Australia

It was so good to be travelling without my violin. I had left it under the piano in Kuljit's studio. It was to be there for a month!

Dazed and happy I emerged from the plane to be met by my son Orlando. We caught a cab to Pyrmont where my flat was and went for a late night beer. I remember going to sleep with all the windows firmly shut as I had been reading about the red back and funnel web spiders (both deadly) which can be found in Sydney.

Sydney is a very manageable city to walk about in. I'ts such fun to hop on to the ferry boats from place to place. I absolutely adored the victorian style houses adorned with iron lacework, and the general cheeriness of everyone. I enjoyed a very nice bottle of Cloudy Bay white and caught a ferry to Manley Beach. I had a very nice morning visiting the Australian Chamber Orchestra at their work place and envied them their lifestyle. Their offices are very close to the Opera House in a fabulous underground complex where they rehearse and plan their programmes. They have huge financial support to buy beautiful Italian instruments and it shows in the sound they produce.

Sydney Opera House and boat 

 Sydney Opera House and harbour

Outside the Opera House!

I loved wandering around the markets in the Rocks area with the presence of the bridge so close by. It seemed expensive to eat and drink out so sadly I didn't do very much of that...would have loved to, but I was going to be flying all over the place so I had to save. The beauty and impact of Sydney's Opera House is hard to convey, but it exceeded all expectations. It is so beautiful, elegant, and original. It literally takes ones breath away and is just as exciting up close as seen from the water. If I ever go back I would like to eat in the restaurant there which is said to be excellent.

I spent a day planning the next couple of weeks and booking flights and buses. I was to fly to Cairns in Northern Queensland and catch two buses to Cape Tribulation to spend a week in the rainforest and swim over the Great Barrier Reef. Then I would fly to Ayers Rock, and maybe on to Melbourne before Tasmania. I had moments of not quite believing I was grown up enough to do this on my own and was always faintly surprised when they accepted my various requests for flights and accommodation. I had a few pangs of guilt about spending money whilst not earning any, and a lot of anxiety about going over the overdraft limit....but I pushed those thoughts aside and forgot about them. Who knows whether I would ever be in this extraordinary and distant land ever again?  A few generations ago women would not have been able to travel and explore alone like this....it really is so recent that we have that liberation. I'm making the most of it!