sydney harbour jacaranda cruise

Sydney Jacaranda Cruises with Graham Ross

• Testimonials

• Boarding commences at 1.15pm
• Cruise departs from Wharf 6, Circular Quay
• Complimentary tea and coffee, muffins and cookies served on board
• Ross Tours Sydney Jacaranda Cruises with Graham Ross 2015 Download

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TOUR PRICE Adult $69 Senior $62 GCC Member $56 Child over 12 $25 Child under 12 Free All prices in Australian Dollars Price is based on departure ex Sydney

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Jacaranda Cruise on the Heritage boat... - Sydney Heritage Fleet

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Spending 2 and half hours on Heritage steam ship the Waratah was a treat. Such a privilege to tour... read more

Spectacular collection of historic small boats and maritime history inside Wharf 7 Pyrmont and can... read more

Jacaranda Cruise on the Heritage boat Harman

Enjoyed a lovely morning cruising on the Heritage boat Harman up the Lane Cove River to see the beautiful Jacaranda trees in full bloom and other wonderful scenery. Great commentary on board by the wonderful volunteers. They thoroughly made the cruise more enjoyable. Great cruise for tourists or locals alike. Highly recommend it.

an amazing 3 hours. Perfect weather, charming guide who did not stop for 3 hours. She was so informative and obviously very passionate about her voluntary work. I have lived in Sydney for more than 40 years and yet I have learned so much about our beautiful city.

I HIGHLY recommend any visitor or local Sydney sider to take a trip on the harbour on one of the Sydney Heritage Fleet vessels. We had a wonderful afternoon trip on the James Craig yesterday with ten family members aged 12- 80 for a special Fathers Day trip. We stayed in in the harbour so it was very stable and comfortable but I’m definitely going to book another trip that goes out the heads. My 80 year old father managed on board easily though there are steps down to the toilets. My 15 year old son and his cousin particularly loved the trip. The volunteer staff are wonderful - so knowledgeable, professional and friendly. It was fascinating watching them operate such an enormous historical vessel. Watching a 78 year old man nimbly scale the rigging was inspirational! This 1880’s tallship has been immaculately restored and I couldn’t stop taking photos of all the beautiful fitout.. I had to force myself to look at the stunning Sydney scenery! There is wonderful historical information labelling all the interesting rooms below deck to explore. We had lunch at Yots cafe 11.30 -1 next to the Sydney Maritime Museum then boarded the James Craig at 1.15pm with our afternoon tea, cheese plates and wine. Tea and coffee were supplied on board. We returned to Darling Harbour at about 4.30pm. The Sydney Heritage Fleet rely on donations and income from visitors to run their vessels so It was nice to know that the cost of our beautiful day out went to a great cause. I’m definitely booking another trip soon.

Last Sunday 29 July we enjoyed a Sydney Harbour Secrets tour - a leisurely 3 hour cruise around Sydney Harbour on the delightful 1902 steam tug Waratah. We cruised eastwards from Rozelle, under the Harbour Bridge to beyond Fort Denison, before returning up the harbour, circling Cockatoo Island then back to Rozelle. Our group of 5 loved every minute, from the beautifully restored vessel to the warm hospitality and enthusiasm of the 14 crew - who are all volunteers. Ray gave a light hearted and informative running commentary, interspersed with his own memories of the Sydney foreshore from years long passed. Added to this, we were blessed with a sunny 25° mid winter day. Bring your own food and drink, sit back and have a wonderful relaxing afternoon! Useful to know in advance: Parking is available in the carpark opposite the Sydney Heritage Fleet premises at Gate 4. A charming lady serves complimentary tea and coffee from the tiniest of galleys.

2 of us joined the Sydney Harbour Secrets Cruise yesterday aboard the steam tug " Waratah" , built in 1902 and part of the Sydney Heritage Fleet. We departed Rozelle at 12.15 pm and proceeded under the Anzac Bridge and down the Harbour under in perfect weather conditions , a slight breeze and bright sunshine . The vessel is very comfortable with heaps of undercover seating and wide open decks to enjoy the winter sun. Our guide Peter gave us an expert commentary on the secrets of Sydney Harbour and the local sights . The crew provided endless cups of tea and coffee and caramel slice (yummmy ). These tours must be one of the best kept secrets on Sydney Harbour , excellent value and a devoted volunteer crew make sure your day will be perfect . Excellent value for money !!

It was an excellent night luckly the rain stopped and we all had a great night. The crew were very friendly.

The Museum that goes to sea

Half Day Cruise for Groups

See Jacarandas in bloom where there they are most concentrated, along the shores of the Lane Cove River.

For a short time every spring our historic launch Harman voyages across Sydney Harbour to cruise the lower Lane Cove River so that you can view the purple tide of Jacaranda trees blooming in the gardens of Hunters Hill and the North Shore.  These gardens seen from the water give you an uninterrupted view of the shoreline as it was envisaged by some of the founding fathers of Hunters Hill, the Jouberts, who handed out trees in the 1860’s for the early inhabitants to plant in their gardens to enhance the new suburb. 

Highlights: 

* Discover the hidden winding entrance to the Lane Cove River and the Humbug. * We pass Northwood Bay a favourite subject of Lloyd Rees paintings. * See Mary Reiby’s Figtree house still standing on the bank of the river. * Hear about the ongoing conflict between convict sawmillers and farmers and the Aboriginal resistance fighters. * We visit Woolwich where the change from a heavily industrialised harbour shoreline to public parks and premier residential areas has left sites such as Mort’s Dock cut into the sandstone cliffs.

The cruise finishes back at the Australian National Maritime Museum wharf. 

Jacaranda Cruises are limited to the last week of October and the first three weeks of November – so please book early!

For more information, and to book, call the Sydney Heritage Fleet Office on (02) 9298 3888 or email [email protected] /home

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The Most Beautiful Jacaranda Walks In Sydney This Spring

By Ange Law

2nd Oct 2023

Nothing says springtime in Sydney like a street full of jacaranda trees in bloom. Depending on weather conditions, jacaranda season usually peaks in October and November, transforming Sydney streets and parks into a magical, lavender-coloured wonderland. 

These are the best places to wander among the jacaranda trees in Sydney. 

North Sydney

Lavender Bay 

First Fleet Park

Hunters Hill 

North shore.

Hunters Hill is a beautiful leafy suburb at the best of times, but when the jacaranda trees reach peak bloom, it’s even prettier. Our hot tip is to start at the Hunters Hill Club and wander your way down. 

Oxford Street 

You’ll want to head off the main drag for a little bit of extra exploring because there are jacaranda trees scattered throughout the entire suburb, like the Barracks Reserve, and that's where the real magic happens.

Prince Alfred Square

Plan a detour on your way to see the jacarandas in Parramatta Park, or pack a picnic to enjoy the delicate shower of purple blooms.

Royal Botanic Garden

The best part about the  Royal Botanic Garden  is that due to its size, you won’t have any problems snagging a stunning picnic spot under a shower of purple blooms.

Spend your Saturday soaking up the sun at Glebe Market and all of the boughs of pale purple on offer.

The Inner West boasts long, winding streets of jacaranda trees and, with some of the best food in Sydney , you can consider your afternoon sorted.

Macquarie Street 

Who said the CBD was a concrete jungle? When the jacaranda trees are in full bloom,  Macquarie Street  turns into a purple oasis. We recommend that you take your lunch break al fresco, and remember to look up. 

Parramatta Park

Come springtime, Parramatta Park is also a great spot to admire the jacaranda trees' pretty purple blooms. 

Woolwich 

Lower north shore.

Woolwich  is another Sydney gem if you want to see jacaranda trees in full bloom this spring in Sydney.

Start at The Old School House before heading for an hour-and-a-half walk around Woolwich, complete with harbour views. We suggest you walk through Kelly’s Bush and finish up at the old Woolwich Dock. 

Out Of Town: Grafton

Northern rivers nsw.

And if you're after more flowers, why not try these flower-filled walks in and around Sydney . 

Image credit: Destination NSW

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Jacaranda cruise

It was my good luck last Wednesday to take to the harbour with my camera for the last of the year’s Jacaranda Cruises. It was a sparkling day, tucked in between weather that was nastily hot and smoke-choked, and the purple-wreathed harbour was glittering.  Tough job!

Our cruise took us east past Darling Point, north towards Mosman and then west into the sheltered waters of Hunters Hill, from where we followed the serpentine coast around Balmain,  Birchgrove and Barangaroo on our way back to the Quay. The jacarandas have been early this year so the flowers had started to fall on the more exposed trees in the east and some branches were sprouting fresh leaves under the blooms, so we saw it a little past its peak, but it was a beautiful day out nonetheless.

The Jacaranda Cruises are the most popular of  the 20-odd tours we take to beautiful places all around the world every year. On two Sundays and two Wednesdays in October and November we take to the harbour with a few hundred people on board. There are always lots of mothers and daughters –

– and gangs of friends out for a good time. Afternoon tea is served and the bar is open for those who’d rather match a glass of sparkling to that sparkling view.

Graham Ross has been leading this tour for 30 years and has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the harbour’s history and stories, as well as the latest tales from the high end property market and other harbour developments. This year what caught everyone’s attention is what’s going on at the park at the northern end of Barangaroo. (Stay tuned – we’ll follow up with some more detail on this soon.)

Graham was also available for a chat –  and for signing autographs on our lastest Garden Clinic Journal!

Linda Ross was also on board, and she’d brought with her a branch of the rare white jacaranda. This tree usually flowers at Christmas time, but it too was early this year, flowering alongside the purple for the first time ever. The variety is called ‘White Christmas’. It was brought into Australia by Dr George Hewitt, who was not only an obstetrician (those with a long memory will know him as the man who delivered the Sarah quads in 1950), but a keen plantsman: he planted an arboretum of flowering trees collected in South America in the grounds of Bellingen Hospital. Dr Hewitt gave a white jacaranda to Graham many years ago, in hopes he could propagate it and turn it into a commercially available plant. Turns out it’s not easy to propagate, though Alpine treemovals are soon to go into production of the tree, using tissue culture. ‘White Christmas’ doesn’t flower as profusely as the original, and only grows a third of the size.  If it sounds irresistible to you,  send us an email  and let us know you’d like to go on a waiting list for the plant.

If I had to choose, I’d still vote for the purple – those impressionist splodges of mauve dotted around the blue of the harbour in spring are just perfect.

Photos: Robin Powell

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