Sydney’s famously unfathomable sprawl

Strolling through Sydney

Sometimes adversity brings its own rewards. Flying via Sydney from Melbourne to Saigon, I found myself stranded in the New South Wales capital for two nights. I had forgotten to get a visa for Vietnam! Unfamiliar with Sydney’s famously unfathomable sprawl, i took the advice i was given at the airport, and stayed in Kings Cross. The Vietnam Embassy is just down the road in Darlinghurst.

Kings Cross is an enigma. Officially it doesn’t exist as a suburb at all. It’s just a locality. And in essence, it’s really just a section of one mad – Darlinghurst Road. And when you step out onto the notorious strip that is “The Cross”, you might be less than charmed. It’s not just the fact that it’s a red light district, it has a kind of cheerless air about it as well, and it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Yet it’s this Kings Cross that so many new arrivals in Sydney – indeed, Australia – first get to experience and see. There are literally scores of backpacker lodges in the precinct filled to the brim with foreign guests.

“Why on earth,” I asked myself, “do they choose to stay here?” Well, the answer soon hit me, If you stay in the backpacker lodges or small boutique hotels, Kings Cross itself can be easily avoided and ignored. The suburb you are in is officially Potts Point, And it has its own share of quality attractions, Running at an angle off Daflinghurst Road is Victoria Street, with its shade trees and gorgeous period homes. Sprinkled here and there are inviting coffee shops and bars, friendly littIe places that are especially good for breakfast or brunch.

Darlinghurst Road itself soon gives way to Macleay Street, which also seems determined to wash its hands off “The Cross”, The street is the commercial hub of gentrified Potts Point, It is cosmopolitan in flavour, and allows you to shop in chic designer boutiques and dine regally on anything from African to Thai.

Soon I came upon what for me was the icing on the cake. Strolling up Victoria Street, I got an unexpected glimpse of the Sydney city skyline, with the needle like AMP Centrepoint Tower as – yes – its centrepoint. And I realised then that the precinct here is situated high up on a ridge, one that falls dramatically away to a valley straight below – so steeply that there’s not even a road.
But there are stairs – Butlers Stairs. They descend first to Brougham Street, change their name to Hills Stairs, and go onwards down to McEhone Street. Way down in the valley now, i had left Potts Point behind, and and moved to Woolloomooloo, which locals wisely refer to simply as “the loo”. Turning right into almost any street here would lead me tothe coast and Cowper Wharf.
The enormous pier at Cowper Wharf is known as Finger Wharf, Semi-derelict for decades, it was revamped in the early 1990’s, and is a mecca now for yachties and celebrities like Russell Crowe – duck your head!

I would never have dreamed that from here i could easily make my way to Sydney’s premier tourist attractions – Circular Quay, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, Well, i could. But first things first.

Strolling west up Cowper Wharf Road I found another set of steps, this time going up. i just followed the commuters, and emerged at a park. This was The Domain, originally set aside for public recreation by Australia’s first Governor, Arthur Phillip in 1788, the first year of colonial settlement in Australia.

The grand edifice here is the Art Gallery of New South Wales. It’s an impressive neo-classic structure fronted by a giant colonnade, It appropriately mounts the city’s art exhibitions, and does much to foster Aboriginal culture and art.

By now I needed – deserved – a coffee break, Across from the gallery, I found a conveniently located little garden cafe, Amongst other treats, it offered one of my favourites: Portuguese-style baked custard tarts.

Strolling through the parklands towards the city, more historical landmarks soon loomed. i was drawn to the soaring gothic spires of a church. This was St Mary’s Cathedral. The church dates back to 1833, but its spires were not completed until just before the dawning of the new millennium. Who said Sydney was
always in a rash?

North of St Mary’s and fronting Macquarie Street is a line of old colonial classics – the Royal Mint (1853), Sydney Hospital (1811) and Parliament House (said to be the oldest continuously running parliament house in the world). Macquarie Street continues up to Circular Quay – a 10-minute walk. To your right are the Botanical Gardens, which extend northwards from The Domain.
Now I was confronted with a choice – to get up close and personal with the Sydney Opera House, or get the famous Opera House view from Circular Quay. With a brilliant sunset imminent, I chose the quay.

Circular Quay is located in a cove, historically known as Sydney Cove. Arthur Phillip’s first fleet docked here back on Jan 26,1788. The cove is flanked by two headlands. The Opera House graces the tip of Bennalong Point to the east. Dawe’s Point on the opposite side is the site of the huge southern pylon of The Sydney Harbour Bridge. As you stand at the viewpoint, the great metal bridge looms almost above you to the right. From here you can also watch the city’s famous green and cream ferries chngging in and out of the quay. The sunset duly arrived turning the Opera House a delicious tangerine.

So ended day one, and I took a taxi home. But I wasn’t done yet.
One of Sydney harbour’s natural wonders is the proliferation of those finger-like headlands that probe out into the bay. One such is Mrs Macquaries Point which lies due east of Circular Quay. So I figured that it must offer spectacular harbour views. I set out pre-dawn to see.
it was easy to get there. A quick right turn at the Art Gallery of NSW set me stepping along Mrs Macquaries Road. l joined early morning joggers and dog walkers, and voila! there before me was the classic Sydney Harbour view – the great sails of the Opera House seemingly hanging from the giant “old coathanger” bridge.

Heading back. I had time to explore the Botanic Gardens. They are among the biggest and most spectacular in the world. Highlights include the grand old gothic Government House. and a huge pyramidal hothouse, where in grows a veritable monsoon rainforest and al manner of tropical delights. Birdlife thrives in the gardens as well, and I was lucky enough to see a flock of iridescently hued rosella parrots, I ventured back home the same way I had come, and noticed not for the first time the great views you get from The Domain, of the high ridge on which sits the notorious Kings Cross.

I had managed to obtain my Vietnam visa or my first morning in town, and yes, I did finally make it to Saigon. There’s a huge backpacker scene there as well, as I soon discovered. Amongst the travellers I met was a couple fron Sweden whose next stop would be Sydney. You might guess where I strongly advised them to stay.