There was so much to
see and where to start? We had three
months before our visitor’s visa expired and with 5 weeks to Christmas we
elected to sail south to Sydney for the festive season at the Sydney Opera
House, the start of the Sydney to Hobart race and New Year celebrations in the
Sydney Harbour. We would be celebrating Kaija's Birthday with thousands of other yachties enjoying one of the most
spectacular fireworks displays EVER.
We
had yet to experience some of the challenges of sailing Australian coastal
waters at night but we quickly learned to do so at our own peril. This involved finding the southern current,
avoiding fish traps and keeping a close watch on the ever changing
weather. We departed Bundaberg on Nov 15
and arrived in Pittwater on November 29.
Pittwater is located
some 20 miles north of Sydney and is home to one of the largest sailing/boating
communities we have ever seen. The
Pittwater Bay area of approx. 3 sq. miles is home to more than 5000 water
craft, 2 large Yacht clubs, and handful of marinas. Almost every foot of shoreline is privately
owned with homes worth north of One Million dollars and more than a few worth
many multiples of that.
Sydney is a densely populated cosmopolitan vibrant city and with Christmas around the corner it was abundantly festive.
We had three items on
our bucket list that involved spending time in Sydney.
The first was to visit the Sydney Opera House for
the Christmas rendering of Handel’s Messiah which was outstanding. A full orchestra accompanying a 600 voice
choir made this evening a chilling reminder of the brilliance and talent of
this composer and provided a wonderful setting for our Christmas season. The music was moving and the sound in that amazing
acoustical venue was chilling. It was a
fantastic experience setting the tone and Spirit of Christmas. If given the opportunity it is not be be missed and most assuredly remembered long after.
The second item on the bucket list was watching the start of the renowned Sydney to Hobart yacht race
as more than a hundred, million dollar yachts vied for line honors racing out
the entrance of Sydney Harbour. Our Manly
Rock Cliff side vantage spot afforded us a ring side seat for this nail biting, spectator packed
nautical drama...this year featuring a near collision and protest at the start line by two of the favorites, Wild Oats and Cherokee who went to on to finish First but only by seconds...I dare say, had Wild Oats completed their penalty turn at the start, the results could most likely have been quite different...what a BLAST! to witness this up close and personal.
The piece da resistance
was to be aboard our own yacht during the festivities of the sound and light
show put on in Sydney Harbour for New Year’s Eve. This was an exciting evening, made perhaps
more so by the number of vessels, of all sizes, most overcrowded and poorly
skippered with intoxicated individual who had no business being there in the
condition they were in, but despite a few close calls, we did enjoy what is
said to be one of the finest displays of musically synchronized fireworks anywhere on the planet. At times there were so many electrifying starbursts the entire sky from horizon to horizon was lit up...it was in fact an AMAZING SPECTACLE.
Having done these three things, they are
checked off the bucket list and for sure one of them will NEVER be repeated.
It was however, a
terrific way to bring in the New Year, and to celebrate Kaija’s birthday and
for sure will not soon be forgotten.
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