Time to Go (December 22, 2010)

After a few days in Sydney, Connor decided it was time to go home. The trip was cut short by about 10 days. Australia was fun. However, life has a way of taking priority.

I, Michael, have decided to stay behind and complete the journey. The rest of the trip will be detailed at http://whereintheworldismichaelt.blogspot.com.

The Sydney Opera House (December 21, 2010)

The Sydney Opera House has an hour long tour you can take. The tour is quite good. You get to see several of the inside theaters, learn the history of how it was made, and see a special new room dedicated to the architect.

The story of how the Opera House was made is quite interesting and involves slipped schedules, budget overruns, and politics.

Bus Tour (December 20, 2010)

After climbing the bridge, we took a bus tour of Sydney. The tours are very touristy but you do get a quick overview of the city in an easy ride. The bus was an open roof double decker. We sat on the top deck and had a great time.

Climbing the Harbour Bridge (Part 3) (December 20, 2010)

Mary was waiting for us on the way out. She was actually good enough to see us on the hike up the bridge and get a few pictures also. It was quite an experience. One that we will likely not ever do again.

Climbing the Harbour Bridge (Part 2) (December 20, 2010)

We spoke to a lot of people about the bridge climb before we did it. The bridge is very high. Everyone we spoke to said, it was not scary at all. If there was any part that was scary, it was the first part before you get onto the bridge.

The bridge climb is open in all kinds of weather. The only thing that will shut it down is a heavy electrical storm. Opra Winfrey was in town a few days earlier and made the climb. Heck, if Opra can do it we should be able to also.

On the day we decided to climb, there were very high winds. The winds were 50 kph with gusts higher. The climb was scary. We were fully equipped with climbing gear and were attached to a metal wire that runs the length of the climb.

The first part of the climb is actually below the bridge. You walk along very narrow pathways until you get to the main pylons. At the pylons you climb up 4 flights of stairs until you are out on the bridge. This was supposed to be the scary part. It was a cake walk compared to the rest.

Once we were out on the bridge, you could really feel the winds. Everyone was wearing a very baggy climbing suit that caught the wind very well. As we walked, we were being blown by the wind towards the edge. We never really lifted up by the wind, but we did have to fight the wind to stay upright.

We made it to the top. (There really was no other option.) It was amazing and scary at the top.

We were not allowed to bring cameras. The tour guide was. He took pictures at several places along the way. Of course, the pictures were available for sale at the end of the hike.

Climbing the Harbour Bridge (Part 1) (December 20, 2010)

One of the “must do” things in Sydney is to climb the Harbour Bridge. What? When you first see this thing, it is huge. Climbers must walk along the outer arch until the top, cross to the other side, and walk down. Wow!

Connor and I decided this was something we had to do. We showed up at the climb location and learned all about it.

This is a 4 hour experience. The first hour is spent properly training and equipping each person with the right gear. The gear includes a jump suit, hat, handkerchief, radio, and jacket. You are not allowed to bring anything that can fall on the climb. No wallets, cameras, or coins.

After getting suited up, you are put through basic training with in-house ladders and equipment. Are you sure you still want to do this?

We agreed and began a grand adventure.

Time shifting (December 20, 2010)

One of the biggest issues with traveling this far is time shifting. You need to make the local time “your” local time as quickly as possible. This is not always easy to do.

We arrived at the hotel 9:45 AM, December 19, 2010. Our goal was to stay awake until 10:00 PM. We were not successful. By 7:00 PM, everyone gave in to sleep.

December 20, 2010, we all slept in and thought we had made the transition. By 9:00 PM, it was all over. We at least made it long enough to see some of Sydney at night.