We have been in Australia since October and have finally made it to Sydney (not counting the trips through the airport). We arrived yesterday afternoon, checked into a hotel, spruced ourselves up a bit, had dinner and then it was off to the Opera House for the premier of Sydney Symphony Orchestras' performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah. For our readers who are opera aficionados, the role of Elijah was sung by bass-baritone Andre Foster-Williams; and tenor Thomas Walker, mezzo soprano Deborah Humble and soprano Gillian Webster completed the quartet. They were joined by the Sydney Philharmonic Choir for a powerful and moving performance.
The Opera House was just as spectacular in person. The organ at the back of the stage was quite impressive.
Sydney by night.
Our drive to Sydney consisted of two stops. The first was Byron Bay, the easternmost point of Australia and famous surfing hub for the young and frisky. The lighthouse is very picturesque, probably one of the nicest we have seen for a long time. Unfortunately, rain showers that morning meant we had to pass up a hike and instead drove to the point.
Our second stop was in Newcastle where we visited Fort Scratchley. As forts go, this one was impressive only because it actually fired on a Japanese submarine during WWII.
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