We opened our curtains this morning to find this monstrosity blocking our view of the Opera House. The Celebrity Edge carries just under 3,000 passengers and is at the start of a 13 day cruise up the east coast of Australia.
After breakfast we headed to the Botanical Gardens, via the Opera House. Markers like this along the way denote the original shoreline as the Circular Quay area was built on reclaimed land.
After 3 years of intensive search for a basic geometry for the shell complex I arrived in October 1961 at the spherical solution shown here.
I call this my “key to the shells” because it solves all the problems of construction by opening for mass production, precision in manufacture and simple erection and with this geometrical system I attain full harmony between all the shapes in this fantastic complex.
architect John Utson
Unfortunately there is event construction going on around the building in preparation for an open air celebration for Anzac Day on the Friday after we leave so we were a bit limited as to where we could walk.
Entrance to the Botanical Gardens
This artwork Folly for Mrs Macquarie was commissioned as part of the Sydney Sculpture Walk for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and stands in front of Government House looking over to Mrs Macquaries Point and through to the heads of the harbour. The artwork takes a pop at the British implying an element of folly in the optimistic act of superimposing old world traditions onto foreign surroundings.
A Slit Drum
This monolith made of 16,000 threaded quartz pebbles is adorned with a pattern from a rare Aboriginal shield known as the Sydney shield, which represents a shield traded with European arrivals in 1788.
We didn't walk far in the gardens as it was jolly hot and also being autumn most of the flowering plants had gone over, but here are a few.
Possibly Tibouchina mutabilis, although native to Brazil it's widely grown here and known as Glory Bush
Costus barbatus again.
Google identifies this as a Vireya rhododendron sp. Vireyas are a subspecies and grow in the cool season anywhere from SE Asia to Australia.
Cosmos bipinnatus
Aloe sp.
Echinacea sp.
Plumeria rubra more commonly known as Red Frangipani
Aechmea fasciata
Aeonium arboreum var atropurpureum
Again, a probable identification; Neobuxbaumia polylopha
I just love seeing plants I could only dream of growing as house plants flourishing outdoors and growing several meters tall.
I liked this statue too.
We saw very few birds this morning, it was probably too hot, but here's another photo of an Australian Ibis.
We left the gardens at the nearest entrance to a Big Bus bus stop so we could continue our adventures from yesterday.
Opposite the exit is the Australian Art Museum which looks remarkably like the NSW State Library to me.
There are a pair of bronze allegorical equestrian statues outside the entrance, entitled The Offerings of Peace and The Offerings of War which have been on permanent display since their installation in 1926 - this is the latter.
Just next door are rather strange sculptures entitled Here Comes Everybody but very difficult to photograph more than this one.
A bit further along the road is a statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns, although what his connection was with Sydney I couldn't find out.
We walked past St Mary's Cathedral and decided to pop in for quick look.
Completely forgetting it was Easter Sunday so a service was in progress and the place was heaving.
Just the one snap and we got out quickly before the service ended and the masses poured out.
I don't remember why I took this photo except that the design probably drew me in - it's St Vincent' Private Hospital
At last we've reached a blue Big Bus bus stop and can sit and wait for our bus.