SYDNEY’S touristic appeal was highlighted during a trip organised recently by the NSW (New South Wales) Trade, Investment and Tourism and supported by Emirates and Qantas.
Dan Marsh and Natalie Price, presenters of FM radio Dubai 92 in the UAE, were among a group invited to experience the Australian city’s touristic attractions.
As part of their trip, the group enjoyed touring several attractions including the renowned Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach and Wolgan Valley.
Sitting on the Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour located in New South Wales, the Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, The NSW Government, led by Premier Joseph Cahill, gave the go-ahead for work to begin in 1958.
It is among the busiest performing arts centres in the world, hosting over 1,500 performances each year attended by some 1.2 million people. It provides a venue for many performing arts companies, including the four key resident companies Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and presents a wide range of productions on its own account. On 28 June 2007, it was made a Unesco World Heritage Site.
March and Price, who aired the trip live from Sydney, commented on their blog: “It just goes to show that any competition, no matter what the rules are, can be won if you have the right imagination! That’s exactly what Utzon did! There was a competition held in Sydney to design a performing and orchestral arts building (in 1957) and after 233 entries he was victorious. Although Utzon broke a few rules and submitted his design late, he still won the competition.
“The initial plan was to build it in four years at an estimated cost of $7 million. Finally after 14 years in 1973 and $102 million later, the Sydney Opera House was opened.”
The pair enjoyed team-building exercises on their Sydney by Sail experience by getting trained on how to sail.
They said: “Matt Hayes, an Olympian sailor who represented Australia in the 1996 Olympics, took us out on his yacht around Sydney Harbour to show us the ropes.”
March and Price were marvelled at the Sydney Harbour Bridge where they conducted a ‘mind sharpening’ personal development exercise by climbing the structure. March said: “Eight years, six million rivets and true Aussie spirit is what it took to build the most iconic bridge in Australian history… 1,332 steps, 500 calories and zero tears got us from the start to the end. Richard Evans from BridgeClimb took us over the bridge ducking and weaving through the spectacular steel structure, all the while filling us with interesting facts about how it was built. The air up there was fresh, crisp and slightly windy. The most frightening part of the entire climb was when we were wedged in the corner of the steel stairs 100 metres off the ground and a train bolts past above us shaking the stair case! So happy we got to experience the Bridge Climb, a must-do in Sydney!”
BridgeClimb is considered a popular attraction in Sydney, with over three million people from around 140 countries having climbed the Bridge since it opened in 1998. It gives visitors the opportunity to walk to the summit of the bridge and enjoy one of the world’s most spectacular views.
They got a taste of the surfing culture of Australia, at the Bondi Beach, a popular destination located in the suburb of Bondi – seven kms from the centre of Sydney.
The group also visited the unexplored and undeveloped valley located 150 kms from Sydney, the Wolgan Valley.
The valley is also home to Emirates Hotels and Resorts’ Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa which was opened in 2009 and is one of Australia’s first conservation-based resorts located between two national parks, bordering the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.