Australia Day!
On 26th January 2017 by HelenTo be honest with you I have struggled to write this post, mainly because I wasn’t really sure what to make of Australia Day if I’m honest. It’s a day to mark/celebrate (I use that term lightly) when the first 11 ships with English convicts landed in Australia and the Union Jack was flown. It’s a very sensitive day with a mix of emotions.
It had been suggested I go to The Harbour and Circular Quay. I met up with my friend Neeve and we headed down there. It was crazy busy. We found the information stand who gave us a programme of events to follow should we wish. At the time we arrived there was a military ship with two massive screens and the biggest sound system which was playing videos and then showed the military parade which was carried out; the national anthem was sung and there was a fly past.
It was really nice to see the Aboriginal flag flying on the bridge alongside the Australian one. This is something that has caused a lot of contention over the years and I can totally see why. It’s a fragile topic. I did feel however throughout the day the Aboriginal community was represented well with boats, videos and talks.
After the military parade finished we took a walk to The Rocks. There was a food market and a ‘normal’ market selling the usual clothes and knick-knacks. Needless to say it was packed. Neeve then had to go to work so I took a walk to the waterfront to see the boats. There had been a regatta earlier in the day and there were a number of boats still there including a tall mast ship.
In the evening I tried to go to Darling Harbour to see the fireworks with friends from the hostel. It was a little bit of a disaster as it was so busy that they shut the area off. We were ushered away by police but eventually were allowed to stand in the street to see what we could. There could have been far worse views and had my friends and I known we would have gone down waaay earlier in the day.
Overall I’m pleased it’s a day I got to experience I maybe could have made more of the day but perhaps that’s because I am travelling and everyone I was with wasn’t Australian either and we maybe felt a bit lost for direction on what to do?!
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