Culture Vulture

I am one of those people who are perfectly content in their own company. I guess growing up as a much envied ‘only child’ contributed to this as at an early age I was suitably proficient at playing a variety of games against myself. (Yes, I always won). Do not get me wrong, I was far from being a sad, hermit kid. I had plenty of friends and looking back on it, it was good that when none of the other kids came out to play I was capable of entertaining myself. It is a mindset that has translated well into later life - some adults are still not comfortable being by themselves, if only for a few minutes, preferring to wait outside bars until their friends arrive while I just go in and wait with a pint.

Sydney Botanical Gardens

So during this awkward ‘making friends’ stage of solo backpacking I am happy enough to head out on my own during the day to take in the sights and explore the city; visiting museums, libraries, taking tours and finding out about the history of Sydney. You could say I turn into a bit of a culture vulture. Even when I was travelling in Thailand , one of my favourite ways to spend the day was to hit the temple trail visiting as many Wats and Buddha gardens as possible. These activities whilst not everyone’s cup of tea (which is fair considering tea is not my cup of tea, yuck!) are how I like to spend my time in a new place – the culture is part of where you are.

But wait, what's the difference between Australia and a yoghurt? A yoghurt develops a culture. (Libby if you're reading this, I don't care how biologically inaccurate that is, it's my standard Australia joke and yes, they love me here). My point being that on the rare occasion that the question of Australian culture arises, inevitably what comes to mind are BBQs, beaches, bush tucker and well…not much else. Which when you consider that there are beaches and BBQs all over the world is somewhat damning. I have yet to BBQ on Australian soil or try some bush tucker (preferring to indulge my cravings for Asian food in Chinatown, oh how I have missed phở gà) but by going to museums and the like I am slowly gaining some understanding of Australian history.

A highlight of my time in Sydney thus far has been the exhibit on Australia's indigenous population in the Australian Museum. (Apparently, 'indigenous people' is the official term as while indigenous the Torres Strait Islanders are not Aborigines.) Starting with information on traditional culture and the importance of spirituality before moving on to the effect of the colonists on their way of life (not to mention wiping out half their population with smallpox) and progressing right up to the indigenous rights movement and contemporary Aboriginal life, the museum really added to my very limited knowledge of Australia's first people. What really struck me was the display on 'The Lost Generation'; Aboriginal people who as children were effectively kidnapped from their families in most cases being told that their parents were dead, to be raised with white families or in institutions and learn how to be white. It was a government run initiative which has since been described as 'attempted cultural genocide.' Seems apt.

The Barracks

The Rocks Discovery Museum was another favourite with stacks of information on Sydney's first colonist settlement (named The Rocks because the land which it was built upon was rocky - imaginative) including what early life was like for those who had arrived. Stick a pile of convicts on a single patch of land and make rum your settlement's official currency and shit is going to go down. I have also been to the The Barracks which originally housed convicts but later provided a home for Irish orphan girls who were sent to Australia during The Famine (or The Hunger for the nationalist in you). There is even a Famine memorial in the grounds of the Barracks. Another Ireland shout out – the first colonist ashore was an Irishman! Sure, it was because he was carrying a Brit who did not want to get his shoes wet but still. 

All very interesting, no? But then a fellow backpacker asks you what you got up to that day. Suddenly you go from being a proud culture vulture to a sad loner. People presume you have not actually chosen to spend your time in this manner, but rather that you resigned yourself to sight-seeing because you are travelling alone and have not made any friends yet (in part due to your disturbing museum going tendencies). When the truth is that I indulge in sightseeing because the Botanical Gardens are incredible and filled with animals and plants that would be in a zoo at home, the State Library is a beautiful building with several interesting exhibitions and The Mint is...well, mint. And alone time is precious when you are living in communal dorms! Alone is not lonely and hey, the museums close at 5pm leaving plenty of time for us to get our drink on. So for as long as my backpacking pals are not interested, or in some cases have been here a while and already seen the sights, the culture vulture in me is happy to fly solo. 


(I am not responsible for any of the 'facts' in this. I go to museums, I didn't study everything and I was hungover when I went on that tour.)