Sydney's Nearby Wild Side Options??!!

[TLCOhio]

From the New York Times travel section this past week, they have this feature and headline: "Walking on Sydney’s Wild Side" with these highlights: "The blue-tongued lizard eyed me suspiciously but remained still long enough for photographs, while a kookaburra laughed and a diminutive wallaby rustled in the brush. Rock engravings of fish and kangaroos marked ceremonial sites of Aboriginal ancestors. Scented forests of eucalyptus and gum trees shaded our path over sandstone and thin topsoil, classic Outback topography surprisingly concealed on the outskirts of Sydney. 'We’re six kilometers from the largest city in Australia, but you look around, and you’re in the bush,' said my guide, Ian Wells. My family and I were hiking in the suburbs of Sydney on a 7.5-mile route between Spit Bridge in Mosman and the beach town Manly, combing the north shore of Sydney Harbour, a natural asset celebrated by everyone from Capt. James Cook in the 18th century to fans of the harborfront Sydney Opera House, but largely unsung as a coastal wilderness until recently. In February, Sydney Harbour was named the country’s newest National Landscape, calling attention to the wild side in Sydney’s metropolitan area of 4.6 million residents. It encompasses a 620-square-mile expanse of beaches, rivers, islands and bushland, ranging from Royal National Park in the south to the Barrenjoey Headland in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the east and Parramatta Park to the west. In a country with an abundance of wilderness — including more than 600 national parks — the National Landscapes program is designed to help visitors as well as locals identify some of Australia’s unique wild places. The latest designation prompted five tour operators, including Mr. Wells, to add harbor-focused tours. Among the excursions is a two-hour 'tea at sea' cruise. New kayaking routes and ferry tours are also planned."

 

Interesting options for Sydney and nearby to consider. Not sure we need more options to think about for our short, limited time in Sydney. So much to see and do in this main urban area. But, wanted to share here for others and get feed-back from those who know these areas. Did not realize that so much wilderness was this close to Sydney.

 

Full story at:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/travel/walking-on-sydneys-wild-side.html?ref=travel

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 120,278 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923