Sydney Harbour Bridge closed for a picnic

jaydee · 26-10-2009, 03:08 PM

I saw on the tele that they closed the SHB and layed down turf for people to have a picnic. Some govt spokesman said it cost 1 million dollars to do but would recoup 8 million in tourism.
My question is how the hell do they figure that out. Do tourists see it on the news and say "Oh sweetheart, we must go to Sydney, Australia, and see the SHB"?

Also, I was Sydney from Perth for the Muscle Car Masters recently and it was my 1st trip to Sydney. What I noticed driving around is the joins in the road every 20 metres or so and the car continually going dadump, dadump going over the joins. Whats that all about?

FPV+fteT3 · 26-10-2009, 03:16 PM

The govt sucks they waste money on picnics on the bridge for a select few lay heaps of turf for a couple of hours, spend heaps on turning homebush into a street circuit for V8's next month when we have eastern creek raceway? yet they are according to all reports in debt for millions go figure. Forrest gump said it best

Quote:

stupid is as stupid does forest

ch33z1l · 26-10-2009, 03:19 PM

Some guy ignored the closure and drove over the turf, and a short police chase followed

FORD5 · 26-10-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ch33z1l

Some guy ignored the closure and drove over the turf, and a short police chase followed

Haha thats sydney drivers for you

Fev · 26-10-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FPV+fteT3

The govt sucks they waste money on picnics on the bridge for a select few lay heaps of turf for a couple of hours, spend heaps on turning homebush into a street circuit for V8's next month when we have eastern creek raceway? yet they are according to all reports in debt for millions go figure. Forrest gump said it best

I honestly haven't seen much development for that street race. The roads are still as completely stuffed as ever.
There is a bit of construction going on but im not sure if its for the race or not, It's Homebush so theres always something under construction but as i was saying the roads haven't even been started.. There is also trees everywhere, street poles, road lane dividers etc etc.. If they don't start soon i doubt they'll finish for the race!

Lukeyson · 26-10-2009, 04:21 PM

they can send 150square meters of that turf to me when they done

need new back lawn

xbcool · 26-10-2009, 04:28 PM

now tourist will come here expecting to have a picnic on the bridge as well as seeing kangaroos hopping down the main street.

bcr2734 · 26-10-2009, 04:39 PM

I just past a roo going down the street, he said he was going to the pub with Blinky Bill.

Spudz27 · 26-10-2009, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcr2734

I just past a roo going down the street, he said he was going to the pub with Blinky Bill.

hahahahahaha. However I have actually seen a roo bouncing down a main road. Still wondering how he got there. It was the middle of town not the outskirts.

**Peuty** · 26-10-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

What I noticed driving around is the joins in the road every 20 metres or so and the car continually going dadump, dadump going over the joins. Whats that all about?

They are called expansion joints. The bridge expands and contracts due to heat and cold - if it weren't for them, the bridge would fall down.

jaydee · 26-10-2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peuty

They are called expansion joints. The bridge expands and contracts due to heat and cold - if it weren't for them, the bridge would fall down.

No not the bridge, the main roads. Everywhere we drove from Parramatta to get into town or to the race way there were joins in the road surface like they'd cut a groove in it for power or something then covered it over or something. Bloody annoying. Here in WA it's just one long piece of tar with the odd pothole to keep you on your toes.

spooty · 26-10-2009, 06:55 PM

bloody potholes! dont get me started lol

Pinch · 26-10-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

What I noticed driving around is the joins in the road every 20 metres or so and the car continually going dadump, dadump going over the joins. Whats that all about?

Wanna come for a ride over them in my Cooper S suspended Mini on run flats!!!

Make sure you have top health cover for physio and chiro!

Pinch · 26-10-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbcool

now tourist will come here expecting to have a picnic on the bridge as well as seeing kangaroos hopping down the main street.

Search Google Maps "6 Boyne Street Durras North NSW 2536". Then click on street view and hover around.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Check out the nature strips for some cheeky buggers. They just roam about the place. I love how Google pixelated one of the roo's faces - good to see they have privacy rights. Some of the other roo's faces havent been blurred, gues only one called Google to complain!

Yellow_Festiva · 26-10-2009, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

I saw on the tele that they closed the SHB and layed down turf for people to have a picnic. Some govt spokesman said it cost 1 million dollars to do but would recoup 8 million in tourism.
My question is how the hell do they figure that out. Do tourists see it on the news and say "Oh sweetheart, we must go to Sydney, Australia, and see the SHB"?

There was a phrase, it went something like this "If you build it, they will come".

The 8 mil is under estimated IMO. The city was abuz with people the Sunday just passed. Street festival, free tours of the Opera House, the bridge picnic (there were more..)

So what did people do? They went into the city on a day they perhaps wouldn't have. They caught public transport, they bought a few drinks, they bought lunch. If they drove in, they would have paid for parking.

The people who attended the bridge picnic from out of Sydney booked a hotel (and there were many out of towners from the feedback on the radio). They would have then had to probably catch a taxi / bus / buy dinner, perhaps a movie, a beer etc etc etc.

How do I know?? I was one of them.

The 'free stuff' brought them in in droves. The line to get into the Opera House was 100+metres long and 5 people wide. My mate and I didn't bother waiting and went to get lunch at the Circular Quay Maccas. All registers going, 5-6 people per line.

And it was raining. Think of the follow on as well, tourists telling friends, stories impressing people umming and ahhing about their next visit.

$8 mil... not even close.

BPXR6T · 26-10-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinch

Search Google Maps "6 Boyne Street Durras North NSW 2536". Then click on street view and hover around.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Check out the nature strips for some cheeky buggers. They just roam about the place. I love how Google pixelated one of the roo's faces - good to see they have privacy rights. Some of the other roo's faces havent been blurred, gues only one called Google to complain!

I spent a lot of time in Durass south. I had a roo try to jump in the drivers window of my car in the middle of the day on my way to the milk bar. Came bounding out of nowhere. I saw the biggest roo I've ever seen at the beagle bay van park. I was drunk but I swear it was 8 foot tall.

Dave_au · 26-10-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbcool

now tourist will come here expecting to have a picnic on the bridge as well as seeing kangaroos hopping down the main street.

Almost - I'm at Killara on the North Shore (approx 14km from Sydney CBD as the bird flies) and I back onto a national park that has several Eastern Greys as residents.

The G6ET Spot · 26-10-2009, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ch33z1l

Some guy ignored the closure and drove over the turf, and a short police chase followed

It was probably Capt Francis Degroot's grandson trying to emulate him

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaydee

No not the bridge, the main roads. Everywhere we drove from Parramatta to get into town or to the race way there were joins in the road surface like they'd cut a groove in it for power or something then covered it over or something. Bloody annoying. Here in WA it's just one long piece of tar with the odd pothole to keep you on your toes.

Oh, that's just Parramatta Road. It is nothing to worry about it has been like that for over 30 years. Still has a railway crossing on it at Clyde.

:

dave351cid · 26-10-2009, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAPID XR8

Oh, that's just Parramatta Road. It is nothing to worry about it has been like that for over 30 years. Still has a railway crossing on it at Clyde.

:

the bumps would be the joins in the old concrete road under the tar.