SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

While we were in Sydney and Artie was in Court,
 I went on a tour of the
OPERA HOUSE

 
The architecture is amazing!
It was started in 1957 and finished in 1973.
Even though it is called the Opera House, there
are multiple performing art venues that happen
throughout the year, such as ballet, theater,
the symphony and other concerts

The roof is made up of a series of
large precast concrete "shells"!

There are 1,056,006 glossy white and
matte cream colored Swedish made tiles.
Some people were upset that the tiles
were not 'white'. But the color they
are seems to change with the time of
day and the weather!

 
The tiles are also self-cleaning!
Because of the design and the material
used, when it rains it washes the tiles!!
Our guide told us that they have
not had to manually clean the tiles~~ever! 

INSIDE

 

A lot of the interior wood is
Australian white birch plywood
and Brush Box, a tree native to Australia.


Pictures of the inside of the performing halls
 were "strongly discouraged" so I only got one.
Sorry it is a little blurry!


INSIDE LOOKING OUT!

 

   

AMAZING!

We happened to be there during 

"VIVID"

the annual festival of lights show in the Sydney Harbour.
The OPERA HOUSE during the show! 
 

 

and the Harbour Bridge


Dinner! A light show!
A night on the Sydney Harbour 
I think we will remember forever!!

 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

SYDNEY

is the state capital of New South Wales.

The most populous city in AUSTRALIA! It is on
the south-east coast, on the Tasman Sea.
In 1770 Captain Cook landed at
Botnay Bay south of what is now Sydney.
Sydney was established
in 1788 at SYDNEY COVE. It was the first
British colony in Australia.

Some shots from around the "Harbour City".

 

 
QUEEN VICTORIA!

  
 
ST ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL
Consecrated in 1868

  

This was an interesting section of the city. These are
condos on the water where you pull your
boat in to park!

 

 

These are the ferries that go to the different
areas in the harbour

 

We walked along the harbour path so we could see
the Opera house and Harbour Bridge
from a different angle!

 

 

When the settlers came and discovered
Sydney, they had difficulty growing crops
 because of the abundance of
sandstone.

 

One of the spots along the path


GOOD DAY MATES!


 

MURIWAI BEACH

MURIWAI BEACH
is a coastal community located on the west coast
of the North Island of New Zealand.
It is absolutely one of the most beautiful beaches
 I have seen!! As nice as these pictures
are, they do not do justice to the actual setting! 
It is breathtaking!  
 

The beach is unique because of it's black sand
caused by the iron content spreading from
 the ancient volcanoes in the area .

 

 It is also home to a large colony of
AUSTRALASIAN GANNETS.

 

 

 

 When we were at the beach, we asked a surfer if they ever needed

to worry about shark attacks. The surfer said no!

Three day later a surfer was attacked by a Great White Shark!

Don't think I will venture very far out into the water! 

  

FISHERMEN!!

IF YOU COULD REACH THIS,
IT MIGHT HELP IF YOU FELL IN!!
(but you could only have a chance of
 reaching it if you fell in at high tide)

 

They were rather large poles!
(at least five times as tall as the fishermen)
They were fishing for snapper. 

MUSSEL BEACH!! 

 

 

 

 I THINK WE ARE GOING

TO ENJOY BEING A KIWI!!

 

NEW ZEALAND

KIA ORA (Hello) from TAKAPUNA!!

Our South Pacific adventure has begun and we have arrived in New Zealand. Our new home for the next few years is going to be in
TAKAPUNA!
It is located about fifteen minutes across the bridge to the North Shore from
AUCKLAND!
So we are living on the 'Shore' once again!

Takapuna is a coastal suburb of Auckland located on the North Island of New Zealand. It is on a peninsula forming the Waitemata Harbour.

Waitemata Harbour is the main access by sea to Auckland.
The name is from the Māori language - Wai te Mataa referring to 'obsidian glass'. The 'sparkling waters' (a later translation) of the harbour, were said to glint like the volcanic glass prized by the early explorers.

 

TAKAPUNA FROM THE WATER

AUCKLAND FROM TAKAPUNA

 

THE BRIDGE FROM

AUCKLAND TO TAKAPUNA

 

THE BEACH AT TAKAPUNA

 

When the tide is out, the sand is firm enough

 to walk, run, push a stroller or ride a bike!

 

 

In the background you see

RANGITOT0 ISLAND

It is a volcanic island.

Rangitoto is Māori for

'Bloody Sky'

relating to a major Māori battle at Islington Bay about 1350.

 

 

JUST A LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN!!!

'HEI KONA MAI'

(Bye for now!)