Darling Harbour is a popular waterside location that’s close to the centre of Sydney so after enjoying breakfast on the balcony of our suite at the Quest, St. Leonards we boarded a train to the Town Hall station which was nearby.
Australian National Maritime Museum
We started our day with a visit to the Australian National Maritime Museum which is located next to the Pyrmont Bridge in Darling Harbour. Standard adult admission is AUD$35 (£17.44) but if you are planning on visiting several attractions whilst in Sydney then a Go City Pass may offer better value. The museum has one of the largest and diverse range of floating vessels in the world, including the Cold War submarine HMAS Onslow, naval destroyer HMAS Vampire and the replica of Captain Cook’s tall ship HMB Endeavour. It’s a good idea to arrive shortly after the opening time of 10.00 a.m. as we did, especially when exploring the ships in the harbour as passageways and stairways are often narrow creating lines of people waiting to pass.
On board HMAS Onslow
It was definitely a tight squeeze onboard the warfare submarine HMAS Onslow but fun to explore. It’s difficult to imagine the cramped conditions the crew had to endure on their lengthy voyage to carry out their duties and the lack of personal space for sleeping and leisure time. Volunteer staff were on hand to answer any questions visitors might have and the experience on board the submarine was very interesting.
Next, we turned our attention to HMAS Vampire which is Australia’s largest museum vessel and the last of the country’s big gun ships. One of the Daring class of destroyers, HMAS Vampire was equipped with missile weaponry and was able to travel at high speed with maximum armament. Vampire served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1959 to 1986. We explored all parts of the ship from the gun turrets on the upper deck to the bridge, officers quarters, map room, ship’s hospital and galley.
Ship Figurehead on display in the National Maritime Museum
After viewing the outdoor vessels we headed indoors to take a look at some of the nautical memorabilia on display and whilst there took the opportunity to view the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which was taking place in one of the temporary galleries. Rounding off our visit, we enjoyed cups of coffee in Ripples, the museum cafe with its superb harbour views.
The Chinese Garden of Friendship
Next on our list was a visit to the Chinese Garden of Friendship on the southern end of Darling Harbour located just beyond Darling Square. The tranquil garden feels a world away from bustling Darling Harbour with its traditional Chinese landscaped design.
Constructed to foster friendship between Sydney and the city of Guangzhou in the province of Guangdong, China, the garden is meticulously designed to balance the elements of water, plants, stone, and architecture. Shading ourselves from the midday sun beneath the willow trees we followed the winding paths around the garden, over ornate small bridges pausing to admire the intricate Chinese sculptures dotted around the garden. I’d definitely recommend spending an hour or so in the Garden of Friendship as it’s really beautiful and a lovely place to relax awhile.
St. Andrews Cathedral
After leaving Darling Harbour we made our way over to St. Andrews Cathedral which is located next to the Town Hall on George Street.
Entrance to visit Australia’s oldest cathedral is free of charge. It’s quite small by cathedral standards but nonetheless a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture.
Queen Victoria Building
It was then time for some lunch and a spot of shopping and where better than the splendid Queen Victoria Building. This vast building was constructed in the 1890’s as a municipal market with a concert hall and warehouses for the local traders. The building’s function changed throughout the years to accommodate the needs of the city and is now a swish shopping arcade.
The British made Royal Clock, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney
In addition to shopping and lunch we located the arcade’s two famous clocks. The British made Royal Clock is situated on the upper level of the southern half of the building and it was fun to watch as on the hour it displays a trumpeting procession revealing animated scenes of English royal history through windows on both sides of the clock.
The Great Australian Clock hangs in another part of the arcade and features 33 scenes from Australian history whilst an Aboriginal hunter circles the exterior of the clock continuously, representing the never ending passage of time.
Watsons Bay
Back at Circular Quay we used our Opal cards again, this time to take a ferry over to Watsons Bay. Once a quaint fishing village, Watsons Bay is now a lovely seaside enclave located at the tip of the South Head peninsula in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Our plan was to follow the South Head heritage trail through parts of Sydney Harbour National Park. The trail led us to the scenic Camp Cove Reserve and beach and then onto Lady Bay Beach from where we enjoyed some dramatic Pacific Ocean views. Between May and October this is an ideal place for whale watching during their annual migration but as we were a little later in the year, there were none to be seen.
Hornby Lighthouse, Sydney Harbour National Park
Instead we viewed the charming red and white striped Hornby Lighthouse built in 1858 after the Dunbar sank. Back at Watsons Bay it was our plan to tuck into some tasty fish and chips from Doyle’s on the Wharf but we were surprised to find that it had closed at 5.00 p.m. and we were too late. Fortunately the Beach Club at the nearby Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel was open so we ordered two helpings of fish and chips from there and took them across the road to Robertson Park.
We opted for a picnic bench overlooking the bay but no sooner had we opened our cardboard boxes and started eating than we were attacked by a flock of seagulls. I’ve never come across such aggressive seagulls as they kept swooping in and attempting to steal our tasty supper. We literally had to take one quick bite and then close the lid swiftly between mouthfuls so next time we eat at Watsons Bay it will definitely be inside a restaurant and not outdoors!
Another thing we hadn’t noticed was that the last ferry back to Circular Quay was earlier than we expected at 17.00 so we returned to the hotel by bus and train instead which was actually quite interesting as we got to see more of Sydney’s outer suburbs. The end of a fun day in and around Sydney!
