February 8, 2018 - Our First Full Day in Sydney

It is Thursday, February 8’ 2018. We planned a visit to Taronga Zoo today. It is across the harbor and part way down to Manly. We knew it would take a ferry to get there, so we walked over to Circular Quay to purchase a combo ticket that included admission to the zoo and round trip transportation. The brochures that we collected yesterday indicated that the Many Fast Ferry package was the best value. We walked up to the sales desk knowing that zoo admission was $46 and a one day ferry pass was $50. Their combo price of $59 was good bargain. Well, little did we know. As the woman described the benefits of the package she eyed us and asked if we had concessions. What? If you are over 60, I can discount the package to $43 each and extend the ferry pass to 2 days. She then described the various ferry routes and suggested some bays that we might like to visit. Sold.

30 minutes later we were on the first ferry to the zoo. What a delight this turned out to be. The zoo entrance is on a high hill. It is reached by cable gondola from near the dock. The combo also included this. The zoo is beautifully laid out with trails taking you through various animal exhibits organized by type such as frog, reptiles, mammals etc. Or by geography such as Africa, Australia etc.

After four hours of happy touring we grabbed a frosted fruit bar and headed toward the ferry dock. We had been walking down the hill as we toured the exhibits, so this exit was not strenuous. 

We took the ferry to Watson's Bay. This is on the South side of the harbor near the South Headlands that mark the harbor entrance. We walked along the waterfront with its beautiful beaches before we headed inland. This stretch of land is not very wide, and it rises sharply to the top of the cliffs that meet the Tasman Sea. We walked up a very well constructed path to the top of the Gap. This is a large u-shaped indentation in the cliff wall. The waves crashing below were stunning. We could see for many miles. It was breathtaking. We meandered down the trail and back to the ferry dock. 

The Gap

Our next stop was Manly. This is a large city on the North Headlands. This information office yielded a kind and enthusiastic young man who suggested the walk from Manly Beach to Shelly Beach. He also told us where the best Thursday specials and happy hours were.

We left him, and walked The Corso to Manly Beach. It was pretty windy. We sat and watched some amazing kite surfers for a while before staring the walk to Shelly Beach. This shoreside trail was well paved and wide enough to accommodate foot and bicycle traffic in both directions. Shelly Beach was impressive. It had a lot of waterfront and a great deal of depth back from the water. Several hundred bather were there, and it did not seem crowded.

We walked back to the ferry for our return to Circular Quay and the walk to The Russell. After freshening up in our room we went down to the Push Cafe on the first floor. Here we had welcome beers along with a salad for Alice and a pork chop with Brussels sprouts for me. All were delightful. We hit the bed at 9:00. What a wonderful day.