Sydney - Double Bay

Robin has a a part-time job at a shop that sells paper and other stuff that I would never buy. It's in Double Bay, one of the most ritzy suburbs in Sydney.

 We took a bus from the city out to Double Bay and we were intrigued by the chandeliers in this shop window.

 Distinguished looking pub. Before random breath testing arrived, pubs played a huge part in the Australian male life. Many men would stop in for a beer or two after work and so the pubs were quite large to accommodate the crowds. The arrival of TV put a dent in these crowds, but the RBT really was the nail in the coffin for many pubs.

 Robin inside the shop where she works. That's a nifty apron, isn't it.

Rather than take the bus back into the city, we walked down to the water to take the ferry.

 It's a quiet sort of harbour beach on a week day. The bay is lined by expensive houses and high rise apartments.

 The bay is crowded with boats of various descriptions.

 Boat shed with a cafe. I might say that coffee in Australian big cities is pretty good.

 This bird had a good wash in the water and then flew up onto this pole and started to preen and dry itself. Suddenly it had enough and flew quickly away.

If the video turns out, it should show the bird shaking itself dry.

 The catamaran ferry arrived.

Ferry is such a civilized way to travel around a big city.

Sydney Harbour walk - Bradleys Head

On a beautiful morning we decided it was a great day to do a walk beside the harbour. We set out to walk around Cremorne Point but it was going to take a while for a bus to come. So we decided to go to Taronga Zoo on an earlier bus and do the walk around Bradleys Head. A map can be found here.

 The upper entrance to the Taronga Zoo that can be reached by bus. There is another entrance down the hill where the ferry arrives.

 After a short walk down the road from the bus stop we came to the entrance to the walking path around the peninsula.

 Almost immediately you start to see the harbour through the trees.

 And there it is in all its glory. In the photo directly above you can see the vertical cliff that marks the North Head.

 It's mostly rocky with a few areas of sandy beach.

 Tourist boat. It's cheaper to use the public ferries but if you only have limited time, the tourist boat probably works out better.

 The lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula.

 An Eastern Water Dragon sunning itself.

 The foremast of the Australian cruiser, HMAS Sydney.

 The views from Bradleys Head are pretty special because the Harbour turns west at this point. It's possible to see the Heads as well as the Harbour Bridge.

 We wondered what the column was doing stuck out there. Eventually we found a plaque with the story. In 1847 a General Post Office was erected that included six Doric columns. The building was demolished in 1863 and the columns were preserved. This one was positioned exactly one mile from the Martello tower on Fort Denison (close to Circular Quay). Vessels could then use this measured distance to provide an accurate sea trial measurement.

 As you might imagine, a popular wedding spot, but everybody needs to arrive by boat.

 Another dragon.

 It was mostly downhill but occasionally there were steps to climb. We were glad we had brought some water and a hat would have been good.

The wake of one of the jet boats that takes tourists on a wild ride on the harbour.

 Interesting rocks.

 A secluded beach.

 The jetty at the harbour entrance to the Zoo with a ferry approaching. It's a major tourist attraction.

 The old jetty for the Zoo.

 We probably saw a couple of dozen dragons and probably heard but did not see another dozen or so. Most of them scurried off, but some held their ground.

 After a bit of a rest at the Zoo jetty, we continued on towards Little Sirius Cove. The cove was the site of Curlew Camp which was a popular painting spot for some of Australia's famous painters of the late 19th century.

 It's a more strenuous walk but still worth doing for the spectacular views.

 Old boat shed.

 You are probably wondering how the boats stay in position and don't slide off. It's magic, that's all.

 Sirius Cove with its beach.

 The water was very shallow and there were numerous dogs in the water having a wonderful time with their owners.

 We then proceeded up the hill to cross over to Mossman Bay. This was very tough work in the heat and not something we want to repeat. Lots of steps and hill climbing and not too much new to see except expensive houses with magnificent views.

 Finally we arrived at the Mossman Bay ferry jetty where we bought ice-creams that tasted really good after all the walking. Fortunately there was also a bus that took us back up the hill to the main drag, Military Road and close to where we were staying.

 So it was a really good walk. Probably the best part was Bradleys Head because of the views in different directions and it is easier than the other sections of the walk.