The old home town looks the same ... - except for more people, more traffic, more boats on the harbour.  It’s been 25 years since we lived here and it’s nice to be able to see the harbour from our own boat.  So different from the water, it can be disorientating at times.

During the week it’s fairly quiet on the water, but on weekends it’s madness!  A few boats keep to the speed limits, but most seem to be in a tearing hurry, powering though the little sailing skiffs and kayaks without even seeing them.

On Middle Harbour the 12 foot skiffs that Toni used to sail with her Dad, still look the same, though they need more support vessels to help them with the traffic.

With strong southerlies predicted, we headed up to Sugarloaf Bay, under the Spit Bridge.  Opening bridges never seem wide enough until you are through to the other side.

Sydney is also a bit different in that very few people wave or say g’day, unlike Lake Macquarie where it’s hard to walk down the street without someone having a yarn.

The old Quarantine Station is looking great, now with a restaurant and accommodation.  We took the Ghost Tour many years ago and it was brilliant.  The buildings have all been well maintained, surrounding bush full of bird calls, and there are public moorings in the bay, though you do get some wake from the Manly ferries and Fastcats.

Rain had settled in by the time we sailed up the harbour to the famous Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, but we still sailed under the bridge, after dodging lots of ferries in all directions.

 

Before Anzac Bridge we had to pass the old 1903 Glebe Island Bridge (more memories), which is permanently open now, the timber footings all slowly collapsing into the harbour.

Meanwhile, here in Rozelle Bay the neighbours are getting bigger...