Giant Bats and No Worries

First Impressions of Australia
August 16 - 19 2009

Sun in the north, darkness at 6pm and no leaves on certain trees were the clues that this was not a fine summer Sunday in Sydney. The locals were soaking up the unseasonably warm winter weather, filling the patios of pubs and cafes. Sydney harbour was busy with ferries and sails. My eyes were briefly drawn to the familiar, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. But more compelling is the flora, I am amongst strangers with names like Ficus, Grevillea, Banksia and Jacaranda. Homo sapiens is very recognizable but unlike its northern hemisphere cousins, seems to be eternally cheerful, chanting the mantra of “no worries” on every contact and obviously dedicated to life outdoors.
Downtown Sydney has some beautifully preserved Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Unlike most New World cities, it was not built on a grid pattern which has resulted in interesting streetscapes showing off a blend of old and new. The waterfront is superb and seemingly endless along the convoluted north and south shores of the Paramatta River estuary. Domestic architecture is a blend of mediterranean villas and early to mid 20th century English suburbs, bungalows and houses with gardens, walls, gates and even small lawns. There are very few high rises beyond the downtown core.
The highlights of these first few days were glimpses of wild Australia. On a visit to the Taronga Zoo, I met the quintessential and less well known Australian fauna, all except the echidna who was hiding under a rock. I strolled in the rainforest aviary, listening to the many sounds of the tropics and was crapped on by a Superb Fruit Dove. In the Botanical Gardens I saw the giant flying foxes, roosting in broad daylight and playing havoc with some fine specimen trees. I took many rides on Sydney buses and ferries, one to Manly where I walked through Banksia scrub to North Head at the mouth of Sydney harbour gazed towards the Antarctic, saw a whale and a pod of dolphins. As a modern adventurer seeing Australia for the first time I cast my thoughts to Captain James Cook, Joseph Banks and Charles Darwin. I was reminded of the original inhabitants by the sounds of a didgeridoo at Circular Quay where the first white settlers landed. Not bad for a penal colony.