Duck mania

The duckie waiting to enter the harbor

Yesterday was the start of Sydney Festival, which is a month-long art & music festival to celebrate the start of summer in Sydney. As a kick-off to the festival, a giant rubber duck was floated into Darling Harbor. Of course we had to go see this!

The duck was created by a Dutch artist. It's been displayed in big cities around the world as a way to bring whimsy and fun to art. The artist also said he wants to remind people that we're all connected and the oceans are the world's bathtub.

There was a welcoming ceremony for the duck in Darling Harbor. There were lots of performances to entertain the families that came down to see the duck.

Some didgeridoo performances

We watched from the bridge, so we had a good view of all the water-based happenings. There was a tugboat ballet with one big tugboat, and 5 little duck-themed tugboats. There were also bathtub boats that delivered performers to the stage on the water.

The stage for the performers was built over the water at the end of the harbor. And there were LOTS of people down there watching.

All of the performances were duck- and bath- themed.

The band walking by

Finally it was time for the duck! First the swing-arm on the bridge opened.

And here he comes!

Isn't he cute?!

And for those of you who were wondering how he's propelled, here's a picture of the barge and tugboat that moved him.

He'll be floating in the harbor for the next week. I might have to walk down and see him again on a lunch break one day!

It was a good day to see a giant duck!

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