Saturday 17th June 2017 - VIVID 2017 Closing Night @ Taronga Zoo

Finally it is closing night of VIVID 2017.

I left home before 5 pm and missed a few connecting buses to Taronga Zoo. I decided that the best way to get to the zoo was to take the M40 or 343 to Wynyard then bus or ferry it. Because I just missed the connecting bus from Wynyard to Taronga Zoo and the next non connecting bus was another half an hours wait, I decided to walk down to Circular Quay and take the ferry. Very good decision. 8 minutes before the next ferry arrive at wharf 4 due at 5.50 pm.

Arrived at Taronga Zoo Wharf around 6.15 pm where connecting shuttle buses were waiting to take us to the top entrance of Taronga Zoo. It was a good time to arrive at the zoo as the 5.30 pm session was not as crowded as the 7.30 pm session. It also gave me more time to take a proper look around the light installations which have grown in number since Taronga Zoo's first VIVID last year.

As the 30 minute or so ferry ride departed from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo , I sat at the rear of the ferry outside and saw the lights on the Harbour Bridge switch on as soon as it was 6 pm on the dot! What a sight to see the Opera House without its projections on its white sails and the Harbour Bridge in total darkness before they were lit up in multitude of colours.

The first thing I did when the shuttle bus arrived at the entrance to Taronga Zoo was to watch the 10 mimutes or so projections on the zoo's main entrance building facade .  Wow! I watched it first then videoed the entire projection.

(Upload onto Youtube) Photos also attached.

Next was to find my ticket go through the gates and do the entire lightwalk. This year I did not go on the gondola ride as tickets were sold out way in advance.

I also skipped the short film showing near the beginning of the light walk, I thought about coming back to it after I finished the walk if I had time but it was one way traffic therefore it would have been difficult for me to walk all the way back uphill in the opposite direction.

New light installations included the Port Jackson Shark which you could walk through, Gorillas, Stingray, Jelly Fish made from recycled plastic bits, a path of tulips that constantly changed colours, the Killer Bees which looked I think were present at last year's VIVID however looked a lot closer up, larger and more aggressive - maybe they have mutated since last year and migrated!, there was also some ground covered in hundreds of flashing lights - a fungal growth of some sort perhaps - whatever it was it was beautiful to watch and then there was the smoke everywhere and lit up paths. Previous light installations included the Sunbear, Elephant, Bilby, Crocodiles, Bush Turkey, Rino, Tiger, Platypus, Turtle, Funnelweb Spider just to name a few.

It was getting towards 9 pm and after a look in the zoo's gift shop and a toliet stop,  it was time for me to get the next shuttle bus and ferry followed by 2 trains back home.

It's another wrap for VIVID 2017. By the time I reached Chatswood Station, Almost all light installations were shut down except for the one between the station and Woolworths. Things such as signage were starting to be dismantled by scissor lift and the bus route was back to normal and barracading along Victoria Ave had been all removed. The Octapus and barracading around it is not being removed until Tuesday according to signs around it.

9.30 pm - 10 pm  cafes and some pubs and restaurants were still open and full of life around Chatswood - Saturday night but most people - a sea of millions were down at Circular Quay, The Rocks, Opera House and The Royal Botanic Gardens for the closing night of VIVID. If you havent seen it - too late but there is always VIVID 2018 next year!

Oh Damn it! I missed one very important precinct - Central Station Clocktower Transported Through Time!!!!! Too late now VIVID 2017 is over! Will have to watch it on Youtube.

Time to plan for next weekend's adventures - Winter Festival in the Blue Mountains on Saturday and The Good Food and Wine Show at Darling Harbours new ICC on Sunday.

Stay tuned!!!