Cockatoo Island is one of the hidden gems of Sydney. It’s not often visited by tourists - mainly by Sydney-siders. For those working in the city it’s an easy round trip over the lunch hour. Of course the destination is not the only reason for going; the journey there and back is one of the many beautiful harbour trips available by public transport in Sydney.
Today we’re catching a bus and train from home to Circular Quay. There we’ll meet my wife’s friend, and then catch a ferry to Cockatoo Island. The return journey is direct from Cockatoo Island to Barangaroo Wharf, and then a short walk to catch a bus back home again.
We’re senior citizens, so the entire trip, all on public transport, costs just $2.50 each. For others I’m guessing the ferry from Circular Quay to Cockatoo Island and return would be about $10.
It’s wheelchair friendly except for the section from Cockatoo Island wharf up to the top of the island. You might also find this walk hard going if your legs are not too strong. However there is plenty to explore on the lower level for those like me who didn’t listen to their father when he said, “Whatever you do, don’t get a motorbike.”
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Today we're going to take a trip to one of the many hidden gems of Sydney,
a place that tourists rarely see. It's called Cockatoo Island
and it's in the middle of Sydney Harbour about three and a half kilometres west
of the Harbour Bridge. Catching a ferry over to Cockatoo
Island and a lot of people here in Circular
Quay with huge suitcases. They're just about to
But we're on a much smaller vessel. We boarded a ferry at Circular Quay bound
for Cockatoo Island and we're not using a tour operator, just
public transport. But the trip is not just about the
destination. Coming up to Balmain Wharf, our first stop on the way to
Cockatoo Island. It's a chance to enjoy the beauty of Sydney Harbour
The route varies but on this one it stops at Balmain, Birch Grove, Greenwich
Point and Woolwich. Cost for the trip about six dollars
Australian. There's the Harbour Bridge we came under
earlier.
And we're coming up now to Birch Grove Wharf.
Another beautiful park. It's a glorious glorious day in the Harbour. It's about
22, 23 degrees. Nice cool breeze. Couldn't want for a better day for a
trip around the Harbour. How you going? Good. You see any fish there?
See any fish there? No. A big white one? Big white boat. Wow.
Are you? Keep looking. Bye bye. Stop is Woolwich.
Valencia Street Wharf. Hunter's Hill.
Must be about 10 years since we were here last time. Yeah I don't recall
any of this. I think when we were here you had to swim.
You'd have spent some money here haven't you? Look at this.
Chrome I think it is. It's more than stainless steel.
But they've still got the original little waiting room here.
All the quaint waiting rooms. All the workers who have waited here for the ferry.
Taking them back home. Behind me here is one of the cafes
on the island. It's the one nearest the wharf. And today it's totally booked out
by one of the big banks in Australia.
It's like they're having an early Christmas party.
And down here there's the entrance to a tunnel. It's called
Dogleg Tunnel. I understand in the early days of the colony
in Sydney a lot of the food they had was stored here in the tunnel
where it would keep for longer because it was cool.
And in case you hadn't guessed this is why they call it the Dogleg
Tunnel. Because it has a bend in it and now we can
see the light at the end of the tunnel. And with a bit of luck there's a cafe
over here where you can get a bite to eat. It's a beautiful temperature in here.
There's a breeze blowing through the tunnel
and it's probably three or four degrees cooler than it is outside.
And I expect even on hot days it stays pretty much the same temperature
all year round. And we've just come to the end of the
tunnel. And here we have the dockyards. The ships
would be brought in here for repair. Naval vessels. It was a major centre for
repairing naval vessels during the second world war.
A marina cafe and bar. Another group here by the look of it.
One of the old dockyard cranes. All the old corrugated iron buildings around
here and the cranes and so on. All battleship grey.
Probably dating back to the second world war.
Over there is where the girls were going. They were going up there
near that chimney to have a look at the up there.
It's 2025 degrees here. They're sitting inside the tent.
Enjoy. You guessed it. A glass of wine. We've left Cockatoo Island and we're
just about to arrive at Barangaroo Wharf. Barangaroo Wharf. From here we walk up
to Clarence Street to pick up the bus.
Don't recall these trees here before at all.
It was only less than a year ago. The escalator to catch the bus home.
