Sydney – Birthday Girl
When I booked this trip, I always knew that I would be somewhere in Sydney on my 30th birthday. Where exactly was yet to be decided, but I knew I would be Down Under. As soon as I got to Sydney, I fell in love with it, and knew instantly I could think of no better place to celebrate the start of a new decade, a new phase in my life, than this wonderful city.
The one thing I did know, though, was that I didn’t want to wake up in a hostel on my 30th birthday. No offence to my dorm mates, with whom I was now bonding into a great little group of friends, but I just couldn’t face it. I wanted to start my 30s in the style with which I would hopefully see out the rest of them. And so I checked in to a swish boutique hotel, the Central Park Hotel. It was lovely to spoil myself so – it was more like an apartment, with two-storey windows, a wonderful living area, a comfy bed, and – joy of joys – a whirlpool bath. After months in Asia with little more than a cold shower, this was bliss.
The last night of my twenties was wonderful, as well. Andy took me out for a gorgeous meal (do I spy a date?), and we toasted the end of an era and, more importantly, the start of a new one. We managed to get told off by the waiter by how much food we’d left, but this just gave us something more to laugh about. I didn’t have anything to drink, in preparation for the next day.
I slept like a log, and so woke up a 30 year old feeling exactly like I did in my twenties! It was a real joy to open all my cards from home, and I said a prayer of thanks for all my lovely relatives and friends who’d sent the cards out here courtesy of Mike and Sheila in Perth. It meant the world, folks, and I love you all dearly for it. Mum’s card made me cry for the first time that day (it wouldn’t be the last!). I also had a lovely card from Andy, along with a thought-provoking present – a book on travel writing. Hmmmm… food for thought indeed.
I had a lovely lazy morning, and then wandered with Andy down to The Rocks for a beautiful lunch in the brilliant sunshine. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky (I think I must have behaved myself in my twenties in order for there to be such good weather on my birthday!). We then sat down by the Opera House and chatted for a couple of hours, me checking my watch every few minutes. I was incredibly excited.
The reason for my excitement? I’d booked to do a BridgeClimb over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I knew this would be a memorable thing to do on my birthday, something to look back on forever. And this was the reason I hadn’t had anything to drink the night before or with my lunch – you have to pass an alcohol breath test before you go up. Safety is incredibly important to these guys, understandably when you see the heights you climb to.
I went and checked in for the climb, and cried for the second time that day. A week or so before my birthday, my brother Michael had apologised as he’d missed the date for posting my card out to Perth. I said the next address he could definitely get me at was New Zealand, and so had written off the thought of a card from him and Caroline (although I did grass him up to my mum, naturally!). However, my wonderful bro had done something amazing: he’d got in touch with BridgeClimb, somehow managed to get my card out to them, and they handed it over to me on check-in. Michael and Caroline – thankyou with all my heart.
I met the rest of my group, and was amazed to find there was another birthday girl in my group, although she was celebrating her 21st. What are the odds? We were all pretty excited, which couldn’t even be dampened when we were given our very daggy jumpsuits. Basically, because we would be walking over a major highway, everything we wore had to be clipped on to these jumpsuits. I had to take off my watch and my bracelets, we had to take out any hairclips – anything even as small as that falling down on the highway could cause a major accent. So we were given clip-on fleeces, clip-on baseball caps, clip-on everything. We were then given training on using our harnesses – we would be attached from the moment we stepped on to the moment we stepped off.
Soon we were off. And let me say right now – it was one of the best things I have ever done in my entire life. If you are ever in Sydney, DO IT! In fact – travel to Sydney JUST to do it. It’s going to be superlative overload in this description, but I refuse to apologise – it’s completely justified.
We got out on the bridge at 4pm, when the sun was still out and strong. We all had headsets (clip-on, naturally) so we could hear all the fascinating information our guide was giving us. The bridge was completed in 1932 at a then-astronomical $20m, and spans across the harbour, giving amazing views across the Sydney area. You start off underneath the bridge, hearing the traffic above you, and then climb up through two lanes of traffic, emerging on the top at the foot of one of the famous curves. At this moment, everyone was literally lost for words. To our right was the Opera House; to our left was The Rocks. By this time, the sun was breathing its last for the day, turning everything that beautiful pinky gold. At this point, we had photos taken:
At the top of the bridge, we had another group photo taken (jazz hands ahoy!), and then our lovely guide got the group to sing happy birthday to me and the other birthday girl. Aaah. What a moment to remember for the rest of my life. We walked across the top – yet another photo op – blew the famous Blinking Billy a kiss and made a wish, as is Sydney tradition, and then watched the sunset over a truly amazing city. Wow. Then we walked back down the other side. By this time it was dark, and we had a final photo taken with the lights of the city behind us:
Seemingly all too soon, but in reality about 2.5 hours after we stepped foot on the bridge, we were back down. And here is my new claim to fame – I can say I jumped off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. OK, it was off the last step, but nevertheless it’s true!
I walked back to my hotel, absolutely buzzing and high from the Climb, and knocked on the door. Andy had asked for my key, as there was football on that he wanted to watch while I was on the bridge. Or so he told me. In reality, he’d been busy preparing a surprise for me, with banners, balloons, flowers, streamers, a cake and candles, and champagne. Making me cry for the third time that day. Wow. His reason was that if I was at home people would be spoiling me, but I know for sure the real reason is that he’s a true gem and a superstar.
Wolfing the cake and champagne, I hastily changed, ready to go out and meet the gang from the hostel that night. We met Nicola, Marie, and Luke in the pub, and Martin was going to meet us later (in fact, I got a message from him later on but sadly didn’t hear my phone). The night went as I’m sure you’d expect – plenty of pubs, plenty of drinking, and plenty of dancing, including some favourite tunes on account of it was my birthday and therefore I felt justified in comandeering the DJ all night. So Mr Brightside, Kylie, the Pussycat Dolls and Wham were the order of the night.
A huge thankyou right now to everyone who made my birthday so very special and memorable, with an honorable mention to Jonesy, who made it a day in a million and made me forget to be homesick. I’ll never forget it, guys.
If this is the way my 30s are going to go, you can sign me up right now. I like it here.
Tags: Australia, Travel
Suzanne
You deserved everything and more. x
Look at you!