This was a very scenic day spent visiting two places in Sydney with outstanding views. First, I joined Valerie on a visit to the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon, and then we caught a ferry to Watsons Bay, where we met Sue at The Grumpy Baker for lunch. Then we visited the nearby Macquarie Lighthouse.
I had visited the Harbour Bridge Pylon once before, when I was very young. I could recall it had a great lookout on top.
It opens at 10 am and we did not need to book in advance. One inside, we climbed straight up the stairs to the balcony level, just under the top. From here the view is amazing.
The Pylon is about 2/3 the height of the top of the arch, and considerably better value as an outing.
Looking down the Harbour to the east, we could see the Macquarie Lighthouse.
Here is Goat Island –
And looking up the Harbour –
Back inside the Pylon, we looked at the museum part. It was interesting to me to find out that the Pylons are purely ornamental, and not structural. Dr Bradfield wanted pylons added to give the Bridge “balance”. The pylons are made from granite.
We then made our way to Circular Quay and caught a ferry to Watsons Bay. Going past the Opera House, we could see the resident seal –
At Watsons Bay, we walked up to The Gap, and then up there coast path.
We passed the World War II gun emplacements.
And past the Signals Station.
And as we passed Macquarie Lighthouse, we could see an earlier tour group on the balcony.
The coastal cliffs here are sensational.
And after a visit to the Grumpy Baker, we returned to the coast path.
And then our tour. Public Tours have only just started at the Lighthouse (or Light Station as they prefer to call it – the Light Station includes the Lighthouse and other associated buildings such as the keepers cottages). Until December this year they are on every Friday and Saturday, then they are on only once a month.
The present lighthouse is the second one on the site. The first one, built in 1818 was designed by Francis Greenway and he was forced to use local sandstone which was too soft and did not last the test of time. So it was replaced with a very similar design in 1883.
The Francis Greenway retaining wall still exists on the coast side –
This photos from 1883 shows the old and new lighthouses. You can see the old one on the left is held together by steel bands.
The second lighthouse was designed by government architect James Barnet and is very similar in design to the that of Greenway. But the lamp room was bigger, to suit a newer technology lamp. Barnet was responsible for many buildings including the Lands Department Building, The GPO, Customs House, The Mortuary Station, and quite a few other lighthouses.
The lower rooms of the lighthouse are museums –
We could see the old lamps with their Fresnel lenses (pronounced “Fre-nel”)
And then we climbed up to the lamp room and balcony. Another sensational view!
The old building here is the Deputy Keepers Cottage.
And the Keepers Cottage –
Back inside the lamp room, here is the current lamp –
It has a led light, and a Fresnel lens. And the whole uint floats on mercury so it can rotate. Now an electric motor powers the rotation, but earlier lamps had a weight that was raised and then allowed to lower – in a shaft in the main tower –
A very interesting and scenic day. Both venues coast around $25 for seniors to visit. Visits to the lighthouse require booking in advance, but this is not needed for the Pylon.