Australia Day Concert 2019

Saturday 26 January 2019

The Sydney Opera House released tickets to the Australia Day Concert on Wed 16 Jan at 11am. In order to get tickets you needed to register and stay in the queue to get 2 tickets.

I sent out an email to family and friends and whoever was interested could then register and apply for tickets.  Tickets would be released until they ran out.

In the end, I managed to get 4, Janet got 2, Lily got 2, Evan got 6 and Vanita got 2. The tickets were emailed on the day of the concert. However, only Janet, Evan, A. Cath and I ended up going.  Lily stayed home to finish baking and making her vanilla slice (for Jacq's 40th Masterchef birthday).

Information given with the tickets stated that you had to be at the Opera House forecourt before 6.30pm otherwise you may not be allowed to enter. We left home around 5pm to catch the train to Circular Quay. Ended up on an all stations to Circular Quay. Then had to make our way through the crowds following the designated route to the entrance - had to go through security and then we walked up to the steps, but had to turn back, as they had fenced the area off and we had walked past the entry to the concert. Only people with tickets were allowed to pass through. We had more than enough tickets.

The steps were already packed - no sitting room. So we found a spot close to the front, albeit behind some rubbish bins, just after the fenced off sitting area. Experience from previous concert, because as soon as they started performing, everyone stood up. Evan brought the fold up picnic blanket, and I brought along 4 padded cushions for us to sit on.

Vanita and her friend managed to get a spot on the very end of the steps which only had partial viewing of the stage and one of the big screens. But the steps were heated from the sun and were very warm.

We were lucky that it became overcast during the afternoon and there was a breeze, so it wasn't as hot as they had predicted. It was the perfect night to watch the concert.

The line-up of Aussie artists included the soulful Kate Ceberano, the renowned Sydney Symphony Orchestra, rocker Jon Stevens, funk instrumentalist and vocalist Harts, tenor Josh Piterman, a revitalised Yothu Yindi and The Treaty Project, along with hitmakers Ricki-Lee, Anthony Callea, Karise Eden and Conrad Sewell.

It’s the whole shebang! We watched Australia’s biggest music stars rock out on the big screens around Circular Quay as everything else hit the water – a flotilla of yachts, jet skis, flyboarders and much more. They had spectacular fireworks throughout the show.

PROGRAM GUIDE
6:30 PM to 7:30 PM — Pre-concert entertainment
Heritage and working boats parade
NSW Australians of the Year do a loop of Circular Quay by boat
Aussie classic hits singalong
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM — Concert live and televised around the country
Highlights include:
7:30 PM — Welcome to Country performance with local Aboriginal elders, dancers and singer
8:00 PM — Tug and Yacht Ballet performed by a flotilla of maritime vessels
8:20 PM — Sunset Ceremony with Yothu Yindi and The Treaty Project, featuring the Koomurri Aboriginal Dance Troupe and a dazzling lighting and fireworks spectacle
8:45 PM — Tribute to Opera sung by tenor Josh Piterman and choir, accompanied by a stunning yacht ballet and lighting display, jet skis and fireworks
9:00 PM — Quay-wide party with an exciting on-water show and fireworks
9:15 PM — Spectacular finale with live musical medley of Australian classics synchronised with jet skis, flyboards and a breathtaking lighting and fireworks display.

After the concert, we made our way back to Wynyard station - most roads were closed to traffic.

On the train we managed to catch the end of the Women's Australian Open Tennis finals, cheering Naomi Osaka when she won the match.

Kaylene had gone out to dinner with friends and was also making her way home on the train, 10mins after us, so we waited for her at Strathfield station before walking home together.

At home, we watched the interview of Naomi and followed that with the mixed doubles, but the Aussie team didn't win.

Nathan's 34th Birthday

Sunday 20 January 2019

No big celebration, but we ended up going to Pine Inn for dinner with the Cheungs (Anne, Tom, Sheree, Craig (her boyfriend), Conrad, Martin and Judy), Teresa and Mar Mar - they had been playing mah jong at Mar Mars with Lily.

Janet and I drove Justin's car to Pine Inn.  Nathan had gone to pick up Eva with the little silver car. Mark drove Mar Mar, Teresa and Lily in the yellow car.

Justin and Soph were still in London, Kaylene was in India and Darren and Jen had dinner with her family.

Lucky I made a Japanese cotton cheesecake that day - would have probably turned out better, if I had remembered to foil the cake tin so that water couldn't leak in. But otherwise it made a very good birthday cake, which we had with fruit and tea after dinner at Pine Inn.

Sydney International Tennis 2019

Saturday 5 January

This year, Janet and Kaylene again volunteered to help out at the tennis, so Evan and I tagged along on Saturday, which is a free public day.  Got Kaylene to drive and we were able to park in the back lot, but only for the free day.

Weather was very warm, hot in fact, but at least it was cool in the Ken Rosewall arena, up the top. Didn't get to see many matches as clouds rolled in with thunderstorms and heavy rain.

We did manage to catch Simona Halep practising. Watched Nishioka (Jap) vs Kubler (Aus), neither of them got far.

Evan and I waited it out in the arena until we were kicked out, so we ended up in the Aperol spritz tented area, sitting on sling back lounge chairs.

After waiting and waiting, play was cancelled for the day, and the volunteers were allowed home, but not before, Janet and Kaylene had their dinner meal.

Tuesday 8 January

I took a 1/2 day flex and after work took the train to Olympic Park on my own. Had lunch, Japanese mixed sushi box, and a frozen coke from Maccas, before walking to the Tennis centre.  The complimentary ticket to the tennis included train travel, just had to show the ticket to the person at Strathfield station. At Olympic Park, there was no one checking tickets.

Managed to see a couple of games, before Kaylene and Janet finished their shifts. Got Lily to pick us up.

Kaylene had to get home to pack and with her friend, Jerusha head off to India for another friend's wedding.  Lily dropped them off at the airport.

Wednesday 9 January

We (Lily, Janet, Evan, A. Cath and I) drove to Olympic Park and managed to find a parking spot on the street, using U. David's disabled parking pass, to park for most of the day.  Evan and I dropped the others off, before finding the parking spot. So we met up in the Ken Rosewall arena.  Watched Ash Barty play against Halep and win.  Also watched a bit of Tsitsipas (tits and ass) play, but it wasn't an interesting match so we went to watch the women's play on Court 2. 

Went out for dinner after, Macau Kitchen was busy and had no tables so we ended up going to Canton Noodle, which has gone downhill - food is not as good, but when you're hungry, it's ok.