When we were planning this trip we looked at booking to see a show or event at the Opera House but whilst we both enjoy the piano, we do not enjoy it enough to spend an entire evening listening to a piano concerto. There being no other shows for the time we were in Sydney, we opted to see the Opera House via a guided tour instead
We dropped lucky and our Guide for the tour (whose name we cannot remember so will call him Bob) was a retired architect. Bob told us that when he was newly qualified, his first job was at the Opera house working with the team who were redesigning a small part of it. This he said, gave him a life long passion for the Opera house and we were treated to a great tour, Bob knew so much and shared his passion – it made our tour!
there are pictures below which may just look like wooden panels and awkward shapes and weird concrete blocks but the inside of the House is as glorious as the outside.
We loved our 1.5 hour tour and got too see a lot. Bob explained that the original architect (you can find out more here) wanted the audience to not only enjoy the shows but have a great experience from the minute they arrived at the Opera House. He wanted it to please visually and can I say physically too. For example, the steps up to and within the Opera House are just perfect stride length for the average person. This means that as you go up the steps, you are not feeling exhausted by going up hundreds of stairs but you are merely placing one foot in front of the other, not really any different to walking along a flat footpath, it was a fascinating experience. At the bottom of a flight of hundreds of stairs, I was saying to myself my knees are not going to like this but after getting to the top, my knees survived the steps taken and I wasn’t even out of breathe!
Apparently, the original designs were made taking into account ladies who would be dressed in gowns and tiny healed shoes, so wouldn’t want to climb flight after flight of stairs, they would want to glide beautifully along. In most areas there was red carpet, this was laid for the normal everyday guests to enable them to feel special. I might not have glided along in my baggy trousers, linen shirt and pumps but we certainly felt special
When the Opera house was being built the people living on the opposite shore said it was a monstrosity and should be pulled down. They are now eating their words as 50 years later they live in the most expensive area in Sydney just because of their view!
There are 2 shapes/places within the form of the Opera house that are known as cleavage and hurricane alley. They need no explanation.🤣
Every step, every corner, every piece of the Opera House pleases your eye.
We were treated to a visit inside the Opera & Ballet theatre to see the Sydney Ballet dancers warming up. We giggled as they stretched and easily did the splits putting themselves in positions that we could only dream about.
Then we were thrilled, delighted and completely overcome to be treated to a visit into the Orchestral hall where the Australian National Orchestra were warming up. There was the grand piano, the harp, all the wind instruments and of course the triangle (my personal favourite and one I could become accomplished with) all playing, with the conductor flapping about, as they do.
They played for about 5 mins and then retired to have coffee. That gave Bob the chance to tell us all about the renovation works that had recently taken place, the bright colour scheme, the ceiling that ended up being too high and now has to have banners and petals hung to deflect the sound to the audience. It was a real treat indeed.😍
We finished the tour stood with Bob in the great entrance hall, watched a short video about the creation and completion of the Opera House and thanked him for his interesting talk.
I forget, the Opera House roof tiles are not white as we see them on TV in the UK. they are in fact partly white and partly cream, the white tiles are rough to the touch. The tiles are self cleaning and are regularly checked by a man dangling on a rope!
I could go on and on about the Opera House, we were both so impressed by it but check out the website here for more information. I have been having such a great time that I am now days behind with my blog. I have completed the write up from judging, that is being proof read as I type but I want to get down so much about the days in between Day 9 and now… whatever day that is… 😜
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