Harbour Day

No visit to Sydney is complete without a Harbour Day! Sydney Harbour, perhaps more properly Port Jackson, is one of the most beautiful natural harbours anywhere in the world. Not that I’m biased! Sydney was founded on its shores, at what is now Circular Quay AKA Sydney Cove. On my way out, I snapped a few photos of the Hurstville New Church property and tried my hand at selfies, with way less than stellar results. I need a selfie-stick!

Hurstville New Church and Manse (Pastor’s residence)

Baringa and Church

Selfie experiment, outside Baringa

Circular Quay, which is usually buzzing with people who work right there in the city’s Central Business District, and tourists, and runners, and people doing a Harbour Day, was extra energised because it was the Chinese New Year. Now it’s the Year of the Dog, characterised by loyalty and honesty. Circular Quay was all decked out for the holiday, including representations of all 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac.

From Circular Quay I caught a (passenger) ferry across the Harbour to Manly Beach. Ferries have been an integral part of the Sydney public transport system since the very beginning. Taking the Manly ferry and seeing the notable sights on the Harbour was something I’ve been doing since childhood. Here’s a sampling:

My favourite restaurant on Circular Quay

Opera House, which was non-existent or under construction until I was in my teens

The two most notable features of Sydney Harbour: Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.

Another typical Harbour ferry passing by in the opposite direction

Sydney Harbour Bridge, which I have walked across many times, and climbed once

Central Business District behind the Opera House

Fort Dennison where incorrigible convicts were sent for solitary confinement. In front of the long vessel to the right there’s a tall ship lending a bit of historic authenticity to the photo.

As a child I always loved watching the water churned up by the ferry. As an adult as well, truthfully.

North and South heads of Sydney Harbour

There are always plenty of sailboats on the harbour

 Once we got to Manly, I enjoyed the traditional fish and chips, walked on my favourite beach but couldn’t swim because of the dangerous currents that day, and did a little shopping on the Corso (walkway and shops between the wharf and the ocean-side beach)

Manly Wharf and “Miriam’s Manly”  – the quiet Harbour-side beach at Manly

Got to have Fish and Chips at the beach!

Relaxing – with a life guard raft and Dangerous Currents sign nearby!

A long walk along the edge of the water, one of my fave beach activities

Love the Norfolk Pines along the footpath next to the beach

Beautiful waves, but only the most experienced surfers could catch them

“Mine! mine! mine!”

The Corso

For dinner, I celebrated Chinese New Year with my friend Huiling Sun (from China) and her son Matthew Cooper. I forgot to take a photo for those who knew Huley and Genghi, as we knew them, when they lived in Bryn Athyn during her husband’s theological school years. Instead, here is a series of selfies. Let me know if you think there’s any purpose to trying to perfect my technique, since it all seems rather hopeless at this point 🙂