On This Day: Skagway and the White Pass Scenic Railway

18th September 2010: overnight our floating hotel had conveyed us to another beautiful harbour, the town of Skagway (population 968). Our morning began with the walk around the preserved and restored Klondike gold rush era central business district, learning about the history and conditions of frontier life.

Later we took a trip on the incredibly scenic White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. This follows the same path as the prospectors up into the mountains, and crosses into the Canadian province of British Columbia. The train continues to the Yukon Territory but we alighted at the customs post in B.C. and enjoyed an exhilarating bicycle free-wheel back down the road to Skagway.

On This Day: Tracy Arm Fjord and Juneau

The 17th September 2010 was our first day in Alaska, the previous one being spent at sea cruising up from Vancouver. The first item on the itinerary was to cruise into the majestic Tracy Arm Fjord in glorious sunshine. We later docked in Juneau—the State Capital, which can only be accessed by sea and air—and took an excursion to see Bald Eagles and Humpback Whales.

Trafalgar Square Fountain

Trafalgar Square Fountain

Photographic entertainment while the Little One enjoyed an ice lolly during a day out to see the sights of London. This was taken by resting the camera on my backpack, which was across my lap. I had to do quite a lot of work on the RAW file but the end result is surprisingly good for basically a handheld shot in the middle of the day.

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium

Sydney is defined by its ocean setting, so what better way to experience the ocean than to visit the Aquarium! On a weekday not in the school holidays the queue to buy tickets was long and slow, and we had to purchase our tickets via smartphone from the queue!

Sydney 2018: An Instagram #Holiday ??

When visiting a city for a few days at a relaxed pace, hanging out with locals, and staying in a residential neighbourhood rather than a touristy one, it is possible to imagine what it would be like to live there should the opportunity arise. With so many tasty brunches, day trips to the zoo and aquarium, a couple of evening visits to trendy restaurants, and many hours on the beach, our two weeks felt more like a continuous weekend that lasted a fortnight, which is perhaps the definition of a holiday!

I did take some “proper” photographs which will be published on this blog in due course but since this holiday was more about doing and experiencing than seeing, my Instagram feed perhaps gives the best flavour of the holiday—food, drinks, and local detail. Reviewing the raw photographs I did take with my camera, I realise that I inadvertently restricted my efforts to the classic and obvious Sydney photographic gems and disappointingly failed to capture any of the local character or street photography in the more off-the-beaten track neighbourhoods we visited.

With phone cameras such high quality these days, the Instagram moments I captured deserve better than an ephemeral life in the sidebar of this blog so here they are for posterity. ???

A Visit to Sydney’s Manly

If there is one neighbourhood in Sydney that encapsulates everything about this modern beach-side metropolis, it is perhaps Manly. Even getting there is something special. Conventionally you depart from the urban grubbiness of Circular Quay, a place that is, in-theory, blessed with views of the spectacular twin landmarks of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge but neither are easily visible from the wharves crowded with throngs of tourists, and groups watching the buskers and street performers who create a cacophony of competing noise.

Once your ferry departs, those aforementioned landmarks, and indeed the harbour itself, suddenly open up their beauty to you, and the brisk salty breeze feels incredible after the baking heat of the city. The sun sparkles on the blue water as sail boats and the classic green and yellow ferries cruise through your view. Long after the Opera House shrinks to the size of a postage stamp in in the distance, the silver and glass skyscrapers of the CBD rise up shimmering in the sky, and look so neatly positioned next to the majestic dark bridge marking the horizon between blue sky and blue water.

If you can tear your eyes away from the view behind there are points of interest along the way, and glimpses of other destinations. The white stone of the Edwardian Bathers’ Pavilion at Balmoral makes it easy to spot Balmoral beach and reminisce about lazy days swimming in the refreshingly calm cool water and drinking flat whites on the beach in the shade of a palm tree.

Stepping onto land at Manly feels like arriving in a different world to Circular Quay. It is still Sydney, and there are still tourists, but the business and bustle has been replaced by a relaxed vibe as local and visitor mix happily in the pedestrianised Corso that takes you down the the Ocean Beach—should you choose to go there, because of course Manly also has two harbour beaches with gentle waves for those that like the other sort of beach experience. A little walk along the ocean promenade of bars and cafés takes you to the delightful family friendly cove of Shelly Beach which also has more gentle swimming and even some snorkelling potential that even Bondi and its beautiful neighbouring beaches cannot match.

Every suburb has its share of unique offerings, and a less good side, but I think when most people conjure the idea of Sydney, it is Manly that is closest to actually fulfilling it.

Six Brunch Places in Sydney

Are lists still on trend for bloggers?

  1. Luxe Woollahra – next door to the Armani Junior boutique and a vibe to match.
  2. Belo Bronte – Brazilian themed brunch overlooking the beach.
  3. Casa Ristorante Italiano Darling Harbour – more lunch than brunch, but proper pizza on the waterfront.
  4. Homestead kiosk in Centennial Park – great coffee and banana bread for the Yummy Mummies while they watch the kids in the adventure playground.
  5. Rushcutters Bay kiosk – another trendy hangout with quality coffee conveniently located right next to a fun playground.
  6. Ruby’s Diner Waverley – locals’ hangout I happened upon via Instagram. Tasty food and dairy-free cakes (yes, plural).