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Sydney II · 2017

2017 Sydney II 1

Red-roofed houses and a crane look down on a runway where two jets rest by the water.
The grinning face of Luna Park gazes out over the water toward the high-rise city. The Norwegian Jewel cruise ship sits beneath the great steel arch of the harbour bridge. The green and gold ferry Bungaree carries passengers across the harbour water. A massive stone tower of the harbour bridge rises above palms and the foreshore. Twin Australian flags snap in the wind high above the steel arch of the harbour bridge. A white yacht leans ahead under full sail on choppy blue water. The stone fort and light tower of Pinchgut Island stand alone amid the harbour water. An old sandstone harbourside building with a slate roof shelters under a huge fig tree above the water. A cream Georgian mansion with arched colonnade and verandah sits on a lawn among tall trees. Red reminder signs on a rocky outcrop sit before blue water and a hillside packed with red-roofed homes. Vegetated pinkish cliffs with shrubs and palms drop steeply to clear turquoise water. A suburban harbourside with a terracotta-roofed villa and a green wharf shed lines the wooded eastern shore. Glass-fronted townhouses and a red apartment block perch on a green slope above a stone seawall. A cylindrical sandstone fort with a wooden jetty stands in the blue water of the harbour. Two silver gulls with red bills and legs stand on a green painted surface near blue water. A fast rigid inflatable boat churns white water in front of a green Sydney ferry. An old green cannon sits among weathered stone walls and a tall palm. A round stone lighthouse-topped fort sits on a rocky islet before the city towers. A cream-and-green ferry powers across sparkling water toward a forested shore. The great arch of the Harbour Bridge looms behind a round stone fort on the water. A bright striped sail drifts above a little white dinghy on blue water. A strip of pale sand lies between blue water and a forested hillside of homes. A green-and-white speedboat streams across the water toward a bush-lined beach. A white motor yacht glides across sparkling blue water past a tree-covered headland and a tall signal mast. White tents and crowds gather on a rocky point with high-rise towers and cranes rising behind. A green hillside dotted with houses and purple jacaranda trees slopes to a beach and deep blue water. Grand waterfront homes and apartment blocks climb a green hill above the harbour water. A terracotta-roofed mansion crowns a wooded headland above water, with a crane rising behind. A hillside packed with red-roofed houses and trees falls to a rocky shore and blue water. Deep blue harbour water stretches to a wooded headland and low buildings on the far shore. A white single-engine seaplane with landing floats soars against a clear blue sky. People stroll and fish along a stone sea wall beneath wooded cliffs. The HMAS Sydney lookout mast rises above a rocky, tree-covered shore. A powerboat races across blue water in front of a green hillside. A sunny suburb spills to the water, framed by a crane and moored yachts. White sails and a small motorboat dot the water before a distant harbour town. A lone palm leans over a rocky shore, sandstone ledge, and small ocean pool. Rocks and palms crown a green point backed by a suburb and church tower. Skyscrapers, led by the tall Sydney Tower, rise above a harbour ferry terminal. The white shells of the Opera House rise above blue harbour water dotted with sailboats. A white navigation beacon sits on a rocky outcrop with the Opera House's sails behind a green headland. A steep slope of green scrub drops to a rocky shoreline beside blue water. A small yellow wharf complex sits on the shore backed by a wooded hillside. Sunbathers enjoy a small sandy beach tucked under hillside homes. A weathered pier with shade shelters stretches across the water beneath a forested headland. Rocky red headland topped with scrub drops into a deep blue sea. A sheltered beach curves beneath towering pine trees and coastal homes. A weathered concrete building sits half-buried in dense green scrub on a wild headland. A tall palm rises beside red-roofed cream cottages set above a rocky foreshore and blue sea. A sheltered sandy beach nestles beneath a green hillside crowned by two tall pine trees. Two people stand on a sandstone platform beneath pale, horizontally-bedded cliffs topped with scrub. Two walkers pick their way across a layered sandstone ledge beneath scrub-covered cliffs. Visitors pick their way across a rugged sandstone platform at the foot of scrubby cliffs. The white racing yacht Dare Devil leans through choppy blue water, crew in red and white working the deck. A white flybridge motor cruiser throws a frothy wake as it races across the water toward a built-up shoreline. A red navigation beacon stands on a craggy headland above the blue sea. A great slab of cliff drops into bright blue water. Sandy cliffs and a white lighthouse overlook the water. A rocky headland overlooks a marina crowded with sailboats. A few sailboats dot an empty blue horizon. Layered cliffs give way to apartments above the water. A harbour ferry crosses in front of the city skyline. Waterfront houses line a bay above the blue water. A white motorboat churns across blue water toward a dense harbourside skyline. White sails scatter across blue water beneath a skyline of harbour towers. A rugged sandstone cliff face with layered rock overhangs the water. A white sailboat glides past a bush-covered sandstone cliff. People stand on flat rock ledges at the foot of a cliff, fishing. A quiet sandy beach at the edge of a forested cove. Terraced houses rise through trees above a small harbour beach. Red brick houses overlook a rocky shore with a small beach. A fenced boardwalk curves around a calm blue cove busy with swimmers and moored boats. Two white boats drift on the glassy turquoise water of a hidden cove. Sailboats and cruisers rest on deep blue water beside a wooded shore. Boats criss-cross the harbour beneath a skyline on the far horizon. A large white cruiser sits on the turquoise water of a bush-framed cove. A bright blue sign warns beachgoers about a protected little penguin colony. Sunlight filters through a tangle of trees and undergrowth. A sandy footpath meanders through ferns beside a large moss-covered rock. Sandy harbour beach edged by calm blue water and moored sailboats under a bright sky. Bank of red-flowering shrubs leans over a small sandy cove sheltered by green bush. A sandy path threads between thin eucalypt trunks in dappled bushland shade. A lizard basks on shaded sandy ground amid scattered green leaves. Thick green foliage surrounds a dark tree trunk rising from the bushland floor. Pale eucalypt trunks stand over rocky boulders beside a dirt trail in the bush. A carpet of ferns spreads beneath two tall eucalypt trunks in deep shade. Thin trees rise from a thick tangle of scrub, ferns and dry grasses. Green ferns and scrub frame a vast blue ocean beneath a clear sky. Tree ferns stand against a hazy city skyline across a bright blue harbour. The distant city skyline glows across blue water behind a canopy of tree ferns. Dense coastal scrub slopes down toward a blue ocean and a far headland. A sweeping blue bay with sailboats and a far city skyline on the horizon. White surf bursts into turquoise water from a lichen-streaked cliff ledge. A bright blue bay sweeps past red-roofed suburbs and a rocky headland on the right. A dense tangle of grey dry twigs laced with fresh green leaves fills the frame. Green shrubs and silvery bare branches fill the frame under a clear blue sky. Wind-sculpted leafless branches frame the deep blue ocean beyond. A thick grey trunk crosses a web of fine green branchlets. Cylindrical golden banksia blooms rise among dark seed cones. Striking red spiky blooms open among narrow green leaves. Two red, pointed flowers stand out among the olive-green leaves. Leafless grey branches crisscross above a tangle of green undergrowth. A thick twisted branch reaches across a sunlit scrub-covered hillside. A single white star-shaped wildflower stands out among grey twigs and green coastal scrub. A domed rosette of grass-like leaves rises with a single dark flower spike in dry bushland. Gnarled Banksia branches loaded with dark seed cones reach into a clear blue sky. A dark, gnarled Banksia tree stands leafless on a green hillside beneath a deep blue sky. Twisted Banksia trees stand in green heathland, framing a strip of blue ocean on the horizon. A sandy trail curves through low green and grey coastal heathland under a clear sky. Fine, feathery green leaflets fill the frame in a dense, layered close-up. Bright pink fluffy flowers cling to a branch of green needle-like leaves. A patch of dense green coastal bushland dotted with tiny white blooms. Brilliant green fern fronds crowd together in dense coastal vegetation. A tangle of fern and foliage with a weathered branch lying among the green. Spiky brown banksia seed cones hang from a leafy branch. A dried, opened banksia cone shows its woody seed follicles. Erect dark flower spikes rise above low green coastal scrub. Deep blue ocean stretches from a grassy headland where a lone sailboat passes. A vivid red bottlebrush flower pops against the surrounding green ferns. A vivid red flower stands out among dense green bushland. Golden seed-head grasses rise from a sunny open bushland clearing. Bare grey-barked trees rise out of a thick carpet of low green shrubs. Gnarled twisted boughs climb from a sunlit bed of vivid green growth. Soft white blooms cluster on a delicate needle-leaved Australian shrub. Low green shrubs and pale bare trees cover a sloped stretch of yellow-flowered coastal heath. Fresh green shoots push up around darkened trunks and standing dry grass. Bright purple-pink fluffy blooms crown a small sunlit native shrub. A bright red bottlebrush bloom glows against dense needle-like green leaves. A small pale pink wildflower with fine stamens rises from soft-focus green scrub. A grevillea spider flower fans its curved pink-grey petals out from a deep red centre. A shrub is laden with clusters of fluffy white, cream-tipped blooms among needle-like leaves. A sandstone war memorial bears the carved words WORLD WAR I above a paved bronze-inlaid courtyard. A red-brick walkway curves between trimmed hedges and stone structures, with a wooden bench to the side. A sun-bleached small-animal skull and scattered bones lie on dry, leaf-strewn forest ground. A pale sandy track winds between low green shrubs and scattered trees under a blue sky. A sunlit sandy path passes between rough stone walls. A whitewashed coastal hut sits surrounded by native bushland. A small white boat crosses the blue ocean beyond green scrub. Stairs drop through scrubland toward a bright blue ocean. A stone church with a tower hides behind evergreen pines. A blooming pink oleander fills the frame beside a residential building. Cars line a curved road beneath red-tiled roofs and palm trees. Norfolk pines shade a surf club and boats at a beach reserve. Golden sand covered with crowds, umbrellas and red-yellow lifesaving flags beside white surf. A group stands on paddleboards in blue water in front of a stone seawall. Sailboats and motor cruisers ride blue water before a small sandy beach. A crowded boardwalk with umbrellas fronts a row of apartments and tall pines. Modern houses sit on sandstone ledges with stairways leading down to the water. A thatched shelter and a waterslide sit among palms above a shallow shore. A long blue ship with a white superstructure sails across blue water. A sheer cliff face rises from the sea, topped with a lighthouse and clifftop homes. Rugged golden cliffs jut into a sparkling blue sea dotted with boats. A lone sailboat glides across a vast, empty blue ocean. A green-and-yellow ferry passes a massive blue cargo ship near a red-roofed suburb. A white lighthouse stands on a green hill above a golden beach and red-roofed homes. People in hooded jackets cheer as their small boat races through the spray. Sleek white superyachts rest on calm blue water before a wooded city shoreline. A white pile lighthouse rises from the water beside a sailboat and a green shore. Dense green bush and rocky shores lead up to houses on a wooded headland. A huge blue cargo ship glides past a small tugboat on deep blue water. A white motorboat zips across the water with sailboats before a hillside suburb. A white cabin cruiser races past a rugged green headland on deep blue water. A small boat carrying several people rides the blue harbor water. A white lighthouse stands on a rock point ringed by tall pines. High-rise apartments line the shore as sailboats race on blue water. A man drives a speedboat that throws up a huge white spray. Sydney's skyline rises with its slender observation tower high above. A black-sailed racing yacht with a golden winged emblem crosses the harbour. The blue supply ship PIONEER glides past a forested headland. A grey guided-missile destroyer rests at the quay with city cranes behind. A sandstone wharf building with arched green doors meets a timber jetty. A bright yellow water taxi leaves a white wake across the harbour. The sail-shaped roofs of the Sydney Opera House rise above the harbour. A sandstone fort topped by a lighthouse stands alone on its harbour island. A wide harbour view frames an island fort on the right and a big ship on the left. High-rise skyline, cruise ship and ferry on Sydney's blue harbour. Crowds with luggage wait beneath holiday garlands at the airport terminal. A lit Christmas tree with a striped base shines in a dark public square.
Journal Notes

General

The second stay in Sydney was a harbour holiday. The city is built around water in a way that no other Australian city manages, and after a few weeks in the desert the effect is almost disorienting: ferries run like buses, the beaches face the ocean within the city limits, and a boat trip of half an hour passes islands, forts, a funfair and two of the most recognisable buildings in the world.

The arrival was by air, and the last minutes of the flight are the best advertisement the city has. The aircraft comes in over the southern suburbs, crosses the coastline at low altitude with the beaches and the rock platforms visible below, and lands on a runway that runs out into the water with red roofed houses and a crane at the end of it. The terminal, in the middle of December, was hung with Christmas garlands.

The first full day began with a ferry and never really left the water. The boat crossed the harbour past the Opera House and the bridge, passed a cruise ship the size of a small town moored at Circular Quay, and put in at a wharf on the north shore. From the water the city looks like what it is: a working port with a skyline attached, and the ferries are the cheapest way to see it.

The evening belonged to the harbour as well. The lights came on in the towers, the ferries kept running, and the Christmas tree in one of the city squares was lit with a crowd around it. In the southern hemisphere the festival arrives in the hottest weeks of the year, and Sydney celebrates it accordingly: outdoors, on the water, and late into the evening.

The city in December is a study in how a festival is adapted to a climate. Christmas trees stand in the squares, the shops are decorated, the carols are sung by choirs in the open air, and none of it has anything to do with snow. The temperature on the harbour was in the middle twenties and the water was warm enough for a long swim, and the crowds on the ferries were dressed for the beach. It is the same festival, moved six months out of phase, and the city has made its peace with the contradiction.

History

Sydney Harbour has been the centre of the city since the first fleet anchored in it in 1788. The water that made the settlement possible also made it rich, and the evidence is scattered across the harbour: wharves, fortifications, shipyards, a naval base and a string of islands that have been used for almost everything at some point in their history.

The most interesting of those islands is the small sandstone one in the middle of the harbour. Fort Denison is a former penal site and defensive facility on an islet about a kilometre east of the Opera House, and it carries three names: the Eora names Mattewanye and Muddawahnyuh, the English name Pinchgut, and the name of the governor after whom the fort was called. In 1788 a convict was sentenced to a week on bread and water there in irons, and the nickname Pinchgut came from the punishment. The islet was levelled by convict labour and the fort was designed by the colonial engineer George Barney and built between 1840 and 1862, with a Martello tower that is one of the last of its kind built anywhere in the world. It is now part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, and it still carries the time gun, the navigation lights and a tide gauge.

On the northern shore, at Milsons Point, the other landmark of the harbour is a face. Luna Park was built in 1935, about six hundred metres from the northern approach to the Harbour Bridge, and its grinning entrance has been part of the city’s image ever since. The park has had a difficult history, closing and reopening several times, but the face and the heritage listed rides are still there, and the view back across the water to the bridge and the city is worth the ferry fare on its own.

The Opera House and the Harbour Bridge need no introduction, and both are best seen from the water. The bridge was opened in 1932, the Opera House in 1973, and between them they defined the shape of the harbour for the twentieth century. The naval base on Garden Island, the passenger terminal at Circular Quay and the cruise ships that now fill the western side of the cove are the twenty first century version of the same arrangement: a harbour that exists to be used, and to be looked at while it is being used.

The history of the harbour is also a history of what has been taken out of it. The oyster beds of the early colony were worked until they were exhausted, the whaling and sealing industries used the harbour as a base, the shipyards of the inner west built everything from ferries to warships, and the water itself carried the sewage and the industrial waste of a growing city for a century before the clean up of the 1970s and 1980s. The harbour that looks natural from a ferry is a managed environment, and the management is the reason the water is now clear enough to swim in.

Geology

The harbour is the flooded valley of a river, and its shape is the shape of the drainage that existed when the sea was much lower. The Parramatta River and its tributaries cut their channels through the sandstone during the ice ages, and when the ice melted and the ocean rose by more than a hundred metres, the sea came up the valleys and drowned them. What is left is a harbour with deep channels, shallow flats, drowned hills that stand as islands, and a shoreline of hundreds of kilometres.

The rock on both sides of the water is the Hawkesbury sandstone, a Middle Triassic formation laid down in the Sydney Basin around two hundred and forty million years ago. It is a quartz rich sandstone, thick bedded and jointed, and it gives the harbour its characteristic shoreline: vertical cliffs at the heads, horizontal ledges at the water’s edge, and platforms of bare rock that appear at low tide. The stone is also the city’s building material, which is why the older parts of Sydney and the cliffs of the harbour look as though they were cut from the same block.

The islands of the harbour are the tops of drowned hills, and Fort Denison is the one that was cut down to size. The islet was originally a sandstone rock more than fifteen metres high, and convicts levelled it in the 1840s to make a platform for the fort. The harbour also holds tidal flats, seagrass beds and rocky reefs, and the water is clean enough in most places to see the bottom in five metres. The tide runs in and out twice a day, and the ferries, the swimmers and the fishermen all organise their lives around it.

On the ocean side the same sandstone meets the swell of the Tasman Sea, and the beaches of the eastern suburbs are the result. Sand accumulates in the bays between sandstone headlands, the headlands themselves are cut into platforms and cliffs, and the coastal walk that links the beaches gives access to a geological cross section that runs for kilometres. It is one of the few capital cities in the world where a walk on the coast is also a walk through the rock record.

One more geological feature of the harbour is worth noticing from the water: the colour and the clarity of the water change with the tide, the rain and the depth. The outer harbour is blue and clear because it is flushed by the ocean twice a day, the upper reaches are greener and warmer because the tide takes longer to reach them, and after heavy rain the whole system carries the sediment of the catchment out through the heads. The ferries cross all of it, and the passengers get a lesson in estuarine circulation for the price of a ticket.

Things to See

The ferries are the first thing to use and the best value in the city. The routes radiate from Circular Quay, the boats are comfortable, and the fares are the same as a train ticket. The ferry to Manly crosses the harbour and passes through the heads, the route to Parramatta runs up the river past the Olympic site, and the cross harbour services connect the zoo, the north shore suburbs and the city. The fleet itself is worth noticing: the boats have names from the history of the colony, including that of Bungaree, the Aboriginal leader who sailed with Matthew Flinders and was a well known figure in the early town.

Fort Denison is reached by ferry or by tour from Circular Quay, and the visit is short and unusual. The island carries the fort, the Martello tower with its thick walls, the gun that was fired at one o’clock to mark the time, and a tide gauge that has been recording the harbour’s water levels for more than a century. From the top of the tower the whole harbour is laid out: the bridge and the Opera House to the west, the heads to the east, and the islands and the naval base in between.

Luna Park is a short walk from the ferry wharf at Milsons Point and a short ferry ride from Circular Quay. The entrance face, the wooden rides and the view back towards the city make the place worth an hour even for someone who does not intend to go on anything. Beside it, the walk across the Harbour Bridge, on the footpath that runs along the eastern side, takes about twenty minutes and is one of the best free experiences in the country.

The other half of the harbour is the national park that covers its islands and headlands. The islands can be visited by ferry in the summer, the headlands have walks along the cliffs, and the beaches of the eastern suburbs and the north shore are all within reach of public transport. Watsons Bay, at the entrance to the harbour, is the classic destination: a ferry trip, a walk to the lighthouse at South Head, and a view of the open ocean with nothing between it and New Zealand.

The city itself is worth a day between the ferry trips. The Royal Botanic Garden runs along the water east of the Opera House, the Rocks holds the oldest buildings of the colony, and the shopping streets in December are decorated for a Christmas that arrives in the middle of summer. The light at the end of the day, when the towers turn gold and the ferries keep crossing, is the reason the harbour appears in so many views of the country: it is not a monument but a working waterway that happens to be beautiful.

References

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