Hi All,
I have finally learned how to post videos on the website, thanks Josh!! There is a good one of the start of the Hobart race on the last blog post and in this post will be several videos of the firework display on New Year’s Eve.
After the race we had another very early morning…..the Harbor Bridge climb starting at 7:30am…..ouch!!! Unfortunately Kathy could not join us as she is still recuperating from her spinal surgery, but she got up and fortified Caz, Jim and me with plenty of coffee to get us going. We were not quite sure if this was going to be worthwhile or a tourist trap but wow, what an experience. A brief description:
Spanning Sydney Harbour at a maximum height of 134 metres, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, built in the 1920’s during the Australian depression, is a spectacular feat of engineering and an enduring icon famous the world over. And despite efforts to capture Sydney’s signature attraction on film, there’s nothing quite like seeing it for yourself. Instantly recognisable, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the world’s tallest steel arch bridge, connecting northern suburbs of Sydney with the city centre. It is also a vital link in Sydney’s transport infrastructure, with more than 200,000 cars travelling its length each day. There are many ways to experience this iconic landmark. One of the most popular is with BridgeClimb Sydney, which has been running since 1998. Learn about the fascinating history of the bridge and its place in the city as you make the exhilerating climb to the top. The open vista provides and unforgettable experience, and the scope of the view is spectacular.
Our guide, Daniel, made the 3+ hour experience really incredible. Not only were the views spectacular as promised but the stories he told were impressive. His great grandfather worked on the bridge and died while saving a friend in the rock quarry. Kathy, Stacey and Brett got there around mid-morning, walked the lower part of the Bridge themselves, and got some great pics. We then spent the rest of the day downtown walking the Rocks, an eclectic group of markets/shops and then ended up by the Opera House.
The next day had us on a more leisurely morning…or so we thought…..Caz booked a behind the scenes tour of the Wild Life Event….she was booking a 3pm tour when it got sold and she settled on a 10am…..but, OMG, it is now 9am…..so off we go toast/coffee in hand…..but wow, what another incredible experience….we spent almost 4 hours….Caz is a Vetenarian and combine that with Kathy’s love/knowledge of critters, we were in for a treat!!! We got to see our first Tasmania Devil as well as an 18′ crocodile…..weighed over 2400 pounds….Koalas, many different snakes, kangaroos, birds, and a lot more. This was indeed a treat for all of us!!!
The next day had us positioning Mystic in Athol Bay for the NYE show. The advice we had was to get there the day before and prepare to watch the madness develop over the next 2 days. It also gave us a chance to slow down a bit and enjoy Jim and Caz on Mystic….so, throw some steaks on the barbie and bring out the wine….oh, how we love to hear those words!!!
When we arrived there were probably 20+ boats but within 36 hours there was 500+ in our bay and maybe closer to 1000, and for the most part all were behaved. We only had 1 or 2 close calls but fortunately the other boaters were repsonsible and picked up and left the tiny hole they were trying to anchor into. One of our friends had a boat drag into their anchor chain but then 4 or 5 other boats/dinghies came to the rescue and all was sorted with no damage.
The fireworks….well, I’m still having trouble finding an adequate way to describe….it so deserved to be on our bucket list and it far, far exceeded every one of our expectations!!! Jim said the best quote of the evening was “where do I look”. Here is a brief description:
The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be an even bigger star in this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations as 100,000 fireworks get set to dazzle more than one million revellers in the city’s annual pyrotechnic extravaganza. The City of Sydney has revealed that for the first time both sides of the coat-hanger’s pillars will be lit up, and that an extra 2400 fireworks would erupt from the iconic structure for the 31 December bash. New effects are also set to illuminate the Sydney Opera House, helping to turn the harbour into a “kaleidoscope of colour”, the City of Sydney said. Seven tonnes of fireworks — including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual fireworks — would be used in the massive NYE display that has taken a year and a quarter to organise.
The 9pm fireworks will feature flora and fauna inspired fireworks in a sparkling tribute to the 200th year of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden and 100 years of Taronga Zoo. As always, the midnight show is shrouded in mystery but organisers are promising a “spectacular” surprise for the 12-minute display.
Sydney Harbour Program of Events:
6pm & 8pm — Air displays above Sydney Harbour
7.00pm — Tug boat water display
8.30pm — Pylon projections on both sides of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
8.40pm — Welcome to Country Ceremony
9.00pm — Family fireworks
9.15pm — Harbour of Light Parade
12am — Midnight fireworks
I did make a Gallery of pics as there are just too many to put in the blog. I can’t find a way to add the videos to the Gallery so I just included in this blog.
Before the midnight show, Brett and Stacey and their guests, Joe and Heidi from Huck, joined us on Mystic. The view from the flybridge was awesome!!! Afterwards, we continued the celebration with more champagne and wine and then the boys had our favorite rum, Ron Zacapa 23!!! It was truly an incredible experience and the memories will last our life time!!
The next day was a day of rest…..complete with fruit salad and the remaining sausage cheese balls….good for what ails you…..and then burgers on the grill later on!!! We mainly sat and watched the remaining boats leave and the skyline view!!
Our friends Craig and Jeanette had emailed us that they had just seen the latest Star Wars movie at one of those posh theaters complete with lounge chairs, dinner and drinks….oh, we were so in!!! Jim and Caz had done that a few times in Toronto and elsewhere but Kathy and I were virgins. Jim found a similar theater in the City so we had a very pleasant theater experience watching Star Wars lounging and having sliders and drinks. I personally loved the movie, thought they nailed it but was very surprised…..oops….can’t say as some friends have not seen it!!!!
And that my friends was our activities in Sydney over the Holidays. We have been back to the City twice now, once for a birthday party and once for closing ceremonies with Jim and Caz at an outstanding steak house. We are finding some great wines as well as the beef is excellent!! We do have reservations to see a Led Zeppelin masters concert at the Opera House and we will make it a date w/e in Sydney in a few weeks.
We have been anchored the past few days in Rose Bay waiting out a terrific storm. It has rained now for 3+ day….yes, we did get soaked in the dinghy rides to shore….reminded us of the Pacific Northwest but 20 deg warmer….and today the wind is blowing 30-35kts in the anchorage. We have just hunkered down and tried to get caught up on the blog, emails and started to plan our road trip in Australia in Feb/March. It looks like Saturday we will take Mystic back to Empire Marina and prepare for our 2 week haulout starting Monday Jan. 11.
HAPPY NEW YEAR from downunder!!!
John
Mystic Moon
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