After being rained out on my last few photographic expeditions, I finally enjoyed a run of good weather on my long weekend break in Sydney. The results are below.
The shot above was taken at sunrise at Observatory Hill Park, a short 15-20 minute stroll from the Sydney CBD. It’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the CBD – there would have only been a handful of people there even when I visited during the middle of the day. As you can see from the photo, they’ve got some magnificent old trees there and plenty of benches where you can sit down and drink in the million dollar views. At the top of Observatory Hill, you will find the Sydney Observatory (free entry) with plenty of interesting astronomical exhibits. If you go at the right time, you can even see the sun through a telescope (with relevant filter attached of course!).
The above shot was taken at Kirribilli after walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The walk from the CBD in total took about 40 minutes. This is probably my ideal place to catch the sunset in Sydney – you can take in the Sydney Opera House, CBD skyline and Sydney Harbour Bridge all in the one glance and aside from a few photographers, you’re also quite likely to have the place to yourself. This is approximately a 20 second exposure so the streak on the top left of the photo is actually a plane flying overhead.
The above shot is one of the many retail outlets selling seafood to the public at the Sydney Fish Market. The retail shops there are a bit expensive ($18 for a dozen oysters?) but the freshness and quality of the seafood is unparalleled. After lashing out on said oysters, I can happily report that they were amongst the nicest I’ve ever had.
The above shot was taken at a store on the interior of the Sydney Fish Market. Here you can also find many restaurants and cafes cooking fresh seafood to sell to the public. It’s definitely worth making an effort to get down there for lunch.
The above shot was taken at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair (just past the Royal Botanical Gardens) at sunset. On this particular evening, they had limited lighting on at the Sydney Opera House for some reason. This perspective is probably one of the most photographed in Sydney and for good reason. It’s a fantastic way to cap off a day of sightseeing in and around a very pretty city.
You will probably pass through the Royal Botanical Gardens on the way to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. If so, make sure to check out Government House with its fabulous waterfront views. This frangipani flower was from a tree within the grounds of Government House, which is a separately fenced area within the Royal Botanical Gardens.
The above photo illustrates another reason why I love Sydney – the weather. This shot was taken in the middle of Autumn and on this particular day the temperature was still 26 degrees celsius. Having more favourable weather and surf beaches so close to the CBD certainly makes for a different culture. This is particularly evident at Bondi Beach (pictured above). Incidentally, if you’re there, don’t forget to check out Hurricane’s Grill and order the pork spare ribs. That alone is worth visiting Bondi for. After, you can work it all off by doing the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk. I only had time to do a bit of it this trip, but will definitely set aside more time next trip as the views were fantastic.
A shot of 2 famous Sydney icons at sunset taken from Milson’s Point. I like how the bridge frames the opera house. Pity about the construction works in the foreground, will have to try and re-shoot next time I’m up there.
A slightly different take on the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, this time just before sunrise. Once again I arrived on location to find construction works – the entire forecourt had been ripped out to build an undercover loading dock. Ideally I would have liked to include more of the steps but the construction works prevented this. Oh well, there’s always next time.
The above shot was taken on the top level of the Queen Victoria Building which is just a quick 5 minute walk from the Westfield CBD shopping centre. Incidentally, if you’re in the area, don’t forget to check out the classy food court at Westfield. Nothing there of photographic interest, but plenty of great food. I recommend the dumplings (in particular the xiao long bao) at Din Tai Fung.