With the forecast pushing 40°C, where better to head than Sydney Harbour and what better way to travel than on the historic steam launch, the Lady Hopetoun.
She is named after the wife of Lord Hopetoun, Australia’s first Governor General. She was built in 1902, from New Zealand kauri planks on American elm frames. Her deckhouse is teak. She still retains her original triple-expansion steam engine, but she is on her third boiler, installed in 1997. She is owned and operated by the Sydney Heritage Fleet. During her working life, she carried many VIPs ranging from the King and Queen of Thailand to Neil ‘first-man-on-the-moon’ Armstrong, as well as more Governors General and Premiers than you can shake a coal shovel at.
After being picked up from the Maritime Museum, we headed out under the harbour bridge, while tucking into an amazing spread of food.
After a loop around Shark Island, it was back under the bridge around Goat Island, before we knew it, we were back at the museum. For the keen, the afterparty kicked off at Pontoon Bar across Darling Harbour.
A fun day out was had by all. Fe & Paul even got to toot the whistle.
Sydney Harbour Bridge.
