- 12 years ago
TV Series - 30 min
Australian travel series hosted by Greg Grainger.
Stars: Greg Grainger, Tim Charody, Tim Doyle
Australian travel series hosted by Greg Grainger.
Stars: Greg Grainger, Tim Charody, Tim Doyle
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Sensational, the word really is overused, but not for Sydney.
00:06This is a sensational city in every sense of the word.
00:10And over the next few minutes in this DVD postcard, we're going to show you why.
00:15We're better to start than with Sydney's three world-renowned icons, the Harbour itself,
00:20the Harbour Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House.
00:27Few would argue that Sydney Harbour is one of the finest natural waterways in the world.
00:32The city is built right around it, but the planners have been very careful to make sure
00:36that no high-rise buildings obscure the stunning views that can be found from so many vantage
00:41points.
00:45This place certainly has one of the best on offer.
00:49Nestled on the North Shore, alongside the bridge, and directly across from the Opera
00:53House, Kirribilli House, which is the official Sydney residence of the Prime Minister.
00:58Unfortunately, most of us won't make a guest list to an event here, but anyone can enjoy
01:04this view.
01:06Mrs Macquarie's chair is a sandstone rock carved into the shape of a bench by convicts
01:11in 1810.
01:13Elizabeth Macquarie was the wife of the Governor, and as the story goes, liked to sit on the
01:18rock and watch for ships sailing into the Harbour from England.
01:22Today, it's part of the Royal Botanic Gardens, and provides wonderful views of the Opera
01:28House and the bridge.
01:34With its huge collection of trees from all over Australia, and indeed the world, and
01:38studded with lakes, the Royal Botanical Gardens is a sensational place to just relax and take
01:45in the views.
01:58Many city workers take a break from their hard schedule to don their joggers for a run
02:02through the Royal Botanical Gardens, while bats can be seen roosting at the top of many
02:08of the trees.
02:12The Royal Botanical Gardens is within easy walking distance of the CBD, and is a hugely
02:19popular location for weddings.
02:28As we're looking at it, let's take you into one of the most significant buildings of the
02:3120th century.
02:33Just about every visitor to Sydney winds up at the Opera House, at some time during their
02:38stay, and it's only when you get up close that you really appreciate the timeless design
02:44of Danish architect Jørn Utzon.
02:47Finally completed in 1973, sadly he's never seen the completed building, other than in
02:52photographs following a row with the government of the day over costs and changes to his original
02:58design.
03:00But there's no disputing that his unique concept puts Sydney well and truly on the world map,
03:06and this is now one of the world's most photographed buildings.
03:10Beautiful from whatever angle it's viewed from.
03:17The structure, known by many as the Coathanger, was flying the colours for Sydney long before
03:22its more flashy neighbour.
03:24Proposals to join the north and south sides of the harbour were first put forward in 1815
03:29by a convict architect, but lack of money and the difficulty of building bridges over
03:34such a large tidal expanse of water meant the project didn't get off the ground until
03:391925.
03:40It was completed in 1932.
03:43Perhaps surprisingly, unlike the Opera House, no one individual can be credited with the
03:48design of the bridge.
03:50The Coathanger is also the venue of one of the most successful tourism attractions in
03:54the southern hemisphere.
03:56Bridge climb began in October 1998, and since then just over 2 million visitors have made
04:02the walk up the arch, over the top, and back down to climb base.
04:07From early morning until late into the night, groups, complete with their guide, get to
04:11see the harbour city from a unique perspective, and record those all-important moments forever.
04:17Bridge climb operates every day of the year, except the 30th and 31st of December, due
04:23to Sydney's spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks, and only thunder and lightning keep people
04:28off the span.
04:30Bridge climb takes three and a half hours, but everyone who does it says it provides
04:34views of Sydney that are etched into their minds forever.
04:37A word of warning though, if you don't have a head for heights then maybe you'd be better
04:44off relaxing on one of the many boats that cruise the water below.
04:55Nestled in the shadow of the south pylon of the bridge is the area known as The Rocks.
05:00The Rocks was the first permanent settlement on the shores of Sydney Harbour, with the
05:04first structures built in 1788.
05:07The oldest building still standing in Sydney is located right here.
05:11Cadman's Cottage was completed in 1816.
05:15It was built for a convict, John Cadman, who'd gained his freedom and went on to become Keeper
05:20of the Governor's Ships.
05:22Today it houses the Sydney Harbour National Park Information Centre, and is an excellent
05:27place for information or to plan a walking tour of the area.
05:34That could well include a visit to the Sydney Observatory, first established on Ragstaff
05:39Hill soon after the arrival of the First Fleet, and still housing an operational telescope.
05:53On the way up you also get a great view across the harbour to Luna Park, the historical amusement
05:59park which first opened in 1935.
06:04It can be a hot climb, so don't miss some of the oldest and best pubs in Sydney.
06:15And if you like shopping for a bargain, try The Rocks Market, which operates year round
06:19on both Saturdays and Sundays.
06:25Adjacent to The Rocks is Circular Quay, which is the city's main ferry hub.
06:42Next a view from on high.
06:43At 304 metres, the Sydney Tower puts the city and the harbour into perspective, and is an
06:48ideal way to sort out the geography of the place.
06:55From up here, the NSW Parliament Building is in miniature, but at street level it is
07:00an impressive structure.
07:06The northern wing was originally a hospital, but in 1829, as the largest building in Sydney
07:11at the time, it was requisitioned and converted to accommodate the first NSW Parliament House.
07:17There are a number of historically important buildings in the vicinity of the Parliament
07:21Building.
07:22Hyde Park Barracks was built in 1817 to house transported convicts in a self-contained wall
07:28compound.
07:29Today, it's a museum which is well worth a stop over.
07:34Also in this area, the State Library of NSW, which contains over 5 million books.
07:41The Sydney Mint, which was the first branch of the Royal Mint outside England.
07:47The Art Gallery of NSW, which houses the Captain Cook Bicentenary Wing.
07:52And the Anzac War Memorial in Hyde Park.
08:03Close by, St Mary's Cathedral, the largest church in Australia, and the seat of the Roman
08:09Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.
08:17Martin Place is a pedestrian mall in the Central Business District, home to the Reserve Bank
08:22of Australia, to the Cenotaph, the War Memorial, and the Seven Network Television News Centre,
08:28from which live national news programs are broadcast.
08:32The Sydney Town Hall is probably the only non-religious building in the city to retain
08:37its original function.
08:39Building began in 1868, and although it's been referred to as a wedding cake or lollipop,
08:44it is very representative of its time.
08:50Across the street, the Queen Victoria Building.
08:54Construction on this building, which was originally designed as a fresh produce market, started
08:58in 1893.
09:02Architectural styles were in such a state of flux at the time, that the city architect
09:06had presented councillors with four distinct design options, Renaissance, Gothic, Romanesque,
09:12and Queen Anne.
09:13According to records, American Romanesque won the day.
09:17Today, the QVB commands some of the highest retail rents in Sydney.
09:21The shops are stylish, but expect to pay for the location if you make a purchase.
09:44Climb aboard the city's monorail, and take a trip into Darling Harbour.
09:48This was originally part of the commercial port of Sydney, but by the late 1980s, had
09:54become largely derelict.
09:56It is now a thriving pedestrian and tourist precinct, featuring shops, restaurants and
10:01cafes, and a host of other attractions, including the Chinese Gardens, the Sydney Aquarium and
10:08wildlife world, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and the IMAX theatre, the largest
10:19in the world.
10:22Back at Circular Quay, the ferries and jet kats continue their daily journeys up and
10:26down the length of Sydney Harbour.
10:34If you only have time to take one trip on the harbour, then the journey to Manly is
10:38the one.
10:39During the half hour voyage on the Sydney Ferry, you can take in all the main sights
10:43of the harbour, and arrive in the seaside suburb of Manly, gateway to the many beaches
10:48on the city's northern peninsula.
10:51From the wharf in Manly, it's just a short walk through a pedestrian precinct to the
10:55ocean beaches.
10:56Back in 1940, a local steamship company came up with an advertising slogan to entice visitors
11:01to this spot.
11:03It reads, Manly, seven miles from Sydney, and a thousand miles from care.
11:09Nothing much has changed in the years since then, except that now, we talk in kilometres.