Me and Sydney Harbour Bridge
My Trip to Sydney!
Baz Luhrmann and his works have been a constant source of personal inspiration for me, and so I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to visit Sydney. Sydney is not only Luhrmann's home town, but is also home to the House of Iona, the headquarters of his production company, Bazmark Inq. In addition, Sydney is the location of Australia's Fox Studios, where the production of Moulin Rouge took place. And so it was with a sense of excited anticipation that I travelled to New South Wales from my home town of Adelaide to embark on some Sydney adventures...
Me and Sydney Harbour
Bridge
I arrived in Sydney around 9am on Monday, 24 February 2003. After taking a taxi from the airport and checking in at a lovely apartment at the top of York Street, I headed off on foot towards the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge. I walked along George Street into the area known as the Rocks and, as I strolled towards the harbour, I saw the bridge for the first time. It was truly amazing, and much bigger than I remembered (I had only been to Sydney once before on my 16th birthday, and so my memories of the city were quite faint!) I stood and stared up at the bridge, and noticed there was teams of people climbing up one side of the impressive arch. I realised that these must have been bridge climbing tours provided by a company called - Bridge Climb! I had intended on climbing the bridge myself and did some research on the internet with the intention of booking a place. However, with a price tag of AU$150 per person, I simply couldn't afford it. Despite this, I made my way to the Bridge Climb headquarters where all tours began to take a look around. I checked out a wall that contained photos of famous celebrities who had climbed the bridge, including Brendan Fraser, Michael Caine and... Nicole Kidman! She climbed the bridge in April 1999, and was photographed with her arms stretched out at the top of the bridge, with the Opera House in the background and what appeared to be her instructor standing beside her. She looked like she'd had a fantastic time!
On the way to the Bridge
I left the Bridge Climb office and made my way back along the street to a staircase leading up towards the beginning of the pathway that crossed one side of the bridge. I had not walked over the bridge before, and so I couldn't wait to enjoy the experience. I walked along to just before the arch and noticed that a concrete viewing tower was open to the public to climb for just AU$5. This was definitely more in my price range than the Bridge Climb, and so up I went, taking a look at information and images about the building of the bridge along the way. I did not have to pay until the floor before the very last staircase, which housed a small gift shop. After buying a magnet and keyring, I paid my $5 and climbed the final set of stairs to the top of the tower. The view from the tower was excellent, and I calculated that it was relatively equal to climbing half way up the arch of the bridge. I took photos of the Opera House, the massive arch, and the busy road below. It was definitely a worthwhile experience.
Sydney Harbour Bridge
After climbing back down the tower, I walked all the way across the bridge to the concrete tower on the opposite side. I then turned back and walked back across, taking photos of the harbour as I strolled along. I was amazed by how much the bridge shook underneath the constant flow of traffic, but knew that this was normal for a bridge of this size! Cars, buses and trains zoomed by as I admired the view and stared up at the awesome structure of the bridge itself. The Sydney Harbour Bridge fully deserves the fame it has acquired, and is obviously an awesome city landmark.
Sydney Opera House
From the bridge, I headed along the harbour towards the Circular Quay Railway Station and ferry terminal, where I checked out a souvenir shop and the times and destinations of the ferries. I then walked along to the Opera House Cafe where I enjoyed one of the best cafe latte's I'd ever tasted! I then made my way to the Opera House itself, climbing the steps to enjoy the view of the harbour, and then walking around the exterior of the impressive building, admiring the architecture of the design. I found a sign and realised for the first time that the Opera House is actually split into three sections - a Concert Hall, an Opera Hall and a restaurant at the front. I located the Opera Hall, and guessed that this was the section of the Opera House in which Luhrmann's La Boheme was performed in the 1990's. I climbed some stairs leading up to the upper part of the opera hall and peered through the windows. I couldn't help smiling as I realised that the interior is a bright shade of red! I could see red carpets, stairs and walls, and all of this immediately made me think of the Red Room at Iona, and obviously Moulin Rouge. I couldn't help wondering if it was Luhrmann's first production of La Boheme back in 1990 and the red decor of the Opera Hall that inspired Luhrmann's favouritism of the colour red?
La Boheme CD cover
After admiring the Opera House from the exterior, I made my way in the front doors and, after looking around the foyer, I headed into the Opera House Shop. I wondered if there might possibly be any merchandise left from Luhrmann's productions of La Boheme, and made my way to the shop counter to ask. The friendly woman behind the desk said they no longer stocked any merchandise, but they might still have the video and CD. She showed me the CD section and a brief search revealed one remaining copy of the 1993 production of Luhrmann's La Boheme! I explained that I did not require the video, as I had just purchased the production on DVD, but said I would definitely buy the CD! The 1993 production of La Boheme starred David Hobson and Cheryl Barker, and the CD stated that this 'Highlights from the Video Soundtrack' compilation was recorded live at the Sydney Opera House on 25 February 1993. I couldn't believe it - I was there on 24 February 2003 - almost 10 years later to the exact day! It was certainly a delightful coincidence! Feeling a great sense of joy after my Opera House experience, I headed into the Sydney Botanical Gardens to sit on a bench and admire the view of the harbour. After almost 7 hours of walking around Sydney Harbour, I decided it was time to head back to my apartment to plan my activities for the following day, including my visits to the House of Iona and Fox Studios!
House of Iona Gates
The next day, during a visit to Oxford Street, I went and searched for the House of Iona, headquarters of Bazmark Inq. I couldn't resist taking a peek, as it was so close, and I took a few photos of the gates and mansion. Although I wish I could have explored more, I obviously wanted to respect the privacy of the company, and so I left it at that. I did, however, pop an envelope in the letterbox with the address of this fansite! :-) A more detailed story about my trip to the House of Iona can be found here.
After visiting the House of Iona, I caught the bus back to Circular Quay from Oxford Street, and headed back to the hotel to get ready for my journey to Fox Studios. I had done some research about Fox Studios before my trip, and was disappointed to discover that it's definitely not what it used to be when it opened back in 1998. I had actually found a press release on the official Fox Studios website that detailed the opening night that was organised by Bazmark Inq, and how Bazmark had designed a movie themed area called the 'Backlot'. Unfortunately, I also found out that the 'Backlot' has been closed down and that Fox Studios is now free to get in, but only offers shops and cafes, with no studio tours etc. However, despite these unfortunate changes, I decided I had to visit anyway, if only for the Fox movie merchandise shop which I'd heard good things about! So off I went from my York Street apartment up to Castlereigh Street to catch a 339 bus out to the studios!
'Off limits' at Fox Studios
When I arrived, I made my way across a green to a pedestrian entrance. This entrance was situated right next to a 'professional' entrance that lead in towards the actual movie studios. Obviously, this area was off limits to the general public, but it was still fun to peer in through the gate. I entered through the public gate and made my way around to the other side of the professional studio area. I looked through the bars past the Global Television building at a studio labelled simply as "Studio 1" and wondered if this was the studio in which Moulin Rouge was filmed! Moulin Rouge was entirely filmed at Fox Studios, and it had also been reported that Luhrmann might have had plans to film some of Alexander the Great at these studios as well. Therefore, it was great to stand there and imagine what goes on behind the walls of those studios!
Fox Studios
I then started to explore what areas of Fox Studios were open to the public. I made my way to Bent Street and was amazed at how deserted it looked. I knew that Fox wasn't very popular anymore, but I didn't expect there to be so few people. I looked into the empty shops as I strolled, and felt an acute sense of emptiness. There really wasn't all that much to see except for the shops and a couple of movie theatres. One movie complex was called Cinema Paris, and showed art house films. The other was Hoyts, which showed the current mainstream films. I didn't have time to see a movie, and instead started off checking out the Dymocks book store to see if I could find a copy of the Moulin Rouge picture book. The man working behind the counter said that they hadn't sold that book for as long as he'd worked there. I asked him how long that was, and he said 8 months. My next stop was Sanity music store, where I looked for the Moulin Rouge soundtracks, but found neither. I did find Volume 1 of the Romeo + Juliet CD, but not Volume 2. I then checked out the posters, and was happy to see the mainstream Moulin Rouge poster still for sale. I contemplated buying a copy, even though I already have one, but decided to wait until I reached the Fox Shop before I bought any merchandise.
Fox Shop
I then headed straight for the Fox Shop at the end of Bent Street. I perused the outer room of the shop for Moulin Rouge merchandise, and then decided to ask the shop assistant directly. The woman who served me was most helpful, and lead me straight to a small Moulin Rouge display in the back room. The very first item she showed me was a pair of Moulin Rouge pyjamas! I had heard about these so called 'Zidler' pyjamas online, and immediately snapped them up, as they were the very last remaining pair. They cost AU$39.95 and were a small size, but I didn't mind - I just had to have them! Behind this lonesome pair of pyjamas was a small display underneath a glass case on top of a table. This contained some red windmill promotional Moulin Rouge stick-on tattoos, two different packs of Moulin Rouge red diamantes (one set in the shape of a windmill, and one set spelling out the words 'Moulin Rouge'), and also some merchandise from the real establishment that was not for sale. This real Moulin Rouge merchandise consisted of a black cap featuring the Moulin Rouge logo, a keyring and a photo book. It also bought back memories of the disappointing performance I saw in Paris, and so I was relieved when we moved on to the look at posters. Unfortunately, the only remaining poster was the mainstream one which I already own. However, I decided to buy a couple of tattoos for AU$1.95 each, but passed on the AU$11.95 packs of diamantes.
Romeo + Juliet display
After checking out the limited supply of Moulin Rouge merchandise, I asked about Romeo + Juliet. I was stunned when the sales person lead me to a huge display of R+J goodies made especially for Fox Studios. These included picture frames in two different sizes featuring the sacred heart symbol (AU$15.95 and AU$17.95), candles (AU$5), writing paper (AU$11.95), soaps (AU$2), charms (AU$9.95) and a visitor book (AU$11.95). There was also a R+J keyring for just AU$1! I snapped up a picture frame, two soaps, four keyrings and a lovely little gold charm from a selection of religious designs similar to those that Juliet owned in the film. The charm I chose was round and featured an angel with its wings outspread and the words 'Guardian Angel Watch Over Me' along with a little heart and cross on the back.
Moulin Rouge posters
Behind the R+J display was a staircase leading up to the store room, and along the wall of this staircase were three framed Moulin Rouge posters. One was the mainstream design, and the other two were the themed 'Truth' and 'Beauty' posters. I asked the sales person if they had any of these two designs left, but she said no. However, she then lead me to a huge image of Paris that was situated next to a shop window. She then explained that it was part of the set used in Moulin Rouge! She explained that it had been part of the city of Paris back drop, and had been split into three pieces, and they had the middle piece. I asked if she meant it was from the scene at the beginning of the film where the camera swoops in over the city, and she said yes. She also pointed out how some of the windows had cellophane in them to reflect the light.
Moulin Rouge back drop
I was excited to actually be looking at a part of the MR set, but also couldn't help frowning a little, as it didn't seem quite the same as the image used in the movie. For example, it had little Moulin Rouge symbols in a couple of places that were not the official design, and there was scaffolding drawn around the Sacre Coer, which I don't remember being there. Still, I took their word for it, and took a few photos of the drawing. [I later found out that this was part of the MR set after seeing a photo of Baz standing in front of it accompanying a news article!]. The sales person also told me about how they used to have the Moulin Rouge model windmill that was used in the film, and showed me the corner where it used to stand in the shop. She called over another sales person who confirmed this information, and informed us that it was now permanently located in Fox Studios in Los Angeles.
Fox Studios
My experiences at the Fox Shop definitely made my trip to Fox Studios worthwhile, and after making my purchases, I enjoyed a nice lunch at one of the Bent Street cafes. I then made my way over to the back corner of the complex towards where the 'Backlot' used to be. The entire area was fenced off, but I was surprised to find buildings still standing there in what seemed to be good condition. I took a picture of one of the buildings, and studied the others. They all offered an interactive insight into the world of movie making, and it was disappointing to see these attractions no longer in use. I made my way to Reception and asked about the 'Backlot', but they seemed disinterested and simply told me that it had been closed down 18 months ago.
On my way out of Fox Studios, I encountered another smaller Fox Shop and popped in to take a look, as it had been closed on the way in. There I found a small daybill poster of Romeo + Juliet which I had not seen before, and was told they were available in the main Fox Shop. So, off I went back to the shop! The posters were not featured on the shop floor, which is why I hadn't spotted them earlier. The mainstream poster was on sale for AU$4, but this smaller daybill poster I was after was no where in sight. I therefore got the sales person to look it up on his computer, and he said there were lots of them left, so I sent him up to the store room to grab me a couple!
Deciding that I had now spent enough money on movie merchandise at Fox, I caught the bus back to the city and back to my apartment. That night, I headed to a fabulous harbour side restaurant called Wolfie's Grill for dinner, where I enjoyed a kangaroo fillet and a traditional Aussie damper washed down with a Strawberry Daiquiri while gazing at the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House! Afterwards, I caught a ferry to Manly Beach for a night time walk along the sand.
Bondi Beach
The following day, I headed off on another ferry to Taronga Zoo, one of my favourite zoological parks. It is constantly undergoing renovations to give the animals more room and comfort, which I think is important in a modern zoo. As well as the fantastic animal life it is home too, the zoo also features spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, and is well worth a visit. After Taronga, I headed back to Circular Quay to catch a bus to the famous Bondi Beach! The beach was just as wonderful as I'd imagined, and definitely one of the best I've ever been too. It is actually smaller than I thought - about 800 metres long - but the water is a fantastic shade of blue and the sand is a brilliant pale yellow with no rocks or shells. The beach was obviously very popular, with many surfers drifting about hoping to catch some good waves. I checked out some shops, then headed to the beach and splashed about in the water for a while. I then sat on the sand just taking it all in, before regretfully heading back to the city and my apartment.
Darling Harbour
Thursday was my final day in Sydney, and I decided to catch a ferry underneath Sydney Harbour Bridge to Darling Harbour. Darling Harbour has a very relaxing feel about it and is a popular place to visit. I caught the monorail on a round trip around the city, and then returned to explore Darling Harbour for a while before heading back on a ferry to my apartment to pick up my bags and catch a taxi to the airport. It had been a wonderful few days in Sydney, and the holiday had confirmed my belief that Sydney is definitely my favourite Australian city. I hope to visit again one day, and I would urge anyone intending on travelling to Australia to do the same!