A Day On The Harbour

Yesterday, we got up early and met Jim and got a quick bite for breakfast near the Circular Quay, which is the main wharf area for Sydney Harbour. Since we had such a nice day with sunshine and low winds, we decided to get an all day ferry ticket and ride the various ferry lines to different points to the sprawling Sydney Harbour area. The first trip we took was a nice little ride to Mosman Bay and back. The round trip took a little over 45 minutes and, when we got back, we met up with another mutual friend of ours from Memphis, David Palmer.

The four of us caught the ferry to Manly and we spent some time checking out the beach there. The ferry was jam packed with locals & visitors heading out to visit this bustling beach area. It has a huge public beach that has a lot of various activities happening there. There were guys building elaborate sand castles, tons of surfers, people walking, skating, & biking down the beach promenade, and lots of sunbathers.

By the time we started back to Sydney Harbour, it was 11:40 already. On the way back, we were amazed at how many boaters were on the water. There were boats of every kind all over the place, but sailboats were the predominate boat on the water. It made for quite a sight.

We all had a nice lunch at a wharfside restaurant at Circular Quay and then Judy & I headed out for another ferry ride......this time to Watson's Bay. The nice weather never let up and seeing various areas of the city via the sea was a great way to see quite a lot in a short period of time. If we had more time, we would've taken some more rides, but we had to get back for our first big group dinner. Interestingly enough, this one was going to be a dinner cruise on the Harbour in a 2 level glass walled boat. It was like a floating ballroom more than a boat and, with the weather cooperating, made for a great party venue.

It was a great day at sea capped off by a visit to the Russell Wine Bar to try some Australian Shiraz that was also quite nice. Tomorrow, we are heading to the Blue Mountains for an all day tour followed by a group dinner at the hotel, so it will be another early morning & late night.