slothis · English

Visiting the Iconic Sydney Opera House

2015-05-30 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

The highlight of the morning, and honestly the highlight of the day! The Opera House!! I don't know if it needs any further explanation. To be honest, there's nothing incredibly mind-blowing when you actually see it, but the Opera House is pretty much the only building that truly makes you feel like you've arrived in Sydney. I thought about how to best experience it, but my brain could only come up with the following options.

  1. See it from the outside

  2. See it from the inside

  3. Watch a performance inside

I could probably come up with more if I thought about it, but since I was short on time, I chose option 1 and boldly ignored the rest. I've been saying this constantly since I got here on this business trip, but it's currently the Chinese Spring Festival holiday. That means every famous tourist spot in the world is packed with Chinese tourists. Likewise, more than half the people at the Opera House right now are Chinese. No matter what angle you shoot from, you end up capturing Chinese tour groups striking poses, making it an amazing period where you're guaranteed to get photos of "the Opera House with Chinese tourists." Fortunately, the space is so vast that it's not quite at the level of being "packed like sardines" like Myeongdong (a busy shopping district in Seoul). In my case, maybe because I've been constantly surrounded by white people here, repeatedly explaining things and getting approvals from them, seeing a lot of people with similar skin tones who also couldn't speak English actually made me feel more at ease. Honestly, even if people complain about them back in Korea, when you go abroad, Chinese and Japanese people are almost the only ones you can rely on.

They say that tourism revenue at any destination in the world now depends on whether or not they can attract Chinese tourists, and it has truly reached a level that cannot be ignored. However, since they grew rapidly just like our country did, I wonder how they will solve the same issues related to manners and conscience that we experienced. Since our country has a small population, even if we ignored and gave up on this issue, it wouldn't escalate into a global problem, but I don't know what would happen if China gave up on it.

People walking on the stairs around the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge under a blue sky.
The Opera House with Chinese tourists haha. Still, I'm glad there were far fewer than I expected.
People walking in the plaza in front of a giant white cruise ship docked at the harbor.
The unique roof tiles of the Sydney Opera House and high-rise buildings seen through the glass windows.
A hand resting on the white and beige tiles covering the roof of the Opera House.
Touching the Opera House!
People relaxing around the harbor with a view of high-rise buildings lined up along the water and a cruise ship.
I find the view sitting on the steps in front of the Opera House more beautiful than the Opera House itself. The steps in front of the Opera House are currently my number one pick for the best place to eat a sandwich.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge crossing over the water and a yellow ferry passing underneath it.
The Harbour Bridge, another Sydney landmark you can see from the Opera House. But I saw something wriggling on the bridge, so I zoomed in...
Silhouettes of people walking on the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge against a blue sky.
It's people. What is that!? I definitely need to do that! (But I gave up since the price was 300,000 KRW...)

It was hot (literally mind-numbingly hot) and I was hungry, so I looked for a place to grab a bite, but there was nothing except an expensive-looking place called "Opera Bar." I took a quick glance at the menu and decided I absolutely couldn't bring myself to pay for a meal there, so I opted to just have a quick beer before leaving. After drinking so much yesterday, having another beer on an empty stomach in the morning...

People sitting at outdoor tables beyond a sign indicating the entrance to the Opera Bar.
It feels like it has an "I'm expensive!" sign right from the entrance.
People relaxing at an outdoor cafe with a view of the Harbour Bridge, with an orange life ring hanging in the front.
A seagull standing on a stone wall with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background under a clear sky.
Not just any seagulls. These seagulls are actually the cleaners here. When people finish eating, they flock over and eat all the leftovers. A somewhat eco-friendly method. The fascinating thing is they never approach while people are still eating.
People sitting at outdoor tables by the water, eating and enjoying the view of the Harbour Bridge.
A menu board at Opera Kitchen listing various items and prices, including burgers, seafood, and Asian dishes.
Condensation on several draft beer taps installed at a bar, with a staff member holding a tap.
A glass of cold draft beer on a wooden table with a blurred view of the Harbour Bridge in the background.
Still, thanks to this glass of beer, I was able to continue on to another journey...
#Sunglasses are a must in Sydney #Is it spelled sunglasses or sun-glasses.. #When will I ever get to see a performance at the Opera House