Yet another hideously early start! So far this holiday has been noteworthy for some curious reasons, and three out of seven pre six AMs is not in my book of good holiday experiences, but here we are again!
This time we're on the Sydney Opera House backstage tour, something we've done before but it's so fascinating we just need to go again. And good job too, as there's been a lot of changes in the thirteen years we've been apart!
And so we're walking (well, hobbling as I turned my ankle and I have an achilles strain now) back towards our regular haunt of Circular Quay (I have no idea why we're not staying up that end, it's obvious we're always going to be going there) and meeting at stage door for 06:45.
Our lovely guide Amira is full of energy and soon has us deep in the bowels of the scene dock two floors below the same main stage we were only a few hours ago enjoying the wonderful opera on. As there's no wings (this is the area where scenery is usually moved to when not on stage) at SOH they are lowered or raised on a fabulous stage lift, so all the sets are stored below and moved around as required.
We move on through many different areas, I'll post copious pictures, you've been warned, before crossing the "wind tunnel" between the two main houses into the concert hall side.
If you didn't know, the sails of the opera house are in two distinct sections, the ones closest to the bridge form the space of the concert hall, and the ones furthest away are for the theatre - the opera and ballet space. Originally it would be the other way round but during the build the roles were reversed by the architect.
The space between the two is referred as the wind tunnel, or informally as the cleavage, Amira tells us with much merriment! We briefly stop in the conductor's dressing room and one of our number plays on the practice Steinway. We then climb up the inner skin of the highest sail to look down the house from the control room, a view only a few get to appreciate. At the far end of the concert hall the organ stands proud, but inaccessible, as they are doing a get-in for a travelling circus of all things!!
After a rather satisfying breakfast, all part of the tour, in the green room, we are done and leave to find that the heavens have opened and it's not a very nice day. This is more of an issue than one might think because of what's planned next - a repeat performance of the bridge climb.
It's too early to go directly so we take an hour to wander around the harbour and docks but eventually turn up completely soaked to the skin, and consume vast coffees and caramel slices worth multiples of thousands of calories (but they are nice!)
When it's our time we go through the complex process of stripping, donning jump suits, strapping into a harness, and all the other paraphernalia needed to do our adventure. We also have to do a training test to ensure that we're accustomed to the gear. As we're experienced we're given pole positions and have just emerged from the tunnel onto the lower section of the bridge walkway when we're called back by the leader - the climb is cancelled because the air quality has deteriorated and it's no longer safe to climb.
Next we head down to Darling Harbour to see if we can get any wetter, which we easily manage to do as the torrent increases in magnitude. We cross on the route of the old monorail, sadly gone now in lieu of the new trams.
An interesting visit is to the tall ship James Craig, an old freight vessel built in 1872 which was recently (1970s) restored to be a day-cruiser and educational centre. There's also a maritime museum but we think the one ship is enough.
Walking back to our hotel we wander through the Queen Victoria Building, a spectacular shopping mall with all the fabulous names listed, but don't stop obviously.
Before long it's time to shower and dress for dinner, ensuring that we take an additional umbrella as the forecast is dreadful, for our muchly anticipated final night dinner at Aria, once again guess where, another repeat performance from 2007.
This time we're on the Sydney Opera House backstage tour, something we've done before but it's so fascinating we just need to go again. And good job too, as there's been a lot of changes in the thirteen years we've been apart!
And so we're walking (well, hobbling as I turned my ankle and I have an achilles strain now) back towards our regular haunt of Circular Quay (I have no idea why we're not staying up that end, it's obvious we're always going to be going there) and meeting at stage door for 06:45.
Our lovely guide Amira is full of energy and soon has us deep in the bowels of the scene dock two floors below the same main stage we were only a few hours ago enjoying the wonderful opera on. As there's no wings (this is the area where scenery is usually moved to when not on stage) at SOH they are lowered or raised on a fabulous stage lift, so all the sets are stored below and moved around as required.
We move on through many different areas, I'll post copious pictures, you've been warned, before crossing the "wind tunnel" between the two main houses into the concert hall side.
If you didn't know, the sails of the opera house are in two distinct sections, the ones closest to the bridge form the space of the concert hall, and the ones furthest away are for the theatre - the opera and ballet space. Originally it would be the other way round but during the build the roles were reversed by the architect.
The space between the two is referred as the wind tunnel, or informally as the cleavage, Amira tells us with much merriment! We briefly stop in the conductor's dressing room and one of our number plays on the practice Steinway. We then climb up the inner skin of the highest sail to look down the house from the control room, a view only a few get to appreciate. At the far end of the concert hall the organ stands proud, but inaccessible, as they are doing a get-in for a travelling circus of all things!!
After a rather satisfying breakfast, all part of the tour, in the green room, we are done and leave to find that the heavens have opened and it's not a very nice day. This is more of an issue than one might think because of what's planned next - a repeat performance of the bridge climb.
It's too early to go directly so we take an hour to wander around the harbour and docks but eventually turn up completely soaked to the skin, and consume vast coffees and caramel slices worth multiples of thousands of calories (but they are nice!)
When it's our time we go through the complex process of stripping, donning jump suits, strapping into a harness, and all the other paraphernalia needed to do our adventure. We also have to do a training test to ensure that we're accustomed to the gear. As we're experienced we're given pole positions and have just emerged from the tunnel onto the lower section of the bridge walkway when we're called back by the leader - the climb is cancelled because the air quality has deteriorated and it's no longer safe to climb.
Next we head down to Darling Harbour to see if we can get any wetter, which we easily manage to do as the torrent increases in magnitude. We cross on the route of the old monorail, sadly gone now in lieu of the new trams.
An interesting visit is to the tall ship James Craig, an old freight vessel built in 1872 which was recently (1970s) restored to be a day-cruiser and educational centre. There's also a maritime museum but we think the one ship is enough.
Walking back to our hotel we wander through the Queen Victoria Building, a spectacular shopping mall with all the fabulous names listed, but don't stop obviously.
Before long it's time to shower and dress for dinner, ensuring that we take an additional umbrella as the forecast is dreadful, for our muchly anticipated final night dinner at Aria, once again guess where, another repeat performance from 2007.
As you might guess there’s a clue in the name - Aria is sat right at the top of Circular Quay nearest the SOH. When we came in 2007 we had a memorable meal to which we still often refer, so it is inevitable that we’re making it our pre-cruise dinner of choice.
I won’t bore with all the minutiae but will post photos of each course. All that’s necessary to say is that it doesn’t disappoint.
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