Skywatch - Catching the last rays

Taken as the lowering winter sun bathes the entire area with a golden haze, this vantage point affords some unusual angles for old favourites - which I will share with you next week together with some more interesting history. Taking the stairs to the Tarpeian Way and entering the Botanic Gardens at the rear of Government House, count the number of icons I have managed to include in the one shot: ferry, Luna Park, Harbour Bridge AND Opera House.

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A remarkable lightness of being

As the compellingly craggy Lloyd Rees drew to the end of his long life, his eyesight dimmed to a perception of light - and this is what he transferred to the canvas. There are some heart-stopping renditions of Sydney Harbour, September Sun being one. Chugging across the top of the harbour swell and through the wake of vessels gone before me, the sun and the salt combine to heighten my own perception of the light being absorbed around me.Time is in neutral: mid-week journeymen have no need for hustle, no use for bustle. They have the patience to listen, to look, to watch and to think. Out on the deck, the breeze whistles around the collar as the shadows of the grey girders lengthen into the afternoon.People watching is a guilty pleasure enjoyed by many at train stations and at ferry wharves. Pier 4 at Circular Quay is no exception. Woolwich service to the left: Milsons Point, McMahons Point, Birchgrove, Greenwich Point, Woolwich. Watson's Bay to the right: Garden Island, Darling Point, Double Bay, Rose Bay, Watsons Bay. We sit there absorbing the midday warmth, rocking gently with each rise and fall of the creaking wharf. We watch, smile, nod, acknowledge. A stir is caused by unattended baggage: a sign of that world out there that is not as far away as one would hope.The massive Manly ferry departs for its 30 minute journey out to the Heads with a gradual turn to the left. The River Cat commences it hour long journey under the bridge and up the Parramatta River. Smaller vessels ply their busy trade: tugs, taxis, fire trucks, police. Larger vessels tote for trade: square riggers, floating hotels, trashy paddle steamers all ready themselves for the evening. Evening on the harbour is like black ink: the light has gone.

When is an island no longer an island?

I read a quote today about Obama and the dilemma he is encountering living up to voters' expectations: "The audacity of hope clashes with the obduracy of reality." It reminded me of this gentleman - young not unattractive. Just sitting watching the water. I stood back and watched for a while trying to gauge from his body-language whether he was as sad as the image conveys. He was sad, but not enough to do anything dumb. It was mid-week, mid-winter, mid-day. It was glorious and he sat and fed the gulls more of his sambo than he ate himself. The James Cook graving dock (a dock where the water can be pumped out) was opened just as both Rooseveldt and Hitler were departing this world, having been commenced in 1940 as a direct result of wartime exigencies. 30 acres of land was resumed from the harbour. The two vintage photographs show the island before WW2 and the same place when it was no longer an island after WW2. Gardening was never successful on Garden Island. Like many of the promontories reaching into the harbour, Garden Island was an outcrop of sandstone with very little soil attached and neither colonists nor soldiers had any farming experience. None. They persevered, however, from February 1788 until June 1790 when the Second Fleet arrived with a few provisions for the struggling colony. Some food was grown around the Governor's house in what is now the Botanic Gardens but the real turning point also came in 1790 when James Ruse started to till the far more arable land out at Parramatta - 30 miles inland up the river that shoots off from the harbour.I spent two hours on the island and only toured the grassy knoll- that expression sends shivers up my spine. I did not have enough time to do the Heritage Museum justice ($5 entry fee) so will go out again just for that. The restaurant between the two parts of the museum looks good, too.It is a six minute ferry ride from Circular Quay at a return cost of $10.30. It is so worth it! That cost will take you the round trip to Watsons Bay on the ferry, "Susie O'Neill". But be warned: on a sunny weekend, the ferry will steam past some wharves because it is already at capacity.

Who pays the ferryman?

Where are we going today Mr Nicholson Where is it going to be, Don’t turn left, turn right down the harbour And out to the open sea, Pull up your anchor, pull your finger out And wave goodbye to your home We’re off to Nantucket So give that man a bucket Cause choppy when you’re out on the foam Heave Ho! Its choppy when you’re out on the foam. First verse from "Rose Bay Ferry" by Bernard Bolan

Why call it Garden Island?

Raising the Union Jack on 26 January 1788, Governor Philip quickly sent a party out looking for areas suitable for growing fresh vegetables for the colonists. It had been a long, arduous journey from Portsmouth and scurvy was rife. Garden Island stood about 300m off Potts Point as can be seen in this undated image taken from The Domain showing Potts Point on the right and Garden Island in the left middle distance. Weathered over the years through neglect but now encased behind perspex and glass, the first rock graffiti by white man (WB, IR and FM) indicates that a party of 3 had endeavoured to till the land as early as 11 February 1788, eventually growing turnips, carrots, lettuces, onions, leaks, parsley, celery, corn, five sorts of cabbages, artichokes and beets. However, as the island was not particularly arable, the colonists not particularly adept and the weather unforgiving, the infant colony was plunged into two years of severe deprivation waiting upon every arrival from "home" for basic foods.
Wednesday: When and why did it cease being an island?

Hands

... Jess giving Bach a burl ...

Harbour Islands - Garden (3 of 9)

Big leap of the imagination required here today! I am trying to simulate a 360 degree sweep around the harbour from the top of a three storey signal tower in the middle of Garden Island. Starting with the Harbour Bridge I sweep anti-clockwise to the south taking in the city to begin with. To orient you, Sydney Harbour is a drowned valley and, hence, is a curving series of promontories and coves. The bridge itself is on Dawes Point, into Sydney Cove, out to Bennelong Point (the site of the Opera House), into Farm Cove, out to Point Macquarie, into Wooloomooloo Bay, out to Garden Island which is no longer an island but has been reclaimed to join the land. Got all that? There will be a test at the end!

1. Bridge and Opera House 2. Turning gradually to the south, the Opera House, Botanic Gardens. start of the CBD.

3. The heart of the CBD, orient yourself with Centrepoint Tower. 4. Gradually anti-clockwise: the cranes are actually on Garden Island itself.

5. The end of the CBD, with the mighty hammerhead crane known as Tiny Tim. 6. Looking south, along Garden Island itself with the handrails of the 110 steps of the tower I was standing on.

Pause for a breather. Taken from the front of the Opera House later that afternoon, showing the accessible northern section of Garden Island. The rest is Navy land that is off limits. You are looking due East here. The bridge is behind me. Now back to the 360 sweep.

7. From Garden Island we look deep into Rushcutters Bay to the see of masts which is the Cruising Yacht Club. 8. Above the red roof on the Naval Heritage Museum on Garden Island, we see Darling Point which is the greenery in the distance on the right. The greenery in the distance on the left is Clarke Island.

9. Now we start to sweep across the harbour. Firstly, we see Clarke Island in total. 10. Then onto Shark Island which I showed you in detail last week.

11. Across into the deep channel of the harbour and we watch as a Manly ferry chuggs off down and around to the Heads. 12. Further around the 360, and we are NNW now and in front of us is Fort Dennison.

There should be one more image to link Fort Dennison with the northern pylon of the Bridge - except I forgot to take it due to exhaustion and dizziness!.

Experience more of Garden Island itself from Monday.

Skywatch - Both sides now

In front: sun setting behind the Harbour Bridge [F5.6, 1/1250, ISO400, 208mm]

Rows and flows of angel hair And ice-cream castles in the air And feather canyons ev'rywhere I've looked at clouds that way. But now they only block the sun They rain and snow on ev'ryone So many things I would have done But clouds got in my way. I've looked at clouds from both sides now From up and down, and still somehow It's clouds illusions I recall I really don't know clouds at all. ... Lyrics by Joni Mitchell ...

Behind: sunset echoes over Fort Denison, the harbour and the ridge down to South Head [F5.6, 1/160, ISO400, 220mm]

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Steppin' out

A Sydney winter Sunday easing down to evening 20C mild and calm hangin' out communally.

Man's best friend ... phooey!

Dogs are nowt but status symbols on a leash! If you want an animal who worships the very ground you walk upon: share your life with a cat!


How can Fido give unbridled love and adoration to an owner who walks him in pink fluffy slippers and meets friends wearing thongs ... some folks have questionable taste, I tell ya! How can Fido look up to anyone who half strangles him whilst doing endless thumb exercises! And she can't even see that the bloke on the receiving end is not really into her!

Mogs rule!