Tuesday, January 26 – Happy Australia Day!!

Happy Birthday Australia

We celebrated two birthdays today: Alanna’s 35^th birthday, and Australia’s 228^th birthday, if you take January 26, 1788 when Captain Arthur Phillip arrived from England to establish an agricultural work camp (a penal colony) for the 700 convicts who travelled with him as the “birth date.”

We caught the ferry to Circular Quay from Woolwich Wharf and as we got closer to the harbour area we could feel the energy in the air increasing.  

Luna Park

We got as far as Luna Park and the ferry could go no further as the harbour was spilling over with boats. We had a perfect vantage point to watch all the activities. We caught the 21 gun salute to Australia emanating from the Royal Australian Navy Flag Ship; then singing of the Au anthem filled the harbour; and finally, there was a thrilling air show put on by the Royal Australian Air Force and a group of 6 Russian Roulettes who were flying at times about 3 metres from each other, as low as 200 feet above the ground, and at speeds up to 550 km/h. But the most beautiful sight and one that pulled emotions up to the surface from deep down in my chest was watching a couple of sleek, shining silver F/A-18A Hornet aircraft doing a “bomb burst” over the Sydney Harbour Bridge at speeds of up to 550 knots prior to doing some low level aerial displays.

We didn’t have time to recover from this before the Australia Day Harbour Parade started and vessels of every description, including tug boats, sail boats, ferries, etc. paraded their colourful flags and other gear for the “best dressed vessel” competition. Then there was the fire boat that toured the harbour spraying water like a fountain into the ocean; a ferry boat race; a tall ship race; and a dance by larger vessels and ferries displaying their agility.  

When all of this activity was over, and the parade of boats had moved on down the river, we got back on the ferry from our “in-transit” harbour-side view and continued into Circular Quay. Australians and tourists were out in force to celebrate and the streets heaved with people in colourful outfits, bands playing, Australian flags waving, and pub-goers spilling over into the streets while “cheering” Australia.

To be carried away by the current, to be dissolved in the Other
Sangeeta Sandraseger, 2014

Barangaroo Reserve

We had a “British” lunch in the café at the top of The Museum of Contemporary Arts with its beautiful view of the Opera House and Sydney Bridge, after which we strolled through the hot and sticky streets of Sydney to the Barangaroo Reserve. Here 75,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted involving 84 different species native to the Sydney region. The park is young, and in a few years it will be a magnificent oasis in the CBD of Sydney.

When we could barely move one foot in front of the other, we headed first to the pub for a pint…of cider…with which to toast Alanna for her birthday, and then to the ferry and our harbour sail back to Woolwich Wharf.

What a fabulous day. Thank you Jim and Sue for sharing your Aussie celebrations with us!!

Happy Birthday Alanna!!