Bournemouth to Brum

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DAY 57 - 3rd January 2009

Today is Saturday, Derek and Karen are due back from their New Year excursion to Sydney. They were due back at around 4.00pm.

We had a 10.30 appointment with the Chris and Michelle, Franki’s mother and stepfather. We know Franki from Starbucks in Mooloolaba, in our discussions a long time before Christmas, Frankie said her parents may want their house sitting for a period whilst the family are away in the UK, for her sisters wedding.

We arrived at their house in the wooded suburbs of Caloundra, and were greeted by Franki’s mum, Michelle.

Michelle is originally from Malvern, in Worcestershire and Chris from Gods own fair County of Warwickshire, he said he came from Selly Oak, and had worked on a Sainsbury’s that I did some of the electrical engineering in when I was an apprentice; it’s a small world.

We sat down in the Garden and the time just disappeared, Michelle asked if we would like to stay for a spot of lunch, which we did and by the time we left it was just after 2.00 pm in the afternoon.

We were keen to get back to Derek and Karen’s to welcome them back for the impending arrival. Derek, Karen and Andrea, returned at around 4.00 ish, while they were in Sydney they had done the Bridge Climb, amongst many other things.

If you ever get over to Sydney you really want to do the Bridge climb, it is exceptional, so very well organised and the views are breath taking.

It is almost 2 years to the date since we did the bridge climb with Gary and Karen on our first visit to Australia. We arrived at 10.00pm in Sydney so although our bridge was just to one side of the bridge, we could not see the bridge as it was dark. First thing in the morning Andy and I went for a walk to have a quick explore before breakfast, walking to the end of the Pier and around the corner of our hotel, I remember looking up and taking a gulp of air thinking "oh no, this looks huge, I cannot believe that I agreed to climb the bridge, it all looked so easy on the internet and months ago in the planning!" in the same breath thinking "it would be quite an achievement". I had this irrational fear that the bridge would collapse as soon as I stood on it. Silly really as it has been there for years with the pounding of heavy traffic and trains.

This bridge has a constant stream of people climbing it, if you look at some of the library photos that I have attached, look closely and you will see groups of people on it.

I cannot give you an accurate description of how I felt before and after the climb, unfortunately my notes from that trip are in a box in storage in England. However I was terrified, but I did it (with a little bit of encouragement of friends) and afterwards, a little bit of an anticlimax in terms of thinking, well what was all the fear about? I would do it again at a different time of day, but also I think I will go through the same fear.

Andy did a little bit of research on the bridge for you below:

Sydney Harbour Bridge: A Part of Sydney History

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is one of the most recognisable symbols of Australia. The Bridge provides a frame for one of the most beautiful harbours in the world and holds a special place in the city’s heart.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge has connected the Sydney CBD with the North Shore of the harbour since it opened in 1932. It is the world’s largest (but not longest) steel-arch Bridge. It was beaten in length, by New York’s Bayonne Bridge, which is 25 feet longer and opened just four months earlier.

On major celebrations in Sydney history, like New Year’s Eve or the announcement of the Sydney Olympic Games, the Bridge has always been the focal point.
Sydneysiders gather on boats and in the coves and corners of the Sydney Harbour foreshore to watch it explode with spectacular

A timeline of the Bridge in Sydney History:
28 July 1923: First sod turned
26 March 1925: Foundation stones of southern abutment tower laid
26 October 1928: Construction of the main arch begins
26 November 1929: Erection of a record tonnage of steel on one day - 589 tonnes
19 August 1930: Main arch joined
16 January 1932: Last stone set in Pylons
21 January 1932: Last rivet driven in
19 March 1932: Road declared open for traffic - Sydney history is made.


Design

Dr John Job Crew Bradfield is known as the ‘Father of the Bridge’ and was the man behind the concept. Bradfield prepared the general design and the NSW government awarded the construction contract to the English firm Dorman Long and Co. for the odd sum of £4,217,721, 11 shillings and 10 pence on 24 March 1924.

NB: I looked on the Internet and Dorman Long are a compay still trading and are based in Cleveland, County Durham.

Sir Ralph Freeman, the consulting engineer, prepared the detailed plans. He later had a falling out with Bradfield over the question of who really designed the Bridge. But it was Bradfield’s name that went into the Sydney history books when he lent his name to the Bradfield Highway, which runs across the Bridge.

Up to 800 tenant families were relocated to make way for the approach spans of the Bridge - their homes were destroyed and the families were never compensated.

Construction

Construction began with the ‘turning of the first sod’ on 28 July 1923. Over 1500 workers were employed on the Sydney Harbour Bridge each year over the eight-year building period. Sixteen workers lost their lives during the construction.

Two workshops were set up at Milsons Point on the North Shore to prepare the steel - 79%!o(MISSING)f which was imported from England, while the remainder was sourced locally.

After the approach spans were constructed, the enormous job of erecting the main arch began. Arch construction began simultaneously on both the north and south sides of Sydney Harbour, as two sections were built out progressively from each shore. Each one was held back by 128 cables anchored underground through U-shaped tunnels.

The steel girders were brought into position by barges floating in Sydney Harbour. The steel was lifted up by two 580-tonne creeper cranes mounted on top of the Bridge. These cranes built the Bridge out before them as they inched forward.

Sydneysiders watched with awe at Sydney history in the making as the massive half-arches drew closer together. The ambitious project lifted the spirits of the depression-era city and the half-built Bridge was captured by many artists, including acclaimed painter Grace Cossington-Smith.

There was great excitement on 19 August 1930 when the arch was successfully joined at 10pm with Bradfield and Freeman present. The steel decking was then hung from the arch and was completed in nine months. It was built from the centre outwards to save time moving the cranes. Finally, the Bridge was test loaded using up to 96 steam locomotives placed along the tram and train lines on the Bridge.

At the completion of the project, Sydney’s visual appeal had been changed forever, but the cost of the Bridge had risen to over £10 million, more than double the original quote. The final payment for the construction loans was not made until October 1988.
Copyright © 2002-2005 BridgeClimb Sydney

As Karen’s sister, was flying from Brisbane airport, Karen was going to take her at around 8.00pm for her flight at Midnight, UK bound, stopping off in Singapore for a few hours before catching her onward flight to London.

Caroline and myself went out to dinner really just to get out of the way, and fortunately just got back in time to see Andrea leave, and bid her a safe journey home.

Exhausted we hit the sack around 9.50pm

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Photos

Sydney Harbour Bridge
This was the first time I saw the bridge. 7.00am and I could feel the fear rising at the thought of climbing this colossus. CWT Library Photo

Standing Tall
With Sydney Opera House behind me, this view looks towards Sydneys North Shore and Luna Park. CWT Library Photo

Ants
No they are not ants, if you look close enough you can see people on the bridge. This may give you some realistic impression on the size of this bridge. CWT Library Photo.

The Coathanger
Sydney Harbour Bridge is nicknamed the coat hanger. They even have christmas lights on the bridge in the shape of a coathanger as to depict its nickname. CWT Library Photo.

We did it
Yes, it was scary, but it had to be done. A gin and tonic went down well after this. CWT Library Photo