Sydney Harbour

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We awoke to rain this morning, but decided to keep to our plan of visiting Manly and, optimistically, taking our swimming gear.



We walked to Pyrmont Bay to catch a ferry to Circular Quay. There we transferred to the Manly ferry. This boat is unique in having a pointed bit and propellor at both ends.



The journeys took us under the bridge and past the Opera House; lost count of the number of photographs we have taken of both of these icons.



To reach Manly the boat has to cross the opening to the harbour and in the wind and rain and a six foot swell this became an exciting journey as the Manly ferry is no ocean going liner.



The attraction of Manly is a beach on the harbour and only a couple of hundred yards down the main street is a beach on the Pacific coast these looked great but uninhabitable in the rain. The consolation was a great bowl of spag bol in a genuine Italian before the return trip to Circular Quay.



There was time to catch another ferry, this time to Watsons Bay. The time table only allowed us an hour there but we were able to walk across the green to the view points of Bluff Cove on the Pacific side. The rain had now stopped and the sun came out so time for an ice cream on the beach before a trip back to Circular Quay.



We took advantage of the free walking tour of The Rocks before returning to our apartment. This area was the landing point and settlement of The First Fleet with 700 convicts in1788. The tour is given by students who ask only for a tip at the end. We found out a lot about the early days of Sydney and the controversy that exits today where the authorities are trying to evict the elderly from state owned heritage bulidings in order to sell them for millions.



One last trip on a ferry back to Darling Harbour and time to get ready for the next day.

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