Australia's
First City -
Australia's best known city is spread around
the bays and inlets of Port Jackson. Sydney’s
most famous landmarks the Opera House and
the Harbour Bridge are in the heart of
the city. The waters of the harbour are
home to commuter ferries, cruise ships,
speed boats and yachts. Sydney’s
foreshore stretches nearly 250km around
the bay. The Pacific Ocean laps world famous
surf beaches such as Manly and Bondi. |
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| Harbour
City - The
pride and joy of Sydney is its magnificent harbour.
Hundreds of bays, coves and beaches
and waterways contribute to one of the world’s
most beautiful cities. The ultimate way to capture
the excitement is from the water. Lining the
shores of the harbour are extensive green parklands
and botanic gardens. Elegant sandstone buildings
add charm and atmosphere to the Rocks, the oldest
part of Sydney where you can enjoy shopping and
entertainment. Circular Quay is the hub of Sydney’s
water traffic where buskers gather to entertain
passers-by. At the head of Sydney Harbour are
the towering cliffs of North and South Heads.
Amazing city views from the bluff along with
the pounding of the surf makes this an impressive
place to admire the glory of Sydney. |
| Opera
House - Located on Bennelong
Point. It is very significant that it is
called Bennelong Point as it was named after
Bennelong the first Aboriginal who chose
to speak English. As a result, Governor Philip
built a 12 foot square sandstone home on
Bennelong point for Bennelong to live in,
and it was occupied on and off for 3 years.
The first use of Bennelong point by the Europeans
was for cattle grazing, and when Governor
Macquarie arrived he was quite worried that
Sydney did not have a fort, so he built Fort
Macquarie there which stood for almost 100
years. |
 |
| Tramsheds
for Sydney were then built on the site. In 1957
there was a worldwide competition held to find
a design for the Sydney Opera House– prize
winner’s name was Joern Utzon. It took
14 years to build and was opened in 1973. |
Cremorne
Point / Bradley’s Head -
You will see a granite pole in water off Bradley’s
Head, it came from the first General Post office
in Martin Place in 1880. From this pole to Fort
Denison measures exactly 1 nautical mile, it
is the only measurement on Sydney Harbour of
its kind. Also located at Bradley’s Head
is the mast from the first HMAS Sydney that sank
a German vessel off the Cocos islands during
WWI. There have been 4 HMAS Sydney’s in
the navy. The 2nd was sunk in WWII and never
found.
Bradley’s Head bristles with military
history. When four American warships arrived
in Sydney Harbour undetected in 1839, Sydneysiders
began to feel vulnerable. Convict labourers
built a battery on Bradleys Head, and a circular
parapet was installed some years later. Defensive
ditches were then added in the late-19th century,
after British troops left Sydney. You can see
the original timber gun carriage and slide
from this period - along with remnants of the
earlier fortifications - on the Bradleys Head
walking tracks. |
| Watson's
Bay -
Watsons Bay offers some fabulous walks to
South Head
and an
even better `watering hole’ (the Watson’s
Bay Hotel) to quench your thirst on your
return. South Head is well known for its
sandstone cliffs and rugged scenery. You
can explore the headland's historic forts
and lighthouse or go on a walk around the
lookouts. You'll see different angles of
the harbour from a variety of lookouts on
the South Head Heritage Trail, which starts
from Camp Cove in Watsons Bay. |
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| Follow
the path over the 1870s cobblestone road, past
Lady Bay Beach and onto the headland. Here, you
can see the 19th-century Hornby Lighthouse and
the lightkeepers' cottages, and walk around the
historic gun emplacements. Enjoy the view, then
retrace your steps back to Watsons Bay |
| Lane
Cove River -
The Lane Cove River is a beautiful and little-known
corner of Sydney with hills on both sides covered
with beautiful homes, and quiet water views.
Along the southern side lies Hunters Hill with
over 300 heritage-listed homes in what became
Sydney’s first suburb in the mid-1800’s.
By contrast, while the north shore of the river
today offers prestigious suburbs like Riverview
and Lane Cove, it was once the haunt of escaped
convicts and on-the-run criminals who holed up
in the caves there to evade capture – in
fact what we call Burns Bay now was once Murdering
Bay! |
| The
Rocks - This is the
site of the First European settlement.
Male convicts were sent ashore on the 26th January
1788. It took them 3 weeks to chop down the trees,
built lean-tos and dig out sandstone to set up
ovens. Only then were the female convicts and children
allowed to come and join them. This living museum
of early British settlement has a lot to offer,
from street entertainment and one of Sydney’s
best weekend markets, to historic sites, walking
tours and parks. |
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| The
Observatory and the Harbour Bridge pylons are
also located here. Many of the city’s best
pubs and eateries are found here, as well as
it is a great shopping area. |
| Parramatta
River - The Parramatta River is very different – flatter land to the south with
large bays such as Hen and Chicken Bay and Five Dock Bay. Where large industrial
sites once sprawled in their ugliness, modern housing developments are mushrooming. |
Captain
Cook Cruises - Sydney Harbour Destination Information
