Sydney Olympic Park and Blue Mountains Hike

Today we visited the Sydney Olympic Park, where the 2000 Summer Games were held.  We walked amongst many totems with the names of every Olympic volunteer inscribed.  The volunteer masses were a significant part of hosting the Olympics.  We learned about Cathy Freeman, an Aboriginal who ran the last leg of the Olympic torch relay across the country, lit the final cauldron, and won the gold for Australia in the 400 meter sprint.  I always enjoy watching the Olympics, and I can almost feel the pride all of Australia felt when Cathy Freeman won the gold medal. 

The Spectrum water feature at Sydney Olympic Park. 

The Olympic precinct was carefully planned in order to be environmentally friendly.  For example, the Olympic Village was built for the athletes and their families during the weeks of the games, but after the Olympics, the housing was bought and it has become an environmentally friendly suburb.  In another example, even the rainwater on the roofs of the buildings and arenas is collected and recycled.   I was quite impressed with the logistics that went into the planning and preparing to make both the Olympics run smoothly and the entire facilities to be utilized far into the future. 

The Olympic Park is still used in many ways today.   Shelly mentioned that the Atlanta, Georgia Olympic Park sits quiet after their Games were done.  However, many events are still held throughout the Sydney complex annually.  This has a positive impact upon the tourism sector of Sydney’s economy because of the many visitors that come to Sydney to attend the events at Olympic Park.  In Tourism Australia’s 2010 – 2013 Corporate Plan, one of Tourism Australia’s (government agency responsible for making Australia a travel destination) key priorities is to ensure that potential visitors will view the country as a place where they can be changed by Australia’s land and people.  Sporting events are important to the people of Sydney, and visitors will be made aware of this and influenced by this when they visit the Olympic Park. 

Throughout all of the Olympic Games, Australia showcased itself as a country.  In Jill Haynes’ article about the economic impact of the Games, she said that once tourists arrive in Sydney to visit the Park, they also travel throughout other states of the country.  This not only enhances Sydney’s economy, but also the rest of Australia.  Because of the Games, approximately 1.6 million international visitors where expected to visit during 1997 and 2004.  Referring to Globalization 1.0 (see previous blog), Australia showcased itself as a global player in the economy because of the success of the Games.  In my opinion, Australia is often marginalized and forgotten about, but the world was reminded of its importance and power after the conclusion of the 2000 Olympic Games. 

First glimpses of the Blue Mountains.

Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach Walk

Bondi Beach

The North Head. 

Thomas Friedman, the author of The World is Flat, describes Globalization 1.0 as “the dynamic force driving the process of global integration was how much brawn … your country had and how creatively you could deploy it” (Friedman, 9).  Australia is a country born of this global trade (or Globalization 1.0) due to the large coal industries.

At our orientation session, Russ told us that Australia has the 14^th largest economy in the world, despite its small population of 22 million.  This is largely because of its trading position with China and Japan.  These two countries are consuming Australia’s coal much quicker than the mines can extract it from the ground.

In an article from The Atlantic, the authors assert that instead of the world being flat, the world is actually spiky.  In particular, there has been a movement of the population from the rural areas to the urban regions.  This is especially true in Australia, where nearly 90 percent of the population lives in urban areas.  Valleys in this spiky world are at a disadvantage because they are too far removed from the peak regions.

A view of Sydney during the walk from Coogee to Bondi. 

The highlight of Wednesday’s activities included a walk from Coogee Beach to Bondi Beach.  The coastal and city views were astonishing.  While at the beach, I noticed that the beach-goers were mostly young, eclectic, and fashionable in the under-40 age group.  Of course there were young and old alike, but most of the beach-goers were in this age range.

The beach-goers were of every nationality and ethnicity.  To the best of my knowledge, there were many Asians, English, and Indians.  It is very hard to distinguish a tourist from a local Australian because Australia is a true melting pot with its relatively small population.  An obvious distinction is that the locals are much tanner than the tourists and are less susceptible to sunburn.

In Sharp’s Culture Shock Australia, he describes the stereotypes of Australians.  One stereotype is “The Great Suburban Bore,” which says that anyone who thinks of themselves as sophisticated, exciting, and glamorous will think Australians are boring and dull.  I found this stereotype to be false because of my observations on the beach and on the walk from Coogee and Bondi.  Most people seemed quite fashionable and were enjoying themselves.  There was a care-free and relaxed atmosphere and everybody was having fun.

Friedman also describes Globalization 3.0 in The World is Flat.  Globalization 3.0 is “the newfound power for individuals to collaborate and compete globally” (Friedman, 10).  The trip to Bondi beach is evidence of Globalization 3.0 because many of the beach-goers were on cell phones, showing they were all connected to each other.