known beach. It is particularly popular with sunbathers and surfers. The area has several cafes that are a favourite hang-out.

Bondi Beach

Blue Mountains is a national park an hour outside Sydney. The cliff formations and canyons there have been formed through 250 million years of erosion. The area was home to the Aboriginals for over 14,000 years and it became popular with western tourists only in the 1870s. The numerous eucalyptus trees secrete an oil that gives a blue haze, and this is what gives the name Blue Mountains. The stunning rock formation of the Three Sisters has been formed by soil erosion over the centuries. As per Aboriginal legend, the rock actually consists of three sisters who were imprisoned by their father for their own protection.

Orphan Rock, Blue Mountains

Three Sisters and Mount Solitude, Blue Mountains

Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains

All in all, Sydney was awesome and had a staggering amount to see. I found the Australians to be very friendly and helpful. A wonderful visit indeed!