One of the many ferries that dot the harbor in Sydney; they were cheap, comfortable and fun to ride to various points and attractions.

Ferries regularly departed from six wharfs at one point (near the Opera House) and went to various other spots in the large, gorgeous harbor.

There were seats inside, but most of the time, with wonderful weather, Judy and I rode outside. The motion of the ferry would cause a wonderful, relieving breeze

—which offset the humid temperatures of the day. Each ride was really enjoyable.

The harbor was full of ferries—here, two of them pass side-by-side on the way to their individual destinations.

In addition to the general tourist ferries, there were many special cruises that could be hired to take you to various locations.

Here, a small cruise excursion ship passes near the Opera House. Millions of people took millions of photos of the Opera

House, which is the main attraction in Sydney Harbor.

Huge cruise ships docked near the ferry wharfs for

about 3-4 days before leaving.

Another huge cruise ship with the downtown Sydney skyscrapers in the background.

These behemoths would be ogled by everyone passing by on various smaller vessels – and

everyone walking around the harbor.

There were a number of these “jet” boats available for speedy runs around the harbor. Though it looked like fun, to save money,

Judy and I stuck to slow moving, but very soothing ferry rides.

Some of these jet boats were very stylish, rather noisy, and looked like a lot of fun. What a job this guy has: piloting a jet boat around the harbor all day.

At one place in the harbor, there were a few military boats. Most were not combat boats (no guns were seen); this one is a supply

vessel—for fixing other boats at sea. Rarely, we could see one come and go in the harbor…most were parked a good deal of the time.

Over at one end of the extensive harbor, there was one tanker ship—from Singapore. We did see one tanker come into the

harbor, but not many. They were “parked” quite some distance from the cruise ships, ferries, and other smaller

boats.

Over near the Aquarium and the Wildlife Exhibit, there was a Marine Museum. This old ship was always parked there—for tourists to come

aboard.

There were also a few “Showboats” that usually went out at night – they weren’t seen

much in the daytime on the harbor.

Some of the old showboats were very well appointed

and looked like fun to ride.

This was a most unusual boat. It was a small tanker and repair vessel to help other boats in the harbor. Note the little

“lighthouse” it carried—to light the way for bigger boats.

This was an unusual boat—it docked near the ferries and the showboats, but it was basically a uniquely designed boat for private parties.

Little “water taxis” could be seen running to and from docks—not sure how much they cost

to hire…but the ferries were just fine for us.

A sleek “Rivercat” boat passes near the Harbor Bridge on a bright sunny day. These were also for hire by a private company.