May 17 - Sydney Harbour

For anyone coming as a tourist to Sydney Australia, catching a ferry from Circular Quay is an absolute must.  The ferries leave the wharf at regular intervals and go to various points around the harbour.  You can catch a ferry the short distance under the Harbour Bridge to Darling Harbour, or across the water to Taronga Park Zoo.  My favourite is the half hour trip to Manly.  The ferry rounds the point with an excellent view of the Opera House and the downtown city skyline.  About twenty minutes into the trip, passengers can look east to the gap between the two cliff heads that guard the entrance to the harbour.  This is my favourite part of the trip.  When the ferry rides the swell of ocean waves coming in through the heads, I know exactly where I am.

While the ferry rides can be both relaxing and pleasant, the crowds on the dock at Circular Quay and on the Manly concourse can be challenging for a person who is using a white cane, or any other mobility device.  In fact, at the height of the summer tourist season, the crush of the crowd can be a bit of a nightmare.  At the Quay, there are usually buskers and people often stop midstream to gape at whatever is going on.  Also, the ferry terminal is located right next to the rail station and that is another reason for the crowds to congregate. In spite of all this I do recommend taking in the sights and sounds of Sydney Harbour.

Lyle and I were in Sydney this week, and I am posting a couple of pictures from our time there. The first shows one of the green and yellow ferries docked at Circular Quay with city buildings in the background.  The second is taken from the Manly ferry and shows the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and Sydney skyline.

Ferry at Circular Quay

Sydney skyline