While we’re still at Cremorne Point, I thought I’d introduce you to the Robertson’s Point Lighthouse. Just to clarify any confusion, Robertson’s Point is the original name of Cremorne Point and the lighthouse is located in Athol Wharf Road.
Constructed in 1909, Robertson’s Lighthouse is identical to the lighthouse located at nearby Bradley’s Head near Taronga Zoo and very cute. Ideally, I would’ve walked down to see it close up, but with my mobility questionable I decided against it, especially as you need to walk down (and up) a ladder to get there. So, these photos were taken from the ferry to Mosman Bay.
While the lighthouse itself is very photogenic, it also has a great back story. Although postcard Sydney is always blue skies and sunshine, Sydney Harbour also gets a lot of fogs which can make navigation difficult. While it seems hard to believe now, ferries used to get lost in the harbour prior to the light house. Indeed, on the 24th November, 1908 the Australian Star reported:
HARBOR LIGHTS
The decision of the, Harbor Trust Commisioners to place a powerful’ light in Cremorne Point has not been made a moment too soon. In foggy weather Mosman’s Bay has been a difficult place to find. On very dark nights the low-lying headland looms up threateningly, and the ferrymaster has to pick up his course from the lights on the hills beyond. Just how the skippers in the old days fared without hardly a guiding light to give them the cue to their position can be imagined. Someday, perhaps, a genius will invent a light that will completely pierce our wintry logs, and then the spectacle or ferryboats bound around Bradley’s bringing up in Rose Bay, and others from Neutral Bay or Mosman finding themselves in Farm Cove instead of in Circular Quay, will be events of the past.” 1.
Golly, so hard to imagine a ferry getting lost these days as they manoeuvre their way around the harbour and I even photographed ferries chugging along through the fog and rain myself and they were staying on course.
By the way, if you go down to the lighthouse at night, you could well hear the animals across at Taronga Park Zoo. Miss was down there for a midnight walk and could hear the elephants and the seals. That would’ve been extraordinary.
Well, I’m going to keep moving as this was only a quick stopover today.
Best wishes,
Rowena
Sources
Australian Star (Sydney, NSW : 1887 – 1909), Tuesday 24 November 1908, page 4
Located right on Sydney Harbour, MacCallum Pool is like the Pool of Siloam. In case you don’t know what that is, it’s where Jesus healed the blind man. Looking at the stunning views and tranquil waters, you have to wonder if there isn’t anything a swim in MacCallum Pool wouldn’t fix?!
Map showing the location of MacCallum Pool at Shell Cove on the Western side of Cremorne Point.
While generations have dived into it’s depths, thrived on it’s aquatic wonders and almost inhaled the breathtaking views, I’m delving into the old newspapers to find out what and who has gone before. These stories are my buried treasure, and add so much meaning to what I see.
That said, there’s no doubt that a lot of “what happens at MacCallum Pool stays at MacCallum Pool”, and no matter how deep we dive in, we’ll never reach the bottom.
Of the stories which can be made public, I’d like to focus on the incredible drive, persistence and grit of Cremorne locals who raised the funds and constructed the original pool themselves. We have them to thank for being able to wander freely into this magnificent pool free of charge and get in a few laps. What an incredible legacy to leave behind.
The vision for a harbour pool began with local resident and Olympic medal-winning swimmer, Fred Lane, who rearranged the rocks to create a natural pool.
Later, a group of keen locals under retired businessman Hugh MacCallum, took up the challenge in earnest. Work finished on the pool on Saturday 23rd November, 1924 after: “Fifteen years of patient, unostentatious work at week-ends and on holidays, work of the youngsters and the parents living around Shell Cove — and at last the monument was completed.”
This little snippet from the 19th January, 1927 does a good job of relating what went into creating the pool:
“This is a story that should make every alderman beam with delight — Every Mayor chortle with joy— .And every ratepayer gasp with admiration and envy. It is told simply in the following letter, which, accompanied by a photograph of a bathing pool, was received by the North Sydney Council last night. “As an example of what can be done by the residents of any suburb, where the people are willing to co-operate and provide the needful, it may be mentioned that, by doing a little every year, this series of potholes at Shell Cove has taken shape, until now it is a safe, shark-proof pool with a graded depth from 2ft, 6in. at the children’s end to 6ft. 6in. at the other end. “Up to date over £700 has been spent during a period of 15 years, and this sum has been voluntarily subscribed by the residents, no outsider’s help of any kind having been asked for or received.” Council expressed its appreciation of the fine public spirit which had prompted the construction of the swimming bath…” 1.
Council -took over the running of the pool in 1930 and on the 29th April, 1933, a plaque was unveiled naming the pool after Hugh MacCallum who had “collected £600 in the locality, and after several years of strenuous labor constructed a swimming pool about 40 yards long and which at high tide has a depth of over six feet. Many North Sydney youngsters have learnt to swim in the pool, and it has become a popular picnic spot.”2.
Here’s an interview with Hugh MacCallum’s grandson which was filmed at the pool:
Meanwhile, as I alluded to earlier, there was another side to MacCallum Pool. On the 5th March, 1930 the Evening News, ran a headline: “CREMORNE POOL: HIGH JINKS ALLEGED”. It continued:
“In a letter to North Sydney Council last night, a resident of Cremorne Point scathingly criticised the conduct of bathers in Cremorne Pool, and asked that the baths be removed. “Since this bathing pool has been in existence, it has been an intolerable nuisance to those who live nearby,” he wrote.
“Bathers use it up to and sometimes after, midnight, and indulge in singing, shouting, laughing, screeching, and often use very bad language. Many bathers, of both sexes, lie on the rocks sunbaking, and others run about the reservation in scanty bathing costumes at all hours of the day.” Ald. Norden asked that the pool be allowed to remain. The engineer will report on the cleaning of the pool.” 3.
Sunset Near MacCallum Pool
I had thought there was further scandal to report until I had a closer read. It turns out there is also a Cremorne in Mackay, Queensland. Of course, I couldn’t let you miss out on a scandal. So here goes. On the 18th October, 1917 a letter to Mackay’s Daily Mercury lamented:
“About a dozen men were lying about in prominent positions, with absolutely nothing on. One man was also swimming about in a state of nudity. These occurrences prevent the place being used by ladies, and surely they have as much right to the place as men. On Sunday it is just as bad.
Yours, etc., DISGUSTED.” 4.
I guess this leaves us with the dilemma of whether we are going to be a force for good and make a contribution to our local community. Or, are we going to be the “fart in the lift”? That’s not to say the two are mutually exclusive. You can be community-minded and still have fun. Yet there’s a balance, and at least a consideration of one of my favourite principles: the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. I’m also a fan of trying to walk in someone’s shoes. Although living this way may not leave a concrete legacy like MacCallum Pool, it could very well build invisible, luxury mansions inside those we meet, especially those who need it most.
Have you ever been to MacCallum Pool or something similar where you live? Do you have any memories to share?
Last night, I received a sudden wake up call. While writing up about our three week holiday house minding at Cremorne Point, I’d become seriously waylaid in Watson’s Bay consumed by back story after back story after back story, which we writers and researchers colloquially call a “rabbit warren”. I really loved Watson’s Bay and I was also drawn into it’s history via Christina Stead’s first novel Seven Poor Men of Sydney, which was set there. However, it was now time to get back on the ferry and had back to Cremorne Point and onto the next day’s events.
Sydney Harbour Looking towards the Heads from Cremorne Road.
After coffee with a friend and meeting up with our son at Circular Quay and catching the ferry back together, I decided to go for a swim at MacCallum Pool located in Cremorne Point Reserve. However, before we get to the pool, we’re going to walk down Cremorne Road and I’ll share a few stellar views along the way. While I was doing this walk just before sunset on this occasion, I’ve also included some photos from a previous walk so you can see what the reserve looks like during daylight. I’d also like to emphasise that Cremorne Point offers an excellent vantage point to watch the sun set on Sydney Harbour and the reserve itself is a great place to watch it over a casual picnic.
Meanwhile, I’d just like to let you know that Cremorne Point was originally known as Wulworra-Jeung by the Cammeraygal, the Aboriginal people who inhabited the land on the lower northern shores of Port Jackson prior to the arrival of Europeans. Initially known as Robertson’s Point, it became known as Cremorne after the Cremorne Pleasure Gardens which were established in 1856. Although they only survived six years, the name stuck. There were attempts to mine coal at Cremorne Point and to sell off the harbourside land which was declared the reserve in 1905 but thankfully resistance conserved the natural beauty of Cremorne Point for the future and for all.
Magnificence everywhere you turn!
While my photos brilliantly capture and share Cremorne Point’s captivating natural beauty, and sensational views of the harbour and ethereal skies, they fail to relate my personal struggle. As I’ve mentioned before, I have dodgy lungs and 50% lung capacity and struggle to get up hills, stairs or even gentle slopes on a bad day. Unfortunately, Cremorne Point is quite hilly which is fine when I’m walking down to the point, but at best “a challenge” walking back up. I’d had trouble getting back up the hill when we’d previously done the walk to MacCallum Pool.
How incredibly relaxing!
However, I’d been doing more walking and thought I might just pull it off. Besides, the pool was only round the corner. If I took it slowly, I’d be fine. The only trouble is that I wasn’t. I’d got myself into deep water and with no other way to get home, I had to keep going. Every single step at this point was like moving feet of lead and my breathing was very strained. What I also didn’t know at this point, was that there had been a botch up with my prescription and I’d been on half the prescribed dose on and off for a year and the muscle weakness was returning. I was battling extreme shortness of breath on top of muscle weakness and I really did feel like I was about to break down. Although I did make it back, I have no doubt doing that walk was a mistake.
Sunset from Cremorne Point Reserve
Yet, at the same time, the photographer in me not only loves and cherishes the photos I took on that walk, but also the experience of merging with that magnificent sunset over the harbour and becoming one which invigorated my soul as well as my senses.
Hope you enjoy my journey and I’ll be back with a focus on MacCallum Pool in my next post.
During our three week stay at Cremorne Point on Sydney Harbour, I became something of a crazed ferry catching maniac and couldn’t stay off the things. There were numerous, almost daily trips across to Circular Quay which is essentially ferry central on Sydney Harbour, although I’m not sure that it’s fair to say all ferries go via Circular Quay, it certainly seems to be the case.
I love Sydney’s ferries. Although they’re relatively modern and only date back to the mid 80’s, they seem older and have a aged, vintage feel and are ubiquitously part of the harbour as though they’ve always been there. Of course, that obviously not the case, and even I vaguely remember the wooden ferries from my childhood, but even they were Johnny-come-latelies and for tens of thousands of years the various Aboriginal people who were the traditional owners of lands around Sydney Harbour fished from their boats in a timeless procession. That is, until they were gone.
At times, I sense all this history yet much of the time I was tantalized by the magnificent views, exhilarated as the ferry picked up speed and the wind was blowing in my face and I was having the most thrilling time of my life living right on the very edge of the waves.
There was definitely something deeply captivating about these ferries which remains very hard to translate into words on the page. You just have to be there.
Anyway, today I decided to fuse my love of catching and photographing ferries with a blogshare I also enjoy called Thursday Doors, and I always find it interesting to see where people have spotted doors this week and where their adventures have led. Photographing doors can tell a much, much broader story than something that simply opens and shuts.
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Of course, in the case of the ferries, the doors can also have a safety function, especially on a rough crossing. However, much of the time you don’t see much of the doors on the Sydney ferries because they’re open allowing passengers to move freely out onto the deck to enjoy the views, wind and salt spray in your face. Then, there’s that moment when the ferry pulls in and the deckhands madly thrown the gangplank out across the wharf to allow passengers to disembark. This whole process seems very old-worldy these days when everything is getting automated and there are even driver-less trains. I like it and it’s good to see people around and operating something and having a human interface. After all, we are not machines.
Emergency doors on the Manly Ferry
By the way, I think I’m going to put my mind to writing some poems and possibly a song about catching these Sydney ferries. Much to my surprise, there don’t seem to be many around and certainly nothing which immediately comes to mind. That said, I did come across two songs about catching the Manly Ferry:
While whizzing around the Harbour on board the ferries was a lot of fun, there’s also that awareness that journeys come to an end.
Ferry From Rose Bay to Circular Quay.
Indeed, ferry timetables are something you really need to keep an eye on at night. There was only one ferry on the hour to Cremorne Point after 7.00pm I think it was and the last ferry leaves Circular Quay at midnight during the week and they don’t start up again until 6.05am which is a long wait unless you fork out for a water taxi.
Manly Ferry with the reflection of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the window.
Every a ferry needs a goodnight’s sleep!
Do you have a memories of catching ferries? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
For those of you who have been following my travels in Sydney, you’ll know that I’ve been home for a few weeks now and am well and truly backtracking with these posts. Well, today’s post takes us back to the 15th January, 2022 and “yesterday” Geoff and I caught the ferry over to Manly which is located near Sydney Harbour’s Northern Headland (known simply as “North Head”) and “today” we’re off to Watson’s Bay, over near South Head on the opposite side of the harbour and while yesterday there was just Geoff and myself, Miss joined us for this adventure While our son, J.P. was back home.
In many ways, Sydney is a fragmented city divided by the harbour. To a certain extent where ever we live, we tend to live within the bounds of our geography. Back home, we live on a peninsula and what they say about “insular peninsula” is certainly true of us, although Geoff works in Sydney. Moreover, in addition to geographical constraints, there’s also time and possibly health considerations. Staying put can be very comfortable.
On the ferry Bungaree leaving the Sydney Harbour Bridge behind.
Obviously, what the Sydney Harbour divided, has been connected via the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel. However, while the Bridge might stand as a magnificent welcoming structure, it represents pure terror for an anxious driver or out-of-towner and you hear the phrase often enough: “I’m not going over the Bridge”.I remember the first time I drove white-knuckled with my dad’s encouragement: “Does your licence state you can’t drive over the Bridge?” Of course, it didn’t and with fear and trepidation I set out and was mighty jubilant when I arrived safely on the other side in Glebe. I thought it was ridiculous that one of my mother’s friends wouldn’t drive past Chatswood and yet now I understand completely. Once you get out of the swing of city driving and specially the high pressure traffic on the Bridge during the day and needing to be in the right lane because Good Samaritans who’ll let you in are few and far between and you could end up anywhere. You also have to watch out that you don’t stray into one of the feeder lanes onto the Bridge either. Then again, you could spend your entire life parked safely in your couch at home and bypass seizing the day entirely. Indeed, perhaps it’s worth getting lost a few times on the likes of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to gain your wings.
Wow! Yacht off Rose Bay
All of that is just a very long winded way of saying that Sydneysiders usually don’t hop around the harbour like we were doing especially by car and the idea of going to Manly for the day one day and spending the next day in Watson’s Bay is rather extraordinary. That is, unless of course you’re on the ferries in which case all of Sydney Harbour is your oyster. I loved ferries before but I love and appreciate them even more now!
Ferry Wake, Rose Bay
Of course, someone else from Sydney might disagree with all of this, but that’s okay. I don’t claim to speak for all of Sydney.
Sea Plane, Rose Bay.
Anyway, as you can see ferry ride to Watson’s Bay was spectacular and I was almost flying along in the breeze with my camera zooming away on overdrive. Indeed, now that I’m back home, I’m missing the ferries dearly and looking forward to going back in April. Indeed, I’m reminded of Louis Armstrong’s unforgettable line: Oh what a wonderful world!
Watson’s Bay’s imposing Moreton Bay Fig Tree viewed from the ferry
Arriving in Watson’s Bay felt like arriving in another world. The weather was beautiful and the beach was lined with tanned sunbakers soaking up the rays like mobile phones plugged into the charger invigorating their souls without any consideration to the possible consequences. However what struck me most when we first arrived in Watson’s Bay was a massive Moreton Bay Fig tree on the shoreline and of course the famous Doyle’s fish and chip shops.
So please join me in my next post as we explore Watson’s Bay itself.
Watson’s Bay – How relaxing!
Have you been to Sydney or Watson’s Bay? Any stories? I’d love to hear from you!
Manly might be a place, but it’s also a legend. Indeed, right from the very beginning of English settlement in Sydney, the local Guringai men were legendary for their “manly” attributes, which ultimately gave Manly its English name. These were the men Governor Phillip encountered at Manly Cove or its Aboriginal name: Kai’ymay.
“Their confidence and manly behaviour made me give the name of Manly Cove to this place”.
Capt. Arthur Phillip
View on your right as the ferry arrives in Manly.
Tragically and I guess inevitably, those days are long gone and yet the legend of Manly lives on with its thriving surf and beach culture and epic ferry service. Yet, for the rest of us mere mortals, we’re just happy to go to Manly for a swim, get a bit of a tan, hang out with a few mates and have a bite to eat. We’re a long way from living legend status.
Manly Cove or Kai’ymay just adjacent to the wharf.
By the way, we’re not going on any long or strenuous walks on this tour and we’re sticking to the main drag which runs from Manly Wharf and along The Corso which takes you to Ocean Beach. There’s obviously much more to do around Manly and when we go back in April, I’d like to get to the Quarantine Station, but I’m pretty sure that requires a car. (Hold that thought. The Manly fast ferry stops there.) Anyway, this is our walk and no one else’s and is in no way a comprehensive guide to what to see in Manly.
Map of Manly Corso from Manly Cove where the ferry comes in through to Ocean Beach.
However, we did go on a bit of a detour. We were looking for the Manly Cenotaph, but the map directed us to a park opposite the Town Hall where we found what I thought was a canon. How bizarre! As it turned out, it was a World War II-era 25-pounder Mark II field gun. Naturally, I wondered why it was there, and it turns out that the gun was presented to the council in 1983 in recognition of the close association between the Manly municipality and the School of Artillery at nearby North Head, and as a tribute to those residents who served in the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery.
Meanwhile this detour meant that we actually bypassed Manly’s famous Corso where the actual cenotaph we were looking for is conspicuously located not far from the wharf. Of course, this won’t come as a great surprise to any of you who know about my poor sense of direction, but this time Geoff was in charge of the map or perhaps Siri got it wrong. Anyway, we found the cenotaph on our way home, and to be honest, you can’t miss it!!
I guess I should probably explain why I was so keen to visit the cenotaph when most people visiting Manly head straight to the beach or for something to eat. Manly’s cenotaph is special because it was the first cenotaph to be built in Australia and it was organized and paid for by local solicitor, Mark Mitchell, whose son Alan from the 1st Battalion AIF was wounded during the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on the 25th April, 1915. Tragically, Alan later died of wounds in Egypt on the 5th May, 1915 and was the first Manly Volunteer to die. Knowing that story, the Manly cenotaph feels incredibly personal and a symbol of not only one father’s abject grief at losing his son, but also a community’s grief as many more sons fell not only in the “war to end all wars”, but also in subsequent wars.
Not the best photo of the markets but you get the drift.
While we were looking for the cenotaph, we came across the markets. In yet another case of sleeping in and arriving somewhere too late, the markets were closing as we arrived. However, we did manage to check out a few stalls and I bought a great pair of Thing One and Thing Two (from Dr Suess) earrings.
Ocean Beach, Manly
As I mentioned in my previous post we bought chicken Kebabs and headed across the road to Ocean Beach and sat on the steps to eat. I’ve already mentioned the treacherous divebombing food stealing sea gulls in my previous post so I won’t elaborate.
By the time we’d finished our kebabs, Manly was bathed in the most glorious golden light as we headed towards sunset and even a row of rather ordinary but historic shops came to life in this light becoming rather photogenic.
We walked back to Manly Wharf via the famous Corso.
Palm Tree on The CorsoWe weren’t the only ones who spotted the fire engine on The Corso.
I know it doesn’t really sound like we saw much of Manly now that I’m back home in the comfort of the lounge, but we had a good time and saw as much as we could at the time and our Manly experience was focused more on the ferry rides than exploring a lot of Manly itself on this trip.
Interesting Signs Around ManlyOn our way home with Manly behind us (Geoff’s in the stripy shirt).
Have you been to Manly and do you have any stories to share? I’d love to hear from you!
As I’ve mentioned before, we were house minding at Cremorne Point on Sydney Harbour for three weeks in January, which gave us quite an opportunity to see my home city as a tourist would, cramming as much as we could through the ever shrinking hour glass. Having been caught up with parenting for many years and then covid, extended lockdowns and self-imposed isolation due to my health; it felt like an eternity since we’d been to most of these Sydney landmarks and we were definitely out there to carpe diem seize the day. Moreover, with the ferry wharf conveniently down the road, the thrill of catching ferries and almost immersing ourselves in our beautiful harbour, they became our compass.
We left Circular Quay and were poised out on the deck with the wind in our hair and thriving on the exhileration as the ferry gained pace amd we left the Sydney Harbour Bridge behind.
Not unsurprisingly, catching the Manly Ferry was our first extended ferry trip. Catching the ferry to Manly has always been a very Sydney thing to do and the ferry makes the beach accessible to those living further afield. The ferry trip itself is also out of this world heading East through the harbour with spectacular 360 degree views. Then, you cross the Sydney Heads. That can get very lively with the ferry swooning up and down and chances are you’ll get wet, but its thrilling all the same. Wouldn’t miss it, especially for the safety of an inside seat. Boring!
I have so many memories of catching the Manly Ferry. There’s footage of me on Super 8 film catching the Manly Ferry when I was about five, which I still sort of remember. I also went to Manly as a teenager with friends and I remember buying Chinese food by the plate load on the famous Corso in a variation on the usual “chew and spew”, “all you can eat” venues which were around at the time. My best friend also lived in Collaroy and was forever catching the Manly Ferry back home after a night out on the town. Recently, my friend’s parents told me about how they’d met at Manly Beach years ago and there was such a sparkle in their eyes…happy days!
Manly wasn’t quite so perfect the day we went. There was quite a strong wind blowing and Ocean Beach was punctuated with signs warning “Dangerous Current”. When the lifesavers left for the day, everyone was even ordered out of the water, which seemed fairly exceptional. The beach was officially closed…even to idiots who didn’t care about sacrificing their own lives and taking their hapless rescuers with them.
The currents weren’t the only dangers we encountered in Manly. There were the seagulls, and before you burst out laughing about me being afraid of measly little seagulls, these weren’t your ordinary sea gulls. They were sea gulls on steroids, veritable terrorists swoop diving and snatching bits of our kebabs right out of our hands. They were an absolute menace! I’ve encountered pushy sea gulls before. You know the ones who puff themselves up, look real bossy and squawk like a union boss. They were nothing compared to this gang of thugs. The most aggressive of these sea gulls actually had no feet but was so annoyingly menacing, we had no pity. This was war. We were sitting on the steps down to Ocean Beach at the time and I seriously considered moving away. They were horrid!
Our shadows at Manly BeachI’m About to Blow Away At Manly Beach.
Anyway, here I am listing Manly’s faults when I’m usually much more sunny side up. So, let me reverse back a bit and return to Circular Quay so we can take catch the ferry together and start over and return to Manly Cove where the ferry pulled in.
I’m going to do a bit of a very basic walk around Manly in a separate post.
Meanwhile, we’re going to catch the ferry back to Circular Quay. By now, sunset was approaching and the light was doing its magic and performing all sorts of tantalising tricks. I was smitten, but then again. I’m an easy target.
Unfortunately, I’d managed to get salt crystals on the lens on the way over, and while they didn’t show up on many of the shots, they were very noticeable photographing into the sunset and unfortunately I lost many good shots. Such is life, as a photographer. Lady Luck doesn’t always work in your favour and there are inevitably disappointments and lessons for next time.
Ferry Leaving ManlyFerry Leaving Manly with Geoff in the stripy shirtManly Ferry Returning to Sydney at Sunset.A fragment of the Sydney Skyline at Sunset. Looks like the sky is on fire.
All too soon, the Sydney Harbour Bridge came into view and ever closer welcoming us back to Circular Quay. Even though I saw The Bridge multiple times a day while we were staying in Sydney, I was still in awe. She is absolutely incredible.
Good night, Sydney. Sleep well.
Have you ever caught the Manly Ferry? Do you have any special memories? I’d love to hear from you.
Sometimes, all your Christmases really do come at once, and you have to make the most of them because there can be a long wait for the next big buzz. My first day jaunting around Sydney Harbour after overcoming covid was like that. Indeed, it was so good that I’ve had to break it down into four posts to give each part of the whole an opportunity to shine. Naturally, most days aren’t like that and there’s a lot of blah, blah blah instead. What also made this day extra special, and indeed all of my time houseminding in Sydney, was having my world open up again post lockdown and after being shut away from Sydney all that time, it blew my mind going back. I’d also been away from Sydney because we bought our home just North in Greater Sydney and what with having the kids etc we became pinned down. it was now Macquarie’s Chair where I photograph the Sydney Harbour Bridge after dark when it was all lit up like a Christmas tree.
The other aspect about night photography, is that it’s tricky for a woman to go alone and feel safe. I’m not sure if it’s any safer for blokes either. Too often there’s someone just busting to start a fight.
However, the ferry is ideal.
Waiting For the Ferry – Circular Quay.
Well, it would’ve been if I had my tripod with me and the ride can also get a little bumpy., but that didn’t hold me back and what with the wind blowing in my face and trying to capture the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the wake from the boat in the foreground, it was truly exhilarating.
Then, to blow me away completely, this voice calls out to me. “It’s you again. Remember me from Balmoral Beach?” Sure enough it was the woman I’d met while I was photographing my reflection on a back mirror in the Bather’s Pavilion. Here she was again. We got on so well. We were like Thelma and Louise having so much fun taking photos together and almost blowing away with the thrill of it all. I tried to find a pen and paper but the ferry was soon at Cremorne Point and I disembarked a bit disappointed to lose my new friend, but on such a high. Photography can do that to you. That is when all your Christmases come at once and all your hopes haven’t been dashed against the rocks, which unfortunately happens quite a bit. Indeed, many of these photos were blurry, but I now had a vision and a few weeks left to improve. Yet, regardless of how the photos turned out, I had so much fun that I’ll never forget this particular ferry ride or my new found friend.
Before you answer, how about you pull up a chair and I’ll wait on you hand and foot delivering up your choice of tea, coffee or Bonox. We can also get stuck into a packet of scrumptious Tim Tams. I know I’m not always the greatest host, and I’ve repeatedly nattered away without even asking how you’re going. So please make the most of the new me while it lasts.
The big development here this week is that our daughter, the inimitable Miss, went back to school on Wednesday going into Year 12, which is her final year at school. The start of the new school year is always a jolt. Holiday’s over. Time to face the music and get back to the real world. Or, at the very least, ensure she has a clean uniform and doesn’t run late on the first day. I ticked both of those boxes and much to my delight, she also agreed to have her photo taken before we took off. Could I be so lucky?!!
First Day of School
Returning to school, also means a return to dance.
I have to admit, I’m really looking forward to her getting her driver’s licence so I can hang up my taxi driver’s hat and stay glued on the couch.
Our son, JP, is still in holiday mode and having a trial run on a sound engineering job next Saturday night. We will be driving him to and from which means we’ll be picking him up from Wyong an hour away at 1.00am. So we’re really excited about him getting his driver’s licence too.
Meanwhile, I’ve been working flat out posting photos and accompanying stories from my three week stint house minding at Cremorne Point on Sydney Harbour. it’s taking a lot long than expected as I really jampacked a lot into some days and I’m doing multiple posts for these days. I am starting to wonder if I’ll ever get to the end. If you’d like to check out these posts, you can just scroll backwards from here.
While there are no doubt sports enthusiasts among you, I ended up watching an international ballet competition called the Prix de Lausanne through the week. Although Miss has been doing ballet for years, I’d never heard of the Prix de Lausanne, but my friend’s son was competing and I found myself rather enjoying and intrigued by the live stream. I don’t pretend to understand much about ballet, but I try. What I found interesting about this competition, is they also have classes and these are livestreamed so it allows dancers and teachers all around the world to tap into and absorb this expert advice and apply it to themselves. I was also delighted that another Australian dancer, Emily Sprout was competing and she did extremely well and was awarded a prize. Congratulations Emily! You can see her classical solo here if you’re interested.
Well that’s about it. So, now it’s over to you.
How are you?
This has been another Weekend Coffee Share, which is hosted by Natalie the Explorer.
My goodness! I could fall down on my hands and knees and thank all the architects or whoever it was who incorporated reflective surfaces into their structures! Have you ever noticed how they can produce such intriguing and captivating combinations of images just begging to be photographed? Of course, it helps when you have such stunning fodder as Sydney’s Opera House and Harbour Bridge. If by chance you also get the weather gods supplying perfect or intriguing light, don’t bother buying yourself a lottery ticket. You’ve already cashed in all of your good luck.
A curious photographer chasing reflections in the glass.
To be honest, I don’t recall truly exploring Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal. I’ve never been on a cruise or seen someone off there, although I have seen the massive cruise ships which I guess are anchored there the largest being Ovation of the Seas. So it was something new to check out and you know me, I was only looking at it through the lens and that was keeping me busy enough. BTW as I’ve mentioned before, I tend to zoom into the details of a building and forget to photograph the whole and as annoying as it is, I took no photos of the Overseas Passenger Terminal as a whole. Of course, I wasn’t thinking about writing a post about it once I arrived home. No I was too caught up in reflections.
Anyway, I thought I’d better provide a map showing the location of the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Sydney Cove just around from Circular Quay.
Reflection Ferry Passing the Sydney Opera House
What attracted me to the Overseas Passenger Terminal was all the industrial equipment and other details. While Sydney Harbour has all it’s postcard glam, it’s also a working port and these striking industrial elements framed the Opera House well offering a fresh perspective. No doubt I’m not the first person photographing it from this angle. Indeed, there were even a few photographers lugging around tripods while I was there. However, my eye is my eye and who is to say that we’re seeing and photographing the same thing even if we were standing side-by-side?! Besides, one or both of us could screw up the shot, although at least in this digital era you can check before you leave and just keep snapping away until it works if need be.
Last but not least, photography from the Overseas Passenger Terminal isn’t just about reflections in the glass, but also some stellar up-close views of some of Sydney’s most iconic sights.
The Southern Swan and the Sydney Harbour BridgeSydney’s Most Famous Face – Luna Park.
At the time I took these photographs, I was incredibly excited, especially with the quirky reflections I’d captured, but I’m intending to head back and see what else is possible, especially exploring the timing of the light.
Have you been doing much photography lately and what have you stumbled across?
Beyond the Flow 