10.1.05
The Sydney Aquarium
Everyone told me that this was a must, you must "go find Nemo" (a joke that has gone well past its use-by-date I now realise, those poor aquaruim staff). So off we went. Actually, that seems to imply a certain degree of haste, but with the huge crouds there wasn't much forward movement, not in the queue, and not in the aquarium either. Prams and off road buggies constantly nudging your shins, children screeming that they had located Nemo on a frisbee in the gift shop, kiddies banging at the fish tanks or sticking their fingers into starfish... I don't want to get al New Age on you but I began to feel a little uncomfortable with the whole show. I will not argue the case as to a fishes level of consciousness, or the level of humaine conditions they lived in, or indeed the educational benifits of exposing people to creatures they had never imagined existed, but I do feel strongly enough about the water around the whole Noah's Ark to pipe up here: Between the hub and the seperate shark pod was a gangway over the harbour, and there gently bobbing in the oil slick was a chilie bin (which I recently learnt is an esky in Australian), and a selection of dining-ware from that fine restaurant we have all come to love, the one run by the clown..., and other detritus. It is the only photo I took of my experience there, and one that I think is more important that a snap of a sparkly snapper.
2.1.05
Ozzy ozzy ozzy
I little preview of antics on the otherside of the pond.
With my travel buddy Ronja, I have visited the NSW Art Gallery, and been horrified by the Anne Landa Award. The ALA is a new media award, and the winnner can only be described as shocking. Sitting a a playhouse on tiny kiddie chairs you have the chance to interact with a little girl/doll by using a mouse. What seems so inocent becomes macabre as the little angel becomes self distructive: when suggesting playing 'Tea-Time', she throws the teapot on the ground, picks up the broken china and grinds it into her eyes. You can't help but feel slightly responsible in suggesting the activity. Nuts!
A picnic in the botanic gardens was more sedate, but still a little bizare being surrounded by brids I had never seen before, making noises I had never heard before, and others that are normally seen in cages in pet shops, now flying freely, colourful feathers flapping just as they should be..
No trip would be complete without seeing the Opera House. Not that we went inside, but wandered around taking it all in, trying to get that defining photograph. Time will tell if I got "that" shot.
Dave and Ivan have been legends with their hospitality in the city, and with insider knowledge. I am sure that left up to our own devices we would have missed those famous fireworks heralding the new year seen from Mrs Macquires Point, in the Botanic Gardens, and a picnic with thousands of Sydneysiders and travellers. Fireworks that kicked the probverbial of all the others I have ever seen. OK, the 'Disco Ball' was something of a disapointment, but it was overshadowed by the complete show. The 9pm show with less than a skin-full was amazing. The crowds were not as frantic and we could "ooo" and "ahhh" to our hearts content, but we were all just waiting for the big one.
Which was big. Very. Huge crowds gathered at the waters edge 15 minutes early and we clambered for a position. I was tucked under the sweeping branches of a tree, half perched on half a step, but could still see most of the action, and with a death grip on the handrail managed to stay upright. The fireworks raged for 15 or 20 minutes maybe, and the crowds began to disapear into the night. But, if my memory serves me right there was a laser show once the smoke had cleared, which I seem to recall enjoying, but maybe I had just burnt my corneas staling wide-eyed at the fireworks and was just getting flash-backs.
New Year itself was a lazy day, wandering over the Harbour Bridge, taking the city in at my own pace, wandering with no intention, but just seeing what was around the corner. And, today? Well, there are plenty more corners to peek around... Who knows.
With my travel buddy Ronja, I have visited the NSW Art Gallery, and been horrified by the Anne Landa Award. The ALA is a new media award, and the winnner can only be described as shocking. Sitting a a playhouse on tiny kiddie chairs you have the chance to interact with a little girl/doll by using a mouse. What seems so inocent becomes macabre as the little angel becomes self distructive: when suggesting playing 'Tea-Time', she throws the teapot on the ground, picks up the broken china and grinds it into her eyes. You can't help but feel slightly responsible in suggesting the activity. Nuts!
A picnic in the botanic gardens was more sedate, but still a little bizare being surrounded by brids I had never seen before, making noises I had never heard before, and others that are normally seen in cages in pet shops, now flying freely, colourful feathers flapping just as they should be..
No trip would be complete without seeing the Opera House. Not that we went inside, but wandered around taking it all in, trying to get that defining photograph. Time will tell if I got "that" shot.
Dave and Ivan have been legends with their hospitality in the city, and with insider knowledge. I am sure that left up to our own devices we would have missed those famous fireworks heralding the new year seen from Mrs Macquires Point, in the Botanic Gardens, and a picnic with thousands of Sydneysiders and travellers. Fireworks that kicked the probverbial of all the others I have ever seen. OK, the 'Disco Ball' was something of a disapointment, but it was overshadowed by the complete show. The 9pm show with less than a skin-full was amazing. The crowds were not as frantic and we could "ooo" and "ahhh" to our hearts content, but we were all just waiting for the big one.
Which was big. Very. Huge crowds gathered at the waters edge 15 minutes early and we clambered for a position. I was tucked under the sweeping branches of a tree, half perched on half a step, but could still see most of the action, and with a death grip on the handrail managed to stay upright. The fireworks raged for 15 or 20 minutes maybe, and the crowds began to disapear into the night. But, if my memory serves me right there was a laser show once the smoke had cleared, which I seem to recall enjoying, but maybe I had just burnt my corneas staling wide-eyed at the fireworks and was just getting flash-backs.
New Year itself was a lazy day, wandering over the Harbour Bridge, taking the city in at my own pace, wandering with no intention, but just seeing what was around the corner. And, today? Well, there are plenty more corners to peek around... Who knows.
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