Sydney
Harbour Bridge
75th Birthday Celebrations
75th Birthday Celebrations
A
rare celebration was planned for Sunday 18th March 2007 to celebrate the
75th Birthday of the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge . This included
closing the bridge to road traffic from 4am to 11pm to allow members of
the general public to walk across. The day included other events such
as street busking, open-air stages with jazz and folk bands, children's
entertainment, water parades and fly-pasts. It was planned as a day to
remember, and by the end of it over 250,000 people of all ages had strolled
along the bridge's 7 lanes usually filled with trucks, buses, cars and
cycles. The railway remained open as the only means of public transport
to and from North Sydney.
The
authorities encouraged people who intended to walk to pre-register on
line or by telephone. On registering one was offered time slots, so we
chose 2.30pm. We drove from Mudgee on Saturday, staying overnight with
our friends in Lindfield. They had booked to walk with a group of friends
at 10.30am, so we all took the 9.30 train from Lindfield into the city.
They alighted at Milsons Point on the northern side (the walk was from
North to South only), whilst we stayed on the train one more stop to Wynyard
on the south side of the bridge. We planned to spend the morning around
Circular Quay and the Rocks.
Many
of the streets close to the Bridge and Circular Quay were either closed
to traffic or had been reduced in width, so there was plenty of walking
space within a safe environment. There was street entertainment all over
the place. Circular Quay is a favourite spot for buskers anyway, but this
was special because there were entertainers - clowns, people on stilts,
some in 1930's dress - it was just amazing. Open air stages had been erected
for various musical performances and round at Darling Harbour there were
a range of performances especially for children.
After
a coffee and some cinnamon toast we stood and watched part of a jazz concert
plus a flypast by a 1950s Constellation followed by a Catalina Flying
Boat. Not long after, the Red Berets performed an aerial parachute display.
Later, whilst having some lunch outside a German style cafe/bar, a couple
walked by on stilts.
Whilst
wandering beyond the Jazz Concert's stage area in Campbells Cove, we watched
a water pageant of old boats, led majestically by a fire tug. Diverting
from the bridge we walked up into the Rocks area - one of the oldest parts
of central Sydney - to the narrow streets and Sunday Market. We needed
to keep an eye on the time because of getting back to Wynyard and a train
to Milsons Point in time for our walk. Lunch called, so we stopped at
a German style cafe/bar, which we had used a couple of times before, and
had a some salad and a juice (no, I had a beer!). By 2 o'clock we were
back at the station, only to discover that the trains going north were
at a standstill because of a police incident at North Sydney (the next
station beyond Milsons Point). Thankfully the delay wasn't too bad and
we were soon at Milson's Point.
Yes,
it was busy but one didn't feel it at all. Being a grey day it was perfect
for walking. There were people of all ages, youngsters in strollers (push-chairs),
disabled and older folk in wheel chairs - everyone just ambled along at
a suitable pace listening to music and clips of historical radio coming
from banks of huge speakers. Most were taking photographs and of course
media cameras were everywhere. One couldn't see down to the water, but
there were regular flypasts of float planes and helicopters.
The
walk itself took us about 40 minutes. At the end of the bridge one could
either turn left and head back to the Rocks and Circular Quay, or go right
onto Observatory Hill. We needed both toilets and a drink, and as Carol
had told us Observatory Hill was a good lookout point, we turned right.
From the hill one had a good view of both the bridge to the right and
Darling Harbour to the left. We sat on the grass for over an hour. The
C130 Hercules transport aircraft flypast never materialised, but 4 F-111
Fighters flew over and back again. They were far quieter than I'd expected.
By 5.30pm we decided it was time to start our wander back to Wynyard Station
for the return to Lindfield and supper with Carol and Alan, but not before
sitting for half an hour outside the Australian Hotel in the Rocks with
a glass of wine, talking to a young Ozzy couple and their 2 children.
A brilliant day!
