The Harbour Bridge

Today was Callie’s birthday, and to commemorate the significance of such an occasion, we decided to climb the world’s largest single span arch bridge. While the Opera House may exist as the definitive popular image of the Sydney waterfront, the most dominating presence is by far the Harbour Bridge. Rising 134 meters high and weighing nearly 53,000 tons, the bridge was the tallest Sydney landmark until 1967. Today it has 8 lanes for traffic, two independent rails lines, two pedestrian walkways, and 6 million rivets. Callie and I, like many other visitors, decided that the Bridge Climb would be a great way to see the city, and 1,437 stairs later, it was well worth every step.

The weather was absolutely beautiful with hardly any clouds and visibility from the Pacific Ocean to the Blue Mountains. The harbour was casually conducting itself this Sunday afternoon as white sails and gentle waves passed lazily underneath our feet. With the city below and nothing but blue sky above, the bridge was a wonderful way to pass the afternoon, and we would highly recommend it to any prospective visitors.

Following our summiting of the bridge, we spent the remainder of the afternoon before dinner walking without any predetermined purpose or direction through the neighborhood known as The Rocks. The Rocks, which sits adjacent to the bridge, is the oldest part of Sydney and is now home to a gentrified collection of homes and trendy shops and restaurants. Nevertheless, it still retains the cobbled streets and slender alleys that serve as a visual testament to its early history. It reminded us a little bit of the French Quarter in New Orleans but cleaner and without any eccentric street performers.

After wandering about for some time, nonchalantly inspecting the menus of the numerous waterfront restaurants, we settled on an Italian bistro that overlooked Circular Quay and the Opera House. We enjoyed an early birthday dinner and returned home to prepare for the week ahead. While Callie and I would both readily agree that birthdays are best spent in the company of family and friends, and while I think we would both confess to enjoy the substantive accoutrements that usually accompany such times, we both noticed that there was something strangely simplifying about today’s events. We hiked to the top of something really big and enjoyed the beautiful view and had a nice dinner, and the memory of such an occasion will probably endure beyond any material gesture. While tomorrow brings the start of another week and a return to school, we are thankful for experiences like today: to celebrate a significant occasion and to gain a lofty perspective.