Bradleys Head to Opera House
13 km (1072 km | 5 hr
"I have made a sculpture… you will never be finished with it … together with the sun, the light and the clouds, it makes a living thing." ~ Jørn Utzon
Today was the final day of the 'Northern Way' of my coastal camino. Followed the official Manly-Bondi Walk route starting from the Zoo wharf, along the little bush track around the small headland to Curlew Camp. In this idyllic setting some of Australia's greatest 19th century painters, such as Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts, stayed for lengthy periods. Some of their most famous paintings were created here, and it's easy to understand how inspirational this little cove and headland could be.
Then it was around the pretty foreshores of Mosman Bay to Cremorne - a gem of a short, easy, picturesque harbourside walk in Sydney. Bushland and the sparkling harbour on one side and beautiful manicured gardens and federation houses on the other. Just lovely.
A little diversion to Cremorne Lighthouse then a rest stop for a swim at delightful MacCallum harbourside pool. Next it was a bit of road and park walking to Neutral Bay (as this was where ‘neutral shipping would berth back in the day) followed by the old submarine base (Wirra Birra Park) and 'Jacaranda Street' near Milson Park.
Onwards round Kirribilli Point, past the Sydney residences of the Governor General and the Prime Minister. Kirribilli means 'a great spot to fish' and was the prime fishing spot for the Cammeraygal before European settlement. In the mid-90s when I lived nearby, I remember a bloke reeling in (and then releasing) a 1.5m juvenile bull shark while we white-collar types in suits and ties got drenched waiting for the old Hegarty's ferry to arrive at Beulah St wharf. Exciting times as a Sydney Harbour commuter!
The crossing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge began from Milsons Point. I hope statute of limitations will protect me as I now admit that I was a veteran Bridge climber back in the day when it was a teenage dare, rather than an expensive tourist attraction. I saw many a dawn break from the top of the Bridge after a late night of youthful enjoyment- and became a bit of an underground (overwater) tour guide for any and all who wanted to scale the ‘coathanger’... I like to think that these escapades fully enhanced my ongoing love for our 'Emerald City'.
I was a little emotional (in an older Aussie bloke kind of way) as I walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge feeling this part of the walk drawing to a close. Down the magnificent bridge stairs and their majestic Moruya granite to the Rocks. Around Circular Quay on a perfect summer afternoon and then… it was all over… our ever-amazing Opera House concluded the Northern Way. Psychologically it formed the halfway point of my camino, although in actual reality it would be more like 60%.
The Opera House seems to me to encapsulate so many things about Sydney: its soaring magnificence, its location twixt sun and sky and sea, its funding by gambling, its grubby politics and treatment of genius, its shabby compromises and so on… but ultimately its sheer transcendent glory – there is nothing to do or say any more but to simply admire this wonderful, almost other worldly creation; it radiates the same contemplative majesty and instils the same awe as that with which medieval peasants might have viewed the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela on their devotional pilgrimages.
And to top all off I enjoyed a superb summer afternoon to evening celebration with family and friends as a truly excellent denouement. Blessed.