ydney: An Cnvi SYDNEY — There are many good things to say about waking up here on a January morning, the most obvious being the sun- shine pouring in through the windows. Another is the Sydney Morning Herald, a newspaper written with style and humour, and famous for its irreverent front page Column Eight, which mis day has 2 woman reader’s comment on the Clinton affair. She writes: “Thank God we got the con- victs and America got the - Puritans.” The convicts might not have agreed at the time, but never in their miserable lives could they have imagined that their lite fleet of 11 sailing ships was going to found an astonishing city and an amaz- ing country. If the convict past is part of every Austratian’s awakening, as surely it is, it makes a pow- erfél impression on the visitor who is alternately delighted to be here and also constantly reminded that back in 1788 the British government thought so litde of it that con- victs were dumped on the shores because they were believed to be a criminal class. It was remarkable any of the 1,030 people, including 348 male and 188 female con- victs, survived. Botany Bay, their first landing place, was not suitable for settlement, and even after they moved to Sydney harbour it was touch and go for years. Today Sydney has more than four miilion people with an enviable lifestyle and is one of the great cities of the world, the very best place on the planet for a tourist according to readers of a glossy travel magazine in the U.S. and Britain. With a climaie opposite to Vancouver's, this is the place to be right now, lunching on fresh oysters and prawns and mellow Australian wine at a cafe on Sydney's fabulous har- bour, taking in the view of the famous bridge and Opera House, watching the litte fer- ries scurry back and forth, contemplating the 2000 Olympics nearby and spending the afternoon on a glorious beach. Then, silently, an old sailing ship rounds a point. It is the Bounty, a replica of Bligh’s ship, and I’m thinking again of the souls who were transport- ed here against their will on ships just like this. Instead of the beach my afternoon is spent at Hyde Park Barracks, a handsome sandstone building designed by Francis Greenway, who was a good architect but a poor forger. Few museums in the world are as fascinating, for this is a place where men lived ~ short, brutal lives, and unlike Siberia where men coiled for not much more than salt, these men laid the foundations for a prosperous new country. Once of them wrote: “1 was the convict utilities UTILITY RATES. 1999 DISCOUNT UNTIL FEB. 26TH after July 30, 1999. Water and Sewer Utility Statements for 1999 have now been mailed. Any property‘owner who “has not received a Water and Sewer Statement should immediately contact the City of North Vancouver Tax Office at 983-7316. Sunday, Febri:ary 7, 1999 — North Shore News — 37 James Wishart photo THE stunning view from the ANA Hotel Sydney on the Rocks. Travel writer David Wishart reports the Australian city is “one of the greatest cities in the world.” Sent to hell To make in the desert The living well: I split the rock T felled the wee The nation was because of me.” Indeed it was. The decision to colonize Austraiia was not for settlement in the usual colonial land-grab fashion, it was to relieve Britain’s over- crowded jails. Many were con- victed of trivial offences, with transportation the penalty. Their children, however, were born free, a vital fact that did not escape an carly gover- nor, the Scots-born Macquarie, who had the vision to see a great nation in the making. His wife, whose favourite spot is now known as Mrs Macquarie’s chair and is a territic waterfront spot in the PENALTIES: A 5% penalty will be applied to outstanding water/sewer charges after April 30, 1999, and a further 5% penalty will be added to charges remaining unpaid New Owners should be aware of their responsibility for payment of 1999 water and sewer charges and should ensure that they are paid by themselves or the Royal Botanic Gardens domi- nated by a shady Moreton Bay fig, would have approved of the sign at the park gate: ~Plesse walk on the grass. fe also invite you to smell the ies hug the trees, sit on the benches and picnic on the lawns — this is your garden!” It is needless to say, free. At the end of the day, strolling back from the Rocks area, where the city began as a tent town, fo the air-condi- tioned splendour of the Sheraton on the Park, one recalls the words of Gore Vidal, who described Sydney as “the city that San Francisco thinks it is.” Certainly there are few cities where you can picnic on a beach or dint inexpensively (the Canadian dollar is actually worth a couple of cents mure DISCOUNT UNTIL FESRUARY 26TH: _A10% discount is allowed to water and sewer rates paid in full before or here) under the stars, marvel at the waterfront and take in a sight like the Opera House | floodlit ia scarlet. It’s also a lot of fun meet- ing the Australians, whose easygoing friendliness proba- bly goes all the way back to the moment the first Australians realized that their fate was maybe not so bad after all. Canada 3000 flies from Vancouve: to Sydney via Honolulu and Fiji. Stopovers and hotel packages are avail- able. There are also flights to Auckland via Honolulu and the Cook Islands. i i i} \ Favoured Aussie eateries PROBABLY the best thing here after the weather, and the harbour, is the food. Aussies love to eat, their chets are creative, the restaurants are often inex- pensive and local produce, particularly seatoad. is superb, First stop should be a bookshop tor the Suluey Morning Herald’s good eating guide. This way vou can select the type of food you want in the location you are staying. I found the Lonely Planet guide to Australia (and Sydney city guide) had some excellent sugges- tions. LP, long the Bible of backpackers, is finding that its backpacker buyers of 20 years ago are now prosper- ous but still faithful LP readers. Some favourites: B Oh Calcutta! in East Sydney for Indian. @ Omnivore in Balmain for Australian modern. @ Thai Orchid in Surry Hills for Thai. @ Doyle’s takeaway in Watson’s Bay (a picnic in the park is much cheaper than the restaurant) for seafood. & Concourse restaurant by the Opera House. Sit outside for prime people watching. & Zia Pina on the See Food page 38 The Multi-Rater GIC A profitable option With this GIC, you benefit from a rate of 5% in the first year, and a guaranteed rate of 4.85% for 5 years! Redeemable on each anniversary date as of the second year. ears Average Rate 4.85% Call our Account Managers Today! Kim Hoggarth 903-2900 1452 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver Patick Yong 903-7560 1575 Marine Drive, West Vancouver previous owners. Postdated cheques wiil be accepted. Terry Christie, Director of Finance by 4:30 pm, ity of North Vancouver heart of your community. 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