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Published: December 28th 2020
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We had been looking forward to this day for ages. The guidebook says 'the dream way to arrive in Sydney is, of course, by ship cruising in below the great coat-hanger of the Harbour Bridge to tie up at the Overseas Passenger Terminal'; and we did just that! We arrived between The Heads just after lunch. The Heads are a series of headlands that form the 2 km (1.2 mile) wide entrance to Sydney Harbour. North Head and Quarantine Head are to the north; South Head and Dunbar Head are to the south; and Middle Head,Georges Head, and Chowder Head are to the west and inside the harbour. The cruise in was majestic as we turned south into Port Jackson, past Manly cove and Middle Head, passing North Harbour and Middle Harbour before we again turned west to pass the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge. Unlike the larger cruise ships we were able to pass under the bridge and enter Darling Harbour to dock.
On our arrival - two hours earlier than scheduled - we contacted D's friend Andy. We arranged to meet up with him later in the afternoon on the corner of King and George, near
both his office and our terminal and pretty much in the centre of Sydney.After meeting Andy we walked past the top of Hyde Park and St Mary's Cathedral and across the Domain to the Art Gallery and on past the Andrew 'Boy' Charlton outdoor pool and on to Mrs Macquarie's Point in the Botanical Gardens - so named because this is where the aforementioned lady looked out for the return of her governor husband following his trips to other settlements in the colony. M, of course, sat in her seat on the headland. We then headed round Farm Cove and into the beautiful Royal Botanical Gardens where we saw a wide range of birds and many fruit bats, as well as a range of manicured flora. Opened in 1816, the gardens are the oldest scientific institution in Australia. The site is heritage listed and covers an area of 74 acres (30 hectares) . The garden is owned by the government of New South Wales and was largely designed by Charles Moore and Joseph Maiden. Adjacent to the gardens is Government House which is the heritage-listed vice-regal residence of the Governor of New South Wales. It was constructed between 1837 and
1843 after the British Government that a new Government House in Sydney had become a necessity. The royal architect, Edward Blore drew up the plans. It is of a romantic gothic style and is decorated with oil paintings and coats of arms of its successive occupants. The front portico was added in 1873, an eastern verandah in 1879 and extensions to the ballroom and governor's study in 1900 to 1901.
To the south of Government House is the former Sydney Transport Tram Shed - now resurrected as the Sydney Opera House. This multi venue performing arts centre is one of the 20th century's most distinctive buildings and is now over 35 years old but is as pristine and magnificent as when first built. It was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon but built by an Australian architectural team lead by Peter Hall. We walked all the way round the building, which occupies the whole of Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour between Farm Cove and Sydney Cove. We stopped off for a beer, taking plenty of photos along the way. This was a nice interlude with a fabulous view of Sydney Cove and Circular Quay which is the hub of
the Sydney Harbour Ferry system where passenger boats go everywhere from Parramatta to Manly.
Next, we lingered at Circular Quay before ambling to The Rocks, immediately under the harbour bridge immediately to the north west of Sydney's CBD. This is where the first settlement in Sydney was established shortly after the colony's formation in 1788. In the early history of the settlement this area had the reputation of being a slum occupied by convicts, visiting sailors and prostitutes. By the early 20th century many of the areas buildings were in serious decay and in 1900 the area was hit by the Bubonic Plague. Today the Rocks is a gentrified area and boasts a good number of heritage buildings. We checked out Wharf House and Custom House and the restaurants at Campbell’s Cove before settling for an evening meal at The Thai Canteen, located on the ground floor of a restored Sailors' Home, described as the 'cheaper version of the much-praised but pricey downstairs restaurant'. Cheaper, rather than cheap but it was excellent and had a 'chef's hat' in its own right. This appears to be a local version of Michelin stars.
After eating we walked much of the
length of George street to the Town Hall calling in at one of Andy's regular beer haunts for a couple of drinks, also located in a restored heritage building and passing through one of the fine Victorian shopping arcades saved from redevelopment. We doubled back via Darling Harbour to the ship's terminal to complete a comprehensive afternoon and evening tour of Sydney which, after nearly ten years Andy clearly knows very well. We think we may have walked five kilometres, but that's probably an exaggeration. We had a fabulous day.
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