This shot shows the QM2 going around Fort Denison before berthing at the navy's Garden Island dockyard. The Opera House is behind her but can't be seen due to her size. About now it was getting a bit like the fairground dodgems with all the small boats milling around and this huge ship trying to do a U-turn.
This is a nice shot of the city skyline on the right is Fort Denison which dates back to the early days of settlement. Originally it was an outcrop of rocks which was levelled off to build a prison. The locals called it Pinchgut on account of the meagre food rations. Later on a cannon tower was constructed. It is a Martello Tower, it seems the cannons were installed and then the tower was built, it's the only way to do it. It came as a surprise for me to learn that Fort Denison and the gun emplacements along the harbour were designed to fend off a possible Russian invasion.
Here is the fire tug that escorted the QM2 in to the harbour. This shot shows her heading back home for the crew to have breakfast, was a bit of a early start that day. Not sure if you can read the tugs name? She is the "Ted Noffs" named after the late pastor of the Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross.
Ted was a great guy, did much work in for those who had dropped out of society, this did not go down too well with the establishment of the time. Ted married Yues and myself back in '73 and also held the naming ceremony for our Helen. This is the last of Sydney Harbour from me, by now it must seem more familiar to you than Morecambe Bay!!!
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