Leaving a ship is so sad. I can’t understand those who make “looking forward to my own bed” comments - that’s never my attitude to holidays, I just want them to carry on.
This vacation that’s exactly what is happening, for another day anyway as we have another day in Sydney. Good job too since our scheduled bridge climb was cancelled when the air quality deteriorated after a change in wind direction - the bush fires raging around the city haven’t impacted us too much - a rerouted train, no Blue Mountains and the bridge is all, but we have understood the severity and significance of this dreadful natural and man-made disaster.
Docking at Circular Quay this time, instead of the newer terminal we departed from, disembarkation is swift and simple, soon we’re in a taxi going the wrong way (oh did you mean the other Ovolo) so no tip for the annoying stereo-typical taxi driver today.
Our Darling Harbour Ovolo is quirky (I’m sure the other one is too) and thankfully the lovely receptionist upgrades us when she sees how much luggage we have, dread to think how small our original room was as the upgrade is pretty tight with six bags.
We’re checked in by 09:00 and half unpacked very quickly, having packed stratigically of course, and soon out the door for an adventure. Straight across the Pyrmont Bridge (the one the monorail used to share before it’s demise) and down onto Darling Harbour. Our train chronies has told us they have a good little wildlife centre here so we test it out. Dedicated to indigenous animals only there’s also a sea life and waxworks, but the latter doesn’t appeal.
Both the land and sea parts are brilliant and we while away a couple of hours up close and personal with some small ‘roos and other creatures, and under some wonderful sharks and eagle rays. Before long it’s time for the main event and we head back to BridgeClimb Central, get suited and harnessed, do the skills and sign away our lives in anticipation of fastening ourselves to a stainless cable which will prevent any bad behaviour (we’ve already been breathalysed) as we clamber over a giant climbing frame.
Although probably one of the most recognised structures in the work, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, to give it the full Sunday Name is just a giant coathanger. The lower section, where you’d hang your trousers, holds two train tracks, eight lanes of traffic and pedestrian footpath. The curved section, where your jacket goes, is actually two concentric curves. The quick tour uses the inner curve but we’re doing the extended one which does it all in the upper curve, I wouldn’t do it any other way.
We head down the tunnel (we got this far last time) and out onto the underneath of the highway. This is a 300m walkway before get to the first pylon, incidentally these are entirely pointless, merely window dressing to reassure the public that the bridge is strong, and have no load-bearing or other purpose.
Just round the corner of the pylon we pay our respects to the first settlers past, present and future whose land we stole to create Sydney, and then commence the first climb. It’s only a few dozen feet, as we climb ladders from the lower curve up to the upper curve, and that’s it, no more ladders until we return. From now on it’s steps up the curve, which obviously decrease in pitch as we gently get nearer and nearer the centre - simple mathematics you’ll all remember as a cosign calculation from your O-levels?
We stop from time to time to have photos taken by Harley our guide. We’re not allowed to take anything that’s not approved, and everything that is taken must be securely fastened to rings on our harnesses, a bit like diving really. Of course that’s convenient for the BridgeClimb owners who can then charge another $60 for the photos!! Approved is just glasses, hat, essential meds and epi-pens.
Just like in 2007, this is a fabulous experience, essential for any visitor to Sydney that can do it, made even more special for us as our ship is berthed so very close. Probably because we make excellent time, we are able to stop in the centre for a good while enjoying the view, taking our photos and chatting with Harley who is a very pleasant and knowledgeable young man.
Our return is rapid and we’re back exactly two hours after we set off. Harley points out that we’ve done 4000 steps which will not be on our FitBits (not approved) so we’ve earned a beer - happily there’s a pub right opposite, so we have a wonderfully cooling beer. Just for the record Sydney is once again melting even by Aus standards, today is well above body temperature again, even through the harbour breeze has protected us to a point.
We now aim for the pylon we’ve just scaled part of from below, this time we go to the top, safely and no harness necessary, aiming to watch Noordam’s sailaway. It’s quite sad to see this, but it would be greedy to want to go again quite so soon!!
To finish off our bridge experience we decided to walk to the north shore and back then return to change for dinner.
We’ve missed the Chinese New Year so where else outside China is there a finer place to find a good Chinese restaurant? We’ve already done the homework and head to Fortune Village for what turns out to be a fabulous banquet. Still in the mid thirties with humidity by Hades, we saunter back to our hotel and collapse after a rather busy day.
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