North Bondi- Ocean Swimming with Mermaid.

This morning I felt like I was stuck in an episode of the Twilight zone.  A year ago I could not imagine saying to Maria, “Where is my wetsuit?" She was quite distracted as she was looking at the beach camera positioned on top of North Bondi RSL. We were debating the surf conditions like seasoned pros. I thought it looked a little choppy however Maria being the more experienced ocean swimmer authoritatively stated that it was fine.

We are members of BondFit triathlon club and on Saturday mornings they offer rookie open water swimming. This was my third time and I felt quite intimidated by the waves. Mermaid, our effervescent coach enthusiasm was contagious. I noticed there were more experienced swimmers and I said to her, “Is this for the big kids or the little kids?" She laughed and said, “Both". She could sense that I was full of trepidation and she paired us beginners with the more experienced swimmers. I was paired up with her and I've always wanted to swim with a 'mermaid'.  She literally held my hand and dragged me out. She wasn't a bad sort and I thought can't we just stand here and hold hands. We took it slowly and the main thing that she kept repeating like a mantra was to stay relaxed. I found that I was in oxygen debt before I could get through the breakers. It was not so much my fitness but because of my anxiety about drowning. Once I was able to relax myself I had no issues going out to the calmer water beyond the breakers. Towards the end of the session, we practised some body surfing and I felt like I was eight years old again.  Maria and I were swapping war stories, "It threw me under and held me down." "Yeah, they were at least 8 metres high." We must have sounded like we were on speed.

Bondi Beach this morning.

It was great fun had by all and remember kids always swim between the flags.

Getting There: 

Parking is expensive however if you arrive in plenty of time quite often you may get a park in some of the back streets.  Buses are frequent and depart from the Bondi Junction bus interchange.

Camperdown Cemetery- A Stroll

On Tuesday I went for a rather pleasant walk around Camperdown Cemetery. Camperdown Cemetery which is situated on the southern end of Church Street about 80 metres from King Street.  St Stephen's Anglican Church located at the entrance of the Cemetery is reminiscent of a parish church in England. This building is one of Australia's best Gothic Revival churches on this scale and its unique and historic surroundings render it a building of the highest importance. 

The church is in a prominent position on the crest of a rise, approximately three miles south west of the city of Sydney. The spire is notable for miles. The cemetery forms a unique close to the Church; it contains numerous fine trees including a large Moreton Fig Tree. (Lucas 1975, Office of Environment & Heritage).

Camperdown Cemetery 2012

The church was consecrated on Tuesday the 9th of September 1845 by the Bishop of Australia. Nearly 17,530 persons have been laid to rest there.  Many of these persons were famous both in Australia and overseas.  One of these is little known story of celebrated musician, Nicholas Charles Boscha.  Boscha was one of the most celebrated harpists of the day.  He was for some years harpist to the Emperor Napoleon.  The following is an article contained in the Sydney Morning Herald written in 1927.
Napleon Harpist

Getting There

By train you can get off at Macdonaldtown or Newtown Railway Station walking along King Street until you get to Church Street.  The church is about 80 m north of King Street.

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Sources

1845 'PARDONS.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 10 September, p. 3, viewed 4 May, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12882077


1927 'NAPOLEON'S HARPIST.', The Sydney Morning Herald(NSW : 1842 - 1954), 2 July, p. 11, viewed 4 May, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16378269

1938 'HISTORIC CEMETERY.', The Sydney Morning Herald(NSW : 1842 - 1954), 2 November, p. 17, viewed 4 May, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17533590

Fish & Chips under the Bridge

When we visited our friends who live in Tauranga, New Zealand they took us to their local Fish & Chip shop. On their recent visit to Sydney we were eager to return the favour.  We decided to take them to Kirribilli Seafoods at Kirribilli.  This is an old favourite and the fish and chips are some of the best in Sydney.

Selection of Fish- Kirribilli Seafoods

Oysters & Prawns- Kirribilli Seafoods

They have a great selection of fish Atlantic Salmon, Australian Barramundi, Ocean Trout, Flat Head, Snapper and Deep Sea Perch.  We had the fish of the day which was a NZ Dory with chips for $9.50.  We took our 'catch' to Bradfield Park and sat at some well placed picnic tables in the shade.  kirribillseafoods

How to Get There: The easiest way is to take the train and get off at  Milsons Point Railway Station and turn left when you are in the main concourse heading out the eastern side of  the station.  There is meter parking under the bridge if you are driving.

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Cremorne Foreshore Walk

I had some friends from New Zealand visiting, they have been to Sydney many times.  My dilemma was to take them to a part of Sydney they had not visited before.  I haven't walked the Cremorne Foreshore walk for about 12 years.  It is a gorgeous walk and one of my favourite harbour walks in all of Sydney.  "In this special reserve you can find places to sit and contemplate and an array of outstanding panoramas of Sydney Harbour and its foreshores, from the soaring city skyline and dramatic bridges on the west to quiet bays and wooded slopes on the east." (North City Council) (See Flyer)

Mansion and Garden

Foreshore Walk- Eastern Side

The reserve is a strip of land that is only 30 metre wide but it stretches around the entire shoreline of Cremorne Point.  It is a skirt of bush, ornamental gardens, cliffs and tumbled chunks of sandstone providing exceptional access to the harbour foreshore.

Harnett Park view

Getting There

Ferry from Circular Quay Wharf No. 4 to Cremorne Point Wharf. Bus from either Wynyard or Northern Beaches Line, change buses at Neutral Bay Junction and catch the Cremorne Wharf bus No. 225 at Hayes and Lower Wycombe Streets, Neutral Bay.

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Wreck of the Dunbar

The other day I took a walk in Camperdown Cemetery in which the many of the remains of the victims of the Dunbar were buried. It is an interesting story and most visitors to the "Gap" are familiar with it as the salvaged Dunbar anchor is a reminder of the tragedy

The Dunbar

On August 20th,1857, Sydney experienced one of the stormiest nights recorded. In the height of that howling storm the " Dunbar," Captain Green from London, with a large number of passengers, was driven on to the South Head and with the exception of a seaman, James Johnston, all crew and passengers were lost. Johnston the sole survivor was washed on to a ledge of rock at the base of Jacob's ladder at the Gap. His rescue from his perilous position two days later by a brave young Icelander, Antony Wollier, is a thrilling story.

The Rescue: Antony Wollier, having been at Jacob's Ladder saw a man lying on a shelf of one of the rocks. He warned the rescuers above. A spar, a thick strong pole was run out over the cliff where Johnston was stranded. Double blocks, tackle and falls were rigged by many of the rescuers who most likely had nautical rigging experience. Wollier volunteered and risked his life to be lowered down where Johnston lay. Wollier found him and gear was sent down Johnston fixed himself securely and was safely hauled up in an exhausted state.

A coincidence in connection with Johnston, the sole survivor of the " Dunbar," is that the, nine years after his providential escape, when Light House Keeper at Newcastle, rescued the sole survivor of the " Cawarra," lost at Nobby's in 1866. Sydney has had many wrecks at the Heads, and our coasts unfortunately bear a long toll of shipping disasters, but no wreck in our history is so widely remembered as that of the "Dunbar

The Funeral: These remains were collected and accorded a public funeral on Monday, August 24th to St. Stephen's Cemetery, Camperdown. Business places along the route were closed and profund sorrow was manifested by the people. When the long funeral procession reached the churchyard darkness had set in, and the service had to be conducted by the light of improvised torches. The Government erected a monument over the remains of the " Dunbar " victims and those lost a few months later, 24th October, 1857, in the wreck of the "Catherine Adamson," at North Head. This monument is one of the features of the old churchyard and attracts many visitors to St. Stephen's.

Sources:

1887 'WRECK OF THE DUNBAR.—THE RESCUER.', The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), 25 August, p. 3, viewed 4 May, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13662087

 1923 'The Great Wreck.', Queanbeyan Age and Queanbeyan Observer (NSW : 1915 - 1927), 28 August, p. 2, viewed 4 May, 2012, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article31680866

Out of Control Ferry

Imagine that you sitting on the ferry and the Captain is not at the wheel. This is what happened on Tuesday, 16 November 1926, according to the Singleton Argus. Two young men prevented a disaster on the harbour on this day. The Sydney ferry steamer the Kosciusko with nobody at the wheel, was heading for Manly. Two young men from Neutral Bay, were sitting in the front of the wheelhouse wondering why the ferry was not changing her course and why the siren did not sound. 

Ferry Kosciusko, Sydney Harbour, ca. 1930

They went to investigate and looked in the wheelhouse and they were amazed to find that it was empty. Both boys rushed to grab the wheel, they telegraphed the engine room for “full speed astern" and they swerved the ferry from her course. They completed this manoeuvre just in time, for passengers say that the ferry the Baragool missed the Kosciusko by no more than a foot, running parallel along her side.

When the ferry left the wharf it went straight ahead, for the safety pin was in the wheel and the rudder was locked.  It had not gone far when the Baragoola, heading for its berth appeared.  The Captain of the Baragoola sounded its siren but there was no reply from the Kosciousko.  Fortunately one of the young men, Russell Gillies knew something about the steering mechanism and he released the pin, swerving the Kosciousko just clear of the Baragoola, the master of which slowed down when the Kosciousko did not stop as expected.

Reports to the NSW State Navigation department concluded that the Captain had become ill and went onto the wharf, forgetting to inform the wharfinger that he would be temporarily absent from the wheel.  In his absence the engineers were changed they started the engine not knowing that the Captain was not at the wheel (Sounds like the Labour Party).

Circular Quay at Dawn

I caught the bus into Circular Quay this morning to take some photos of the Harbour at Dawn.  I love the light of the city in the morning.  Circular Quay is a must for all visitors for Sydney however as a local it is beautiful to visit when the tourists are nowhere to be seen.

I was looking for an interesting story about Circular Quay and I found the following story about an 'Out of Control Ferry'

The Alexander at Dawn

Dawn at Bennelong Point