The Opera House From the Inside

Everyone's seen it from outside. Inside the Concert Hall, looking up at a ceiling designed to resemble a seashell interior, feeling acoustics engineered to carry a single voice to every seat — that's what the postcard can't capture. 16 years to build (1957-1973), fourteen times over budget, nearly destroyed its architect. None of that matters once you're inside and the room proves the ambition was justified.

Guided tour $43 through the major spaces and backstage. The Bennelong restaurant inside has a bar with harbour views through the glass walls. A cocktail inside the Opera House while ferries cross outside is worth the price of the glass.