One of the wonders of the world

Went here 6th Jan 2008 for the Jose Carreras Concert FANTASTIC AMAZING

Sydney Opera House is one of the iconic buildings of the world, and perhaps the most internationally recognisable building from the latter half of the 20th century. It is an essential stop on any visit to Sydney - either for a tour, or a performance.

The story of its construction is almost an opera in itself - there were certainly plenty of melodramatic moments. The competition for a new twin-auditorium Opera House was won in 1957 by the Danish architect, Jørn Utzon. The winning design was essentially a concept, and turning it into reality was an immensely complex task, given the complex geometry of the shapes and the construction and design technology then available.

Constant redesign and the need for endless problem-solving made progress slow and costs began to escalate. After a series of rows with the State Government, Utzon resigned from the project. It has never been quite clear who was to blame, but probably fair to say in hindsight that nobody quite realised just how daring a building it was. But there can be no question that the end result was a world-class building.

It was completed in 1973, and opened By Queen Elizabeth II, and is now one of the busiest perfoming arts venues in the world, with 1,500 performances of opera, classical, rock and pop concerts, caberet and even the odd circus.

If you don’t have time to see a performance, the one-hour tour is well worth the $27.50 price tag (online price - $35). As well as seeing the main performing spaces, you get to learn all about the history of its construction and the problems that had to be overcome in delivering the acoustics. There are also cheaper ‘Earlybird’ tickets available, as well as the usual range of concessions. (See webiste for details.) There are special tours available in Japanese, Mandarin and Korean.

If you feel like really splashing out, there are also classier packages available too, which combine a backstage tour, performance, and either dinner or an evening harbour cruise.

The Sydney Opera House, situated on Sydney Harbour at Bennelong Point, is rightly considered by many to be one of the wonders of the modern world. It was opened in October 1973. It has become iconic of Sydney and must be one of the most photographed places in the world. It is home to about a dozen different Orchestras, Ballet Companies, and Theatre Companies, quite apart form the Opera itself, and there are performances every night of the week of something or other. The guided 2-hour “behind-the-scenes” Tour is well worth the time and money. Or you just sit outside on the terrace, enjoy a drink, and watch the comings and goings in Circular Quay. Around the back of the Opera House, you are straight into another don’t-miss, The Royal Botanic Gardens.