Freshwater passing Chowder Bay
The MV Freshwater, the lead unit of four Freshwater-class ferries is seen heading outbound from Circular Quay, heading to Manly.
Launched at the State Dockyard in Newcastle in 1982 at a cost of A$8.5 million, the Freshwater is 70.4m in length with a beam of 13.06m. She has a draught of 3.35m and displaces 1,140 tons at full load. She operates with a crew of six and can carry up to 1,100 passengers.
At Circular Quay the class has a dedicated berth which allows loading/unloading of passenger on two levels at the same time. At Manly there is only a single level for this operation, although there are plans for a second level to be added to the pier there.
In the background is a part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, namely Chowder Bay at Clifton Gardens. There is a wharf, enclosed baths, changing rooms, children's playground, lots of grass, picnic tables and several places to buy food. When the picnic lunch is over, there's bushland to wander through, or you can go fishing or snorkeling in the clear water.
Up until recently, the eastern side of the bay (right side of the image) was off-limits to the public. It was home to a naval base with historic buildings originally used as HMAS Penguin, a Royal Australian Navy depot that supported various units over time, including clearance divers and a damage-control simulator. This was later converted to barracks and mess buildings but the whole complex has been given back to the public for recreational use. Today it is home to backpacker accommodation, cafes, a scuba diving centre and a place where you can also watch craftsmen practice the age-old trade of restoring and constructing wooden boats.
Behind the bay on its south-western side (off to the left above) is the exclusive suburb of Clifton Gardens, with its A$1 million dollars homes with A$1 million views. Tucked in between these houses and the former military establishment to the north-east is a pristine area of bushland with walking trails to explore.
The name Chowder Bay recalls the seafood stew eaten by whalers who set up a whaling station in the vicinity of Clifton Gardens in early colonial times. Presumably they boiled the stew in pots on the shores of the bay. The Aboriginal name for the bay was Koree, and Chowder Head was known as Gurugal.
A popular summer fishing spot in summer, when yellowtail kingfish, bonito and Australian salmon are frequently caught, Chowder Bay is eight kilometres north-east of Sydney's central business district but is still over 2.5 km inside Sydney Harbour's heads (see photos posted earlier this week in my stream).
The image was taken from a floatplane heading outbound through the heads for a flight up the Northern Beaches and back.
Freshwater passing Chowder Bay
The MV Freshwater, the lead unit of four Freshwater-class ferries is seen heading outbound from Circular Quay, heading to Manly.
Launched at the State Dockyard in Newcastle in 1982 at a cost of A$8.5 million, the Freshwater is 70.4m in length with a beam of 13.06m. She has a draught of 3.35m and displaces 1,140 tons at full load. She operates with a crew of six and can carry up to 1,100 passengers.
At Circular Quay the class has a dedicated berth which allows loading/unloading of passenger on two levels at the same time. At Manly there is only a single level for this operation, although there are plans for a second level to be added to the pier there.
In the background is a part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, namely Chowder Bay at Clifton Gardens. There is a wharf, enclosed baths, changing rooms, children's playground, lots of grass, picnic tables and several places to buy food. When the picnic lunch is over, there's bushland to wander through, or you can go fishing or snorkeling in the clear water.
Up until recently, the eastern side of the bay (right side of the image) was off-limits to the public. It was home to a naval base with historic buildings originally used as HMAS Penguin, a Royal Australian Navy depot that supported various units over time, including clearance divers and a damage-control simulator. This was later converted to barracks and mess buildings but the whole complex has been given back to the public for recreational use. Today it is home to backpacker accommodation, cafes, a scuba diving centre and a place where you can also watch craftsmen practice the age-old trade of restoring and constructing wooden boats.
Behind the bay on its south-western side (off to the left above) is the exclusive suburb of Clifton Gardens, with its A$1 million dollars homes with A$1 million views. Tucked in between these houses and the former military establishment to the north-east is a pristine area of bushland with walking trails to explore.
The name Chowder Bay recalls the seafood stew eaten by whalers who set up a whaling station in the vicinity of Clifton Gardens in early colonial times. Presumably they boiled the stew in pots on the shores of the bay. The Aboriginal name for the bay was Koree, and Chowder Head was known as Gurugal.
A popular summer fishing spot in summer, when yellowtail kingfish, bonito and Australian salmon are frequently caught, Chowder Bay is eight kilometres north-east of Sydney's central business district but is still over 2.5 km inside Sydney Harbour's heads (see photos posted earlier this week in my stream).
The image was taken from a floatplane heading outbound through the heads for a flight up the Northern Beaches and back.