We follow the guide into a theatre room of the Opera House.  He tells us how the design of the room bounces the sound around, and the chairs absorb the sound to the equivalent of a person sitting in the seat.  That way the sound doesn’t alter at all.  Seven year old Lucy isn’t listening at all.  She’s entranced by the ballerinas practicing on stage.

The guide states, “The people who owned houses across the water from the Opera House were worried when it was built that the sight of the Opera House would devalue their properties.”  Everyone chuckles politely.  Except seven year old, Lucy who is spinning in circles around the room in her best ballet dancer rendition.

“Has anyone ever suggested pulling the Opera House down and using the land for something more practical?”  Eleven year old Peter asks.  Lucy tries to spin on her tip-toes.

I think the guide nearly fell over in shock.  ”Why would anyone want to do that?  Besides, it’s World Heritage Listed.”  Lucy falls over, and I’m not sure if it is because she is dizzy, or she has tripped over her own feet.

“Mum, I just thought the land is in a good position for ships to refuel in a harbour or something,” Peter explains to me, “Surely there would be better uses for the land than having spent that huge amount of money in building this.”  Lucy gets up, and starts spinning again, this time holding hands with Edmund, who is four.

We sit in the shade of the Opera House, quietly sipping our drinks in the summer heat.  Jarrad watches the small shapes moving up the Harbour Bridge, and states, “I’d love to do that. Who wants to do it with me?”  Lucy’s finally sitting still, sipping her drink.

“Ah, that costs a couple of hundred dollars per person,” his dad states,

Jarrad swallows hard.  ”I don’t want to do it that much.”

It was enough to walk around the Opera House.  Maybe we’ll save climbing the Giant Coathanger for when we’ve won lotto.  Or if we book cheap flights to Sydney when the kids are older then we can, because there’s no way those little legs would even make it up there at this age.

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