Yet more drizzle!

Yet More Drizzle!

Rain in Sydney is pretty much the same as rain anywhere else. But, with
Bondi Beach only a short journey away, my preconceived idea of glorious
antipodean sunshine was maybe more than a little naive.
I'd left London twenty-eight hours ago with a smirk at the thought of
leaving the drizzle behind, only to be greeted by more of the same
stuff. As it mixes with perspiration that runs teasingly down my
screwed up face, I have to admit that it is at least warm drizzle.
Jet-lagged, tired, hungry and with a backpack that grows heavier with
every drop of rain, I set off in search of a much needed bed. I'd heard
that Northern Sydney &;#8230; the business area &;#8230; was more
detached from the hustle and bustle, so I head off in the general
direction of the Harbour Bridge that connects the two areas.
I wander through the area known as 'The Rocks' where Australia's first
white settlement grew up on 26th January 1788, the air heavy with the
smell of beer. Locals, seemingly oblivious to the rain, attempt to sing
and dance along with the music that blasts from the bars disguised as
old, colonial buildings. Others less drunken just mill around with the
obligatory glass in their hand. Car tyres crunch the discarded plastic
glasses that litter the narrow, cobbled streets and give a good
impression of firecrackers being set off. I soon discover that it is in
fact ANZAC Day, a national holiday commemorating the landing of ANZAC
troops in Gallipoli in 1915. Australians love nothing more than a
reason to celebrate, and celebrate they will &;#8230; in spite of
the rain. I leave them to it and make my way onto the Harbour Bridge
that towers above The Rocks.

Sydney, without doubt, is a beautiful city. Looking across from the
Harbour Bridge, 50m above the water, you cannot fail to be impressed by
one of the architectural wonders of the world. Sydney Opera House was
the brainchild of Danish architect Jorn Utzon. Beating over 200 others
in the competition to design the Opera House he quit in disgust over
construction difficulties and a consortium of Australian architects
finally completed it in 1973 after taking 14 years to build.
The Harbour Bridge itself is another engineering wonder with its 8
traffic lanes, 2 railway tracks, footpath and cycleway. Opened in 1932,
'The Old Coathanger' took 9 years to build and was the city's symbol
until the Opera House came along. With a span of 503m it is the second
longest single span bridge in the world. I can't say that I care much
for that particular statistic when wet, tired and hungry, but I've seen
enough already to know that the next day will be different.