Sydney Harbour

Yesterday as I made my way around Sydney calling on customers I took ten minutes to stop and actually look at the harbour and it wonders. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House would without a doubt be Australia's most famous tourist attraction.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was completed in 1932, the construction of the bridge - known locally as "The coathanger" - was an economic feat as well as an engineering triumph. Prior to the bridge being built, the only links between the city centre in the south and the residential north were by ferry or by a 20 kilometre (12½ mile) road route that involved five bridge crossings.

The Bridge took eight years to build, including the railway line.
Construction on the bridge began in December, 1926. The foundations, which are 12 metres (39 feet) deep, are set in sandstone. Anchoring tunnels are 36 metres (118 feet) long and dug into rock at each end. Construction on the arch began in November, 1929. It was built in halves with steel cable restraints initially supporting each side. The arch spans 503 metres (1650 feet) and supports the weight of the bridge deck, with hinges at either end bearing the bridge's full weight and spreading the load to the foundations. The hinges allow the structure to move as the steel expands and contracts in response to wind and changes in temperatures. By October, 1930, the two arch halves had met and work then began on the deck. The deck is 59 metres (194 feet) above sea level and was built from the center out. The Harbour Bridge was officially opened on the 19th March 1932.

 

CLIMBING THE BRIDGE

Climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is exhilarating and an unforgettable experience. The panorama from the top of the largest steel arch bridge in the world is stunning. A Bridge climb Sydney tour to the summit is open to anyone who is in good health and aged eight and older.
The minimum height requirement is 1.2 metres. Climbs begin at regular intervals, from early in the morning through to the evening, and all the equipment you’ll need is provided. A range of climbs is available. The main Bridge climb is 3 hrs 30 min return along ladders and catwalks and the outer arch of the bridge to the top, which is 134 metres above Sydney Harbour. A quicker tour to the summit is Bridge climb express, which is 2 hrs 15 min return. Costs and more information can be found here.

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre at Sydney Harbour. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings. Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 after a gestation beginning with Utzon's 1957 selection as winner of an international design competition. The Government of New South Wales, led by the premier, Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The government's decision to build Utzon's design is often overshadowed by circumstances that followed, including cost and scheduling overruns as well as the architect's ultimate resignation. The building and its surrounds occupy the whole of Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour, between Sydney Cove and Farm Cove, adjacent to the Sydney central business district and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and close by the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Though its name suggests a single venue, the building comprises multiple performance venues which together host well over 1,500 performances annually, attended by more than 1.2 million people.  It is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, more than eight million people visit the site annually, and approximately 350,000 visitors take a guided tour of the building each year.