Welcome to Another Thursday Doors!
Today, we’re heading down to Kirribilli, located smack bang on stunning Sydney Harbour. Indeed, the Sydney Harbour Bridge is parked here with one foot in Kirribilli, and the other planted across the water in Miller’s Point. Not unsurprisingly, the Bridge dominates Kirribilli with its sheer physicality, but also in terms of sound, whenever a train rumbles across all that steel with its echoing, idiosyncratic roar.
In a sense, our trip to Kirribilli represents the opening of an invisible door. This door marks the dividing line between the safety of home, and the more risky context of Sydney and Covid 19. Although there hasn’t been a case of community transmission for over a month, clusters have seeming sprung up out of nowhere, but usually connected somehow to the hotel quarantine program. While contact tracing does a fabulous job of identifying potential spread, it doesn’t actually prevent you from catching it. It only tells you after the fact. Due to my auto-immune disease and associated lung fibrosis, I am at a heightened risk of catching the virus if it’s around, and also having a more dire outcome. So, for me, caution makes a lot of sense, especially with the vaccine around the corner so I don’t have to lock myself away forever.
However, there’s also a risk that avoiding medical treatment for these conditions could also be harmful, and all my specialists are located at Royal North Shore Hospital about a 15 minute drive North of Kirribilli, and I often go to Kirribilli afterwards as a reward.
So, that’s how I ended up having lunch with my husband, Geoff, in Kirribilli and comin across this really beautiful and richly ornate door as we walked down to the water’s edge.
Isn’t it something?!!
However, even to the most one-eyed door lover around, it still couldn’t compete with this…magnificent Sydney Harbour.
The thing that particularly struck me about Sydney Harbour today was just how empty it was. It’s usually a hive of activity with ferries criss-crossing the waterways and people moving around on the foreshore. There could well have been one of those towering cruise ships in port, as was often the case before covid. Sydney Harbour isn’t usually this empty, even on a weekday.
Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed our trip to Kirribilli, and I apologize for being a one-door-wonder this week, but hopefully this is a sign of things to come and I’ll soon be able to get out and about more and venture further afield.
This has been another contribution to Thursday Doors hosted by Dan Antion.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Beyond the Flow 
Nothing wrong with being a one door wonder, especially when it’s that door. I also love bridges and trains, do you’re good. I hope the appointments went well, and I’m glad you treat yourself. We all need to do more of that.
Always love the harbor area. Truly one of the best spots anywhere!
Walked across the bridge a few times on my visits to Sydney – you can feel it bouncing when you get to the middle. Did the bridge climb the first time I went there.
That door is exquisite (as is the bridge going into Sydney). Well done.
That is a great door, but you’re right Sydney Harbour steals the show. Stay well an hope that there are no further waves of the virus. Australia seems to have handled it well based on what we’ve heard out here.
I’ve got to walk across it again soon, especially as a family. All of a sudden our kids are 17 and 15 and we haven’t walked across there yet. I think my mobility would be up to it now, and covid seems to be back in its box, so hopefully soon.
Hope you’re doing well, Dan. Most of us aren’t okay by the usual definitions, and so it’s important to somehow perk ourselves up. My anxiety levels have been through the roof in unprecedented ways, largely due to stresses around the kids but covid has certainly complicated things t the very least.
Now, I’ve started stressing about how and when I’ll access the vaccine. They started vaccinations here on 22nd February and there’s a lot on TV and the news about it and yet how you actually get it down on the ground remain a mystery.
Everything about this year has added stress to our lives. Even someone like me, who rarely gets stressed over anything. I just hope we all get through this (although I know so many have already lost their lives).
You’re a brilliant one-door wonder! All well to you.
Thank you very much, Manja.
Dan, I think it’s important to acknowledge how it’s raised the general stress level, and perhaps how that is impacting on people. It’s not something that I see reflected in the media. In fact, the media is busy magnifying all sorts of other stressors such as Harry & Meghan. We just need to look out at the ocean, soak up nature and chill out.
Don’t get me started in the media. I think they want us stressed. Finding a place to chill is important.
Love Sydney!! Here is our addition:
https://awaywegomk.com/2021/05/07/thursday-doors-from-the-islands-to-the-highlands-of-the-world/
I’m liking the quietness though. Social distancing is the way forward.