Feb. 8 & 9 - SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Like last year, we anchored in Sydney Harbor, again during the Lunar Festival. This year is the Year of the Pig.

When pigs fly 😊

Saturday morning lights (thanks to our stateroom TV screen and the ship’s bow camera)

Two ferry rides later we arrived at Cockatoo Island.

The largest island in Sydney Harbor, this was home to Australia’s first Naval Dockyard for the Royal Australian Navy (1913-1921) and continued to support and build ships until it’s closure in 1991.

The tents? Yeah, you can camp overnight here – they call it “Glamping” (Glamour Camping). Really?

Slipways were used to build and launch ships

In 1839, before ship-building began, Cockatoo Island was established as a new penal colony, home for the “worst of the worst”.

The military guardhouse and barracks

Here’s our location – the inner harbor side of beautiful Harbor Bridge.

Full-scale templates for the fabrication of steel ship components were laid out in huge warehouses. Oh, there is so much more I could tell you- if you are interested, look up Cockatoo Island- great stories.

Dog-Leg Tunnel was used as an air raid shelter and storage area.

The sandstone from the island was quarried for use in walls and buildings.

Back on the mainland scattered raindrops caused a wedding couple to abandon their photo shoot and seek shelter