Hafeezur Rahman Malik
Mr. Hafeezur Rahman is a retired Development Banking Specialist now whiling away his time teaching and travelling. His email contact is: hafeez@khi.comsats.net.pk
Day 1 (June 30, 2003)
Sydney Airport has a good rail link. It took barely 12 minutes to reach the Central Station located right in the city centre. My first job was to look for a bed to sleep in. Fortunately, the Youth Hostel of Australia (YHA) was just around the corner. The staff was very friendly and advised me to become member for AU$ 30 to have access to 140 YHAs all over the country. For anotherAU$42, they provided me with a comfortable room. I went to sleep immediately to beat the jet lag.
Day 2 (July 1, 2003)
Next day, I went out for a stroll. Though it was only mildly cold, I felt a shiver even in a leather jacket topped with a raincoat. The attire was giving me a chubby look though I'm only 70 kgs, tall & slim. In fact, I was coming from Pakistan which sizzles in June-July. It was winter in Australia. The temperature will drop to single digits as I venture down to Melbourne and Tasmania. So I needed suitable clothes. I bought a light weight, micro fibre jacket, thermal long johns and a long-sleeved shirt for a total of AU$140. I went back to the hostel for a quick change over and stepped out only when I was feeling 'ultra-lite'.
Since the YHA was located in the city centre, I had no difficulty in finding places to get travel information. Eddy Avenue, between YHA and Central Station, had many information booths and travel centres. Countrylink Rail offered an attractive package and I would have gone for it except for one problem: no seats available for the first two weeks of July due to school holidays. So I returned to my original plan of a bus-ride. I got an "Aussie Highlights Pass" for around AU$ 920 allowing a loop around the eastern half of Australia plus bonus tours to Kakadu and Uluru Parks. A minimum of 32 days were required to utilize that pass.
Having solved my lodging and travel problem, I set out on a footloose walk in the city. I never consult a city map, I just go left and right and in the process I see many landmarks. By the grace of God, I always return safely at night. The trick is to keep going in one direction, drifting a little to the left or right, and returning back by a parallel road. To double check, I always keep a compass ready. Only through a miracle would I get lost.
Up next was the selection a never-ending street for a long walk. YHA was on Pitt Street. I did not like the name. It reminded me of a bottomless pit where once you have fallen into it, you would never come out. So, I moved left and found myself on George Street, broad and vibrant. I asked a female passer by how far I could go on that street: "To the end of the world crossing Harbor Bridge, better if you buy a Day-Pass for only 13 dollars …" said the kind lady. Having already used a big chunk of my funds, the mere mention of the word "dollar" revved my blood pressure and blocked my ears. I kept on nodding without hearing her. I thanked her, patted my legs and braced myself for a 12-mile walk.
It was a bright day, exceptionally bright I must say. Later I learned it was due to the depletion of the ozone layer right over Australia. Instead of sunlight, it is called "diamond light", brighter and stronger. Sydney looked a little old and tightly packed. In many ways, it resembled San Francisco, only the steep hills were missing. There were lots of Japanese, Chinese and Korean people talking in strange languages and dialects. In fact, the city was as multiethnic as New York.
When I made a small detour by turning on to Sussex Street, I faced strange signboards like Casa Asturiana, Captain Torres etc. It took me some time to realize that I was in "Spanish Town" famed for its tapas. I saw more and more restaurants and food stalls offering Chinese, Malay, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and Japanese food. One could have a buffet by paying AU$3, 5 or 8 for small, medium and large disposable plates. These could be heaped up by selecting foods from dishes of rice, noodles, pies, roasts, pastas, dim-sim and yum-cha. One could order a plain burger, bagels, sushi, steak or special seafood.
I did not notice where Spanish Town ended and China Town began as the latter was expanding well beyond its designated confines, thanks to the money being pumped in by Hong Kong tycoons. Turning on to Liverpool Street, I returned back to George Street. A few steps way, I confronted an architectural delight. It was ![]()
src="ttimages/queen_vic.jpg" align=right hspace=10 vspace=10 border=1> the Queen Victoria Building, a sprawling complex containing boutiques, cafes, and antiques shops. It was packed with tourists who were making brisk purchases despite high prices. At a jeweler's shop, I asked for a black opal with utmost confidence. Hoping for a good kill, the owner himself attended me and showed me lot of stones, none less than $500. He was disappointed when I did not buy anything.
Continuing on George Street, I ended up in "The Rocks". It is the oldest part of Sydney with narrow cobblestoned streets and colonial buildings giving a look and feel of the past. Massive development and restoration work had turned the place into a tourist paradise, filled with flocks of them!!! I felt as if I was in an Oriental Bazaar. One could spend the whole day browsing gift shops, art galleries, pubs, tea-rooms. Many shops had stuffed koalas and other cute animals showcased at their entrances.
By now, I was longing for some conversation. So I started asking around for directions to the Information Centre. I was moved by the responses from the passers by. Some directed me to right place after walking to the point where the centre was visible. Some apologized as they were lost, too. Some asked others and passed on the information to me. It is, after all, people who make the larger difference between the places on this earth - through their features, characteristics, behaviour, mannerisms etc.
While coming towards The Rocks, I had many glimpses of the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge. I planned to save it for my next visit. But when I saw stair access to the bridge looming over The Rocks, I could not resist. I went up and found a fenced-walkway to cross the bridge. Nick-named 'Coathanger', the bridge has a length of 3770 feet, second only to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. It was a very pleasant walk with fresh air and scenic views of the rivers, ferries, cruisers, city skylines and, above all, Sydney Opera House. When I looked up, I saw many people climbing the bridge in groups. Later, I learned that each had paid a hefty sum of $ 140 for a guided tour to the top just for a thrill.
After crossing the bridge, I came to North Shore which was studded with high rise offices. Besides that there were a line of pleasant side-walk cafes. Zigzagging along narrow streets, I made up my way to the ferry terminal. I had to wait for about half an hour before the ferry arrived. No one asked me for a ticket and I thought it was a free ride like the Staten Island Ferry of New York. When I disembarked at Circular Quay to continue my walk back to the base, I had to purchase a ticket for going out of the ferry terminal. There is no such thing as a free lunch.
I was now returning to the city centre. Crisscrossing Elizabeth St, pedestrian malls, and George Street I reached the YHA. It was late evening and the city was lit up in bright colours, even the trees had white lights. I swiped my card at the door and jumped into bed without waiting for the click of the closing door. I was quite tired after my full day and I slept like a log.
Day 3 (July 2, 2003)
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I am an early riser. I'm also a lazybones. So I keep lying in the bed for hours. It helps me in planning for the day and saving energy for a long walk. I intended to cover Darling Harbour, Sydney Opera House and the Botanical Gardens.
While walking towards Darling Harbour, I caught a sight of a monorail, traveling at first floor level. It would be a good way to see the city centre from above. A few steps ahead, I found stairs leading to its station. I went up, enquired and was glad to find that it was heading towards the Darling Harbour. So I got a ticket for $ 4 and jumped on it. So far I have not seen any other such rail operating in the heart of a major city. But it covered a very small loop and was more of novelty than a mode of transport.
From above, Sydney looked like a big, bustling city though its population was only 4 million. I noticed huge billboards of multi-national food giants like KFC, McDonald's and Burger King. The only well known indigenous joint, Hungry Jack's, had no such massive displays. Near the harbour, the view from the top became panoramic: water glistening under bright sun, flags flapping in a cool wind, people in colourful clothes moving about. There was a large waterfront with shops, restaurants, parks, museums and casinos. It was a gorgeous view giving me a real feel for the city.
I had started my day with only a cup of tea and a couple of crackers. I was feeling hungry and so I looked around for any eating place. A noodle bar, Wok on Inn, fascinated me and I had my fill with $7. Afterwards, I adjusted my belt and walked towards Maritime Museum. The Normal ticket was about $8 but lower for pensioners. I tried to convince the lady at the ticket booth that I was international pensioner, a senior citizen, a research scholar. It failed to melt her and she insisted on full ticket.
The Maritime Museum displayed aboriginal canoes, the First Fleet and surf culture. Moored outside were a naval destroyer, a submarine, a racing yacht and a Vietnamese refugee boat. I had to pay another $7 to visit the nearby Powerhouse Museum covering varied subjects like decorative arts, social history, costume jewellery, rock music, locomotive and space capsules. This small harbour had been transformed into a major tourist site, appealing predominantly to children. The vast, paved and landscaped recreational ground was packed with restaurants and shops, as well as a number of tourist attractions: Sydney Aquarium, IMAX Theatre and the Chinese Garden of Friendship (a gift to Sydney from its sister city of Guangdong).
Leaving Darling Harbour, I headed towards the Sydney Opera House. I had seen it from the harbour bridge and knew its location well. Following Market Street, I reached Queen Square and turned left on Macquarie Street. I passed by old public buildings like St. James Church, Mint, Parliament House, State Library and Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Eventually, I arrived at Circular Quay (pronounced as key). I had been here before as it was the commuting hub with ferry terminals, railway station and bus stops. The Opera House was now
border=1> in sight, with soaring sail-like or shell-like roofs. To some one dirty minded like me, it seemed like frogs in their mating season.
Before the main hall, there was a shopping & entertainment area. Lots of people were sitting in the outdoor cafes and watching harbour life go by. There were designer shops selling leather goods, dresses and souvenirs. A chic clothing store had the unusual name of FCUK. Certainly, it was a spelling mistake. After all, it was Australia and not England.
Once I was face-to-face with the Opera House, it did not seem so romantic. In many places, tiles were broken and cracked along edges. Some were dirty and scrawled with the names of those who had visited before. Many types of guided tours were available like "Front-of-the-House" and "Backstage" but at a high cost. So I just walked around enjoying the aromatic air coming from the nearby Royal Botanical Gardens which, of course, was my next point.
The gardens were located in a hilly area on a slope overlooking the harbour. There were many signposts and trail marks for the benefit of the visitors wanting to see tropical plants and roses in pyramid-like glass houses. These were at the top but access was made easy by a series of stairs. Many young men and women were using these stairs for exercises - going up and down umpteen times. I was tempted to show them up but good sense prevailed and I continued moving ahead.
It was early evening when I left the garden and took a path leading to the Opera House. With the skyline of downtown Sydney as its backdrop, the Opera House was looking awesome. Beauty always improves with distance.
The day long walk had taken its toil. My muscles trembled and my joints were rattling now. I used CityRail for the journey back to Central Station. It was an experience in itself to take a ride in the subway. The station was complex with a variety of tunnels, stark yellow and black, leading to various platforms and exits.
I felt relieved on my return; another memorable day was over.
HRM
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