Tales from Down Under

My travels in the Southern Continent

Traveling down to Australia has always been on my cards and I got an opportunity to visit Sydney, the largest city in Australia. I was here to attend the launch of our new online platform and while most of my trip would go into meetings and conferences, I found some time away from work to do a bit of looking around and connecting with the locals.

There are various notions Indians have about the Aussie land and the ‘nasty’ Australians that inhabit it. The aggressive Australian cricketers, the ‘so-called’ convict lineage of the Australian’s and the recent news about racial attacks on Asian communities have all contributed to this perception. Over the course of my visit, I found that many of these perceptions were unfounded and the country and its people were warm, fun-loving, and hospitable.

Beautiful Sydney

Sydney is a beautiful city. It is one of those cities where nature blends in seamlessly with great infrastructure and a well-preserved heritage. The Australians have an enormous amount of respect for not only their European lineage but also the aboriginal past of this vast country. museums and the art galleries of Sydney are full of remarkable stories from the past and capture the serendipity, ambition, and courage of the early settlers who colonized this massive landmass.

The Endeavour

I came across the replica of the “Endeavour”, the ship that first sailed into the Botany Bay in Sydney and was captained by the legendary James Cook at ‘The Australian Maritime Museum’ and the story behind its voyage took my fancy. The Endeavour was commissioned to explore the unknown southern lands and was a research vessel whose prime objective was to ferry Royal Society astronomers to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun in 1769. While the primary mission was scientific in nature, the First Lord of Admiralty had secretly instructed Cook to explore the southern lands and find avenues of colonizing these lands for the British. The British were worried that the French might win the race to seize these lands and their vast resources. Capt Cook and his crew braved shipwrecks, diseases, and the fear of the unknown and to set the foundation of the British colonization of Australia.

The Rocks

Walking around ‘The Rocks’ unravels the lives of the early settlers. Now an upmarket place full of great joints and a bustling nightlife, ‘The Rocks’ was a notorious district full of crime, prostitution, and drunk sailors in the 19th century. The Rocks Discovery museum captures the evolution of Sydney and tells you stories of people like William Dawes, an astronomer and an explorer who studied the local people, their customs, and their language in great detail. He developed a deep bond with a local ‘Eora’ girl and connected with the natives in a way that no European before him had done.

Heritage

The entire city center is an amalgamation of beautiful heritage buildings and modern architecture. Walking from the QVB to the Botanical Gardens through Hyde Park leads you through some great architecture and landmarks like ‘The Strand’, ‘St Mary’s Cathedral’ and ‘The Art Gallery of New South Wales.’ The Art Gallery of New South Wales was a treasure house of some great aboriginal artifacts and I was impressed by the way the Australians have retained the non-European elements of their heritage. The walk culminates at ‘The Royal Botanical Garden’ which gives you a sterling view of the cityscape, the sea and ‘The Opera House.’

Beaches

The beaches of Sydney are like ornaments that add luster to the beauty of this city. The Bondi is beautiful and is full of adventure enthusiasts and surfers. The walks through the rocky coastline along the seashore are full of breathtaking scenery. Also taking a ferry from ‘The Circular Quay’ to the Manly beach is highly recommended. I did this with a bunch of Aussie’s and we ended up having a great dinner at this steakhouse alongside the Manly beach. The Aussies were at their best cracking jokes and having a good time all the way. They were also great hosts.

People

The people of Sydney and Australia may come out initially as loquacious but they are great people who like to have fun and a good conversation. These guys like to work hard and party even harder. During the course of my stay, I made some good friends and found that this vast country down under was as warm as the sun that shines above it.