Sydney Harbour cruises
Sydney Harbour is one of the finest natural harbors in the world. Some tourism publications refer to it rather cheesily as the “The Jewel in Sydney’s Crown”. But one thing’s for sure – a visit to Sydney Australia is incomplete without taking a Sydney Harbour Cruise.
But which Sydney Harbour cruise, that is the question? Probably the cheapest Sydney Harbour Cruise you could take is on one of the many ferries that go up and down the harbor. Probably the best one to take is the Manly ferry which steams right down the middle of the harbor and across the heads to the surfing beach of Manly on the so-called Northern Beaches. You can purchase a day tripper ticket for $17. This will give you unlimited travel on all regular Sydney ferries, Sydney buses and city rail services within the Sydney suburban area. You could take a ferry across the harbor to Manly and either go for a surf or swim in the harbor or dine at one of the many restaurants. There is also a heritage site on the old quarantine station in the national park.
There are many ferry wharves on the harbor with lots to see and do at each stop. For instance, you could take a ferry to Watson’s Bay below South head and walk to the cliff tops to the notorious “Gap” – a suicide spot. There is an anchor from the ship “The Dunbar” which was wrecked while trying to negotiate the harbor heads at night during a storm in the 1800s. For lunch or dinner you might like to stop at the world-famous seafood restaurant “Doyles” – just up from the ferry wharf.
Another ferry trip will take you across the harbor to Taronga Zoo if you’re interested in seeing native Australian animals.
A ferry trip the other way will bring you to Darling Harbour, where the Maritime Museum, casino, aquarium, monorail are based. Further up the harbor are the interesting villages of Balmain and Birchgrove. Lovers of 19th-century architecture will be drawn to this stop. Across from the villages is Birkenhead shopping centre – housed is a renovated tyre factory.
"Platinum" Sydney harbour cruises
But the best way to see Sydney Harbour is on your own Sydney Harbour cruise vessel. You can charter or hire boats as small as the water taxi through to a fully-fledged 125 foot superyacht. It depends on what you want to do and how many are in your party. If it’s a business trip you may want to charter a luxury motor yacht of 40 to 60 foot. With or without catering.
Many people regard a Sydney Harbour Cruise as the highlight of their trip to Australia. With good reason. It’s hard to beat a sunny summer’s day on a charter boat on Sydney Harbour. Day or night. And if you’re in Sydney for New Year’s Eve, the best way to see the fireworks is from a cruise boat on the harbor.
There are many Sydney Harbour cruise boat charter companies operating on Sydney Harbour. One of the best is Flagship Cruises. It’s been in business since 1982. And boasts the crème de la crème of luxury charter boats for Sydney Harbour cruises.
Here is a good video showing Sydney Harbour from the air