Sydney's sights and sails

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty,charm and adventure.There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open”.Jawaharial Nehru.A long time ago when the earth’s land masses were being formed and oceans shaped,a mighty force must have looked down at a spot on Australia’s east coast and pondered on what to do with the craggy,cliff faced coastline.Succumbing to temptation,a mighty hand must have stretched down and prized open an entry to the land lying beyond.Then a few deft finger strokes would have formed numerous inlets which absorbed the ocean’s water rushing into this incision.Centuries of geological engineering would have then played out adding sandy beaches to many tiny hidden bays transforming the erstwhile land mass into a remarkably beautiful inland waterway protected at it’s entrance by two towering cliffs.This is the location of Sydney and today the city can be viewed from a huge number of vantage points on the northern and southern shores providing a seemingly endless feast for the eyes.The World has many great cities…Vancouver,Prague,Cape Town and others spring to mind but there is no debate on Sydney….it has a spot in the “Top Cities of the World” honors list.Forget “quickie” tour bus ride bys to get to fully appreciate a city….they simply don’t do the job so it was with a sense of adventure and expectation that we set off on foot to explore “The Rocks”,a trendy area just off Circular Quay boasting much of Sydney’s early settler history.The ferry ride from Manly charged the senses as one immediately appreciates the splendor of Sydney Harbor and all manner of boats,yachts and other vessels busily crisscrossing this huge expanse of water.Enough has been said and written about the splendor of the Opera House,but when it comes into view on the shore’s edge just off the city,it is easy to understand why it is one those most photographed structures to be found anywhere.The city skyline is equally impressive as it punches upward as one steps off the ferry.The walk around “The Rocks” took most of a full day and puts one in touch with many places of historical importance emphasizing yet again how well the Australians have preserved things of days gone by.Sydney’s Harbor Bridge is also an icon but the photo’s one sees of this bridge do not do it justice.Standing underneath it alongside the huge pillars supporting the steel structure puts it’s size into perspective and is also a compelling reminder of the skills of those engineers who conceived and built this bridge in the 1930’s.Having had a close up of one precinct of the city it seemed appropriate to then test one of the countless walking paths that thread their way along cliff tops opposite the harbor entrance.Now…just consider this.Most of these pathways are located in pristine forests hugging the shoreline so you don’t have this sense of being in close proximity to a huge city.For anyone planning to visit Sydney,make absolutely certain that you include as many of these cliff top walks as possible.Walking along tree lined paths with the blue expanse of the harbor and city skyscrapers peeping through is very impressive.It also puts one in touch with the numerous inlets,bays and sandy coves along it’s fringes.On the western side of Circular Quay is the Sydney Botanical garden which also provided a wonderful opportunity to walk it’s perimeter and take in views of the city and it’s multiple charms.Walking the paths required some nimble foot work to avoid a huge number of joggers doing their stuff mid morning which had us wondering what the city’s working hours might be.The global financial melt down has caused the loss of jobs all over the place and one hopes some of these joggers weren’t confirmation that Sydney has been smacked hard.There is much to enthuse about Sydney and with the benefit of spending a week there,we were able to see and experience much of what places it firmly on that list of great cities.No advice is offered in terms of what to see and what to do but a word of caution……..do not go to Sydney if you plan to spend less than five days there.You will be all the poorer and I venture to say not qualified to truly claim “I’ve been to Sydney”.Now most big cities have a magnetic force all of their own which attract family and friends and we certainly had opportunity to share time with some very special people.Our base in Balgowlah(just up the road from Manly)was the home of Daryl and Joanna Smith who are proud parents of Rileigh,a gorgeous 3 month old baby girl.Fairly recent arrivals in Sydney from the UK(originally South African),they have adapted quickly to life in their new city.No time was wasted as Daryl and Joanna did a great job showing us as much as was possible in our time there and also ensuring that we put rubber to tarmac walking the many scenic pathways.We also spent a full day with Mark Howard Browne,a work colleague from a few years back who drove us out to the northern extremities around Hawkesbury.This outing highlighted the vast expanse of water around the greater Sydney area and the huge number of marina’s and small craft harbors.If one needs reminding of one aspect of the Australian dream(owning a boat of some sort),this meander put the issue beyond doubt.Glen and Ali Barker live 300 km’s out of Sydney and Glen,a gifted organizer of a round of golf,managed to arrange a round at the Royal Sydney Golf Club(this is where Tim Clark won the Australian Open in December 2008).Well…….if there were a golfing heaven,Royal Sydney would be a fighting contender for all those blokes continuously searching for the place.The clubhouse is steeped in a fair dash of colonial splendor and it was a very special experience.Glen has always been sport driven and managed,after golf,to squeeze in a visit to Knox Grammar School to watch an Australian inter state rugby match(Queensland vs NSW).This is on par with our Craven Week rugby.In tradition with any viewing of a rugby match a suitable pub close by was found and we were able to entice Graham and Barbara Alcock to join us.They are in good shape and were very excited about their son,Christopher,being offered a contract with the Waratahs in the Super 14.There is an enormous amount that one could add about Sydney but suffice to say that any city around the world that gets a “Top 5” rating has to be visited personally with “one’s own eyes open”.So for those intrepid travelers out there contemplating going somewhere you need to plug Sydney into your travel compass.Our family and friends mentioned above were very hospitable and helpful and added dimensions and experiences that many visitors would simply miss.THE THREAT OF POSTING A PHOTO OF SUE IN HER LANGERIE WORKED….THE NUMBER OF NEW COMMENTS AND MESSAGES TRIGGERED SOME SORT OF PANIC REACTION.KEEP THEM COMING….ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS AND A FEW MORE OF THESE BLOGS TO TRY AND SQUEEZE INTO YOUR BUSY DAYS.

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