The Grand Bridge Encounter

Some time ago I was told of a New York bridge which inspired the design of Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge’s. For years I looked for the bridge each time I was in New York. It took several visits before, by chance, a taxi driver took me across the Triborough Bridge (recently renamed the Robert F Kennedy bridge) linking the boroughs of Bronx and Queens with Manhattan island. The Triborough bridge is a network of three distinct bridges and elevated highways that cross over Ward’s Island. The island that sits in the middle of the East River is nothing particularly noteworthy.  However, as you cross the island a perfectly formed, miniature version of the Sydney Harbour bridge comes into view.

This is the Hell Gate rail bridge which opened in September 1916 to carry a rail link from New York’s Central Station into the nearby New England states. Its stunning steel arch structure spans the East River for 310 metres, approached from both directions by a series of imposing elevated trusses. It was built to carry four rail tracks, two for passenger rail and two for freight.  Only three of these tracks remain in use today. Pedestrian use is no available anywhere on the bridge or its approaches.

The bridge’s design and construction were the brainchild of Gustav Lindenthal. Originally from the Czech Republic, he immigrated to the United States in 1874. His career as a civil engineer was soon boosted by demand for bridges able to handle the growing weight of American locomotives and their loads. John Bradfield, the man responsible for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, faced a similar challenge. By chance he came across the Hell Gate Bridge during a visit to New York in 1921.

Bradfield’s final design for Sydney, including its accompanying truss approaches, is almost identical to that of the Hell Gate Bridge. However Sydney’s iconic landmark spans 503 metres, carrying two footpaths, two rail tracks and eight road lanes across open water. When I finally saw Hell Gate Bridge up close last weekend the inspiration for Sydney’s bridge was all too clear. I almost felt at home.

Getting up close to Hell Gate Bridge provided more challenging than I’d anticipated. Pedestrian access to Ward’s Island is normally provided by a footbridge crossing from Manhattan Island, located at the eastern end of 103rd Street. However, I discovered that the bridge was closed for refurbishment, despite checking several websites the night before to ensure it was open and in use. As a result, I had to return to the subway and take the train north to 125th Street to use a footbridge on Triborough Bridge.

This unforeseen detour added at least another two kilometres to my planned walking route. In the end walked from Manhatten, around the base of Ward’s Island to the foot of Hell Gate Bridge before rejoining the footpath on the Triborough Bridge crossing into Queens. My final route covered more than eight kilometres, but offered some stunning views of upper Manhattan and the picturesque East River. The immediate area is home to at least half a dozen bridges, inspiring me to call my outing New York’s Grand Bridge encounter.

Over several hours I walked across two of the three bridges that make up the Triborough Bridge, viewed the Ward's Island footbridge from both sides of the river, photographed the Queensboro Bridge futher downstream and stood at the foot of Hell Gate Bridge.  Along the way I also used a pedestrian bridge that crossed a tidal swamp between Randall's Island and Ward's Island; and caught sight of at least two additional bridges that cross from Randall's Island into the Bronx. Those who know me well know I'm an avid fan of civil engineering works.  Therefore, as you can imagine, with so many bridges to explore I was as happy as pig in poo all afternoon!

America's greatest sporting rivalry

One of the greatest rivalries in American baseball is that between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Its origins lie in the sale of the Red Sox' star player to the Yankees in December 1919; a man who went on to become one of baseball’s record breaking legends. That man was Babe Ruth. He played just six seasons with the Red Sox before joining the Yankees. At the time of his transfer he’d just broken the single-season home run record, hitting 29 home runs, while Red Six had won baseball's World Series the previous year.

Babe Ruth's departure hit the Red Sox hard.  For the next two decades the team struggled to break away from a soul-destroying losing streak. In fact, it wasn’t until 2004, and again in 2007, that the team successfully won a World Series. Contrast this result with that of the Yankees. The team has won 27 World Series, most recently in 2009, making it the most successful team in American baseball history.

Last night I was lucky enough to see both teams in action at Yankee Stadium. I couldn’t have picked a better date to see my first live baseball game. The weather was relatively warm and still. My host had bought tickets that looked out over home base and the entire stadium. In fact, from the moment we caught the subway from Manhattan to the Bronx-based stadium, the entire experience was straight out of Hollywood.

The atmosphere in the stadium was electric. More than 48,000 people had poured into the recently rebuilt Yankee Stadium to watch the Red Sox defeat the Yankees by one run. Overhead a classic advertising blimp circled the field. This was once the Goodyear blimp. However these days it’s sponsored by Direct TV, a satellite cable network. Just like in the movies, vendors wandered around the grounds offering peanuts, beer and hotdogs. Naturally I ordered a couple of beers and a dog. Delicous.

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the evening were the numerous rituals that make up American baseball. These include the crowd rushing to catch and keep each home run ball, a mid-field dance by ground staff grooming the dirt diamond between innings and an ever present giant scoreboard touting head spinning graphics and endless baseball statistics. I now know that the Red Sox’ fastest pitcher can throw a ball at more than 100 miles per hour.  Who knew!

Three hours in Canada

The mighty Niagara Falls straddles the border between Canada and the United States. The Falls consist of three separate water courses; the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal veil Falls. During late-Spring more than 2,800 m3 of water per second plunges into the Niagara Gorge; with almost 90% of this volume passing over the Horseshoe Falls alone. As a result, the Horseshoe Falls are by far the largest and highest of the three falls. Here the Niagara River plunges more than 53 metres; spread along a 760 metre crescent-shaped span; the centre of which marks the international border.

I first visited the falls in October 1983. I still vividly recall the awesome sight of the Horseshoe Falls seen from the Canadian shoreline. Incredibly, an observation deck sits barely a metre from falls dramatic edge. Here you can clearly see the aqua green water flowing by, almost within touching distance. I was thrilled to discover last weekend that the same spot was still accessible to visitors. I can report that the humbling sense of awe you experience hasn’t dimmed in 28 years.

Equally enthralling is the dramatic cruise to the spray-drenched base of the Horseshoe Falls on the deck of a Maid of Mist boat. A 20-minute boat ride up the Niagara Gorge takes you past the boulder-strewn foot of the American Falls and on into the spray clouds that envelope the might Horseshoe Falls. It’s almost impossible to describe the sensation of looking up through the mist as an encircling crest of white water, high above your head, plunges into the abyss. Equally memorable is the moment of confusion you experience as rain suddenly seems to fall from the clear blue sky above. This is the moment the boat crosses into the shadow of the mist cloud rising perpetually above the Falls. Awesome!

On Sunday we started our tour of Falls from the American side; starting with a Maid of the Mist tour which departs from the base of the American Falls. We then crossed the 290-metre wide Rainbow Bridge into Canada to view the same Falls from the gorge’s opposite side. The international boundary can be identified by Canadian and American flags flying from the centre of the bridge. While in Canada, we stopped for a buffet lunch in the Sheraton Hotel. The restaurant was located a stunning 13 floors above the surrounding area. As you’d image, the view is simply spectacular.

After lunch I walked more than a kilometre along the gorge’s crest to the edge of the Horseshoe Falls before it was time to cross back to the United States. Both crossings of the border were faster than normal. Our tour guide attributed the light traffic to people staying home to celebrate Mother’s Day. The speed of our crossing gave us time to take a detour down the gorge to observe the Whirlpool. Here the Niagara River flows into a natural caldera whose curve sends the river swirling in a large arc that eventually crosses its original path. The result is a series of spectacular whirlpools and vortexes. Above the swirling waters a lone red cable car crosses the chasm. Our guide explained that passengers avoid crossing the border by taking the ride in both directions and thus never disembark.

Our day tour finished with a visit to Goat Island which separates the American Falls from the Horseshoe Falls. This was a real highlight for me. I never saw the falls from this vantage point in 1983. Here you can stand on the edge of the American Falls and watch an impossibly large volume of water pour into the gorge below. It’s almost as stunning as the Canadian Horseshoe Falls observation deck. I stood there for almost ten minutes trying to comprehend why anyone would intentionally want to take the plunge. To date, at least 15 people have done so. The first was Annie Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old Michigan school teacher. She went over the falls in barrel.

Niagara Falls

Wow! I've just had the most amazing day. Almost 28 years after my last visit I've returned to Niagara Falls. I booked a day trip from New York. The ticket included an airport pick-up from my mid-town hotel, flights to and from upstate New York, a six hour mini-bus tour around the American and Canadian falls and a buffet lunch at the Sheraton hotel located 13 floors above the Falls.

I couldn't have chosen a better day to go. Today is Mother's Day in the USA. As a result the crowds were relatively light, there were no queues at airport security, our flight landed ahead of schedule and the Canadian border crossing was swift in both directions. Even better, the weather was warm and sunny with picture-perfect blue skies all day.

In fact things were so slow today I even secured a helicopter flight over the falls for a 40% discount (It cost US$50 instead of the regular US$85 for a flight lasting roughly 15 minutes). Our guide also noted that our group of 15 was smaller than usual. Most weekends he takes up to 50 people on the tour.

With such a small group in tow our guide was able to schedule more activities today than usual. Our tour ultimately included a Maid of the Mist boat tour through Niagara Gorge to the base of the falls; a walk along the Canadian cliff tops to view the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (less than a meter from the edge); a drive along the gorge to the famous whirlpool gully and a leisurely walk on Goat Island where the American falls can be seen plunging over the cliff right at your feet. When I came here in 1983 as an exchange student we didn't have enough time to visit Goat Island so today's trip included at least one new memory.

Here's a few quick photos to wet your appetite until I'm able to download everything from my camera. Enjoy.

Royal wedding fever

Garry and I have been taking a trip down memory lane this evening as the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton is broadcast live around the world. The pair exchanged their vows before 1900 guests in Westminster Abbey - and a global television audience of two billion people - while another million people waited patiently on the streets of central London. Four out of five free-to-air channels in Australia broadcast the ceremony live; with at least four cable channel also providing live coverage.

So much of what we're seeing brings back personal memories. Where do I start?  For example, we recall the spectacle of the Royal Guard marching down The Mall during the Trooping of the Colour; and waving at the Queen as she rode by in an open carriage.  I also recall the colourful Union Jack bunting hung down the Mall every Spring and the sound of Westminster Abbey's stunning acoustics as the choir practised for an evening service.

However, perhaps our strongest memories are those from one sunny Sunday afternoon last September.  Literally days before Garry's appendix suddenly burst we toured the spectacular State Rooms inside Buckingham Palace. It's hard to believe those same grand rooms are now hosting a lavish wedding reception. While television cameras aren't permitted inside, so vivid are the memories of our tour, I can honestly picture the scene that's probably unfolding as I type this post. London really was our home for the last five years.

UPDATE: May 2, 2011

This fascinating royal wedding factiod was published by the BBC today:

The National Grid said its figures showed a huge surge in demand for power after the service - equivalent to one million kettles being boiled - when the royal couple returned to Buckingham Palace. Over the course of the day power use rose and fell during key moments - with the biggest drop in demand when the couple made their balcony appearance and people stopped what they were doing and turned back to their televisions.

I bet a similar surge in domestic water usage also occured after the wedding as well. We're clearly creatures of habit. 

Where did our savings go?

It’s been another remarkable week for the Australian dollar. Yesterday it rose to a new record high against the US dollar, for the third time in as many days. One Australian dollar now buys you US$1.075. Analysts are tipping that the dollar will hit US$1.10 before the year is out. The last time it traded at this level was 1982 before the currency was floated. It’s hard to believe that despite relocating back to Sydney I still live in a country whose currency is worth noticeably more than the US dollar.

While living in London we got rather use to the concept of earning money worth more than the US dollar. However, the Sterling was always a rare breed. In all of our travels the only other currencies trading at similar levels were in the Middle East, reflecting no doubt the power of an oil economy. For example, the Omani Rial is currently buying US$2.60 and the Jordanian Dinar is buying $US1.40. In ten days I fly San Francisco for work so the strong Australian dollar has made some impromptu shopping incredibly tempting.

Of course a strong Australian dollar spells more bad news for the savings we’ve left in the UK. Yesterday one British pound was buying A$1.52 for several hours before closing one cent higher. Incredibly the rate's been worse in recent months. While we were stranded in Antarctica the pound hit a record low of A$1.51 on New Year’s Eve. Regular readers will recall my lament over the plunging value of the pound. When we first arrived in the UK the pound was buying almost a dollar more than today. As a result Garry and I have simply decided to view our UK savings as a long-term currency investment as we wait for the Bank of England to start raising its base rate.

UPDATE: April 29
The Australian dollar climbed to yet another yesterday. It's now buying US$1.095. Most analysts expect it to reach US$1.10 before the end of next week.  Some analysts are now predicting the dollar will peak at US$1.15 before the year over.  It's hard to believe our dollar is worth 10% more than the US dollar.

UPDATE: May 2
Incredibly, the Australian dollar passed the US$1.10 mark this morning.  In less than a month the dollar has appreciated almost ten percent against its American rival.

La Nina is just the beginning

Autumn is finally upon us. As we head into a five-day Easter weekend (we have an extra day this year comes courtesy of ANZAC day which falls immediately after the regular public holiday) the forecast is for cooler weather and a chance of daily showers most days. Meteorologists say the regular bouts of rain we’ve had in recent months are a direct consequence of the latest La Nina phenomenon spreading across the Pacific. The same weather pattern has been fingered for the severe floods and cyclones Australia's endured this Summer.

I’ve also seen reports that claim Australia’s climate alternates between wet and dry phases every 20 to 30 years. Apparently we’re entering a new extended wet phase. I dread the thought that since migrating to Australia more than two decades ago I’ve enjoyed an unusually dry period that’s come to a screeching halt. Worse still, I could be all but dead by the time the weather starts to warm again.

Meanwhile in London the weather over Easter is forecast to be mainly sunny, with daytime temperatures equal to those in Sydney. In fact, its only the overnight temperatures that seem to be noticably lower. Maybe the weather wasn't so bad in London after all? I've already bought myself an IKEA throw rug to keep warm this winter.  Garry and I went to IKEA last weekend to return some surplus bookshelves we'd bought. As so often happens at IKEA, a trip to secure a $30 refund resulted in us walking out $200 poorer.  

London life has its moments

We’ve just experienced the wettest April day in Sydney for more than a decade. It’s a timely reminder that life in Australia wasn’t as perfect as I’d often imagined while living in London. Since our return home people have been asking me if I miss the UK. While it’s true that I don’t miss the grey skies and drab sunlight of London, I do miss a few things.  Here's a list of things London really does better:

• The extent and variety of reliable online shopping. Australian retailers are well behind the rest of the world.
• The underground. Sydney trains are slow to load, always late and still use inflexible paper tickets. I miss my Oyster card.  I read today that Sydney's own Oyster card based system won't be in place until 2014.
• Low-fat pesto. I never thought I’d miss Sainsbury’s home brand pesto. Sydney supermarkets only offer full fat varieties. However, on the flip side I'm please to have low-fat feta cheese back on the shelf.
• Cheap European cars. While we were away Australia’s luxury car tax rose to 35% making an average European vehicle up to 50% more expensive.
• More entertainment options.  Nothing bets the variety on offer in the West End any night of the week.  Sydney definitely has fewer cultural options on the go.

It's done!

Several weeks ago we order a new console table for the entry lobby in our apartment. After some delay it finally arrived today.  The new table has now taken pride of place in its new home.  It looks grand.  Much to my surprise it's made the entire entrance feel more spacious than it actually is. I can confidentally say this is the final touch planned for our apartment refresh; almost three months to the day since our return to Sydney.  There's nothing left now but to enjoy our new surroundings.

Family for dinner

My parents have dropped into town for a long weekend.  After a week of rain they've timed their arrival to coincide with four days of sunshine and Summer temperatures.  Garry and I have filled their time with a variety of tourist highlights including lunch at the Fish Markets, an evening at the Sydney Theatre Dance Company, lunch in Manly by the water and a leisurely walk across the harbour bridge. 

Their visit was also a great excuse to ensure our apartment refresh was finished in time for their arrival.  As a result we successfully entertained both sets of parents on Friday evening with a gala BBQ dinner.  We even used our trip to the Fish Market as an excursion to collect fresh seafood for dinner.  I even found time before heading to the airport to dash to the florist and buy flowers for our entrance lobby.  Our extended family dinner was a roaring success and everyone praised our refresh efforts, including Garry's garden lighting.

Lunch at Manly on Sunday was spectacular.  We dined at Hugo's on the ferry wharf.  The restaurant gave us the best table in the house right on the waterfront with uninterrupted harbour views.  We also squeezed in a quick wander to the beach before heading home on the ferry.  The timing of our departure proved fortuitous as rain began falling as we docked at Circular Quay.  This was the only respite in the otherwise perfect weather during my parents entire visit.

Today we caught the train to Milson's Point and walked across the Harbour Bridge soaking up blue skies and sunshine.  A light lunch at The Rocks and a stroll around the bay to the Opera House completed our excursion.  As always the views in every direction was simply stunning, reminding me yet again how pleased I am to be back in Australia.

Back in the air

After almost three months on the ground my travel schedule has begun filling once again. I'll be off for three weeks in May on business visiting San Francisco, New York and Hong Kong. In June Garry and I are off to Melbourne for a long weekend break.  We cashed in some frequent flyers points, securing return tickets for less than $22 each.  In July I'll be off to London for at least a week for work.  Then finally, Garry and I head off in September for a two-week road trip through New Mexico and Arizona experiencing the original Wild West.  We're taking advantage of the new Qantas route direct to Dallas for this vacation which will be something of an adventure in itself.

A few more holiday photos

I recently updated some of the holiday posts I made in January. These now include photos and a few additional links.  I've yet to do the same with posts covering our Antarctic cruise but will let you know when this happens.  Enjoy the photos!

Windows to die for

Our new blinds have been installed. They look spectacular. Here's just a couple of quick photos; taken with an overcast sky behind them. They make the apartment look like a million dollars.  Their installation marks the conclusion of a comprehensive refresh we've undertaken since returning to Sydney. It's taken two months but I finally feel like we're home.

The outdoor room

Ta da! Here it is. The new outdoor room. Our new dining suite, mega-man BBQ and lounge suite have safely arrived. We think they look grand. In fact the entire set-up looks better I expected and everything seems to fit comfortably on our main balcony. Hopefully you're able to get a sense of the layout and the open space around it. We're looking forward to entertaining our international visitors next weekend. Pray that the weather will also play its part.


Come back soon for photos of the new window blinds currently scheduled to be installed on Sunday.