Thousands sat down to breakfast on the Sydney Harbour Bridge yesterday after the iconic structure was closed to traffic and carpeted with grass for the first time for a giant picnic.
About 6,000 early risers were on the steel bridge from 6:30am to take part in the two-hour event designed to showcase Sydney’s best food and outdoor lifestyle.
While accordion players and trumpeters provided background music, those who had won tickets to the picnic in a random lottery munched on fruit, pastries, muesli, yoghurt and the staple Australian breakfast spread, Vegemite.
PHOTO: AFP
“It’s amazing to see the bridge in this perspective,” Sydneysider Don Fuchs said of the structure, which is used by about 100,000 cars daily. “Usually you sit in the car, you cross it and that’s it.”
“It was beautiful,” said Linda Curnow who attended the picnic with her family. “The grass was so thick it was like being in your backyard.”
New South Wales state Premier Nathan Rees said the event was set to become an annual feature of Sydney’s month-long October food festival.
About 45,000 people applied for tickets to the breakfast, for which people brought their own food but were able to taste samples from some of the state’s best producers.
“I don’t think we were ever doubtful of the success of this event today,” a government spokesman said. “It was a unique world first for this iconic attraction. This type of event typifies the Australian personality.”
Organizers are planning to use about 40 percent of the grass on Sydney parks.
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