Doing the touristy thing...

 

After dinner one evening, cousin Malcolm declared, “Tomorrow we go to the city.” This means that we would have an early start in anticipation of an exciting day ahead. When he added, “…by ferry,” my excitement went up a few notches.

 

View of a section of the Sydney skyline
from the ferry ride into the city

The past two times I have been to the Sydney city center were by car and by train. So the prospect of going into the city again, this time by ferry, was something I eagerly anticipated.

 

The next morning, my gracious hosts were both in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, getting ready for our early start into the city. The weather was bright and sunny with strong wind gusts but nothing was going to stop us…

 

I observed that they were able to check online for the ferry schedule because Malcolm gave a shout. He said, “Let’s go!” urging his wife and I to rush out of the house, hop into the car and head over to the ferry wharf at Cabarita where the car will be parked, before the ferry arrived.

 

Heading out from the Cabarita jetty
 

He dropped Yeen and I before going to park the car, and as we were walking along the pier to the terminal, I saw the ferry heading our way. Yeen reminded me to get my Opal card ready for use.

 

When I tapped my card on the sensor, I was impressed that the convenient Opal card was not only used for transport by bus and train, but also for the ferry.

 

As the ferry turned in a wide arc to come alongside the wharf, we looked for Malcolm who was yet to join us. Finally, we spotted him sprinting down the path towards the pier. Whew! [The carpark was full so he had to park further away.]

 

This was our ferry turning in a wide arc
to come alongside the wharf for boarding

The annual Australian school holidays were still on so most people, and families in particular, were taking advantage of the fine weather to be outdoors. This accounted for the carpark being fully occupied by cars of those who had left earlier in the day.

 

The Cabarita ferry wharf is located on the southern bank of the Paramatta River and this ferry will take us to Circular Quay where we would hop off to explore the surroundings of the iconic Sydney Opera House before we headed into the city.

 

A group of youngsters, complete with bicycles, boarded the ferry with us along with maybe, another two other passengers. Once the boys disembarked at the next stop, the bow of the ferry was virtually empty so Malcolm beckoned me to join him outside.

 

Trying to stay steady to snap photos
while the wind whipped around me!

Whipped by strong (c0ld!) cross winds, I walked on wobbly feet from the stern to the bow where Malcolm was waiting, armed with his Osmo Pocket 3 camera, ready to capture some shots of me to a backdrop of Sydney’s iconic landmarks.

 

Malcolm had a career in banking with offices based in the city so he was familiar with the daily commute into the city, the busy malls in the metropolis, familiar lunch spots and of course, his favourite watering holes. He was, certainly, an excellent guide.

 

Cousin Malcolm, my official tour guide

While it was very windy on the ferry, I was thankful that the waters of the Paramatta River was not choppy. In fact, the ferry ride was rather smooth all the way from Cabarita to Circular Quay.

 

Along the route, Malcolm pointed out various sites by the river and in the horizon, I recognized the imposing Harbour Bridge and landmark Opera House when they came into sight.

 

As we neared Circular Quay, there was a queue of ferries waiting to dock so there was plenty of time to take in the panoramic view of the busy quay with the hulk of a Royal Caribbean cruise liner docked there.

 

The Anthem of the Sea by Royal Caribbean
docked at the quay

As we neared the quay, Malcolm told me that a former sixth form schoolmate from St Xavier’s in Penang, had planned to join a cruise from Sydney. She was arriving from Kuala Lumpur and would be joined by her daughter who is based in Melbourne, for a 10-day cruise to New Zealand.

 

She had booked hotel stays in Sydney before and after the cruise with plans to meet up with friends in Sydney, like Malcolm. Little did we know then, that her cruise plans on the Anthem of the Sea by Royal Caribbean, were about to be changed.

 

The iconic Sydney Opera House seen
from our passing ferry

When our ferry docked, we disembarked smoothly and joined hundreds of tourists and locals, walking on the promenade that bordered the Opera House. We wandered into the Opera House where there was a souvenir shop and saw people queuing to buy tickets for shows.

 

Outside, a section was cordoned off while construction of a large stage was in progress. This, we understand, was in preparation for shows to be staged on Australia Day.

 

From the Opera House we walked down George Street to Pitt Street, passing by banks and corporate offices and through shopping malls that were linked to Martin Place, Queen Victoria Building, Town Hall and World Square.

 

My gracious hosts in Sydney,
Malcolm and his wife, Yeen

Malcolm pointed out that there were at least five shops for ramen in the vicinity – one of which was his favourite, Gumshara – and that we must go dine there one day. He went on to describe how the ramen broth served here was distinctly different from others, that its viscosity was more like a gravy than just rich broth.

 

It was interesting to read the shop names as we walked from Thai-town to Chinatown, sections of the city so named as there was a higher concentration of businesses by these communities here.

 

I cannot help noticing the colourful and attractive storefronts for the many Thai dessert shops and my gracious hosts drew my attention to a particular shop, Mango Coco, that specialized in mango desserts. Yes, they also assured me that we will have a taste of this icy treat later.

 

Spotted this on the paved sidewalk
near the Sydney Opera House
 

After a quick lunch of Jiang Nam dumplings and noodles, our walk took us to Paddy’s Market in China-town, a familiar destination for locals and tourists to have a typical Chinatown shopping experience.

 

Our walkabout in the city center continued through Darling Harbour but not without a stop for dessert of that highly recommended mango bingsu at Mango Coco.

This little café served a menu that featured mango as the star ingredient and our order – to share – was a mountain of shaved mango-flavoured ice with chunks of fresh mango buried within, topped with a generous blob of fresh cream.

 

A refreshing Mango Bingsu to
share at Mango Coco cafe

This sharing platter comes with a side of mango puree, chewy mango beads and chunks of fresh mango, presented in a refreshing indulgence to enjoy together.

 

Cooled and refreshed, we walked along Cockle Bay and King Street Walk to reach the wharf at Barangaroo to catch the ferry back to Cabarita, where our car was parked.

 

We found seats at the ferry’s stern, a spot that let us enjoy a panoramic view of the city skyline. As the ferry moved out of the wharf and picked up speed, the sight of the city gradually receded from our view.

 

This particular ferry made more stops along the route for passengers to board or disembark and when we walked back to the car at Cabarita, I casually asked Yeen for the number of steps we walked that day.

 

She looked at her watch and replied, “About 17,000 steps.”

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesJanuary 2026