Sydney Opera House, Sydney

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Of course the Sydney Opera House is one of the things one must see in Sydney. For one thing, it was made a World Heritage Site in 2007

And we did see it. We saw it first from the ferry on the day we arrived, and expected to see it on the hop-on-hop-off bus tour. But we missed it there because it had gotten dark and I was tired. So the next day I asked a taxi driver to take us to it so we could see it from close to it. And then he drove us across the harbor bridge so we saw it from over there.

We didn't check to see if there were any shows there when we were there, and I don't think we could have stayed awake for them even if there had been. We were still falling asleep into our dinner. I understand there are various tours one can take and also that there is a High Tea served there, which would have been nice and I would like to do that. But my grandchildren almost universally don't like tea and I've given up trying to take them for tea.

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One of the things I wanted to see was the Opera House. I got my grandmother to take a photo of me with it in the background from the ferry. But we missed seeing it on the Sydney bus tour because it was dark. So on our last day in Sydney my grandmother had the taxi driver take us there so I could get out and take photos of it.

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If I were to ask people from all over to name a famous building from Sydney I'm willing to bet that 99.99% would name the Opera House. Sydney Opera House is to the city what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, the Colloseum to Rome or the Empire State Building is to New York City. What makes the building so unforgettable is without doubt its distinct and innovating architecture along with its great location on the tip of one of the world's pretties harbors. The Opera House is the work of the Danish architect Jørn Utzon who won the competition design in 1957. Construction of the building started in 1959 and ended in 1973 and was not without controversy. The original cost estimate was $7 million while the completion date was set by the government to be 26 January 1963; in reality the building was finished 10 years later in 1973 at a cost of $102 million. Jørn Utzon ultimately resigned the project and the interior was completed by an Australian design team. The most striking architectural element is the roof, which is made of precast concrete covered in granite tiles imported from Sweden. And finally, one last piece of information, Sydney's Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

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Nearly all visitors that visit Sydney want to visit the Sydney Opera House while they are here..This wonderful piece of Architecture is a magnet for visitors..it would have to be the most photographed subject in Sydney and it is photographed from all angles to capture its uniqueness..There are just so many different things that one can do here ..Most visitors go for for a photo opportunity outside..The most popular of course is to see a show..wheather it be a cabaret, theatre, concert of classical or contemporary music..some people opt for one of the tours..or..just sit and have a coffee or high tea...I was there again recently just to find out what was on offer..and the staff were just so helpful to my needs..I thank them..
THE ESSENTIAL TOUR..Daily..every 30 minutes between 9.00am and 5.00pm..duration 1 hour. This tour is an audio visual presentation and tells the contrevertial Opera House story..
THE BACKSTAGE TOUR.Daily at 7am..This tour gives you access to areas normally reserved only for stars and performers..visit back stage areas and see dressing rooms etc..and includes a full breakfast in the "Green Room".NOTE...back stage tour includes 300 steps..not recommended for children under 12 years of age..ALSO NOTE..The Green Room is not open on Sundays or Holidays..only continental breakfast served at an alternative venue on these days.
OPERA TO A TEA....How about this romantic and unique opportunity..High Tea at the Sydney Opera House is becoming a must do in the Harbour city....This is really something..They have created this "High Tea"where you are welcomed with a glass of sparkling Australian wine then presented with an assortment of beautiful teas ,exquisite savouries,pastries and petit fours..The crescendo of this afternoon is a private performance for you by an acclaimed opera singer that will leave you entranced..
HIGH TEA..Every Wednesday2 till 4 pm..bookings at the guided tours desk and are essential ..
ALSO ASK ABOUT THESE OTHER ACTIVITIES..THE RED CARPET..SEA AND STAGE...AND SHOWCASE..
The Sydney Opera House is one of the buisiest Opera Houses in the world with over 1500 live performances every year.. This is really a unique building to visit and is a MUST SEE when in Sydney..There is something here for everyone ...as you can see there is just so much to see and do here.. This is a world heritage site..
This information thanks to Sydney Opera house staff information desk.....

We did the very interesting Opera House Tour and found out there are multiple theatres with lots of stuff going on. We had thought it ws only opera, so were kicking ourrselves that we had not booked to see a show there. Instead we had gone to a Chinese acrobatic performance in the city; it was good but the plays on at the Opera House sounded much more interesting. Next time we will check the website.

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The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon after he submitted the winning design in a competition. It finally opened in 1957.

The Sydney Opera House was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007. It is one of most famous performing arts centres in the world.

The building houses multiple performance venues and is one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world, hosting over 1,500 performances each year. Its four key residents are Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, the Sydney Theatre Company and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Australia, with more than seven million people visiting the site each year. You can take a guided tour, but I reckon if you're going to go there, you may as well make it worth it and see a show!

There are places to eat nearby, but keep in mind that they do get busy prior to shows.

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A must see really in Sydney, the design has always been controvertial, as are many of the decisions made during the construction.

The building is soon to be under refurbishment and apparently many of the decisions made during constructions will be corrected.

This is one of the most interesting buildings in the world. It was designed by Jorn Utzon of Copenhagen, Denmark, and the roof shells were inspired by palm trees. Construction began in 1959 and was completed in 1973. The grand opening featured Queen Elizabeth II.

To really appreciate this building, you need to see it from as many angles as possible. See it from ontop of the bridge, then walk along the shore from the bridge to Mrs. Macquarie's Point (there is plenty to see along the way besides the Opera House), or a water taxi works well. It will also look very interesting when you get up close. It also looks amazing at night when it is lit up.

If looking at it is not enough, you can try to book a show on the website.

The Opera house was completed in 1973 and cost approx $AU 102,000,000 to build. Arguably the most famous building in Australia.

You can walk right around the outside of the building and some inside areas are open to the public. There are tours every hour and often free entertainment outdoors on the weekends.

It is sometimes possible to get cheap student tickets at the box office. There is also a place in the city called Halftix that sells tickets to preformances for that day. Their web address is www.halftix.com.au

It was built by a Danish architect Jørn Utzon. It's one of Australias best known icons. It houses many room and 1.2 million people visit a performance there every year. But when I first saw It to tell the truth it was a bit dissapointing as from the pictures it seems more impressive. But after a few visits I have come to love it now.