The driving rain pelts the blue field and white stars of the Australian flag waving on top of a turn of the century green copper domed pinnacle two hundred feet below me. Perched next to a window on the thirty-first floor of extravagantly appointed luxury hotel, I stare out over the exceptionally vibrant City of Sydney. The rain is a brief retreat from the spectacular weather and balmy tropical breezes. This is the first moment of reflection from a furious exploration of the Emerald City and the Gold Coast.
Sydney is a modern vibrant energetic city with a strong backbone of tropical British colonial influence which is evident in the beautifully maintained governmental buildings. While seemly isolated in this remote southern location, its reach is international as blends of world cultures travel to Sydney to savior its delights. The city is fashion conscious but not consumed. There is an emerging world class cuisine called “Mod Oz” which is a fusion of Asian, South Pacific and traditional Australia fare.
The people of Australia embrace everyone who ventures upon its shores with a warm and friendly attitude. It is possible to strike up a meaningful conversation with just about anyone in a restaurant, on the ferries or in an elevator and discover another hidden gem of urban life down under. One of the most revealing insights has been how open and safe the city is. We have spent the past six days walking huge areas of the city at all hours of the day and night and not once did we encounter a single individual who appeared threatening. That is a truly remarkable statement in the modern urban world.
In my heart I have always been a mariner migrating to oceans, harbors, beaches and other points of maritime adventures. Sydney is a city of the sea which is the basis of its beauty, from the ferries, harbors, piers, esplanades and beaches, the city is always reflected in shimmering clear blue water. At night the city explodes into a million stars that dance on the water like fireflies where you linger in the open air cafes captivated by urban culture.
During our visit to Sydney, we wandered the world famous beaches of Manly, Bondi and Bronti. Nothing I can say will fully express the spectacular rugged coast with the aquamarine sea foam crashing against the worn limestone cliffs. The lively beaches are lined with trendy restaurants offering a bounty of riches from the crystal clear water that stretches to the horizon.
The most pleasant surprise is how beautiful the young residents of Sydney are, especially the females. The streets, restaurant and nightclubs are filled with large numbers of spectacularly stunning women, more so by factor of ten than any other city in the world I have visited. While the rest of the world’s fashion choice is casual baggy, oversized non-descript unisex sweat pants and gym clothes, the women of Oz embrace femininity with alluring and head spinning results. What a refreshing and novel idea, women taking pride in dressing like women. If that isn’t enough on the beaches surrounding Sydney, they embrace the European custom of sunbathing topless.
There is only one disturbing observation of Australian culture that is immediately apparent when you walk off the plane. American consumer and pop culture dominates every aspect of Australian entertainment and commerce. Like an insidious contagious disease American products fill every movie theatre, music store, radio station, television channel, clothing boutique and lunch counter. It is easier to find a weather forecast for the states than it is for Australia. The process of consumer assimilation is so complete that the multinational companies are morphing to assume a cloak of pseudo Australian origin, McDonalds offers morning “Brekkies”, Burger King is called Hungry Jack, Dominos places “rocket” of its special pizzas. Like a predator assuming camouflage to blend into its surroundings, Australians are slowly being seduced into abandoning their identity.
In earlier writings I described how my grandmother was born outside of Melbourne and immigrated to the states in 1904. I never really considered my Australian origin. It was only a passing interest as the discussion of Australia surfaced when I was growing up. Only upon arrive to this great nation has a feeling of deep connection and belonging has arisen in me. My short time here is not nearly enough time to discover and explore this vast country, but it is with absolute certainly that I will return to this beautiful land and beautiful people for which I have fallen in love with. I find myself humming Waltzing Maltilda as my time grows short and all I can say is “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi”
