Tag Archives: travel photography

Gallery

Fun Photo Friday — Sydney Harbour Favorites

Sydney Harbour Bridge at dusk

Heading toward The Rocks

Stuck in TIme

Beneath the Bridge

Lampposts, Tourists, and Texting

Kayaking the Harbour

Taking the Taxi to the Opera

Comments Off on Fun Photo Friday — Sydney Harbour Favorites

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

Comments Off on The Cockles of Sydney’s Heart — Cockle Bay

Filed under Photography, R. Doug Wicker, travel

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

November 3, 2014 · 5:35 am

The Quay to the City — Sydney’s Circular Quay

A look back from the Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Making our way back around Sydney Cove we approach Circular Quay. Let’s face it — our Commonwealth cousins around the world really can’t spell. Never could. Never will. If ‘quay’ (a platform extending into the water used to the loading and unloading of watercraft) were spelled as it is pronounced, it would be ‘key.’ Which reminds me of a little story from my stint in England back in the ’70s. An English gentleman corrected my pronunciation of the word ‘schedule.’ “It’s pronounced, ‘shed-jewel’,” he admonished. To which I replied, “Did you learn that in ‘shoe-well’?”

Looking across Sydney Cove from the Sydney Opera House

Inside Sydney Harbour is Sydney Cove, which is bounded by Bennelong Point to the east and The Rocks area to the west. Bennelong Point is home to the Sydney Opera House, whereas The Rocks serves as the southern anchor for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, a.k.a. “The Coat Hanger Bridge.” At the southernmost portion of Sydney Cove lies Circular Quay it’s five wharfs, numbered 2 through 6. Our Commonwealth cousins aren’t very good at counting either, it would appear.

Along Circular Quay approaching “The Rocks”

Just kidding. There actually is a very small jetty along the eastern edge of Sydney Cove that is used by water taxis, but it’s totally separate from the five main jetties. You can see the smaller “No. 1 Wharf” in this photo. It’s the white and green platform extending out into Sydney Cove just to the right of the gabled orange roof structure and white umbrellas.

Approaching downtown from Bennelong Point

Sydney Cove is a very vibrant and dynamic area teeming with vendors, food stands, ferry traffic, and lots of sights to photograph — not least of which are the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney “Coat Hanger” Harbor Bridge.

Along Circular Quay approaching “The Rocks”

Oh, and did I mention the abundant wildlife?