Port Jackson, Sydney
Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) separates Sydney from its northern districts and suburbs. In addition to the Sydney Harbour Bridge there are other bridges spanning the harbor further west (Gladesville Bridge, Ryde Bridge). It can also be crossed by ferry from Circular Quay. A cruise round the harbor by boat or ferry is a good way of seeing Sydney from its best side; there are various departure points round the harbor.No doubt the most beautiful harbour in the world, Port Jackson was first sighted in 1770 by James Cook who remarked nonchalantly , “there appears to be a good anchorage” and named it after the Judge Advocate of the Fleet. He did not enter the formidable heads, but eighteen years later Arthur Phillip rejected Botany Bay as a settlement and entered the harbour, where he had “the satisfaction of finding the finest harbour in the world”.
Port Jackson or Sydney Harbour, inlet of the Pacific Ocean, 22 sq mi (57 sq km), 12 mi (19 km) long and 1.5 mi (2.4 km) wide at its mouth, New South Wales, Australia, forming Australia’s finest harbor. The Parramatta River forms its western arm. Sydney on the south shore is connected with its northern suburbs by Sydney Harbour Bridge (1932), the second longest steel-arch bridge in the world, with an arch span of 1,650 ft (503 m).
Scattered around Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) and managed by National Parks of NSW are: Shark Island, Clark Island, Rodd Island, Goat Island and Fort Denison. Access to all the islands is by arrangement and is usually part of a tour group as there is an upper limit to the number of people allowed on any island at any one time. Facilities are minimal. A number of the islands allow bookings for functions.
The region of Port Jackson comprises of the whole of Sydney Harbor which is one of the greatest tourist attraction in Sydney. Ferry services are provided from the Sydney Harbor and are a great source of transportation for the people. Port Jackson is undoubtedly a great area to visit with so many of the attractions winded up together. The small islands that make up the Port Jackson are interesting ones to visit.
Geography
Geologically, Port Jackson is a drowned river valley, or ria. It is 19 km long with an area of 55 km². The estuary’s volume at high tide is 562,000 megalitres. The perimeter of the estuary is 317 kilometres. According to the Geographical Names Board of New South Wales, Port Jackson is “a harbour which comprises all the waters within an imaginary line joining North Head and South Head. Within this harbour lies North Harbour, Middle Harbour and Sydney Harbour.” These three harbours extend from the single entrance (known as Sydney Heads (North and South Heads)). North Harbour is the shortest, and is really just a large bay extending to Manly.
Port Jackson Shark
Heterodontid sharks range in size from the 59 cm long Galapagos Bullhead Shark Heterodontus quoyi, found in the Galapagos Islands and the offshore islands of Peru, to the largest species in the family, the Port Jackson Shark, which can grow to 1.65 m. More commonly, however, the males grow to 75 cm and the females between 80 cm and 95 cm. When they hatch, juvenile Port Jackson Sharks, called pups, are about 25 cm long. There are over 370 species of sharks world wide, 166 of which occur in Australian waters. The family Heterodontidae has eight species all in the genus Heterodontus, three of which are found in Australian waters.
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