Tag Archives: R. Doug Wicker

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Fun Photo Friday — Sydney Harbour Favorites

Kayaking the Harbour

Heading toward The Rocks

Stuck in TIme

Beneath the Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge at dusk

Lampposts, Tourists, and Texting

Taking the Taxi to the Opera

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November 7, 2014 · 5:35 am

November 5, 2014 · 5:35 am

The Cockles of Sydney’s Heart — Cockle Bay

Darling Harbour in Cockle Bay

Sydney is one of the great walking cities of the world, in my view. I absolutely love strolling around every bit of it. One of nooks and crannies not to be missed is Cockle Bay, site of Darling Harbour and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Darling Harbour ferry terminal

A short walk west from Sydney’s central business district will take you to Cockle Bay, and you can then walk across the bay using the Pyrmont Bridge — a pedestrian swing bridge that was closed off to vehicular traffic in 1981. Unfortunately the monorail system that traversed the bridge along elevated tracks to connect the central business district with Darling Harbour was decommissioned June of last year and subsequently removed.

Pyrmont Bridge

Once you cross the Pyrmont Bridge you’ll arrive at Darling Harbor.

Beneath Pyrmont Bridge on the Darling Harbour side of Cockle Bay

Take a few moments to visit the sights and perhaps even take a tour of the Harbourside Shopping Centre for some interesting shops and fun-looking restaurants.

Harbourside Shopping Centre

But when you decide to go back, forgo a return trip on the Pyrmont Bridge and instead hoof it around the bay. It’s not that long a walk, and you’ll see other interesting shops, clubs, bars, and restuarants along the way.

Looking across Cockle Bay from Darling Harbour

Strolling along Cockle Bay’s eastern shore back toward the business center

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Filed under Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel

Tagged as Cockle Bay, photography, R. Doug Wicker, Sydney, travel, travel photography, Ursula Wicker

October 29, 2014 · 5:35 am

Sydney — Home of “The Coat Hanger”

Eight traffic lanes, two rail lines, bicycle and pedestrian lanes covering almost ¾ of a mile!

Remember when I called the Sydney Opera House, “one of Sydney’s most recognizable landmarks?” Well, here’s another one. It’s one of the most recognizable bridges in the world, right up there with the Brooklyn Bridge and the Golden Gate. It’s the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and it’s the tallest as well as the sixth longest spanning-arch bridge on the planet. It also goes by the moniker “Coathanger Bridge,” but only because our Commonwealth cousins are lousy at spelling (more on this shortcoming in a later blog) and tend to run the words ‘coat’ and ‘hanger’ together as one.

Dawes Park view of the Coat Hanger’

The four anchoring pylons alone — one pair at either end of the bridge — are 292 feet/89 meters tall. I use the term “anchoring” in an aesthetic sense, as they really serve no engineering purpose. They were added to the plans as an afterthought to give the bridge a more sturdy appearance. Apparently there were public concerns about the structural integrity of so long and ambitious a span, so the solution was to add a beefier visual feature at either end of the bridge. They do have their purposes now, however. Housed within them are a museum, a tourist center, and lookout platforms.

But why use a lookout platform when you can climb to the top of the span? Don’t believe me? Take a look: