Sydney Harbour. Boating paradise?

rafiki_

rafiki_

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Spent the weekend in Sydney, and in my mind this is boating paradise. Had a trip out to Fort Dennison, and yesterday climbed The Bridge. What a view!!! The bay was filled with a mix of mobo's and raggies, all seeming to manage around all the ferries, who chat along at quite a speed. In the middle, a huge oil tanker emerged, and again the leisure boats managed very well.

Fantastic weekend, great weather for mid winter (19C and clear blue skies), some compensation for being so far away from my mobo.
 
They do get a bit stressed at times, just like the Solent.
Middle Harbour, via the Spit Bridge is the most relaxed spot in the immediate area, very nice.
If you have the time, go up to Pittwater, not far north and drive along to Akuna Bay, off the Hawkesbury River.

How long are you in Oz for?
 
Just to make you jealous my brother lives in Neutral bay right next to the custom's dock. He has sold his boat now to concentrate on his small farm near Gulgong, but there is nothing like the harbour, or Pittwater on a summer's afternoon.

My mum's next door neighbour had a boat at Cottage Point, Coal and Candle Creek on the Hawkesbury, which was a very interesting place to boat.
 
Shark

Keep your feet out of the water, there are a lot of them in the Harbour, they like the coloured water, and the chips and ice cream the tourists throw in!!

DSC00333.jpg
 
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rafiki_ said:
Andy

I have travelled south to Melbourne now, and will be here till Thursday evening. A chilly shock after the beautiful weekend we had in Sydney.
Click to expand...

The only city with 4 seasons every day. The good thin is, if you don't like the weather, wait 20 minutes.

Such a pity you did not make it into Queensland, God is a local call on the phone.
 
Here's a piccy of the harbour that I took from the AMP Tower. Can't really compare with Solent.

IMGP1360-2-1.jpg


Boating paradise for me is up & around the Whitsundays

IMGP1548-2-1.jpg


Taken at Eagle Point.

There's just one raggie to be seen in the distance.

Just Heaven.
 
Questor said:
Here's a piccy of the harbour that I took from the AMP Tower. Can't really compare with Solent.

IMGP1360-2-1.jpg


Boating paradise for me is up & around the Whitsundays

IMGP1548-2-1.jpg


Taken at Eagle Point.

There's just one raggie to be seen in the distance.

Just Heaven.
Click to expand...

I have spent many years sailing this area and have managed to find some fantastic spots well hidden and include great anchorage, diving, fishing and even beaches that only see foot prints a few times a year.

Lots of resorts If you like that sort of thing, great climate and paradise for sailing even though it can be a light on occasions. Waters are designated as protected because of the Great Barrier Reef reducing ocean swells to ripples, well most of the time anyway.

Though have seen dead calm water many times. It was at the southern end of the group that I saw the most spectacular calm, no matter hard you looked it was impossible to pick where the sky ended and and the sea started.

Sitting on a beach one night with only puddles of water left around us, the night sky was awash with stars and puddles flashing with electric phosphorus, fantastic.

Stepping ashore about 10 metres behind a group of friends who were walking along a creek bed among the trees and rocks, they saw the butterfly's taking off in front of them; I saw 4 poeple under a rainbow of fluttering colour.

Nice place the Whitsunday islands. pity there are only 74 of them.

.
 
rafiki_ said:
Andy

I have travelled south to Melbourne now, and will be here till Thursday evening. A chilly shock after the beautiful weekend we had in Sydney.
Click to expand...

I'm just on the other side of Bass Strait in northern Tasmania, its a cold time of the year for us here as well. Which way are you heading after Melbourne?

PM me if you are heading my way, I know where there is a big Princess that needs a run. :-)
 
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One of the guys on the boat in this clip of a Great White being disentangled from an anti shark net is a relative of mine. He was out on his own boat when a mate called by on the boat in the vid, and asked him to come help him. He thought nothing more of it until he was back home and his girlfriend yelled out "come look, you are on the news!"

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=xDtzHpv7QK4&feature=related
 
Major Catastrophe said:
Just to make you jealous my brother lives in Neutral bay right next to the custom's dock. He has sold his boat now to concentrate on his small farm near Gulgong, but there is nothing like the harbour, or Pittwater on a summer's afternoon.

My mum's next door neighbour had a boat at Cottage Point, Coal and Candle Creek on the Hawkesbury, which was a very interesting place to boat.
Click to expand...

Nuetral Bay is one of the most elite/flashiest suburbs on the Harbour. As the picture shows its a pretty long and narrow waterway and always busy.
They don't appear concerned about wash, and near misses are just accepted as the norm.

My sister lives not far from Cottage Point and Akuna Bay, so I spend quite a bit of time in Sydney around the Hawkesbury River area.

Australias boating area that would be equivalent to the Solent in status would have to be the Gold Coast to Brisbane area, encompassing the Broadwater and Moreton Bay.
 
BrendanS said:
One of the guys on the boat in this clip of a Great White being disentangled from an anti shark net is a relative of mine. He was out on his own boat when a mate called by on the boat in the vid, and asked him to come help him. He thought nothing more of it until he was back home and his girlfriend yelled out "come look, you are on the news!"

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=xDtzHpv7QK4&feature=related
Click to expand...

Bronte Beach is right near Bondi and they are patrolled by light planes, helicopters, life-savers on jet ski's and also shore based. I think the odds of being attacked are pretty slim in this location, because of suitable pre-warning.
There would be much more of a probability of injury caused by falling over bronzed skinned, naked ladies lying on the beach, resembling an over populated (skinny) seal colony. ;)
 
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Questor said:
Boating paradise for me is up & around the Whitsundays

IMGP1548-2-1.jpg


Taken at Eagle Point.

There's just one raggie to be seen in the distance.

Just Heaven.
Click to expand...


Looks like the northern end of Whitehaven Beach facing south to Solway Passage in the distance. The beautiful beach on the right, is 3 nautical miles long and the water is always warm.

Questor...did you bareboat charter or go with an organised day trip?
 
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oldsaltoz said:
I have spent many years sailing this area and have managed to find some fantastic spots well hidden and include great anchorage, diving, fishing and even beaches that only see foot prints a few times a year.

Lots of resorts If you like that sort of thing, great climate and paradise for sailing even though it can be a light on occasions. Waters are designated as protected because of the Great Barrier Reef reducing ocean swells to ripples, well most of the time anyway.

Though have seen dead calm water many times. It was at the southern end of the group that I saw the most spectacular calm, no matter hard you looked it was impossible to pick where the sky ended and and the sea started.

Sitting on a beach one night with only puddles of water left around us, the night sky was awash with stars and puddles flashing with electric phosphorus, fantastic.

Stepping ashore about 10 metres behind a group of friends who were walking along a creek bed among the trees and rocks, they saw the butterfly's taking off in front of them; I saw 4 poeple under a rainbow of fluttering colour.

Nice place the Whitsunday islands. pity there are only 74 of them.

.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with you Brian, and you are lucky enough to have all this as your backyard.
The resorts are good for the ladies and the teenagers, and adds a bit of variation to the holiday, after all an hour out of Hamilton Island, even at six knots, gets you away into a nice quiet bay.

How are you putting in the winter?.........I know, what winter? :D
 
Questor...did you bareboat charter or go with an organised day trip?
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We did a four day organised trip on this occasion with Bareback Charters on the Reef Odyssey. We had a fantastic time & the crew were great fun. Would highly recommend them.

We stayed at Hamilton Island for a couple of nights before going back to Brisbane (were I grew up), and wasn't impressed. They seem to have got it all wrong. Instead of picking the boat up at Hamilton Island as we did, you can pick it up on the mainland at Shute Harbour.

I wouldn't mind going it alone next time.
 
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