We have bought a travel ticket which includes unlimited travel on rail, bus, tram and ferry within a 20km radius of Sydney centre.  We have been taking advantage of this.  Went up the Parramatta river as far as Rydalmere.    Trip lasted about 2 hours.  Lots of very nice houses all along the river / harbour frontage.  On the return trip we stopped off at Cockatoo Island – yawn, yawn.  Cockatoo Island is Sydney Harbours biggest island and was originally a jail, then barracks then ship building and repair yard in WWII.  All a bit industrial for me but Paul loved it…… This is Dog-Leg Tunnel, or Stores Tunnel, built in 1942 as an air raid shelter and tunnel to get goods from one side of the island to the other.  There is something definitely wrong with that hat!

One of the dry docks and a very big crane.

No idea what it is but it’s big!  Think it might have been something… no, no idea.

You can stay on the island – here’s the tents.  We took a peek inside one as we were passing, two camp beds and a couple of chairs.

You can also rent a house or cottage, much more to my liking.  Must be great on a summers day after all the tourists have gone.

View of part of the ship yards from the cliffs above Dog Leg Tunnel.

Part of the convict buildings.

Now the hat looks OK from this angle.

Here are some shots from the ferry.  This is Walsh Bay Wharves area.  The wharves were part of a regeneration started in 1901.  They were supposed to be made of concrete but due to material shortages they were built of timber.  Some of the buildings have been demolished but the wharves themselves remain.  Recent regeneration has resulted in ultra-modern apartments which would cost you millions of dollars to buy.

Another view of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Oopera House.  A cruise ship tied up at the cruise terminal in Circular Quays.

Another ferry!

View of Sydney skyline from Cockatoo Ferry Wharf.

Sydney Skyline.