Cover photo – the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge from Circular Quay
I first visited Sydney in 1994, when I was working at St George Bank in Kogarah for a couple of months. That whetted my appetite for a longer stay in the city and in 1996 I became a self-employed contractor for Financial Network Services based in the suburb of Redfern. I worked for FRS for over 3 years and lived in various locations on the north shore of Sydney Harbour including Wollstonecraft, Cammeray and Cremorne Point.
Since moving on to new work locations in 1999 I have visited Sydney numerous times. However this visit in November 2018 was my first visit since 2013 and, I was thinking, could possibly could be the last time I set foot in the city.
What was I going to do during this trip? I had already seen pretty much all the well-known sights in and around Sydney and as a result I had a few favourite places I wanted to revisit. And maybe there were a few hidden delights that I wasn’t already aware of. So I decided that I would do a bit of run tourism (it’s a thing apparently) combined with looking up and joining a local running group and volunteering to help at the NSW Foodbank distribution centre in Western Sydney for a day or two.
Day 1 – Tuesday November 11
Arrival day, smoothly through immigration in a flash using the e-passport gates (I recall long waits here in the past), collect suitcase (containing running gear and not much else!), pick up an Opal travel card, hop on the train to North Sydney, dump luggage at hotel, visit bank to sort out access to my old Australian accounts, pick up a local sim card for my mobile, then check in to hotel room, don shorts and trainers then straight back out!
Today’s run was a local 4.5 mile excursion across the harbour bridge and back, taking in Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House.
Delighted to be back in Sydney for the first time in 5 years!
Day 2 – Wednesday November 14
I decided to run round the local suburbs of North Sydney, Neutral Bay and Mosman. I headed up Miller Street to North Sydney Oval, mainly a cricket stadium but where I’d watched many rugby league matches involving North Sydney Bears and football games with Northern Spirit FC before they moved out of Sydney to become Central Coast Mariners.
Across St Leonards Park (home of North Sydney parkrun which I will hopefully be attending during my stay) and on to Military Road, one of the busiest roads in Sydney, which runs for several miles through Neutral Bay and Mosman in the direction of Manly and the Northern Beaches. I turned south at Cremorne Junction and down to the harbourside to the ferry stop at Mosman Wharf. Then heading back towards North Sydney I passed through the leafy residential areas of Neutral Bay, via Neutral Bay ferry wharf and McDougall Street in Kirribilli which has apparently become a tourist attraction due to the jacaranda trees which form a canopy over the road when they’re in full bloom at this time of year.
A total of about 6 miles, finished off with a couple of schooners sitting outdoors at the Greenwood Hotel in North Sydney.
North Sydney Oval, Mosman and Neutral Bay wharves, jacaranda trees in bloom in Kirribilli
Day 3 – Thursday 15 November
I joined up with Northside Running Group at their base in Crows Nest just over a mile from where I was staying in North Sydney. They were a really friendly and inviting group, however they reckoned I should train with their faster runners on the night so that didn’t allow much opportunity for stopping to take photographs.
We took a route from Crows Nest through Naremburn and down into Flat Rock Gully, a historical Aboriginal settlement, where we tried to cross the creek but had to turn back as it had been raining all day and the water level was too high. We then ran the planned route in reverse through the suburb of Northbridge, finally crossing the creek towards the end at a shallower point with stepping stones.
Total distance just under 9 miles including the jog from North Sydney to Crows Nest and back.
The training route and no way over the creek
Day 4 – Friday 16 November
A short run from North Sydney down Blues Point Road (named after the convict Billy Blue) is the scenic outlook at McMahons Point and Lavendar Bay.
Sydney and the Harbour Bridge from McMahons Point
Heading west from McMahons Point to the suburb of Waverton there is the bushland area of Balls Head, named after an officer with the first fleet and steeped in Aboriginal and industrial history. The Coal Loader heritage site is an interesting place to visit.
Views from Balls Head and Berry Island
The next headland upstream from Balls Head is Berry Island a smaller headland with a trail through trees and Aboriginal rock carvings.
Wild turkey and kookaburra
After a close encounter with a wild turkey and a kookaburra (my favourite Australian bird) I jogged back to the Rag and Famish pub in North Sydney for a beer. Total distance of 6 and a bit miles.
Day 5 – Saturday 17 November
Willoughby parkrun and North Sydney to Balmoral Beach
Day 6 – Sunday 18 November
Barangaroo, Darling Harbour and Chinatown
Day 7 – Monday 19 November
Circular Quay to Double Bay
Day 8 Tuesday 20 November
St Leonards hills with NRG
Day 9 Wednesday 21 November
Early morning run with NRG
Day 10 Thursday 22 November
Day 11 Friday 23 November
Day 12 Saturday 24 November
Day 13 Sunday 25 November
Day 14 Monday 26 November
Marjorie Jackson the Lithgow Flash
Day 15 Tuesday 27 November
Day 16 Wednesday 28 November
The Retired Runner 