Geography
April 23rd 2007 05:07
Category: Guides
Before I moved to Sydney, I decided to pull up Google Earth and see what Sydney looked like from space. From actual outer space, Sydney is hardly recognizable on the Earth; no, I would have to move in closer, say, to the altitude of a plane flying overhead.
I was surprised to see that the greater Metropolitan area of Sydney was split in half by an impressive body of water, and that the northern and southern shores of the city streaked like massive teeth in the gaping maw of the Sydney Harbour, creating infinite numbers of bays and coves along the shore. Water plays a prominent role in Australian culture, as its a country with extremes of excess water and drought; part of Sydneys charm is the innumerable harbours and countless postcard-worthy waterside views that manifest throughout the city. Unfortunately, in rush hour, the Harbour is also a formidable opponent in getting through the thick traffic.
The Sydney Harbour, as its known colloquially the actual name is Port Jackson, is ria, or drowned river valley. At some point in the past, tectonic movement caused the river valley of the Paramatta River to fall and become submerged, flooding the entire area. The Sydney Harbour estuary has formed one of the largest natural harbours in the world, with the estuary being 19 km long and 55 square kilometers in area.
To the west of Sydney is a flat, gradually hilly area called the Cumberland Plains. When the Europeans first arrived, they would have seen an easily traversable forest, with widely-spaced trees and a grassy, forest floor. The streams in the Cumberland Plains, such as Toongabbie Creek, were less energetic than their cousins to the north, and they cut wide, meandering streams through the Plains. As a result, even in drought, the area tends to be well-watered, making it a perfect habitation for the Darawal Aborginals, who lived happily off the land. The Cumberland Plains were essentially leveled to make room for the farms and settlements of the Europeans, as they struggled to live on this foreign continent.
North Sydney is called the Hornsby Plateau in geological terms, a hilly area that is criss-crossed with forested valleys, and has an elevation of up to 190m. The same tectonic movements that caused the formation of the Sydney Harbour, over 60 million years ago, are thought to have created the uplift in the Hornsby Plateau, and the warping of the Cumberland Plains. The raising of the Hornsby Plateau caused the underlying sandstone to be raised to the surface, and the free-flowing streams, such as Darling Mills Creek, cut into the soft stone, etching out the plentiful gulleys that are prevalent in the North Shore.
Passing to the west, youll hit the Blue Mountains, a sandstone mountain range that frustrated the first colonists as they expanded westward. The mountains reach a height of 1111 meters above sea level at the highest point, One Tree Hill, and have towering cliffs over the valleys below. In 1813, the Blue Mountains were crossed by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson; previously, explorers tried to follow the valleys through the mountains, only to get stranded overtop of a sheer cliff. Blaxland et al. managed to find a route by climbing to the top and following the ridge all the way through. The discovery of this pass was immediately set upon by road crews, or enforced labour convicts, rather, and a road was quickly built.
The Blue Mountains get their name from the bluish hue they have when seen from a distance, a colour formed by the existence of eucalyptus oils in the air around the eucalyptus forests. Parts of the Blue Mountains are temperate rainforests, while the top of the ridge is considered to be a stringybark forest, a type of eucalyptus. Temperatures are quite milder than the city of Sydney, and in winter, the Blue Mountains will see the occasional snowfall.
The geography of Sydney and its surrounding areas varies wildly, and the terrain is nearly unrecognizable from one place to another. This is a great benefit to residents, who are free to take a train to the mountains, and then a train back to the beach, all in the same day. How many other cities can make that claim?
Sydney, as seen from space!
The Sydney Harbour, as its known colloquially the actual name is Port Jackson, is ria, or drowned river valley. At some point in the past, tectonic movement caused the river valley of the Paramatta River to fall and become submerged, flooding the entire area. The Sydney Harbour estuary has formed one of the largest natural harbours in the world, with the estuary being 19 km long and 55 square kilometers in area.
Port Hacking, in the southern suburbs of Sydney
North Sydney is called the Hornsby Plateau in geological terms, a hilly area that is criss-crossed with forested valleys, and has an elevation of up to 190m. The same tectonic movements that caused the formation of the Sydney Harbour, over 60 million years ago, are thought to have created the uplift in the Hornsby Plateau, and the warping of the Cumberland Plains. The raising of the Hornsby Plateau caused the underlying sandstone to be raised to the surface, and the free-flowing streams, such as Darling Mills Creek, cut into the soft stone, etching out the plentiful gulleys that are prevalent in the North Shore.
Passing to the west, youll hit the Blue Mountains, a sandstone mountain range that frustrated the first colonists as they expanded westward. The mountains reach a height of 1111 meters above sea level at the highest point, One Tree Hill, and have towering cliffs over the valleys below. In 1813, the Blue Mountains were crossed by Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson; previously, explorers tried to follow the valleys through the mountains, only to get stranded overtop of a sheer cliff. Blaxland et al. managed to find a route by climbing to the top and following the ridge all the way through. The discovery of this pass was immediately set upon by road crews, or enforced labour convicts, rather, and a road was quickly built.
The Blue Mountains get their name from the bluish hue they have when seen from a distance, a colour formed by the existence of eucalyptus oils in the air around the eucalyptus forests. Parts of the Blue Mountains are temperate rainforests, while the top of the ridge is considered to be a stringybark forest, a type of eucalyptus. Temperatures are quite milder than the city of Sydney, and in winter, the Blue Mountains will see the occasional snowfall.
The geography of Sydney and its surrounding areas varies wildly, and the terrain is nearly unrecognizable from one place to another. This is a great benefit to residents, who are free to take a train to the mountains, and then a train back to the beach, all in the same day. How many other cities can make that claim?
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