The World Incorporated Travel Blog

Category: Australia

Top of the World: Pylon Lookout

There’s a cheaper alternative to a bird’s eye view of Sydney Harbour that is probably equally as impressive as the Bridge Climb.

I say “probably” as I didn’t actually experience the Bridge Climb. $200-$350 for 2 hours of 1,000+ steps for Sydney’s acclaimed best view in town? Most expensive work out ever? Though intriguing, the Pylon Lookout was the affordable alternative. For $13, a comparable view awaits. If you’re a student (and possess your student ID), the bargain improves with $8.50 admission.

To climb or not to climb… I chose the economical equivalent.

The Pylon Lookout stands at 292 feet (89 meters) overlooking the harbor, only 147 feet (45 meters) fewer than the Bridge Climb apex. Besides spectacular views, the Pylon Lookout has a gift shop and informative mini museum.

Actually, it may be surprising to hear that the construction of the pylons were an afterthought, not part of the original bridge design. This was an aesthetic improvement, meant to give the bridge a greater image of foundational stability and strength. Structural integrity is best when visually represented, right? Forget the engineers’ thumbs up of approval! These concrete and granite structures appear as anchors for the iron arch, like four enduring bookends to a significant Sydney story. When looking at the silhouette of the Harbour Bridge, it’s difficult to visualize its existence without the pylons.

A sunset silhouette of the powerful pylon.

Though decorative in its intentions, the pylons proved useful, serving as a lookout (obviously), museum, exhibition center, traffic authority headquarters, ventilation system, and maintenance shed. During WWII the pylons even earned their battle scars when defensive anti-aircraft guns were installed.

My favorite use, however, occurred during the 1950s and 1960s when Yvonne Rentoul managed the exhibits. Mrs. Rentoul, who may be the cat’s meow of all crazy cat ladies south of the equator, maintained a cattery on the pylon rooftop, where she bred her famous “Pylon White Cats.” This feline feature included a merry-go-round (for the cats, of course) and a wishing well. These white cats guarded visitors’ wishes with their courageous claws and righteous whiskers. Two tickets to this attraction, please? Sounds like a purrfect time.

Okay, now that I’ve solidified my reputation as a cat lady…

To me (and my wallet), the Pylon Lookout is worth a visit. It is a structure that will truly make you feel on top of the world.

That beautiful Sydney Opera House

Circular Quay and a downtown Sydney horizon

Happy sailboats in Sydney Harbour

Pylon Lookout signs of yesteryear.

Learning at the Pylon Lookout museum.

Flags of Australia and the UK waving proudly at the peak.

Greetings from the top of the world!

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8 July 2014
Laugh, Kookaburra!

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Merry merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be!

If you just read the above words to no tune, I apologize to your childhood for missing out. I think I knew the kookaburra song before I knew Australia existed. And once I was cognizant of Australia’s existence, there were always three songs in my musical repertoire to represent the country: Waltzing Matilda, “The Veranda Song“, and the Kookaburra Song.

Naturally, it was my childhood expectation to see this bird, that infamous Giant Kingfisher known as the kookaburra – in the wild AND laughing – should I ever visit the land down under.

I didn’t think this was too much to ask for. (more…)

1 July 2014
I Survived My First Scuba Dive

Excited & nervous for our first scuba dive!
By the way, can you believe it was Eric’s FIRST time in the ocean?!
Photo purchased from In-Depth Video & Photography

I was shaking. It’s the type of shaking when the hypothalamus reigns and the body’s basic instinct takes over.

I was wet, cold, excited, and frightened.

I was sitting underwater on a metal platform preparing for my first scuba diving adventure. At the Great Barrier Reef.

WOW!

We sailed aboard the Quicksilver Great Barrier Reef Cruise toward the continental shelf where the Agincourt Reef beckoned below. During the 90 minute journey, I mustered my courage and opted for a beginner scuba dive. (more…)

10 June 2014
Waltzing Maltilda, Back in the States

A clear night on Kewarra Beach in Queensland.

Waltzing Matilda is not a woman who likes to dance in rhythmic one-two-threes. Rather, it’s a squatter’s knapsack endearingly named Matilda (that’s a rough “American” translation).

If you’re perplexed with the reference of “Waltzing Matilda,” familiarize yourself with the song that was almost Australia’s National Anthem by watching this YouTube video.

Now, I didn’t name my traveling bags Matilda, but these bags are back home in the states and can you even believe it, they’ve been sitting here emptied and unused for 10 days now. They are having an identity crisis; they may just name themselves Matilda anyway. And 10 days after my return I’m still wondering if the trip to Australia really happened or if it was just a 2 week dream that ended in what feels like a blink.

I’m still processing two weeks of culture, adventure, excursions, food, landscapes, people… I’m still sifting through thousands of photos and hours of GoPro video. I’m still trying to figure out how I can express on this blog & give justice to a place that is truly spectacular.

I can’t wait to share my experiences in Australia – Sydney & Tropical North Queensland & Hamilton Island – so stay tuned for some down under love!

27 May 2014
Hello, Sydney!

G’day mates!

On May 3 we arrived in Sydney, after 24 hours of recycled air and uncomfortable seats. It was a long journey, but as we descended, a glorious Sydney sunrise greeted us, coloring the harbor and the sky in brilliant pink and orange. Then we saw a rainbow in the distance as our flight taxied in. All was good. We semi-breezed through customs (I say “semi” because I wasn’t processed successfully and had to turn back to see a human instead of a computer). Eric snatched our luggage from the carousel and we took the train for 25 minutes to get close to our hotel. We were slightly directionally challenged at first, trying to figure out which way to walk to the hotel, but can you blame us? Our internal compasses were completely turned around. We’re down under now!

We made it to our hotel, showered (it was glorious after such a long journey – I felt like a cicada shedding my skin), and had to deal with the first order of business: BREAKFAST! Or should we say brekky? We meandered down to Darling Harbour, checked out the restaurants along the Cockle Bay, and stopped to eat at the first one that said “Aussie Brekky.” Eggs, sausage, bacon (which is like a cross between American bacon & Canadian bacon), fried tomato, sautéed mushrooms, hash browns, toast. It hit the spot. And the eggs were SO good – somehow they are different from back home… the yolk was much oranger than what we’re accustomed to. Oh, and Eric had some difficulty with his coffee. All he wanted was just a regular black. Apparently a “long black” doesn’t exactly translate to black coffee – it was very dark and bitter… more like an espresso. Poor Eric.

We continued to walk around Darling Harbour. It’s beautiful. It was a chilly, calm, peaceful morning. It was only around 9 a.m., there were no crowds. Eric and I were just speechless over how utopian everything seemed. Clean, safe, a fun park for families, every thing around this Harbour seems thoughtfully placed. Hardly anything is concrete or paved here; it’s all bricked, landscaped, manicured and aesthetically designed. We crossed the bridge over Darling Harbour and Eric stopped dead in his tracks, then was pulled like he was being sucked by a black hole: ice cream. Swiss ice cream. So yes, Eric & I enjoyed two scoops of Swiss ice cream on the harbour after a giant Aussie Brekky before it was even 10 a.m. Hey – we’re on vacation!

We had to take a post-flight, post-food catnap. Waking up after an hour felt torturous. My body was buzzing and dizzy and had become one with the bed. But I hoisted myself up and we explored Sydney. On weekends in Sydney, several streets shut down in The Rocks. The area is transformed into a little marketplace, tents lining the street, full of vendors peddling clothing, food, crafts, art, and more. We spent a solid amount of time investigating these tents and dipping into art galleries along the road. There are definitely some distinctly Australian crafts you don’t see from home – boomerangs, digeridoos, motifs of kangaroos and the Opera House – all things that further confirmed that yes, we have made it down under.

After a few purchases, we visited Sydney Harbour where we were greeted by the grandeur of the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Now, the Opera House is one of those iconic landmarks that has a LOT of expectation to live up to… it didn’t disappoint. As soon as we turned the corner and those giant pearl sails gleamed in the sun, I couldn’t stop a “WOW!” from escaping. It’s truly impressive and enormous, and no photo could ever do it justice.

Since it’s autumn here, night falls rather early. By 6pm the sun is set, darkness takes over, and the lights of Sydney begin glittering. We ended our evening by enjoying a nice dinner at The Meat & Wine Co. of Sydney in Darling Harbour. We indulged on some shiraz as we waited and by the time a table was available, we were fortunate to be brought to the top level of the restaurant right at the window – a perfect, unobstructed view. Eric ordered a kangaroo steak and loved it. I ordered a Monte beef filet – from the best cow breeders, meat aged for 21 days. It was incredible. At around 8:30, there was a huge BANG. A fireworks show began in Darling Harbour, and we had the best seats.

I don’t think I could have described a more perfect ‘First Day in Sydney’ if I tried.

5 May 2014
A Queensland Itinerary for a Queen

The current view of my office patio. Fancy an outdoor lunch? And after we can go deep-snow diving for frozen squirrels.

The ground is blanketed in white. The temperature is flirting with subzero numbers. I spend almost 2 hours per day staring at cars’ rears and 8 hours looking out at a parking lot (actually, there’s so much snow outside my cubicle window, I can barely see over the berm). While this is my current realty, there’s another reality that is unfolding – the realty that soon I will embark on a journey to Australia.

The dream in my head of palm trees and blue oceans and tropical fish feels out of reach. It’s crazy that it’s been months since I won a trip to Queensland from this entry and now it’s less than 3 months until I’m going on the vacation of my life. (more…)

11 February 2014
The Unnecessarily Elaborate Story of How I’m Going to Australia

Image Source: JohnnyJet.com

I won a trip to Queensland, Australia. Check the date; it isn’t April 1. I still can barely believe it and it’s been a solid 7 months of processing this information.

Back in June I made the decision to try to jump back into travel blogging. It had been a year since I returned from my European backpacking adventure. I perused through some old posts and reminisced about the joy of traveling & the fulfillment from writing about it. The flame was rekindled when I published a couple posts. During my lunch breaks I began collecting the blogs of career travel writers. I ate their content like chocolate and felt sick with admiration & slightly jealous of their jetsetter lifestyle. I’d return to my stable, stationary cubicle and continue with my 8 hour workday at my computer screen.

On one particular lunch break, I escaped from the frigid air conditioned office and soaked up the sun on the office patio. As I browsed through a series of travel sites, a “Top 10 Travel Blogs of 2013” article caught my attention. An appealing site was “JohnnyJet.com” – what a clever name! At first brush, I was turned off by this “blog” – it seemed more like a busy commerce website than the typical format of personal travel tales (I’m a novice, remember?). Just as my finger extended to tap the back button, the line “Travel Blogger Contest” jumped off the page.

Oh, blogger contest? Really!? I’m a travel blogger! Kinda… (more…)

23 January 2014
What I Would Do in Five Days in Queensland

I suppressed my inner overachiever from planning Australian adventures that would last a month and narrowed the list to my top activities with 5 Days in Queensland:

Feel alive where coral thrive on a Great Barrier Reef Dive

A few days learning how to snorkel in Florida was practice for the Great Barrier Reef. Time to swim with the manta rays, maori wrasse, & giant clams!

The moment the Coral Sea swallows me and I am transported to this rich habitat off the shores of Queensland will be a moment of pure jubilation. An underwater kaleidoscope of vibrant fish and rich coral, the Great Barrier Reef serves as home to 1,500+ species. There’s no hesitation that I’d easily spend a day (or more) snorkeling below the surface marveling at this maritime universe designated as a World Heritage site and world wonder. Viewable from satellite, I’d dream to see our planet’s largest network of living organisms from above – perhaps parasailing like a pelican scouting for his meal? A Great Barrier Reef experience in the sea and in the sky.

Experience the aboriginal nation through my active participation

Equally as important as sightseeing is engaging oneself in a location’s history and culture. Sometimes this can be satisfied through museums, but in the case of Australia, I’d participate in an aboriginal cultural experience. At the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park I can play the didgeridoo, paint my face, throw a boomerang, and discover Australia’s indigenous roots. Tjapukai’s website even said, “Nganydjin-da Garran Ngundalna” (Come and visit us soon!). To which I respond, “I’m trying!”

Go off-track in the Outback (& try that good snack)

This is not the Outback. I’m overlooking meteor crater. But let’s pretend this is me in awe of the Australian Outback – and let’s make it happen!

The large, open, daunting outback – best spent cruising on a 4×4. A station stay is my accommodation of choice, where I can gather local tales & anecdotes. I won’t go hungry – I did my research and word on the web is that Birdsville Bakery crafts a curry camel pie that must embrace my tastebuds. After an active afternoon, I’d slow down to appreciate Queensland at dusk. Due to the outback’s sparse population, a dark sky offers the perfect stargazing situation to conclude the day.

Link up with a wildlife teacher to play with Queensland’s iconic creatures

Laugh with a kookaburra. Cuddle a koala. Hop with a kangaroo. Mingle with wombats. Australia is known for iconic animals. While it’s likely I won’t have time to meander through a wildlife reserve, I’d try my best to incorporate my animal meet & greets in my other Australian adventures.

*Bonus Activity* Attend the Problogger Conference! There’s a first time for everything! I’d consider attending this opportunity to take my travel writing dream to the “next level.”

Okay, so maybe I didn’t suppress my inner over-achiever. Even if I accomplished one of these items, my world would flip upside down. Or shall I say down under?

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The ever resourceful Johnny Jet is responsible for inspiring this post through his Blogger Contest in collaboration with Tourism & Events Queensland and Delta Vacations. Thanks, Mate!

22 June 2013