On one of the rare (mostly) sunny days we’ve had of late, Mike and I set out to discover the South Head. For those of you not familiar with the geography of the Sydney area, here’s a little map to get you oriented:
The South and North Heads to the east of the Sydney region are the landmasses that separate Sydney Harbour (aka, Port Jackson) from the Tasman Sea. It’s precisely this separation and natural protection that enticed James Cook and the original ships here with their hoards of so-called convicts (read “The Fatal Shore” by Robert Hughes– the defining treatise on the conditions in 18th century England and the greater world that led to convict transportation and the horrible human rights atrocities that dominated early Australian life. Academic, but relevant and very interesting!). Today, the Heads serve as sanctuaries for native flora and fauna and as tourist destinations, where one can take in the forest, the cliff-faces, the not-so-distant city, its beaches and harbour all at once.
From Nov 27, 2011. Photos taken by Mike and Andrea.