August 31st, 2006 Hotel Formule 1, Canberra, Australia
We left our very comfortable hotel around 8:30 and drove to Bennelong Point where before us sat the majestic opera house, glistening as the sun continued to rise behind it. Behind it was the “Coat Hangar” Bridge stretching across the water. It felt strange standing next to this building, which is one of the most iconic in the entire world. We entered it by a staircase from underground and were given a tour of the place by a fellow named Troy. It was quite an impressive place. A competition was held in 1956 to find the architect who would construct the building. In January 29th, 1957, Jorn Utzon of Denmark was declared the winner. Construction began two years later. Originally, the process was estimated to last four years and cost $7 million, but by the completion fourteen years had passed and $102 million had been spent. After nine years, the State Government changed and began having problems with the ever-rising budget and duration of time. Utzon, due to these conflicts, left Australia, never to return. Because of this, the outside is the only portion of the opera house designed by the original architect. However, in 1999, Utzon was asked to redesign parts of the interior, so he will finally have a hand in all of it. We visited the Opera Theatre, which actually, to use Troy’s words, was “drab and depressing.” It was the Concert Hall that caught everyone’s attention. This massive room can house almost 3,000 people and is made of several different types of wood which aids in the reverberation (good word) of sound. When we return to Sydney in November we will be attending a performance in this room and it’s going to be neato. The tour ended with the Utzon Room, which is part of the interior the original architect has redesigned. If you have the urge to delve into the finer details of the multiple fan-shaped building, you can visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com.
We drove to Paddy’s Market, which was a big indoor shopping centre set up, once again, like the Old City. I’m seeing a pattern in foreign countries’ places of commerce. I found a t-shirt and that was pretty much it. Lunch was at the Hard Rock Café. It was my first time in one of those places, and I have to say I kind of liked it. The classic rock and posters and guitars signed by the greats made for interesting surroundings. Unlike China, they had continuous refills on drinks which were a very nice addition.
Anna Justus left something at our hotel: a nalgene (which may not be the correct spelling the synonym of a water bottle) with sentimental value. Since Dr. Byram wasn’t really comfortable with her walking over to the hotel (Rich and the kids left from the airport yesterday for Brisbane so they could be with Heather as her pregnancy drew to an end), I offered to make sure she wasn’t mugged. We walked around the block to Hyde Park which led to the door of the hotel. We sat on the side of the road waiting for the bus and enjoyed a pleasant conversation. We talked about traveling and Harding and Philip Yancey and life and views on faith and how our dads were good friends but we weren’t sure where they had known one another. So basically the bus took a while to get there.
We left Sydney, driving for Canberra, which is pronounced “Canbra” and is the capital of the country. The trip took around two-and-a-half hours, so Ms. Pam regaled us with stories of Rich and the Little family. Entertaining stuff. I read for awhile and showed Anna, Natalie, and Will pictures from my trip to Israel this summer. I wore my “Free Palestine” shirt today, and my mind slipped quite a few times to that war-torn country, wondering if and hoping that our friends are doing well.
We passed by plains sparsely covered with trees and mountains hovering in the background. We even saw a herd (which may not be the appropriate word) of kangaroos. We arrived around 5:30 and drove onto Mt. Ainslie which provided an amazing view of the Australian countryside. Canberra sat before us beside a few lakes and over the mountains the sun was leisurely disappearing. This was another stunning sunset. I walked all over the hillside, climbing a few trees to get pictures. The weather was cool and windy, so I was finally able to break out my brown jacket, which happens to be the coolest one in the world.
A buffet provided our meal for the night, and I was pleased with the assortment of foods. They had squid, but I decided to pass for the evening. Our hotel is simple, but comfortable. It reminds me of the rooms on the boat my family and I took across the Mediterranean. I’m rooming with Derek, who at the moment is on the top bunk cracking ‘mom jokes’ at everything I attempt to say. I went outside to run, but it was pretty cold and there wasn’t an adequate place to run. I ended up running fifteen times or so around the parking lot. Derek thought that was funny. His face is pretty funny.
September 1st, 2006 Hotel Formule 1, Sydney, Australia
I was very sorry to get up this morning. I think that bed was the softest of the trip thus far. Derek and I stayed up entirely too late quoting Monty Python and the Holy Grail and making fun of Keanu Reeves. Half the group was late this morning, so we didn’t pull out until 8:50, which was twenty minutes late. We drove into the city, which isn’t very large. The idea was to have a capital that still retained much of the natural surroundings: a “bush capital.”
Before us was the old white Parliament building, which served as the house of the government from 1927 to the opening of the new building which sat behind it, opened in 1988. The place was constructed into a large hill, and it basically looked like an enormous, political hobbit-hole. We were given a detailed tour of the building.
(written September 2nd, 2006 Bridgewater Apartments, Brisbane, Australia)
The first room we went into was the Great Hall. It was a spacious place, completely empty except for the King Table which was located on the opposite wall. Hanging above this table was a gigantic tapestry, based on a painting of an Australian artist. It’s the second largest tapestry in the world.
The House of Representatives came next, colored in a sort of bush green. The number of members varies with the rise and fall of the population, but remains close to 150. The Senate was structured in a very similar way, except its prominent hue was a faded red. These colors are close to their counterparts in the Parliament of England, which symbolizes their close ties with Great Britain. However, the shades were altered to provide a more Australian feel, which would symbolize their independence as a country. 76 senators, 12 from each six states and then two from the mainland territories, comprise the members who meet in this room. Our guide informed us that these houses of the Federal Parliament are run in a similar way to the United States.
Our tour then took us on the roof. Rising from the summit of the hill into which Parliament was built were four massive poles that led to the flag of Australia. This particular flag, we were told, was the size of a double-decker bus. We spent some time walking around, enjoying the scenery. I’m pretty tired of mowing and weed-eating and tending to lawns from my job this summer working at a state park, but I don’t think I’d mind being the groundskeeper up there. (www.aph.gov.au)
We followed a road which encircled the neighborhood in which the embassies were found. The Chinese embassy looked like the Forbidden City. Papua New Guinea was a sort of elongated hut, and Greece had columns, recalling the temples. America’s was huge and rather colonial in appearance.
The Australia Institute of Sport (or AIS) was a large complex on which the most promising athletes of the country come to train for world competitions, including the Olympics and the World Championships. Andrew Bogut, who won the NCAA’s National Player of the Year in basketball two years ago, went through here, as did many Olympic gold medalists. I believe two-thirds of Australia’s Olympic medalists have trained in this facility. A guy who plays on the field hockey team took us around, showing us the basketball gym and the gymnastics area and the pool and the volleyball floor, etc. We ate lunch in the very good (and very healthy) cafeteria. I love basketball, but these people are incredibly dedicated. The athletes do drills in the morning, work or go to classes in the afternoon, and then do drills again in the early evening. I’m not sure I was ever that dedicated to basketball.
The road leaving Parliament leads directly to the War Memorial. It was a striking building, suggestive of the one in Hyde Park, and also of the Pantheon and other Roman temples. We walked through the arches and into the courtyard. A reflecting pool was in the middle of it, with an eternal flame flickering at the other end. Along either side of the courtyard were terraces with arches running in front of them. One wall was covered with the names of all the soldiers who died during WWI, while on the other side the names were of those who perished in WWII. Poppies had been placed in the cracks between the panels onto which the names had been imprinted.
At the end of the courtyard a staircase climbed up to the domed building. It was dark inside, although some light shone through the stained glass windows. The figures on the window depicted soldiers and nurses and civilians, representing everyone involved in the conflicts. Mosaics of also adorned the walls. In the middle of the floor lay the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War. On the grave was written “Known Unto God.” For the next hour and a half I explored this amazing museum. Memorabilia of the wars, statues, pictures, and models of battles were exhibited throughout the halls. Percentage-wise, Australia lost more men than any other nation in the world during WWII. It was a somber place, and as I walked I was in a pensive mood, thinking of the sacrifices made and the lives lost. World War II was an honorable cause, and I respect all who gave their lives and those who fought in the conflict. There was so much to read and absorb in the rooms, so I found myself eventually just browsing.
I went outside, looking at the walls of names. I thought of the memorials in Washington, D.C. Directly opposite the tomb, across the courtyard of the reflecting pool, was a terrace which overlooked Canberra and the road to the Parliament building. A cool breeze was blowing and I stood there for quite awhile, just looking.
At 5, the closing ceremony began. A lone bagpiper stood before the tomb, playing a lament. I knew the song, but the name escapes me now. It was a beautiful and moving mixture of image and sound. I thought of Scotland and of the piper standing on the stone bridge to the MacRae castle (or Eilean Donan). As the song came to an end, the piper turned and disappeared into the darkness of the tomb. The large doors were slowly closed, and the sound of the bagpipes slowly faded away. Above the door was engraved “They Gave Their Lives.” I felt breathless and filled with emotion as we walked away. I was certainly glad we visited the War Memorial.
We ate at the same restaurant we had eaten at the night before. I very much enjoy buffets. We then loaded up and drove back to Sydney. We watched The Man from Snowy River on the bus’ TV. It had been a long time since I’d watched that, and it’s a very enjoyable movie. It’s definitely aged some.
We stayed at another Formule 1, positioned near the airport. Derek, Will, and I shared a room. I ran thirty laps or so in the parking lot before ruining it by eating Krispy Kreme donuts with Will. How can you pass that up?
Our flight to Brisbane took around an hour and a half. Qantas Airlines was one of the best I’ve ever flown. I had leg room! We arrived and were picked up by another bus, which took us into the city. We drove along the river until we came to Kangaroo Point. On Wharf Street was the Bridgewater Apartment complex. I liked it. It was gated and located right by the water. Palm trees and other plants filled the inside of the gated area. Rich and the family met us as we got off the bus. William saw me and ran over shouting, “Jonathan!” He made sure Heather Little knew exactly who I was, pointing and saying, “Mommy, that’s Jonathan.”
My flat was on the top floor, in suite 3019, and I would be sharing it with Will, Derek, Pierre, Kevin, and Darren (with whom I’d be rooming). It was very roomy. Darren’s and my room has a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The dining room/living room leads to a balcony with a view of the river and the city. After unpacking, I walked around outside along the river, getting a feel for my home for the next couple of months. I think I’ll be fine here.
At 4:45, we boarded the bus, along with a few members of the Cleveland Church of Christ, and drove to a dock a few minutes away where we climbed on a boat that had been chartered for us. We pulled away from the shore and swam through the river. I saw “swam” because if you’re on an airplane, you’re flying, so if you’re on a boat, you should say you’re “swimming.” Anyway, we found ourselves in the middle of Brisbane, and we threw the anchor into the water. We had a cookout of sausages and steak. Boats filled the river and people covered the shores and peered out from apartments. The occasion was the second biggest night of the year, behind New Year’s Eve. It was the celebration of the arrival of spring, marked by a tremendous firework display. Two jets flew overhead, and a burst of flame suddenly exploded from the tail of the crafts, shooting them across the sky. Then the fireworks began, appearing from all angles. They were set off from rooftops, bridges, and barges. The lights reflected off the windows of the skyscrapers and the ripples of the water. It’s probably the biggest shindig I’ve ever seen to celebrate the arrival of a season of the year. Any excuse to get out on a boat and cook good food while watching the sky blow up is good. William and I sat on the bow of the boat, discussing the finer things of life, like whether we would like to go to bottom of the ocean or to the moon, as well as would we rather be eaten by a shark or drown.
At 9, we all met in the Little’s apartment for orientation. We were given schedules and money for groceries (100 bucks per week). Unfortunately, the plan to enable wireless Internet in our rooms fell through, and right now we only have a very slow connection. However, Dr. Byram is going to have an apartment transformed into an Internet café, and it will be right next to our suite.
I am still amazed at being in Australia, at the near bottom of the world. Rich and I were discussing how this is the best way to earn college credit. Other people are stuck on campus in Searcy, and Rich and I felt you couldn’t even mention that place in the same breath as Brisbane. “So, how’s life in (snigger) Searcy (laugh)?”
I asked Rich if he ever thought about moving back here, and he immediately responded, “All the time. I thought about it three times today!”
I can see why.
