View from our balcony as we boarded the Majestic Princess – one never gets tired of the Sydney Harbour Bridge area.
As we slowly moved from our berth – the fun fair can be seen through the bridge.
Luna Park is the name of the fair, which was opened on this site in October 1936 and is still going.
The bridge was opened in 1932 and once opened the land where Luna Park is located went to tender.
Herman Phillips, his brothers and A. A. Abrahams were looking for a sight to create a fun park, but they were having problems with the local councils and residents. Fortunately, they won the tender and Luna Park as we now know it was opened in 1936.
The first Luna Park was opened at Coney Island, New York, in 1903.
The above two fun fairs are the only funfairs in the world that are protected by government legislation.
The Opera House, which used to be a tram terminus – the Opera House opened in October 1973.
The point of land is known as Bennelong Point.
In the early 1790s, an Aboriginal man named Bennelong, who was employed by the British as a ‘go between’ between the local Aboriginals and the British, persuaded Governor Philips to build a brick house for him on the point of land. Hence the name.
One of the cheapest way to experience the harbour is to use the local ferries. The cost from the Sydney ferry terminal at Circular Quay to Manly is about $8.80 ($5.50 USD or £4.40) and the time it takes is around 30 minutes.
Manly is on the north side of the harbour near the Gap, and Watson’s Bay is on the south side near the Gap.
Warson’s Bay, which is one of my favourite spots – beach, good restaurant and a pub that offers fish & chips at a reasonable price.
To walk off lunch it is a short walk and climb to the top of South Head which is a great place to see the harbour and the ocean.
Point Piper
For those with spare cash the view from the above homes across the harbour might be eye watering. A recent sale for a house is thought to have been sold for $69 million ($44.55 million USD or about £35.6 million)- in 2002 the main street of Point Piper was the 9th most expensive street in the world. I don’t have any idea of the street’s ranking today.
The famous ‘heads’ and the ‘gap’ – North head on the left and South head on the right.
Ferry boat cutting across our bow – there wasn’t any danger I had the camera on ‘zoom’. North Head behind the ferryboat.
Approaching the Gap – the vessel on the left is the pilot boat getting ready to take the pilot back to Circular Quay. Not sure about the small vessel on the right.
Pilot boat coming alongside to collect the pilot.
As always it has been pilot’s advice Captain’s orders. The only place where the pilot takes full command of a vessel is during the transit of the Panama Canal.
South Head of Sydney Harbour, pilot has disembarked, full ahead and the cruise has begun.
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