Australia-Farewell tour

And just like that it came to an end. 29 days on our Very Best Tour of Australia with stopovers in Singapore and Bali. In total 4 and a half weeks of unadulterated pleasure travelling in good weather (despite Melbourne) and with great company. This was a celebration for my 60th birthday, a trip I didn’t really get excited about at all with all of the concerns that precipitated that; Coronavirus, bushfires and terror attacks.

If you want to see Australia there are so many ways of doing it. When you are young backpacking is the only way that is likely to work; reasonably cheap and unstructured. As a couple in the early thrusts of love, perhaps a camper van or converted transit, when all you need is a bed and wheels, is for you. As a family you are probably more likely to visit places where family or friends have relocated but as a retired person, or for special occasions, this tour would be well worth every penny you spend. How else might you visit every major city in Australia with the minimum of fuss, the maximum of opportunity and the finest hotels?

In addition to being the most excellent of all Tour Guides our Tigress was a stickler for detail giving us the greatest confidence in her ability to deliver. We could not have asked for anyone better because she managed this trip like a military operation and we were enabled to be tourists without a care in the world while this all went on behind the scenes. This tour also balanced a busy trip with the right amount of Freedom days to do as you wish. Four days is often enough to see a City, but the Tour incorporated several worthwhile escapades that were included in the price as well as offering additional trips, if you were inclined to see more. The finely tuned arrival and departure from each venue was seamless and even the 9 flights we took on the entire trip did not feel daunting or difficult in any way, because we had the Tigress.

In addition to this being an interesting tour, with fantastic trips and wonderful experiences; the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Bridge Climb, the Aboriginal People, the Wine tour and the Wildlife trips, one of the best aspects were the people we travelled with. Twenty Eight of us in total. We all had our personal reasons for being on this trip, but we had the option of finding out whether we shared these or not on the many occasions we spent together over a glass of wine or a beer. I found the welcome invitation of a group of people sitting in the bar at the end of our night a treat, never feeling isolated on our holiday we always had someone to speak with. As we progressed and got to know each other this was one of the most memorable aspects of the holiday. It became important to have joint meals as we headed toward our last day. Many people doing different tours suggested the last day in Australia had taken on a new significance as we hung on to our fellow travellers with a little bit more love and affection knowing it was the last we would be together as a group.

The Tigress was going on a well earned break back to Melbourne, we were off to Bali, but it was clear we had no idea what lay ahead for us when we arrived home. Coronavirus was a threat at the beginning of our holiday and now even more so four weeks after we had left home. As we sat in the bar on our last night, everyone arrived for a departure drink, many with sadness at leaving but some ready for home. This was a magnificent group with many memorable aspects that added considerably to our journey and the memories we will treasure. To spare their identities but they will know who they are they have been given animal names.

The Antelope was heading directly to London, this elegant lady in her senior years was involved in Haute Couture all her life and worked with the greatest designers her style and grace was part of who she was and travelling alone we wanted to be sure she had someone looking out for her. The Jaguar and the Spectacled Bat had been in New Zealand before joining us. The Jaguar shared a common role to my work that would see us bonded through shared interests in protecting the vulnerable when we made it home. The Rabbit and the Sea Lion were off to Singapore, this beautiful woman with the delightful smile and her hubby had been together since they were teenagers, and he was still besotted with her it was clear. The Hamster and her Guinea Pig were off to hire a car, a formidable character, the hamster and I shared a love of swimming and I loved to hear her articulate her stories; she had a truly engaging lilt and tone to her voice. Her partner a fine gentleman with a permanent smile was delighted to be finding his roots in some of the Australian cities we visited and taking off to explore them further in Sydney when we left.

The Lynx and the Daddy Long Legs loved the sun and shared our passion for catching the rays whenever we got the chance. They both had a birthday while we were away and the Lynx was to celebrate hers in Bali by staying an extra day. The Swan and the Peacock shared our outlook on life, the Peacock off swimming in the sea, the Swan making sure everyone was okay on our trip her emotional antenna often on alert, an affable friendly pair whom we shared much in common. The Leapord travelled alone, a kindly but fiercely independent character she was the most travelled among us with many trips under her belt. I loved her humour, and although often willing to offer her aid, she often kindly reminded me she was more than capable of helping herself and she was! The Lark and the Rhino were recently married, their love of horse racing took them off in their own direction on most days exploring the racing times and form. The Lark often volunteering to take part in activities that saw her aiding the Blacksmith and starting a fire for the Aborgines.

The Horse Whisperer and the Hyena will remain with me in my heart for ever. The Hyena looked so much like my father it gave me such comfort to be in his company. The fact that the Horse Whisperer loved my blogs was such a privilege as I know they will also remember me with that link. The Kanga and Roo, seemed very active to me when we first met them, they had been cycling. But the Kanga was worried about her health as I learned on this trip and had to be more cautious that she wanted to be as we travelled around. Like me they love Kenmore and Aberfeldy in Perthshire and so we bonded over our love of my favourite place. The Bear and the Zebra liked to sit at the front of the bus, I don’t know the reasons why this was important but it was something they enjoyed. Staying on to visit family in Brisbane it was the Bear who often had to fix out the WiFi for me when I couldn’t get a signal, I don’t know what I would have done without him.

The Panda and Giraffe were a quiet and reserved couple, slow to engage but with so much to offer. I loved the togetherness of this couple, so in tune with each other, I am sure they had more than a few laughs at our antics on the trip and the Panda always inquisitive, hungry to find out more about you. It was a welcome opportunity to develop a relationship on a more personal level. The Rabbit and Platypus had the energy of youth, perhaps the youngest on the tour they were often off exploring, taking amazing photographs and enjoying every bit of the trip. His love of football meant we could relate to his need to watch the match in the middle of the night, and we shared our Sky Rail experience with them in the rainforest.

The Eagle and the Albatross had also visited New Zealand before they came to Australia, the only other pair from Scotland but who were English by birth. The poor Eagle must have my forgiveness because for so much of the trip I called her the wrong name, mortified I rectified this at the Great Barrier Reef. Another one who cared for the vulnerable I was so sad we didn’t get to say a proper goodbye at the end.

So to the Koala our tour guide in the outback, the Parrot our assistant in the Ghan and all the wonderful bus drivers, porters, pilots, stewardesses, train drivers, captains, waiters, waitresses, cleaners, cooks, bar tenders, guides and people we met along the way. We loved it all, we cannot thank you enough for the wonderful experience Australia delivered. Thank you everyone, thank you Australia ❤️🇦🇺

Sydney-City of dizzy heights.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is synonymous with Australia and New Year. A symbol of some stature, it is a charismatic icon in Australia and of course there were so many here we had been fortunate to see; the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru among them. Sydney was the last tourist destination of our Very Best of Australia trip and one Distant Journeys recognised in their planning. Our Hotel for this part of the visit affording a stunning panoramic view of the harbour and Bridge from every single room.

In 1932 the Bridge was completed, the vision of John Bradfield, Chief Engineer with the Department of Public Works. There is little doubt Bradfield was a genius, completing first a Bachelor Degree and later a first class Masters Degree, he achieved the University Medal on both sittings. He first conceived of the idea some 17 years earlier proposing 3 significant projects for the City; the North and South shores might be linked by a bridge, electrifying the railways and improving the underground service. WW 1 put these grand but visionary schemes on hold. His thesis on the Sydney Harbour Bridge earned him a Doctorate of Science in 1924 and so it was the proposal became a reality.

The Bridge was completed at a time when there were very few cars on the road but his vision of a 6 vehicular lane, 2 tram lanes, 2 railway lines and pedestrian and cycle paths still remains sufficient to deal with the 56 million vehicles a year that cross it. For whatever reason the tram lanes did not materialise but the space was assigned to the vehicular lanes providing 4 lanes in either direction when crossing the Bridge. A toll still exists despite the Bridge being paid off in 1988, but upkeep costs are high given this is a steel structure and maintenance is an ongoing matter.

The Bridge is the sixth longest Arch Bridge in the world with a span of 504m. Constructed in steel manufactured in Middlesborough, England by Dorman Long, who leveraged some of the Tyne Bridge design into their contract. During hot weather the Bridge expands about 18 centimetres but this was appreciated in the design and hinges afford the expansion with little interference in the function it performs for the traffic that traverse it daily. At its pinnacle the Bridge is 134m above water level. And we were going to experience this directly during our trip to Sydney with the Bridge climb.

Many years ago the Lion’s youngest sister visited Australia and was proposed to under Bridge. For our visit, this wasn’t an option so we were planning to climb this famous icon instead, and paid nearly $650 dollars AUD to do so. It is not cheap but if you can save the money, or earn a bit extra as you travel, it is a very worthwhile experience if heights do not scare the shit out of you. 6 of our trip colleagues were taking part in the climb with us making the trip even more significant since we were doing it with friends. The Horse Whisperer and Hyena, having missed out on the Scuba Dive, signed up, the Swan and the Peacock from the south coast of England, the Rabbit and Sea Lion from Barnsley, all joined us adding a celebratory and camaraderie feeling to the event.

You need around 3 and a half hours for this trip, we were booked onto the 4pm climb and didn’t actually get anywhere near the Bridge until 5pm. Our first task was to complete a health and fitness questionnaire, sitting in a circular room we completed the forms in a silent, industrious little circle scribbling away and hoping we made it through the first hurdle without too many drop outs. There were another 4 younger people on our climb and they must have wondered how they ended up with the Saga Tourers on this particular climb or whether some of us would even make it. Ha! not so not this group of oldies, we passed the first test with flying colours. Ben led us collectively into our second circle of the day, standing this time, we were asked to say where we were from and why we were climbing the Bridge. Our youngsters were from Peru, Denmark and England but whether we were young or old, every male in the group admitted they were only doing it because the women in their lives wanted to do it. How interesting that the women, universally, were the drivers for this particular climb. Having introduced ourselves to the team, and passed the second test, we were now handed our suits, the first part of the equipment we needed for the climb.

The suit itself has gone through several iterations before reaching its current design, a grey onesie with blue flashes on the arms and legs that zips up the back. You are assigned a locker and asked to leave everything that might fall from your person in the locker before you begin your ascent. Such is the importance of this request you will also undergo a metal detector frisk once you have gotten the suit on. There can be no chance of causing a major incident from a falling phone or watch once up that high. The suit equalises everyone, now all the same, aside from age, the first demonstrable sign of becoming a team has been delivered. Once suitably attired we moved into a much wider room which was kitted out with individual stations with belts and braces, a radio room and two sets of stairs linked by a platform. Our leader now emerged taking over from the delectable Ben, clearly on a higher pay grade and not to be troubled by menial but important tasks, such as allocating the right size suit to the assembled party.

G, as our guide liked to be called, was an experienced operator. He provided you with a confidence from the outset and took time to recall every single one of our names as he talked us through our paces. Our first task was to be shown to an individual station, direct leadership required here, as we were tasked to stand with our hands on the bars and await further instruction. Once everyone was in place we were instructed to step into the braces and secure the belted clips. Collectively we put our legs into the braces, silently following the instructions that were designed to eliminate confusion as each of us got into the gear. Having checked everyone’s clips were properly in place we were now directed to the front of the steps and platforms where we would now learn techniques on how to climb the steep steps of the Bridge in a practice run. G demonstrated how a cord with an open ended clip could attach us safely during the climb to the fixed structures of the Bridge. It slid on at the start of the Climb gliding along a continuous linear steel rail that sat just below the handrail. There were intermittent break points in this rail, but they could only be opened with a key by Guides to allow them to navigate up and down the group as we progressed. The clip afforded you a continuous link to safety throughout the Climb.

Once the entire group had learned to navigate the steep steps up and down, recognising the importance of keeping the clip on the right side of the body as you turned to descend backwards and not getting into a fankle. We watched and listened attentively, such was the importance of the information we needed to keep safe on the Climb. At this point a group returning from their Climb entered the room, buzzing with excitement. One of the youngsters on the group wished we could get started, almost 40 minutes of preparation having taken place so far. Once we had all mastered the trial climb, we were moved out to the comms room. We lined up facing each other as a radio was clipped to our suit braces with a set of headphones linking us with the instructor as we navigated the Bridge. One or two had to change headsets as a full and comprehensive check whether we could hear the guide took place. Once all were connected, and spectacles and hats were attached by strings to loops on the braces, we had a final brief from G before we headed off along the grey painted corridors toward a door that would lead us onto the Bridge.

We waited anticipating what lay ahead in a holding bay, the heat building in the suits, I was glad to have shorts and tee-shirt only underneath. We were offered a hat, but opted to leave this for collection once we had completed the Climb. After all I couldn’t have the hair messed for the photographs could I? Once outside we were immediately clipped to the rail, walking along the narrow mesh walkways giving you a waffle eye view of the ground below. Looking down is essential just to see the progress you are making in height terms, looking out just as important as the panoramic views alter as you ascend, and looking up just gives you time to pray to God you don’t fall. Once clipped we quickly began moving along the grid at pace, the guide constantly checking we were maintaining it. It was clear the Climb was not considered by Bradfield during the design, most of the steps and the rail were added by the climbing company, but the walkways with low pipes and occasional platforms leading to electric stations, reminded you these conditions were what workers had to endure every day just to ensure the safety and efficiency of the bridge.

Our first photograph enabled the other iconic site of Sydney to take centre stage, the Sydney Opera House was slid into the background. Just before we stopped for our picture two pipes either side of your head sprayed water in a mist to cool you down, a thoughtful addition this beautiful Autumn day. The sky was without cloud, the temperature not too hot, and the views spectacular to the east, west, north and south of the City. We had time to peruse these at leisure as we were each allowed two poses for the first picture stop. Once taken G led us up toward the summit, the pace continued as we made the Climb trying to remember to look down, up and out as we also tried to keep our balance on the slim but adequate steps. As we reached the pinnacle our panoramic view now included new bays, previously concealed behind hills as our ascent took us higher. We were directed by G to count how many cars passed between Red Cars on the Bridge below. Suitably tasked we all watched the cars, now the height of rush hour, criss cross the 4 lanes assigned from the South to North side with some purpose. It was noisy, bikes, buses, trucks and cars whizzing along as we tried to count past the best target of 30 before the occasional red car brought us back to zero and we started to count again. This delay allowed each pair to make a short video as we stood on top of the Bridge. The Lion was not a fan of this so we opted for pictures only and once we were all through the photo station at the summit it was time for the descent.

The descent was aided by individual guides waiting at the steep steps to ensure you managed the turn without a fankle and to let the individual before you clear the stairs before you began. These guides engaged you in small talk taking your mind off the task and cleverly relaxing you into this trickier aspect of the Climb. We arrived back in the holding Bay, exhilarated. I’m sure if you have read any theories of wellbeing, I would place this experience as Maslow described it; a “Peak Experience” one that brought you deep satisfaction in your wellbeing, one you were likely never to forget. The final team talk, led by G, afforded us a congratulatory talk keeping you on a high sufficiently long enough to complete the questionnaire for favourable feedback. Our final task was to collect our photographs and we were advised to buy them in a group of 4, which allowed a cheaper price to be achieved. Around $32 dollars allowed us to download all the photographs and videos (if you did one) to our phones. These we could share instantly with our families, waiting anxiously for word that we had completed safely the Climb of a lifetime. We did it…… go us❤️

View of Sydney Harbour Bridge from the North Shore.

Sydney-Penal Colony

Charles Smith was 16 years old when he fell foul of the law. In Scotland today he would be treated as a child for his crime. In the 19th century he was tried and sentenced to death, his crime? The theft of a letter containing a 1 pound note. Harsh as this may seem young Smith received a reprieve if he elected to commute his death sentence by electing to serve his sentence in a Penal Colony in Australia. I’m sure it was a bit of a no brainer for this young lad, who bade farewell to his family and set off on one of the Colony ships for Australia. The ‘Baring’ sailed with over 300 convicts and was 151 days at sea. This was no Princess of the Seas sister ship cruise, life was harsh on board, some of the men did not make it.

On arrival at Sydney Harbour they would find themselves in the heart of historic Sydney in an area called the Rocks, now a tourist destination, then a place of squalor; a slum filled with dingy dwellings, taverns and brothels. It was an area to be avoided, people were not safe and gangs patrolled it pouncing on the unsuspecting drunk or visitor to the brothels. Despite having some grand shipping buildings and businesses here with pretty historic cottages, the area fell into further disarray when the shipping industry moved to nearby Circular Quay. The area would have a certain appeal for many of the convicts but they were still incarcerated when they arrived and the intention was to put them to use in the development of Sydney.

Lachlan Macquarie, is synonymous with Sydney the way John Stuart is with the Northern Territories. Both were Scots. Macquarie was the fifth and final military autocratic governor of Sydney who had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the City. He played a crucial role in the transformation of New South Wales from a penal colony to a free settlement. His fingerprints are still evident in the City and add splendour and grandeur worthy of its history and status in the early settlement days. His wife, stricken by homesickness, used to sit near the harbour on the rocks watching for the ships coming in and bringing news from home. Mrs Macquarie’s chair, a rock hewn into a chair, from where she observed the Harbour comings and goings, is the final piece of an area of private garden and passageway known as Mrs Macquaries Road. Her husband had this developed in 1816, principally for her to enjoy and now a tourist attraction as a lookout point separating the idyllic Farm Cove and grittier Woolloomooloo Bay.

Macquarie developed an area at the end of Macquarie Street known as Hyde Park a green space lying to the north of the Hyde Park Barracks, home to the colony’s convicts. The Barracks are now a living museum where we heard the story of Charles Smith and could see how he lived when he arrived here. The barracks contained up to 170 men at one time living cheek by jowl, sleeping in simple rope hammocks that they shared routinely with rats. The museum affords you an insight into life here with many relics recovered during its revitalisation, now on display. The voices of men and later the women incarcerated there tell a moving story, pieced together from historic records and linked to discoveries in the building and in the records maintained of the day. The men here contributed to the development of Macquaire’s vision for the City working as builders, roofers, cabinet makers and plumbers. The regal court building, St Mary’s Cathedral, the Sydney Hospital, National Mint, Parliament Building and the National Library among the buildings we took in are evidence of his vision realised.

However Macquarie and the convicts found living with the indigenous peoples of the area was not as harmonious as it might have been. Macquarie was responsible for authorising the massacre of the Gundungurra and Dharawal people. In the Barracks we heard of the massacre of aborigine families and of wars between the two factions locally as they tried to claim their land back or achieve superiority. With the military power associated with the regime it was evident there was only going to be one winner here. The tales within the Barracks shifted from convicts to a holding house for immigrants. Mostly women were housed here on arrival, many from Ireland, their lives packed neatly into little brown suitcases. Some of the fine linen and lace still on display in the Barracks, little rosary beads and hair clips evidence that these women arrived prepared to remain, with hope and anticipation in their journey and relived in the stories we listened to as we observed.

The Sydney Hospital adjacent to the Hyde Park Barracks was the first of Macquarie’s developments, now part of this grand building has become the Mint and Parliament building. Lined with flags of the commonwealth the Aboriginal Flag among them, evidence of a nation keen to make good the relationships damaged by colonial masters. There are two bronze statues along Macquarie street worthy of mention on our tour of historic Sydney; the statue of Matthew Flinders, you may recall we heard much about him in Adelaide, who mapped the island of Australia and the Il Porcellino a bronze copy of the lolling Florentine boar gifted to the City in 1968. Rubbing it’s nose is meant to bring luck and it glints against the sunlight with the number of people hoping to benefit from a rub of its nose.

The Rocks lay derelict, a carbuncle on the City, until the 1970’s when it was reinvigorated. The historic buildings saved from demolition, now prized residences in this dark, narrow and quaint little streets surrounding the Rocks. Play fair Street is home to welcoming pubs, restaurants with seating outside and a Market on weekends. The finest stores can be found within the old shop fronts, faced with iron lattice work now home to modern designers such as Louis Vuitton and Prada. When the City fathers wanted to destroy many of these historic buildings the foresight of a radical building workers union whose opposition to the demolition, was vocal enough to ensure the detail and history of these little buildings were retained. Sydney, among its high rise business district, its majestic harbour and bridge has history and integrity within its confines that adds weight to the principle city status in Australia. We still had much to explore and do in Sydney but understanding where it was and how it became one of the significant cities of the world was just as important as looking at its sights.

Sydney-City with a Harbour.

Leaving Cairns was the most difficult aspect of the tour. We huddled like penguins hoping our resistance outside the coach would delay departure, intent on stretching out our last moments in Cairns as long as possible. We all knew entering that coach would take us on the last leg or our Very Best of Australia Tour, so we huddled. The end of the trip was not something any of us was ready to acknowledge. I dragged my heels as I climbed the stairs, feeling sadness and took my seat before we set off to the airport. A few hours later we were in Sydney.

During our travels we heard more than once about the intense rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney, vying for position like petulant children, as the capital city of Australia. In the end the government declared neither was suitable and the status of capital went instead to Canberra, created for the purpose in 1927 in the style of an authoritative parent. Sydney, however was the location where the first settlers arrived and its status and integrity as a candidate for Capital was certainly due in part to the development of the City by its first Scottish Governor Lachlan MacQuarie. The City has many grand buildings thanks to his influence on its design and grandeur.

In the history of Sydney Harbour we learned that in 1780 Captain Cook actually missed the harbour berthing instead at Botany Bay. On his recommendation this became the site for the penal colony and in 1788 the first fleet arrived with over 1000 prisoners. Life was hard, Botany Bay was not the ‘fine meadows’ Captain Cook billed it to be, it had little to sustain the early settlers and no freshwater. Actually Commander Arthur Philip later moved the fleet south beyond South Head Cliff and located the most natural and largest harbour in the world. He named it Sydney Cove after Viscount Sydney the Secretary of State for Great Britain at the time.

Port Jackson, home to the indigenous people at the time, carves Sydney in two halves linked by the Harbour Bridge since 1932. The South Shore contains the city centre, while many of the main attractions are within sight of Circular Quay. We were resident in the Harbour View Hotel on North Shore directly above Lavender Bay where several little yachts were moored adding a seaside charm to the city. There were additional coves, bays and harbours around the sprawling city, accommodating business, wharf developments, bars, restaurants, tourist attractions and residences. A one bedroom flat overlooking the harbour would set you back around $1 000 000 AUD.

Our coach made it’s way over the famous Harbour Bridge as we entered the North Shore, many business blocks here rose into the horizon just like those in the business district of the South Shore. The visitor attractions were less evident here, it was more of a suburb for working and living. Our Hotel was aptly named Harbour View, stretching its foundation over the railway line its curved convex line hugging the hillside, with every window afforded a sensational view of the Harbour Bridge and South Shore. It was a prime view you would never tire of. Many of our group left the curtains open in deference to its majesty letting it fill the window frame with its grandeur, the entire time we were there. At night the twinkling lights of the City and Circular Quay, the Super-Cruise ships docked at Campbell Cove, added a layer of magic to the vista but the camera flash prohibited you from capturing the mesmerising image with any quality.

The rail link between North and South Sydney runs under the hotel, this meant frequent earthquake like vibrations every time a train arrived or departed the station. We hoped for a higher floor given the vibration was so noisily close on the first level bar floor. However even from the 8th floor the rumble was apparent and we were grateful they ceased running between midnight and 4 in the morning. Staying on the North side had the major advantage of the view, but really you want to be on the South side where the attractions lay. Our day would inevitably begin with a walk downhill and over the bridge taking around 40 minutes, a short ferry to Circular Quay or a two stop train ride changing at the first station before traversing to the South Shore. Over 30 000 cars per day make the journey across the bridge to the west or eastern side of the City.

To use public transport here you need an Opal card, available at the little convenience stores these can be used on the trams (not free here like Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne), trains, buses or ferries. You can top them up as required and need to tap them off and on each journey to ensure you pay the right amount. If you have a pre-paid card or debit card then you may also use those instead. Those in our group who bought a card with $20 dollars each (you need one each) did not use it to its full advantage since many enjoyed wandering around the city on foot. If you want to travel to Manly beach or by any of the ferries it’s a great advantage. We opted for walking and debiting the costs on our pre-paid card.

On our second day in the City we took a dinner cruise around the harbour. Near the entrance to the Harbour lies Fort Denison completed in 1887 a formal penal site it was used as solitary confinement for prisoners not toeing the line. Nowadays it is a national heritage site, more used to monitoring tidal patterns and as a navigational aide. Should you wish you could be married there. Along the shores we saw the Royal Sydney Yacht club, of which the Duke of Edinburgh is patron. Our ferry navigated each of the coves and bays as we tucked into a two course lunch of Barramundi or Tenderloin followed by chocolate bombs or lime cheesecake. A narrator provided points of interest and stories of past events surrounding the harbour, while we sat a top of the boat enjoying the scenery along with a chilled glass of sav blanc.

As we sailed back to Wharf 6 at Circular Quay we observed Admiralty House home to the Governor of Sydney, guns still evident from the gardens pointing out to the harbour to protect the owner, redundant now and like large cigars propped against the wheels long extinguished and forgotten. Port Jackson, once home to the aboriginal people of Sydney welcomes around 2 500 ships a year into the harbour which is 9 km deep even at low tide. In Welsh bay we heard of the importance it played in the development of Sydney as a busy wharf area where cargo was loaded and unloaded and how in the early 1900 the bubonic plague took its toll decimating the area. The wharfs lay derelict for many years but have been revitalised in pursuit of prime locations within the City, it is here Russel Crowe’s apartment worthy some 13$ AUD is located, with his super yacht moored along side. The revitalisation of the wharf’s largely occupied by art and cultural exhibitors are there for everyone to enjoy, with theatre, 99 art galleries, bars and restaurants.

As our boat transversed the harbour back to our dock, we caught sight of the two icons of the harbour; the Sydney Opera House and the Bridge. Soon we would see both of these icons up close…. one a bit closer than the other.