Australia - Pacific Crossing Notes: A Sailor's Guide to the Coconut Milk Run - page 420

The Pot of Gold at the End of the
Rainbow: Sailing Sydney
When we left Portland, Maine in September 2011 for points south, we programmed two
way points into the GPS: one for the Isles of Shoals, sixty miles away, and another for
Sydney, Australia. That's 8,954 nautical miles, as the albatross flies. That way point mes-
merized us, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Not that we wanted to rush through
the bands of colors along the way: the incredible islands, cultures, and experiences of the
Pacific. But since our cruise had to end sometime, we wanted it to end with a bang. Where
better than under the New Year's Eve fireworks in Sydney Harbor?
Two-and-a-half years later, we sailed under the Harbour Bridge aboard Namani , a dream
come true. But we quickly realized there's more to Sydney - much more - than “just” the
iconic sights of one of the world's greatest natural harbors. This superlative city exceeded
our expectations - in variety, for one thing, and in manageability, for another. We'd expec-
ted expensive marinas; what we got were free anchorages and public moorings, both within
the bustling central harbor and in the quiet pockets of bushland right around the corner. All
with fantastic sailing conditions, to boot. Sydney truly is a place where sailors can go walk-
about for weeks, even months.
Visiting during the holidays made the occasion even richer, with concerts, Christmas lights,
New Year's celebrations - all in summertime, no less. Throw the start of the famed
Sydney-Hobart race under the Christmas tree and you get ten days of nonstop highlights -
plus a stocking stuffer: the option to hide away from it all in a quiet nook of your own.