Interesting Architecture e.g. Sydney Opera house

[jmaustpc]

Hi Yorik
You said something once about Australia having some examples of interesting architecture. The Sydney harbour bridge and Sydney Opera House are some what iconic .....things...., tourists seem to think so at least.

Its a bit hard to see from my photo, but those little lumps up on the top of the arch of the bridge are people doing the bridge climb. They are taken up the maintenance access steps. You have to be tied to a safety rope.... and I guess you would not want to be frightened of heights!

Anyway I was there yesterday, it was a quite cloudy day. I thought some of you might like some photos.

SydneyHarbourBridge_walkers_anno_scale.JPG (87.01 KiB) Viewed 7533 times

SydneyHarbourBridge_scale.JPG (96.53 KiB) Viewed 7533 times

SydneyOperaHouse_scale.JPG (81.52 KiB) Viewed 7533 times

[yorik]

Hi Jim,
Wow, great!!! Of course the opera I knew already, but I hadn't hear dof that bridge... Did oyu climb up there?

[jmaustpc]

.. Did oyu climb up there?

I was taking my young daughters, wife and mother to the Australian Ballet for a 2-1/2 hour version of Cinderella. Not exactly your typical "bridge climbing" group! My mother and daughter actually said they would both pay money NOT to have to go up there! Wimps!

But seriously I think you have to be an adult (or at least a teenager) to go up there, its really frightening. That bridge was built in the 1930's safety was not such a big deal back then, that walkway is a set of steps going right up and over the top of the arch. It was for maintenance staff. It has a small hand rail at perhaps about hip height and I think one wire half way up...or something like that. You have to be attached to a safety rope when you go up there. Apart from the hand rail, you are right on the very top of the structure ....and its a LONG way up. I have never done the bridge climb but obviously I've walked, taken the train and driven over the bridge many times and looked up. I should add I've driven and walked under the bridge at the north and south at the edge of the harbour, and sailed under it a few times. I have been over it in an aeroplane (over not under ). Actually just for completeness I have actually driven under Sydney harbour, next to the bridge, there is a road tunnel running approximately next to the bridge.

Still, the bridge climb is very popular and the view from the top is really good.

[NormandC]

I'm really surprised they allow bridge climbing in Sydney. We have a few steel truss cantilever steel bridges and in Montréal there's the occasional loon climbing the Jacques-Cartier bridge during morning rush hour - the police stops traffic until they can get the guy down - pretty sure he ends up with a large fine as well.

Here's the pont de Québec (Québec City bridge) with the longest cantilever bridge span in the world. Not as streamlined as the Sidney bridge.

[jmaustpc]

I'm really surprised they allow bridge climbing in Sydney.

Well, they don't actually allow it exactly, you have to be part of a guided tour, and they connect you to safety ropes something like when your rock climbing.

Wow, the lighting on that bridge in your picture is spectacular.

[yorik]

Amazing cantilever indeed...

[NormandC]

That bridge also has a somber history. It collapsed two times during its construction, once in 1907 and another in 1916, killing many workers.

[bernd]

Here's the pont de Québec (Québec City bridge) with the longest cantilever bridge span in the world. Not as streamlined as the Sidney bridge.

Wow, amazing bridge. I did not know there are more of that kind. The original one is near Edinburgh. They both use cantilever span system to carry the loads.

[jmaustpc]

Hi everyone
I stumbled upon this link today when I was looking for something else. If anyone is interested, this is Sydney Harbour bridge and opera house during the new years eve fire works 2013-2014.

http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/nati ... 304u1.html

To give you an idea of the scale in these pictures, a few years back I was in a suburb of Sydney while the new years eve fireworks were going off, I just looked on Google maps, I was 24km away and I could see them clearly.

Of course the best spot is on one of those boats....if (like me) you happen to be lucky enough to have a mate who owns one.

Jim