Harbour Walk 1

 CIRCULAR QUAY - DARLING HARBOUR    

                                         

January 2012

approximately 4km

almost 2 hours 

Sydney Harbour is best seen from a ferry.

                     

But I am walking along the foreshore, around the water’s edge as close as I can get. 

1.1 

Of course my harbour walks start from Circular Quay. 

Here in Sydney Cove the First Fleet landed in 1788, the white settlement, mainly convicts, began and the first contacts with Aborigines were made. 

 Sydney’s ferries  go from here. 

When we saw Circular Quay first in November 1961 it looked quite different.

 The AMP Building was then going to be the tallest building then.

Where the Opera House stands now was then just a building site.

1.2 

Along the walkway of Circular Quay are many plaques with quotes by famous people praising Sydney Harbour.

Often one can enjoy Aboriginal groups playing the didgeridoo here.

                                                                          

               

On the other side of the of the railway station is the old Custom House. It houses now a library with an international newspaper reading room and restaurants of course. But most interesting is the model of the City of Sydney displayed there. 

1.3 

Going along the western side of Circular Quay a big building dominates the scene, the old Maritime Services Board.

 In 1991 it became the Museum of Contemporary Art.  Currently an extension is being added to the MCA. Entree is free, except for some special exhibitions. It is a nice place to relax and see some modern art works.

1.4 

A little further on is one of the oldest building in Sydney, Cadman’s Cottage. It was built in 1816 and is now the information centre for National Parks. 

The Wollemi Pine, that ‘dinosaur of plants’ put recently in front  is for me more interesting than the nearby statue of the infamous Captain Blight.

1.5 

Opposite is the International Overseas Terminal.

One can walk up to the look-out on the northern end and also to the top deck, if no Cruiser has anchored.

Right next to it are the old Ware Houses, now posh restaurants. 

1.6 

Soon one is straight under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 

It started to rain, luckily I had my $2-rain poncho in my bag.

And around to Walsh Bay. 

The old wharf buildings are now used as hotel, for dance and theatre performances, as exhibition space and of course more cafes and restaurants. 

1.7

One of the restaurants has some very interesting pavement.

             

1.8 

 A lot of the old port facilities and machineries are kept in place.

Some of the old wharf buildings are converted to apartments with - no, not car parks in front but each with a boat mooring. 

1.9

If one had enough of walking and looking now, just behind the old wharf building at Walsh Bay, crossing Hickson Road and a bit further up some steps to the Rocks at Argyle street are busses to city and suburbs.

Walking a little along Hickson Rd one gets to the headland of Millers Point. There the Maritime Services Observation Tower stands the famous Darling Harbour begins. 
Easy to see  why the suburb between Sydney Cove and Darling Harbour is called 'The Rocks'. It is the oldest part of Sydney and worth spending some time there. But that would be another, different walk maybe for another time. 

 1.10

This used to be an active part of the harbour, a very busy container terminal with many big ships from all parts of the globe coming and going day and night. 

It was very interesting to watch.

But now it is all deserted, except for some passenger cruisers coming now and then. 

All harbour facilities have been removed  and a new development is planned.

1.11 

This new part of Sydney has been renamed Barangaroo, in honour of Benelong’s wife. Bennelong was one of the first Aborigines the white settlers made contact with. 

Barangaroo is supposed to become the new city centre. Work has already begun. The red blocks there now are for some preliminary test. 

The headland will become a big park area and further on along the strip of vacant land many very tall buildings will be erected.  But of course this new development generates a lot of controversy. Lots of different opinions what is best for Sydney. 

1.12 

Although most of this northern part of Darling Harbour is blocked off one can still walk all around along the foreshore right to the old Pyrmont Bridge and Cockle Bay.

 But here I stop for today, because at King Street Ferry Wharf I can catch the ferry back home. Also busses leave from here and the centre of the City is only a few minutes walk away.

Ps: there are toilets along the way: at Circular Quay, MCA, Walsh Bay Theatre, Barangaroo.