Australia - Sydney

View from a ferry in Sydney Harbour

Sydney is the main Australian city where disembarked and settled the first British fleet on the island in 1788. Britain created and developed this new colony after the loss of its North American empire. During the first six decades, the British sent more than 160 thousands convicts to their different settlements in Australia and Tasmania. Having more freedom and opportunities in this new world in construction, many convicts decided to stay once their sentence served. 

Hyde Park Barracks was designed as a secure night lodging building for 600 men and boys but hosted sometimes more than 1.300 convicts! The building had then other functions and in 1979 became a museum recreating convict lives at the beginning of the colonization.

Hyde Park Barracks Museum

Dormitory

This museum, like Susannah Place Museum, belongs to the Historic Houses Trust and shows the interest that Australians pay to their own History.

Susannah Place Museum is located in one of the oldest district of Sydney called the Rocks. This area was threatened to be bulldoze in the 1970's because of insalubrity. But this urban heritage was saved by a green ban after many demonstrations of the residents. Susannah Place is a rare surviving example of a popular four houses block built in bricks. Visiting this historic home we felt like in a granny's house with the toilets in the courtyard..

British influence is clearly visible in Australia. In the common culture, the language, the architecture, etc. Looking at the cathedrals.. we could think we are in London! Also these new inhabitants of the island were not very original and most of the streets, parks and districts have their English counterparts for example New South Wales, Liverpool, Hyde Park.

St Marys Cathedral

St Andrews Cathedral

Magazine found in St Andrews Cathedral,

an example of the very Aussie habit to finish every sentence with "dude" or "guys"..

The landmark in Sydney's urban panorama: the Opera House! What was an architectural and construction challenge resulted in a masterpiece. This multi-venue performing arts centre was meant to cost 7 million dollars and to be built in 4 years. In the end it cost 102 million dollars and was built in 14 years!! Jørn Utzon, the original architect, was dismissed during the construction and was not invited nor mentionned at the official inauguration.

The Opera House dominates Sydney's Harbour 

and is backgrounded by Sydney central business district.

During our walking tour through the city centre we found ourselves in a Matrix scene. In the end there is only one question: the blue or the red pill? ;)

Martin Place fountain featured in the Matrix

Parks in Sydney offer an appreciated break from urban life. One can experience the amazing autochthonous nature with a lot of strange plants and colorful birds flying freely that we had never seen before. And Sydney hosts a colony of bats in the botanic garden. So strange to watch them perched on trees in the middle of the city in the daytime.

 Grey-headed flying-fox bats

Another way to connect with Mother Nature: taking a ferryboat for half an hour to reach the wonderful beaches of Manly. It is also the cheapest way to cruise in Sydney's amazing harbour!

Manly beachside

And for our first meeting with sharks: Sydney Aquarium! We really enjoyed this place. It presents a rich collection of marine life and a wonderful exhibit of the Great Barrier Reef. The aquarium is well conceived to untertain adults and children.

Shark

 Great Barrier Reef exhibit

Dugon

Long-necked turtle

Skate