Sydney Opera House (tips&tricks)

 I wanted to attend to one of the Spirited Away screenings they are doing in the Sydney Opera House, so I had to do quite a bit of research on how to get there and if there are any good deals. I found that and lots of interesting information, which is why I decided to share it here.

Transport:

Of course you could drive a car or take a taxi if you wanted to, but there is really no need, since Sydney has great public transport. The Opera House is a 10 minute walk away from Circular Quay, a station with trains, ferries and buses that can take you anywhere in the city leaving every few minutes.

Tours:

You can book hour long tours. The price depends; adults pay $45, children younger than 5 are free of charge and children aged 5-15 pay $25. There is a $10 discount available for holders of an Australian Seniors Card, Australian Pensioners and full-time students aged 16+. There is also an offer that costs $115 for a family consisting of 2 adults and 2 children under 15. For example if my family were to go, because we are two adults and 3 children between the ages of 9 and 15, we would get the family offer and then pay for an extra child.

History:

This building was designed by Jørn Utzon, who was born in Copenhagen in 1918. He got his degree in the Royal Academy of Arts there. After working as an apprentice for many well-known danish architects, he finally established his own study. He mainly worked on designing housing, but he signed up for the contest for the Sydney Opera House project and won! He worked on other successful buildings after, like the Jeddah sports stadium in Saudi Arabia.

World Heritage:

The Sydney Opera House was recognized as a World Heritage in 2007.

Insiders:

By becoming an Insider you will save a lot; 10% off at the gift shop and the restaurants and 20% off the backstage tours.

The Commonwealth:

Did you know there is a group of countries called the Commonwealth? It was formed in 1931 by countries who all had historical ties to the UK. While looking it up I found out India is part of them.

I think India is a very interesting country. Firstly, it’s the 7th largest country in the world and is expected to be even more populated than China by 2030. Also, it has a diverse and rich culture. India joined the Commonwealth December 1947, 6 months after it gained independence. They organize the Commonwealth games every four years, which serve to keep a good relationship between them. India shines in wrestling, in fact, it made them win 6 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 5 bronze medals in the 2022 games. They are also quite good weightlifters, with 10 medals won in total. On top of that, boxing is also a strong sport for India, earning them 7 medals.