Just a few kilometres walk from the CYCA is the inner city harbourside suburb of Woollomooloo. Today it is a very upmarket location, but once, it was a sacred site and hunting ground for the Gadigal people. Gifted to the NSW colony's commissary-general, John Palmer in 1793, its fertile land was cleared for farming and Palmer dubbed his homestead "Woolloomooloo House" in deference to the Gadigal's name for the area, which is believed to mean "place of plenty".

The suburb's impossible-to-spell name has long captured the imagination, and understandably has been the subject of many a ditty. Children were encouraged to commit it to memory through this old spelling rhyme

Near Sydney Town there's a place of renown,
Which is well known to you, it's called Woolloomooloo,
It's easy to say, I know very well,
But Woolloomooloo is not easy to spell.
Double U double O double L double O M double O L double O
Now make that a feature, and I'll be the teacher,
Let everyone here have a go.

Of course, being Australia, most people just get around the problem by calling it the 'Loo.

With our marina job list completed, we took a stroll through the very well patronised Rushcutters Park and leafy, restaurant filled Elizabeth Bay. We made our way down the 113 sandstone steps of the McIlhone Stairs, built in 1904 and once called the "Stairs of Doom" for both the walkway connecting the exclusive settlement of Potts Point with the early 20th century slums of Woolloomooloo and for the nighttime sexual encounters offered on the steps and landings by local prostitutes. Interestingly, the stanchions of the stairs were used as a drop off and pick up point by 1960s Russian Embassy worker and spy Ivan Skripov who was arrested by ASIO in 1962. We strolled along Cowper Wharf Road, pausing to look over the home ported fleet at HMAS Kuttabul. There has been a naval presence here since the 1850's and today Fleet Base East occupies the bay. Nearby is the famed Harry's Cafe De Wheels, home of the iconic pie floater (aka Harry's Tiger) , which has been serving sailors, soldiers, cabbies, police, firemen and night owls since 1938.

Next, we checked out the redeveloped and heritage listed Finger Wharf. Owned by NSW Maritime, it was initially constructed in the early 1900's to berth shipping used in wool export and is the longest timber piled wharf in the world. Today it's the inner harbour 's fashionable address for luxury residential apartments, restaurants, a marina complex and the Ovolo Hotel. It's the perfect location for the contemporary Sculpture on the Wharf 2018-2019 exhibition and we happily checked out the amazing works positioned all around the area. My personal favourite was the very striking "Emerging Dragon" piece by Mike Van Dam, created from 4000m of 4mm 316 marine quality stainless steel chain. Just stunning! If you happen to be in Sydney before the end of March, add the exhibition to your "to do" list.

All artily impressed onboard.