Sydney

Sydney is a city built for walking, exploring, and photography.

We started our exploration of the city on a walk exploring the oldest pubs in Sydney. It turns out that there are four or five pubs each claiming the title as the oldest. Dave’s Pub Tours gave us a nice overview of these historic pubs and some of the city’s history as well. Hart’s Pub was our first stop where we met ‘Dave’. The Hero of Waterloo (photo on the right), Lord Nelson’s Brewery and Hotel, and the Australian Hotel were the other candidates we visited.

Each venue had something unique about it and there were interesting narratives on the history at each stop. Evidently, there was some trade in shanghaied sailors in Sydney in the 1800s. At one spot we went down into the basement to see shackles in the walls and tunnels that allegedly weer used to move drunken sailors to their ‘new’ ship when they were shanghaied. Julie tried on the shackles behind one set of iron bars… but we decided she wasn’t seaworthy enough to get shanghaied.

Sydney Harbor

Rumor has that when you fly out of Sydney they check your camera for photos of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House. You pay a tariff if you didn’t take the required photo. {Completely untrue, but someone will believe this…)

Not wanting to risk it, we headed out early one morning with cameras ready; ‘Balls Head Reserve’ was our destination. Just to get you oriented, we’ve included a map of the Sydney Harbor below. The Sydney Harbor Bridge is at the top center and the Opera House is below and to the right (east). Further to the east is Balls Head Reserve and at the tip, Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair.

Mrs. Macquarie

Mrs. Macquarie was the wife of the governor in Sydney in the late 1800s. The story goes that she missed her home in England severely and would sit in her chair on that strip of land and watch the ships come and go in the harbor. I suppose that for her, these ships represented her connection with the country that she pined for.

Today, the tip of the reserve is a great point not only to watch the ships but to photograph the Sydney Opera House and Bridge. With the early morning sun behind us, there was fantastic and classic view of both the bridge and Opera House across the water. If you have a clear morning, you won’t fail to get a great photo from here. Be sure to get a picture of the large stone sculpture of Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair on the side of the penisula away from the Opera House.

Sydney Opera House

When an inside tour of the Opera House was suggested, I have to admit that I was somewhat less than excited. So, with some trepidation, I followed Julie into the Opera House to see what this grand building had to offer. The guided tour actually turned out to be very interesting and the design and appearance were stunning.
It should have occurred to me from looking at the outside of the building, that there would not be a lot of straight lines inside. I tried to capture the space in pictures, but I couldn’t. There are wide sweeping staircases, and intimately small theaters and venues. The soaring concert halls and common spaces offer gorgeous views of the harbor. The house uses an interesting mix of rich colors, wood, and windows that give those gorgeous views. What an amazing place the Opera House is. Don’t miss it if you get to Sydney.

We went on a short bus tour of the city and arrived at Bondi Beach for lunch. Sydney has a lot of beaches, but Bondi Beach is probably the most famous. The beach is a huge crescent of light-colored sand and there were tons of people. You can walk the beach, relax on the sun or, like us, just have lunch. We ate at a restaurant just off the beach and just watched the coming and going of people on the beach.

Harbor Cruise

Another relaxing afternoon was spent on a Sydney Harbor cruise. It was interesting to get a view from the water as it provided a different perspective of the city. Another thing was that it provided us with an appreciation of how large and how well protected the harbor was. The harbor has, literally, hundreds of kilometers of shoreline.

As we headed out from the Circular Quay (pronounced key) we first passed the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. From the boat, we had one panoramic view after another and we headed down the waterway and back again. Kayaks, sailboats, and ferries dotted the water along with larger ocean ships. It was easy to see why Sydney was settled right there, alongside the harbor. In the early years, the city was nearly totally dependent on trade by shipping.

When we’d visited the Sydney Opera House earlier, we’d heard that there was an evening laser light show that used the roof of the opera house as a screen. That very same night we walked over with our cameras in hand. While the display lasted only 7-8 minutes, it wasn’t disappointing. You can see a video of part of the show here.

Click here for the Sydney Photos Gallery
Click here for the Sydney Opera House Photos Gallery