Australia Tour - Part 9 - Wish you a Happy New Year 2020

It became very cold later in the night, especially with strong wind blowing over the Sydney harbour waters. What a change from the nearly 40 degrees in the afternoon. 

Around 11.50 pm, the spectators began setting their cameras in place. At midnight Sydney Harbour Bridge lit up and flares went up. 

The highly colourful and massive pyrotechnic display, one lakh of them, went on for 12 minutes from three points: Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and barges in the harbour. 

Apparently the whole thing has cost the Sydney City administration $6.5 million. There was a parallel bush fire fighting fund drive around the harbour that collected close to a million dollars. 

After nearly 7 hours at Circular Quay, at 12.15 we joined the vast crowds making their way to nearby train/metro or bus  stations. The Circular Quay train station was shut. So we had to walk nearly 10 mins to get to the Martin Place station. We reached home a little before 2 am.

Once again, my good wishes to all for a cheerful new year. May there be more tolerance and less strife around the world  in 2020.

Australia Tour - Part 8 - New Year Eve night at Circular Quay

I am posting this ahead of the third part of the Auckland tour because of its timeliness. We reached back here in Sydney from Auckland on 30th evening. 

We planned the Aussie trip with the idea of seeing the fireworks on new year eve at the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Not just because it's an iconic annual event.

Though new year breaks in New Zealand two hours earlier, and there too there are fireworks, we have all grown up seeing the Sydney photos on the front page of newspapers.

But this time, fireworks have evoked mixed feelings. It's not just about celebrations. Forest fires that are still raging (for well over a month now) in New South Wales and Victoria states have claimed many lives and property. News of the fires is the headline news every day. 

There was a demand to have this marquee NYE event cancelled in deference to the feelings of those affected by the forest fires, especially since all around Sydney there is a total fire ban in place.

After all the debates and campaigns, for and against, the Royal Fire Service gave the go ahead. One of the reasons for it is that many people have already paid to watch the event. But there are a good number of people who aren't happy that this is happening. One of my friends here is boycotting this. She said she won't watch it even on television. 

It's with this mixed feeling that my wife, son and I are sitting at Circular Quay, one of the best spots. We reached here at 5.15 pm. 

It was a very hot in the morning and afternoon with hot wind making it quite unbearable. But now the temperature has dropped and sunshine doesn't have the severity it had earlier in the day. 

Two flags fluttering atop the bridge are flying at half mast.

Most of the vantage points have already been occupied. But we managed to find a seat for three of us with a good clear view of the bridge.

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It's now 7.45 pm. Absolutely pleasant weather now here with cool breeze blowing. People are still streaming in. Most of them are tourists. All vacant spaces on the ground have now been almost fully occupied with people spreading clothes to sit on. 

Some of them are reading books, some listening to music, some on video chat, some others are playing cards, a few are having snacks. After all, over four hours to go.

Meanwhile, the flags, which were flying at half mast earlier in the evening, are now flying at full mast.

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At 9 pm the family fireworks were set to go off. But, it began only at 9.15.  Later I learnt that it was because of the strong gusts of wind that has blowing across this region. This fireworks is meant for the small children who might not be awake till midnight. 

There were loud cheers as flares went up at three locations, and crackers burst. This precursor to the real event was impressive enough. 

It's like a break time now, with many dispersing for dinner or snacks. Soon all will be back here for the midnight fireworks.

Waiting for the clock to strike 12, taking us to 2020. We plan to leave this place around 1230.

Wish you all a Happy New Year!

Auckland tour - Part 2

The last two days, we were busy museum hopping.

Friday, December 27

On 27th morning we went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, situated close to the CBD. Opened in 1929, it's one of the first museums of the nation and entry is free for residents of Auckland. 

The front part of the museum is a war memorial, and a good part of the museum is about how the first world war broke out, how it spread to different parts of the world, how New Zealand got involved in it, and the sacrifices of New Zealand soldiers in the war. 

It's not just about the war. One section is about the Maori and Pacific cultures. We saw a one hour Maori Cultural Performance, a lecture-demonstration showcasing their traditions and lifestyle. After the programme we had a chance to interact with the artists, and take photos with them. 

Another interesting section was on Tupaia, the Tahitian priest, navigator and artist who travelled on the Endeavour to Aotearoa in New Zealand. 

Then there are sections on the plants and animals of the regions, besides arts and culture. It took us almost the entire day. 

Saturday, December 29

In the morning we went to the Kelly Tarlton's Marine Museum. The biggest attraction there were the penguins: birds that can't fly, who walk on their two feet, whose wings are like fins for them to swim and dive under water. 

There is a replica of the Scott's Hut built in the Antarctica in 1911. Capt Robert Scott was one of the first to extensively tour Antarctica.

Other sections include those on sharks, jellyfish, sea horse, and various aquatic plants. 

There is also an area where children can play, and draw and colour pictures of marine animals.

Post lunch we headed to the Museum of Transport and Technology. It's a huge 40 acre facility that has on display the history and evolution of everything that is related to transportation and technology related to our everyday life. 

The facility, which opened in 1964, is spread over two locations, MOTAT 1 at the Great North Road and MOTAT 2 at Meola Road. 

We started with MOTAT 2 which is all about aircraft. The moment I saw the huge metal birds, I was reminded of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the Air and Space Museum, in Virginia, which of course is much bigger and exhaustive than this section in MOTAT. 

One of the exhibits is the Sunderland of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It's one of the most powerful and widely used maritime reconnaissance aircraft used in the World War II. The one on display is one of the only four remaining in the world. 

There is a tram that runs every 15 minutes connecting MOTAT 1 and 2, via the Auckland Zoo. This tram number 906 too has a history. It entered service for the city's tram network in 1945 and was retired in 1997. Then in 2006 it was moved to MOTAT as a shuttle service. 

We took this tram to MOTAT 1 which is far bigger than the other side. It has sections on locomotives, turbines, motors, cars, buses, communication equipment like telegraph, telephone, radio, television, computers etc. The Morse code signal that Titanic's captain sent is also on display. 

An old dial telephone allows visitors to dial a particular number on a phone at one end which rings the phone at the other end, and the two person can talk. 

Another fun exhibit is the Whisper Dish. There are dishes facing each other sepatared by around 25 - 30 meters. When a person whispers into one dish, the sound waves get reflected from dish and refocusses on the other allowing the person at that end to hear what the other person is whispering. 

In the evening, we went to the Hunua waterfalls, at Hunua village, about an hour's drive from the city. The drive around curved roads amongst tall trees is itself a great experience. The water fall from a height of around 50 meters from the Wairoa river is a beautiful sight.

(To be continued)