Sydney Harbour ... explore the riches and beauty of a stretch of water that, for more than 200 years, has been eulogised as one of the greatest natural harbours in the world.Credit: Ross Duncan
Bruce Elder lays out a plan on how to see the best of Sydney Harbour during a weekend, or longer.
It has always seemed a mystery why anyone buying a house in a town such as Queenscliff or Sorrento would not want "a room with a view". Ideally "a house with a spectacular view". Likewise, why would anyone go to Sydney on holiday and not want to spend most of their time mooching around the shoreline of one of the world's most beautiful harbours?
So here's a plan whereby, using only ferries and walking, you can spend a weekend, a week or even a fortnight in Sydney exploring the riches and beauty of a stretch of water that, for more than 200 years, has been eulogised as one of the greatest natural harbours in the world.
Step one: book a hotel with a view
Of course, they don't come cheap - but they do have great views. You will find rooms at reduced rates if you go to Wotif, Need it Now or Stayz and look for the Sir Stamford, Quay Grand Suites or the Intercontinental, all in Macquarie Street; the Four Seasons in George Street; or the Sebel Pier One in Hickson Road.
There are other hotels around Circular Quay but this elite collection offers rooms with uninterrupted views across the harbour. Make sure you demand a harbour view. You don't want to have a room on the harbour and end up gazing at the office block next door.
High Tea at the Park Hyatt, at The Rocks.Credit: Quentin Jones
Step two: getting there
One of the joys of air travel is that it is cheap and efficient. It is about 90 minutes from Melbourne to Sydney and the competition between airlines is fierce and the prices low.
Virgin Blue, Tiger Airways, Jetstar and Qantas all fly between Melbourne and Sydney. Fares start at $40 one way, including tax, with Tiger and $95 with Qantas.
Check to see whether your hotel offers a bus service from the airport. Otherwise, there is a train to Circular Quay for $15 (see www.airportlink.com.au) and taxis for about $36.
Step three: stepping out
The first and most relaxing thing to do is simply to walk. From Circular Quay the best and easiest walk is around to the Opera House and eastwards into the Royal Botanic Gardens. It would be easy to spend an entire day in the gardens and the adjoining Domain because, apart from endlessly changing views, they have so many attractions.
There is an excellent Sculpture Walk, which includes Brett Whiteley's two-matches piece (Almost Once), a Henry Moore reclining figure and some superb remnants from the city's old sandstone buildings, titled Memory is Creation without End among more than 50 works. See tinyurl.com/69t7mx9 for details.
The gardens also contain what may be Australia's oldest bridge. Behind the cafe in the centre of the gardens is a bridge built so Mrs Macquarie, wife of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, could travel from Government House to her sandstone "chair", now a landmark popular as a site for Japanese weddings.
People feeling sporty can go for a swim in the Andrew Charlton Pool and up the hill from the gardens is the Art Gallery of NSW (see artgallery.nsw.gov.au), which, apart from holding an impressive collection including works by Picasso, Rubens, Canaletto, van Gogh and others, will also feature the best of the 2011 Archibald Prize portraits until June 26.
If that takes one day then a wander through The Rocks can take another day. Although it is one of Sydney's premier tourist attractions, with all kinds of gift shops, restaurants and markets, The Rocks still offers a fascinating insight into the early history of Sydney.
There is a guided walking tour (see rockswalkingtours.com.au) focusing on the significant historic buildings, as well as a number of self-guided tours (see sydneyarchitecture.com/ten-rocks.htm).
No walk around Circular Quay would be complete without going above Circular Quay railway station (a glass lift at the eastern end takes visitors to the road above the station), which not only has dramatic and panoramic views of the quay but also provides direct access to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Walk across the bridge and, if you don't feel like walking back, catch the train from Milsons Point.
And, of course, there is always the bridge climb: it costs $198 during the day, rising to $268 at twilight and $298 if you want to head up at dawn.
Step four: catching ferries
You can spend a fortnight and not exhaust the wide range of harbour walks accessed by ferry. The highlights include:
Fort Denison - sometimes known as "Pinchgut" or "Rock Island". It has regular one-hour guided tours at 10.45am, 12.15pm and 2.30pm. Tours can be booked online; see tinyurl.com/686bwyz or phone Cadmans Cottage on (02) 9247 5033.
The island was originally used as a place of punishment for difficult convicts. As early as 1788, a convict named Thomas Hill was sentenced to a week on bread and water in irons on "the small white rocky island adjacent to this cove". By the 1840s the colony, fearing invasion, had converted the island into a fort and by 1857 the site was manned.
The guided tour provides an insight into the island's history, including the one time it was attacked, albeit accidentally.
Cremorne Point has one of Sydney's most beautiful short walks. Go to Circular Quay Wharf 4, catch the ferry to Cremorne Point (as a general guide, they leave Circular Quay at five minutes before the hour, every hour) and start walking up the hill in a westerly direction. A little way up the road is a signpost with a map of the Cremorne Point Foreshore Walk. An easy three-kilometre circuit of great diversity, it can be done in an hour or a whole day. As you walk this path, you will experience every delight Sydney Harbour can offer. Across the water is the jagged skyline of the central business district. Fort Denison is in the foreground. There are outstanding and unusual views of the Opera House.
Ferries criss-cross the harbour heading to the zoo and Manly. The path is flat and sealed all the way. Highlights include a glorious public garden, created by Lex and Ruby Graham, which tumbles down to the water's edge, and Robertson's Point, which has a children's play area, a lighthouse, pockets of unspoilt bushland and an excess of jaw-dropping views.
Taronga Zoo is not only an excellent zoo but every few minutes, as you descend through the grounds, you catch spectacular glimpses of the harbour. It costs $44 for adults, $22 for children and $31.50 for seniors, pensioners and students. Families of three or more pay $37.50 for the adults and $18.70 for children. See taronga.org.au.
Going to Manly is Sydney's most iconic ferry trip. When the sea is angry and tumultuous, the journey is quite an experience. As the ferry crosses "The Heads" - the open waters between North and South Head at the entrance to the harbour - it heaves and dips. On calm days it is a delightful, lazy trip. Make sure you sit outside and, when you get to Manly, walk through the Corso to the ocean, walk up to North Head (which offers the best harbour views) and leave time for a meal at one of the suburb's many cafes and restaurants.
Step five: special additions
If all this hasn't exhausted you (and, remember, since arriving at your hotel you still haven't had to go near a taxi or a bus) then there are some special treats in store.
If you have ever wondered what life was like on Sydney Harbour before European settlement, the two-hour Tribal Warrior journey from Circular Quay - a short trip to Clark Island, a walking circumnavigation of the island, a commentary and a number of traditional Aboriginal dances on the island shores - is an ideal indigenous introduction to life before 1788.
The Tribal Warrior Association's vessel, the Deerubbun, leaves Circular Quay's Jetty 6B at 1pm each day except Monday and Tuesday. The prices are $60 for adults and $40 for children. You can book through Captain Cook Cruises, see www.captaincook.com.au.
Eating - The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide lists no fewer than 18 restaurants around Circular Quay (including the three-hatted Quay at the Overseas Passenger Terminal), so you can eat superbly every night and walk back to your hotel.
FAST FACTS
Staying there
- Sir Stamford, 93 Macquarie Street, phone (02) 9252 4600, see stamford.com.au.Wotif, Need it Now and Stayz have rooms for as low as $260, rising to $1500.
- Quay Grand Suites, 61 Macquarie Street, phone (02) 9256 4000, see
mirvachotels.com/quay-grand-suites-sydney.Wotif, Need it Now and Stayz
have rooms for as low as $339, rising to $699.
- Intercontinental, 117 Macquarie Street, phone 1800 669 562, see intercontinental.com.Wotif, Need it Now and Stayz have rooms for as low
as $275, rising to $575.
- Four Seasons, 199 George Street, phone (02) 9250 3100, see fourseasons.com/sydney.Wotif, Need it Now and Stayz have rooms for as low as $295, rising to $850.
- Sebel Pier One, 11 Hickson Street, phone (02) 8298 9999, see sebelpierone.com.au.Wotif, Need it Now and Stayz have room for as low as $189, rising to $349.
Touring there
- Ferries, see sydneyferries.info.
- National parks around the harbour, see environment.nsw.gov.au/NationalParks/parkTours.aspx?id=N0039.
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