Sydney Harbour | So, this weekend, we...

Posts Tagged ‘Sydney Harbour’

Parramatta ~ Harris Park Heritage Walk

Posted: January 24, 2016 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: ferry, Sydney, sydney harbor, Sydney Harbour, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, walking inner Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

Back from our holiday to India and so ready to resume normal weekend service!

Our plan this year? We enjoyed walking the beaches and coast so much in 2014 that we decided to do the same this year, except we will hug the inland waterways. Late Sunday afternoon we headed out to Parramatta Ferry Wharf to begin walking East along the southern shore.

We parked the car at Parramatta wharf and walked towards Rosehill racecourse along the Harris Park Heritage Walk, a really nice path along the (pretty murky this far up stream) Parramatta River with terrific signposting advising various historical sites that used to be there

It’s well done; love wandering along bits of Sydney we’ve never seen before.

Had to start the year somewhere, so we chose Parramatta Wharf

The stern of the last HMAS Parramatta

NIce work along the path

Robyn has taught at two schools with Ellengowan in their name. This is the original site of Tara Anglican School at North Parramatta.

About 200 km to go! 🙂

Week 49 ~ W is for Wendy Whiteley’s Garden

Posted: December 6, 2015 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: garden, Sydney, sydney harbor, Sydney Harbour, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, this weekend in Sydney, what to do in Sydney

After the death of her husband (artist Brett Whitely) Wendy Whiteley started to clean up and landscape a large patch of derelict land adjacent to her home in Lavender Bay, owned by the NSW Rail Corporation. It was choked by weeds, overgrown and strewn with old train carriages, abandoned refrigerators, rotting mattresses and broken bottles, and some homeless people sometimes slept there.

The Rail Corporation had no interest in doing anything with it, and they raised no objections to her beautifying the area.

Over 15 years, it has become a coveted spot for those who have heard about or chanced upon it, with random benches in quiet spots, secluded paths, and a spectacular view to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

It’s affectionately known by locals as “Wendy’s Secret Garden”, although the public have always had free access.

In October 2015, the New South Wales Government, which owns the land, agreed to give the North Sydney Council a 30-year renewable lease on it. [so says wikipedia]

So on a beautiful Sydney early summer Saturday evening we headed over to the garden with champagne and nibbles to see it for ourselves. We weren’t disappointed.

The first person we came across, working just below her house, was Wendy Whiteley herself.

Sydney Royalty

This was definitely one of the best things we have done this year.
We’ll be back with interstate and overseas visitors for sure 🙂
The gardens have hidden spots with tables and chairs, views, steps and stairs that just draw you to climbing and exploring.

Lovely statues are dotted around the place. Winner winner.

Beautiful Moreton Bay or Port Jackson Fig, with Whiteley’s house behind

Whiteley’s house

Week 41 ~ O is for Opera Bar

Posted: October 10, 2015 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: barangaroo, opera house, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Sydney History, Sydney weekends, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

A new arrival in Sydney – Barangaroo.

On the headland just west of the Harbour Bridge is Sydney’s newest urban park. Barangaroo was a local Kamaraygal woman who was the second wife of Bennelong, an important interlocutor between the Aboriginal people and the early British colonists in New South Wales. (wikipedia)

We wandered around this new park (it’s quite beautiful) and then made our way around the foreshore to the Opera Bar for a drink at the Opera House before a walk through the Botanical Gardens and home.

Quite lovely.

Looking south from Barangaroo towards Glebe

Looking west towards Balmain

Drinks at the Opera Bar

Week 33 ~ G is for Gladesville Hospital

Posted: August 16, 2015 in Walking
Tags: Sydney, sydney harbor, Sydney Harbour, Sydney History, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

We bought our first home unit at Gladesville in 1983 and lived there for a few years, but never visited the site of the former Gladesville “Mental Hospital”, a psychiatric hospital, established in 1838 in Gladesville. Its original name was Tarban Creek Lunatic Asylum.

It’s located at Bedlam Point. Those of you who don’t get that connection > look here

It was purpose built to house “lunatics” in 1838, and apparently was a genuine attempt to improve the treatment of the mentally ill, allowing relatives to visit, patients to have access to recreational facilities and worthwhile work in what were once beautiful grounds.

In 1997, all inpatient services were consolidated at the Macquarie (North Ryde) site in Wicks Road.

Beautiful grounds

The pool looks a bit tired, but was probably once pretty advanced for a psych hospital.

Bedlam Point (not joking… it really is called that)

Gorgeous old fig by the water

One of these graves is that of a patient who was a resident there for more than 60 years

Had no idea there was a tunnel under Victoria Road

Imagine being housed in wings like this for perhaps years and years. Imagine the tears shed by inmates and families visiting.

Week 26 ~ Z is for Zebra Lounge

Posted: June 29, 2015 in Cafe, Sydney Harbour, Walking
Tags: breakfast, cafe, Jacksons Landing, Pyrmont, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Sydney History, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, this weekend in Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

Right at the end of Harris St (no. 1 Harris), by the water at Pyrmont, is the Zebra Lounge.

We had a beautiful breakfast there – delicious food and fantastic presentation. Coffees were a bit slow, but otherwise, can highly recommend it.

This Jackson’s landing area has been really nicely done so it’s a great place to have a wander afterwards.

This site has some history about the area, and its links to CSR, and there’s a fabulous photo gallery as well.

Week 22 ~ V is for Vivid

Posted: May 31, 2015 in show, Walking
Tags: lighting, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Things to do in Sydney, vivid, What to do in Sydney this weekend

Sydney’s annual Vivid festival – an annual outdoor lighting festival with light installations and projections. read about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivid_Sydney

Nice 🙂

We filmed a bit of Vivid from the top of the MCA

Drums in Martin Place

From the Overseas Passenger Terminal

Week 19 ~ S is for Sav Blanc at Sunset on Sydney Harbour with Seafood

Posted: May 10, 2015 in Sydney Harbour, Walking
Tags: Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, this weekend in Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney

Google Best place to watch the sunset in Sydney and one of the suggestions is by the Bridge at Kirribilli.

After a busy week away for me, Robyn and I headed out at about 430 pm and bought some fish and chips before walking down to Jeffrey St Wharf at Kirribilli. There’s a lovely waterfront path heading east from the wharf. It must be a nice spot – we were the only two people there without a bridal party in tow – photographers, brides, grooms and their parties were the order of the day. A beautiful afternoon for their big day 🙂

The city looks gorgeous from here, especially at sunset. It’s a beautiful harbour.

That really IS Savignon Blanc! You’ll just have to believe me 😉

Week 14 ~ N is for Neutral Bay

Posted: April 5, 2015 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: breakfast, Coffee, Sydney, Sydney Harbour, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, this weekend in Sydney, weekend, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

Easter, and an opportunity to enjoy the company of Phil and Jill Walker, friends from Canberra and the brains behind this year’s alphabet theme.

After 2 days of solid rain, the sun came out and a chance to enjoy a lovely breakfast at Ripples Cafe at Chowder Bay before heading towards Neutral Bay to walk around Cremorne Point and show off the most beautiful kilometre this city has to offer.

Chowder Bay

Ripples Cafe at Chowder Bay

Georges Head, with the city in the background.

Georges Head, with South Head in the background.

Georges Head, with the city in the background.

Cremorne Point, such a beautiful spot so close to the Harbour Bridge and city

Cremorne Point has beautiful gardens, some established years ago by some of the local residents and maintained now by the council.

And this, just a kilometre or so from the heart of the city.

A beautiful morning after 2 solid days of rain

Lighthouse at the end of the point, looking towards the Heads

Near Cremorne Ferry Wharf

The western shore of the path, facing The Bridge

Week 12 ~ L is for a walk from Lavender Bay to Luna Park and a coffee at the Lindt Cafe

Posted: March 22, 2015 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: free city walking tour, Sydney, sydney harbor, Sydney Harbour, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, this weekend in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

Saturday afternoon we headed out to Lavender Bay, near North Sydney, to walk from there around the foreshore to Luna Park. Historically typical of foreshore land being used for industry in the past couple of centuries, as recently as 2005 small ships were still being built at a boat shed there on land that is now a mixture of apartments worth millions of dollars and beautiful grass parkland (with brides at every turn!) We parked at Blues Point Tower (what a great spot to watch the fireworks on New Year’s Eve)

Stairs leading down to the foreshore at Lavender Bay

Boat building, baths, welding, slipways… such recent history

The path is populated with these whimsical characters/statues/caricatures.

Picnic ground out the back of Luna Park

And then a hot chocolate at the Lindt Cafe. 95 days after that December morning, thousands of people came, not to gawk I believe, but to just quietly make sure these bastards don’t win.

Wendy Whitely, Brett Whiteley’s widow, has a garden down that way… might file that idea away for W