The Call of Terra Australis

The globe has been fascinating me since eternity. Different continents, the countries existing within them, the seas and rivers that act as boundaries and beauty of these countries, mountains ranges that spread far and wide, different time zones, everything seems well structured by Nature. If the Earth were a spherical board, then all the countries on it would seem like well-placed tiles with diverse geographies and equally diverse living beings. Each country on the Earth scores very well in its own unique way. As a child, I took great interest in going through the colourful maps in the Atlas. My sister and I often played the game of spotting a city in the world map. A test of eyesight and time, this game used to be my small steps of getting acquainted to the world. The world that was restricted to the pages of my Atlas unearthed soon, thanks to the numerous novels that I read and travel to a few countries.

This year it was time to explore another continent. In fact, I explored a continent cum country. Which continent other than Australia can give you this joy? We visited Sydney, the largest city in Australia. Known as Terra Australis or the Southern Continent, the journey to Australia was indeed a long one. However, all the hours of long journey passed in a jiffy with the excitement surging every hour to discover a new city. Finally, we reached Sydney on a mildly sunny but chilled morning. The onset of fun began from the commute to hotel itself, as I was curiously looking at the sparsely occupied wide roads, the shops, hotels and museums on the way. We reached our humble abode for the next few days and wore off the tiredness of our long journey.

Soon we were charged up to explore the city in the evening. We set off on foot with Google map, the ultimate tour guide throughout our time in Sydney. Our first stop was a vast expanse of greenery in form of Hyde Park. A perfect spot for evening walk in the pleasant weather, Hyde Park is synonymous with tranquility. We walked along the natural green carpets relaxing and rejuvenating ourselves. We saw people lying down comfortably on the grass, having hearty conversations. The park has Anzac Memorial at its centre. It is a symbol of respect to all Australians who served the country during the First World War. I felt that the memorial could not have a more pertinent place than Hyde Park where peace was omnipresent to pay homage to all the brave hearts. Walking further ahead, we saw a tall standing statue of James Cook, a British explorer who achieved the first European contact with Australia during his voyage to the Pacific Ocean. We left from the park, gaining some insight about Australia’s origins and history.

It was getting dark and hence the time came to visit Sydney Tower, the tallest building in the city. When we reached Sydney Tower, I had a sense of déjà vu as it brought back my memories of Kuala Lumpur Tower. We saw the glittering skyscrapers of Sydney from above. The view looked festive with the city decking itself up in colourful lights. We walked around the entire circular area, getting views of churches, gardens and office buildings below from different angles. Sydney Tower is like the tallest student in a class who is visible from every corner. We spotted Sydney Tower wherever we went, amidst other tall buildings, acting like its competitors, but were no match to its height.

Next day we visited one of the darling places in Sydney, the Darling Harbour. This Harbour seemed to have this magnetic pull of attracting a variety of restaurants, commerce and serene waters all at the same place. There was a Ferris wheel as well to add to the entertainment factor. The Ferris wheel again gave us the opportunity to ‘reach heights’ from where we could see the Australian flag at the harbour swaying calmly in the cool breeze. As the evening slowly advanced into darkness, the tall skyscrapers showed their luminous side, casting some of their shimmer on the waters of the harbour. The dazzling waters along with the high-rise buildings presented a collaborative view of natural and man-made wonders.

The next morning we headed out to explore more of Darling Harbour and its beautiful surroundings. Our first stop was Chinese Garden of Friendship. It celebrates Chinese heritage and culture and is filled with bamboo plants, resplendent flowers and waterfalls. The garden signifies the bond between China and Australia. Wandering in the garden gives you the feel of being in China, as you see dragons painted on garden walls and typical structures that you would see only in China. Thus, it was like experiencing another country in a continent cum country!

Darling Harbour also houses an aquarium, Madame Tussauds Wax Statue Museum and Wildlife World. The SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium contains a variety of Australian aquatic life, the special ones being from the Great Barrier Reef. In the Wildlife World zoo, I was glad to meet Koalas for the first time. Very affable and one of Australia’s unique creatures, we can learn from them to sleep peacefully without having anything to worry about! They were as though physically and emotionally attached to the Eucalyptus trees as they held on to them like a pillow to sleep on. Bidding goodbye to Koalas with the hope of seeing more of these endearing animals, we visited Madame Tussauds next, the hall of famous personalities all over the world. Among the numerous notable personalities that we saw, we were longing to see some of our famous Indian faces. And there they were, the stars of cricket and Bollywood – Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan. Clicking pictures with their wax statues were ultimate fan moments. The lifelike statues of all personalities and the craftsmanship behind them, was another example of unbounded human creativity.

The greenery in Sydney had already captured our hearts. To our delight, Sydney provided us one more opportunity to walk through huge acres of greenery and admire a variety of trees. Choosing an evening again, we went to Royal Botanic Garden, which is stunningly located near Sydney Opera House. You get the opportunity to experience the blue and green colours of nature, with adjacent Opera House providing classic entertainment. Again an example where natural and manmade wonders come together to soothe the human minds!

The next few hours of that evening were my memorable and precious moments in Sydney, none other than at the grand Opera House. Having experienced theatre only with Marathi plays, Opera House was a hub where every form of art was welcomed. To call Opera House a theatre would be like only half describing it. For me, the magnificent Opera House was an experience like never before. This lotus-like structure which is the poster icon of Sydney truly appreciates and encourages theatre in all forms. We attended a captivating Tap Dance show which was worth every single dollar. A guaranteed source of entertainment for two hours, we were awestruck by the performance of these immensely talented Australian tap dancers. It was a never-seen- live-before dance style for me. Everything in the periphery of Opera House exudes grandeur. Like a keen observer, I looked in and around Opera House absorbing its elegance in my eyes and mind as much as possible. Appreciating Opera House’s external beauty and actually experiencing what it has to offer, are two different things. It surely is a man-made wonder, where artists create wonders everyday by stunning the audience with their talent. Adjacent to Opera House is another icon of Sydney- the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Acting like a crown to the Sydney Harbour, the illuminated Harbour Bridge provides a spectacular view. Sydney Harbour Bridge with Opera House at its side celebrates the spirit of Sydney. The entire area encompassing these two magnificent structures with a multitude to restaurants to dine at with the view of Sydney harbour, gives you a feeling larger than life. You cannot simply capture them in the camera and store as pictures; they give you grand memories much more than in pictures to last long.

We headed out next day to capture a shade of blue, in form of Bondi Beach. On the afternoon that we went, the wind and sea were playing some game in which the wind was blowing unstoppably and the sea had waves low and high to display its strength. We walked on the white sand with the cold wind making sure to give us shivers. The waters were calm and angry, changing their mood every now and then. As we drenched our feet in the cold waters of the sea, the waves came gushing at different intensities to welcome us. The beach was spic and span and the water limpid. It was clean and beautiful as Mother Nature had envisioned it. The clear water was encouraging us to clear our minds as well and advising life to go on, like its never-ending waves. Sanity can be learned from every element of nature.

Next day was our last one to explore the beauty of Sydney. We travelled to Blue Mountains where the three mountain sisters were waiting to greet us. On our way to Blue Mountains, we got the opportunity to meet Australian animals for one last time at Featherdale Wildlife Park. We saw Koalas again, shying away from people as usual. Some of them were asleep, clutching to their dear trees, while others looked at the spectators with their sleepy eyes. The kangaroos looked timid and they enjoyed the company of other kangaroos as they ate together and hopped from one place to another joyfully. Having two tiny feet in the front, it’s interesting how they jump like in a sack race. Thanks to their tiny frontal feet their young ones stay safe in their pouches. They were amicable and relished the food fed by humans while getting their backs lovingly stroked. A little away were two dingos, sitting in a photographic pose for the paparazzi around, although one dingo chose not to get into the limelight much. These native, cunning looking dogs of Australia are known for their speed and agility. They look like domestic dogs but their hunting styles very much define them as wild. Moving ahead from this deceptive creature, we lent our ears to the cacophony of various birds of different sizes and distinct colours. Saying goodbye to these Australian natives, we continued our journey to Blue Mountains.

We were fortunate enough to get a taste of Australian countryside as well, as we halted at the village Leura for lunch. A kind of village that you would imagine in books or watch in movies, with houses having gardens in front of them and various shops, restaurants of different cuisines, a post office and fresh air around. It was like being part of one of Nicholas Sparks’ movies where nature looked bountiful. After sometime we finally reached the scenic Blue Mountains. Our first way of exploring it was on a skyway from where we could see the gargantuan mountains, with the Three Sisters nestled in them. We then hopped onto the Scenic Railway, the steepest passenger railway in the world. It was truly an amazing experience with expansive view of the rainforest and Jamison Valley. We then went for Scenic Walkway to discover the tranquility of an ancient rainforest. Along the way we read information about mining history at Jamison Valley. The Scenic Cableway also provides a spectacular view of Jamison Valley and Three Sisters. Next we went to Echo Point, where we could get a closer and breathtaking view of the Three Sisters, the rock formations that are called Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo. Their story is traced back to the Aborigines. The entire area around Blue Mountains exhibited the untouched beauty of nature. The mountains and the sisters would stand strong for centuries to come, for their foundation is formidable. Enchanted by this another wonder of Nature, we headed back to hotel on a cruise till Sydney Harbour. We sailed under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with tourists clicking as many pictures as possible of it against the setting sun. Finally, we got down near Opera House to say a final goodbye to this enthralling structure. We gazed at the Harbour Bridge and Opera House for a few minutes, mentally clicking pictures to store them in our eternal memories. Thus, they were the last stops of our Australian journey.

Traveling to a developed country teaches you a lot of things. Not only the sightseeing places in Sydney but also the quality of life of the Australians was worth appreciating. I found that the pedestrians walking on the road are given equal consideration as the cars. Permitting to cross a road only when the pedestrian signal opposite showed green, the pedestrians need not look left and right before crossing the road. It also means resisting the temptation of not crossing the empty road if the signal shows red. We traveled by scantily crowded trains without having the need to perform stunts while boarding it. A moderately crowded train at 6:30 or 7.00 in the evening is something unfathomable for a Mumbaikar. Another unfathomable aspect for Mumbaikars would be the fact that Sydney retires early for the night. Roads would be deserted, with only a handful pedestrians around. Australians have indeed taken, “Early to bed, early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy and wise” seriously! The next morning, we headed back home, getting last glimpses of the city as we made our way to the airport. Satisfied that I put a tick on one more country on the world map, the long journey back home was the time to cherish all the fun that we had in Sydney. I looked forward to explore many more countries in future outside the Atlas, for the world is an infinite space waiting for us to have a rendezvous with each of its diverse facets.