2018 SDSU Australia : Day 12

Our first full day in Sydney was one for the books!

At Meat Livestock Australia, a cow made up of labels and stamps used during processing was there to greet us.

We visited the Meat & Livestock Association to meet with executives about where the meat industry in Australia is headed. We spoke about predictions for both U.S. and Australian imports and exports, and also learned about the cyclical changes that happen from season to season. We talked about the meat standards process. Over 55,000 Australian farmers are Meat Standard Australia certified, a stamp only given to premium grade and quality meat producing operations. Meat and Livestock Australia's innovative marketing and advertising teams have designed creative and humorous commercials to encourage the public to buy and consume Australian meat. Their welcoming staff made the experience unforgettable.

Pictures under the Sydney Bridge proved to be challenging today with the breeze out on the water.

We then journeyed towards Circular Quay where we boarded Captain Cook's Cruises for lunch on the water. The boat ventured around the harbor while giving commentary on the history of Sydney's wharf and the sights along the water. The seafood buffet was plentiful with dessert to top it off. Students took advantage of the sky deck for an even more beautiful view of the harbor.

The view from the base of the opera house, overlooking the water that we navigated during our lunch cruise.

Taking a break during our tour at the Opera House.

Once off the ship, the students walked along the harbor to arrive at the famous Sydney Opera House. The group had an informational tour given by a guide talking into a head piece. The headphones made the tour very efficient for everyone to hear. The Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth for the first time in 1973. The design came from Jorn Utzon who submitted drawings, but no plans for how to build the beauty. Years were dedicated to the construction, and several times Utzon went over budget. He had a great crew behind him in engineering and building the Opera House. Despite construction workers not using safety harnesses, there were thankfully no deaths. At the turn of new government, before the Opera House was finished, Utzon was forced to resign. Utzon left Australia and told Queen Elizabeth not to mention him at the opening. He never returned to see his work finished. Even though Utzon never came back to Australia, he was able to design remodeling plans later in his life. Now that he has passed, his 70 year old engineer son is supervising the remodeling project. Queen Elizabeth did a second opening in 2006 with this time mentioning Jorn Utzon. The color is to resemble sea shells and the design comes from the hollow of a boat. The group visited three of the theatres, one small and two large beautiful ones. The one large theatre was home to the largest organ in the world. This organ has 10,244 pipes. It is incredible that the modern design of the Opera House was created fifty years ago.