The city’s extrovert heart thrums with so many swanky, al fresco restaurants and flash nightclubs and bars in irresistible locations that unless you have a steely resolve there’s every chance the following day you’ll wake up a little battle weary.
I was reminded of this a short time after boarding the 11.45am trademark green and yellow ferry to Mosman at the Circular Quay ferry hub.
The cooling sea breeze slicing through the humid morning was no more than a whiff, but it was enough to create an ever so slight swell around the aged and creaking vessel as it pulled in to Cremorne wharf to drop off passengers, dressed in summery shorts, large–brimmed hats to shade from the increasingly burning overhead sun and laden with all manner of food and shopping.
The turn and churn at this point were at distinct odds with my fragile stomach, suffering the bilious effects of over indulgence. Fortunately it was fleeting.
The chug around Robertsons Point into the slumbering backwaters of beautiful Mosman Bay with its sybaritic and stratospherically high–priced homes, stocky tropical palms, giant banksias, jacaranda, Moreton Bay figs, red gums and flame trees perched on rocky roosts to the left and right of our ferry are an instant diversion.
BEAUTIFUL MOSMAN BAY
Three wharfs are housed in this skinny inlet – south Mosman, Old Cremorne and Mosman Wharf at its inner–most point, amid a flotilla of gleaming yachts and white, wealth–oozing launches.
My friend, who lived in a street above Mosman wharf and arrived just as the ferry pulled in, showed me the sights of her neighbourhood.
Hard as it is to believe, a thick forest flowed down to the water’s edge in Mosman when the First Fleet arrived in January 1788. Even harder to imagine is this narrow waterway was a whaling hub until 1830 and at one stage, was earmarked for a coal mine. Apparently there’s a swag of coal under Sydney Harbour.
This, and other fascinating snippets are in mapped walking guides provided by Sydney Ferries. There are 16 different walks and you can download them off the website at www.sydneyferries.com.au before you leave home.
The coves and outcrops that curl around Little Sirius Cove, bordering Taronga Zoological Park, Mosman, Cremorne with Mosman Bay on one side and Shell Cove on the other and Neutral Bay with historic Kirribilli on its shores are some of the most enchanting parts of Sydney.
It would take several visits to cover them all as the walks each take around two hours. Mosman Bay around to Cremorne is a lovely place to start and if you’ve still got some energy, take in the next stretch over to Kirribilli.
GENTLE KIRRIBILLI
Laced with parks and gardens the suburban pockets exude a tranquil and gentrified air. Check out the Lex and Ruby Graham Gardens in Mosman. The couple created these picture postcard gardens on the slopes for the enjoyment of all as a labour of love starting in 1959. Before they came along it was a rubbish dump that was a blot on the landscape. Today its pristine condition is maintained by the council and a plaque tells you of the couple’s dedication.
The Mosman Rowing Club is a popular place to dine out on the deck overlooking the glassy waters and plethora of water craft.
But this day we’ve decided our lunch will be at the much busier Kirribilli, on the northern side of the Harbour Bridge.
It’s only 10 minutes by ferry from Circular Quay but the train across the harbour bridge back into town from Milsons Point station on the North Shore line is equally convenient.
Kirribilli is Aboriginal for “good fishing spot”. This day the only fish we see are on the edge of a fork in the numerous seafood restaurants with outdoor umbrella–shaded tables sporting blackboards offering succulent garfish and whiting. Like barramundi they’re considered the best of Australian fish.
The Saturday lunchtime crowds are thick as it’s the fourth Saturday of the month, the day that Kirribilli’s markets mushroom on the scorched lawns of what was once the local bowling club.
Shoehorning into a park on busy Broughton Street outside the market is no mean feat. We head under a tall archway that supports the overhead stretch on to the bridge.
Here in the shade, market stalls are laden with gimcrack and the odd little treasure made by nimble craftsmen. Oversized dragonflies in brooches and necklaces are all the go.
Out of the underpass shade, the tented market provides small respite from the scorching midday sun.
Slush puppy vendors are doing a roaring trade, but surprisingly, so are the vendors slavering over hot, rotating stacks of lamb and beef as they shave off thin slices into pita bread to create Middle Eastern yiros.
Kirribilli is one of Australia’s oldest suburbs. Its architecture is stylish and mainly stately with heavy influences of British home styles of two centuries ago.
It is also stacked with notables including Prime Minister John Howard’s Sydney residence, Kirribilli House, the Governor General’s Admiral House and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.
We head down Fitzroy Street, which like other side streets off Broughton is stacked with cafes, bars and restaurants and boutique shops. There is no more pleasant way to pass an hour or two than drinking a large flat white coffee with a stacked chicken and salad sandwich on a pavement table watching passers–by on a summer afternoon.
GETTING AROUND