One of the Sydney icons, the Harbour Bridge is crossed on this lovely walk which also takes in some of the quieter coves on the north shore.
Circular Quay is a busy spot in the heart of the harbour, filled with tourists and the hussle and bussle of the ferry terminals.
The walk leads out past the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) which is worth a visit if only for its restaurants with scenic dining.
Little Cadman’s Cottage is a rare survivor from earlier times: John Cadman was sentenced to death for stealing a horse in 1797; he was instead transported to Australia.
20 years later he received a pardon and rose to become Superintendent of Government Boats, a post he occupied for 45 years. He lived in the cottage with his wife and two daughters until his retirement in 1845 and died three years later at the Steam Packet Inn which he had bought in 1844.
The other side of the street has the rather more modern Overseas Passenger Terminal with The Squire’s Landing Brewhouse offering great views to its northern end.
The Queen Elizabeth was in dock when I walked past, her sleek bow echoing the earlier Cunard liners.
Swinging around Campbell’s Cove, the old 19th century warehouses still stand. Built to hold sheepskins, whale oil, sugar and sealskins they now contain restaurants.
The colourful sandstone brickwork of the Park Hyatt hotel is next – it is a good place to stay for harbour views and there is a nice rooftop pool.
The path leads on to Dawes Point from where ferries crossed to the north shore before the bridge opened in 1932. Now only the ramp remains and the bridge looms overhead.
To actually cross the bridge, one now has to backtrack down Cumberland Street to the steps (or lift!) which access its road. This is not a quiet section as there is a lot of traffic passing but it is easy to forget it as one looks out over the Opera House side of the Harbour.
Of course one can spend $300+ (more for dawn climbs) and do the Bridge Walk but the views are pretty fantastic at walk level too and for free, albeit you are only seeing one side of the Harbour – if you want to see the other side you will have to cycle across. A compromise is to visit the little museum contained within the south pylon which has a 360° viewing platform.
The 180° view on the walk encompasses the city and the opera house with the fringing shorelines, all set amongst the deep blue waters of the Harbour where ferries and yachts are always on the move.
The black structure of the world’s second largest steel arch bridge looms above. The arch spans 503 metres and at ‘the summit’ it is 134 m above sea level.
It was built by Dorman Long & Co of Middlesborough, England – they were later to build the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle – at a cost of about AU$6.2 million – this was only finally paid off in 1988. Construction took 9 years with workshops at today’s Lunar Park site.
79% of the steel came pre fabricated from England, the whole thing weighs 52,800 tonnes and it is all held together by 6 million rivets. The four 89 m pylons are granite faced concrete but although the abutments were necessary, the pylons were only included for aesthetic value and to give an impression of structural integrity. In 1942, they were actually modified with parapets and anti aircraft guns.
The section of road over the bridge was called the Bradfield Highway, making it the shortest highway in Australia. It is also designated a travelling stock route, but only between midnight and dawn and with prior notice!
We ambled across with lots of stops to admire the view as the Australian and Aborigine flags flapped overhead. The latter has been in place permanently since 2022, replacing the NSW state flag. This has been relegated to the new Macquarie Street development in the CBD.
Originally a third flag pole was going to be erected but the 6 storey structure would have cost AU$25 million so it was decided to just swop them and put the money saved towards improving the lives of disadvantaged aborigine communities.
The crossing finally decants one in the jolly little enclave of Kirribilli where there are lots of tempting cafe options.
A right hand turn leads down to the little Bradfield Park and more great views. One can follow the coast briefly but then has to ascend to the road through the Dr. Mary Booth lookout. There are tantalising glimpses of the Opera House through the buildings.
Two official residences are passed: firstly, Admiralry House, home of the Governor-General of Australia. The metal gates appear to have a bullet proof glass attached to them and there is a glimpse of manicured gardens.
Built in the mid 1800’s, it was taken over by the colonial government in 1885 for the Admiral of the Royal Navy’s Australian Squadron and has since been the home of seventeen Governors-General. It is open for one day a year in the autumn.
Kirribilli House was built in 1855 by a German merchant and originally called Sophienberg. In 1956, it was set aside as a residence for the Australian Prime Ministers and has often proved more popular than the primary official residence in Canberra. It is also open for one day in the year.
The adjacent Lady Gowrie Lookout is a narrow reserve that drops down steeply to the water. Lady Gowrie was the wife of a Governor-General and planted a tree in the reserve before her departure in 1944.
There is a bit of road work now before Milson’s Park, at the head of Careening Cove. We stop at the Flying Bear waterfront restaurant for a picturesque coffee and enjoy this slightly off the beaten track bay.
Ten minutes along the harbour, we are able to get a ferry back to Central Quay from the North Sydney Wharf. I am amused by the ‘kiss and ride’ sign – I hope it just denotes a drop-off area!
NOTES
The walk is approximately 5.5 km long and very straightforward on roads and pavements with lots of cafe options. There are excellent public transport links at each end.
For accommodation, I recommend the YHA above the Rocks. It is on an industrial scale but they offer great value private and dormitory rooms. The roof top bar has Opera House and Harbour Bridge views and there is also a good buffet breakfast.
