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Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Sydney’s sunset heights: a golden crown at the Harbour Bridge arch

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It’s late-April, and the days grow shorter in autumn here in the southern hemisphere. That also means that with each passing day towards the winter solstice, the sun’s path across the sky drifts a little bit northwards. The 23.4-degree tilt of the Earth’s rotation-axis with respect to the Earth’s orbital-plane around the Sun ensures that most of the planet experiences four seasons with every full orbit or revolution around the Sun.

From my desire to photograph sunsets here in Sydney, Australia, I knew that the setting sun would soon intersect the crown in the arch of Sydney’s Harbour Bridge as viewed from Dover Heights in the eastern suburbs. Frequent “reconnaissance” visits to Dover Heights (and getting to know the 380 bus-route very well), I had worked out how much the position of the (setting) sun would change in the sky with every passing day.

There would be an occasional day when a part of me would reject the notion of heading out to try again. The reasonable side of me wouldn’t hear of it. “It’s sunny, it’s +25C, you have to go through Bondi Beach (awww); so, get your butt out there before you regret it.” Aaaah, because regret and me, you know we’re … “this” close.

With a successful experiment to photograph sunsets (and the full moon) in late-April, I have no regrets.

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Setting sun over CBD, Coathanger

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Setting sun over CBD, Coathanger

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Setting sun over CBD, Coathanger

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Setting sun over CBD, Coathanger

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Setting sun over CBD, Coathanger

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Setting sun over CBD, Coathanger

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

“Crowning the Coathanger.”

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Setting sun over CBD, Coathanger

Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia

Illuminated cirrus in dusk light over CBD, Coathanger

I made the photos above on 18, 25-28 April 2013 at the Dudley Page Reserve in Dover Heights, Sydney, Australia. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.

15 Responses to “Sydney’s sunset heights: a golden crown at the Harbour Bridge arch”

    • fotoeins

      Hi and thanks, Andrea and John! I was very fortunate to have seen what Sydney has to offer by way of sunsets, and I’ve also been fortunate to have seen the sun set over the Indian Ocean in Fremantle over on Australia’s west coast. But now I’ll offer some personal bias of the highest regard by saying that Vancouver sunsets provide some interesting drama. šŸ™‚ In the winter the sun sets to the southwest over the waters of Georgia Strait and the mountains on Vancouver Island; in the summer, the sun sets to the northwest over the mountains on the Sunshine Coast. Thanks again for reading and for your kind comment!

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    • fotoeins

      Hi and thanks, XandrĆ©! I’m fortunate to have been around at the right place and at the right time of year. Now that it’s May, I hope you’re getting some beautiful (northern) Prairie weather, and that you’ll be spending some time in the Rockies, too. Thanks again for reading and for your kind comment!

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    • fotoeins

      Awwww! I know what it’s like to have pieces left behind in separate countries. Sorry I made you homesick, Anita, but I’m glad you liked the photos! šŸ™‚

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  4. catcatchat

    Gorgeous. I often think that WA is luck to have the sunset over the ocean, but we still have a few good sunsets to be had in Sydney šŸ™‚ And I really should get less lazy and just do a sunrise over the northern beaches. Not being a morning person I only seem to see sunrise in Perth ironically!

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    • fotoeins

      Thanks, Cat! I’m still very much used to a sunset over mountains and water, coming as I do from Vancouver, Canada. However, there’s something to be said with the stillness of the morning hour, and the sun rising over the Tasman Sea. I implied that I’m not a morning person either, but the sunrise over the northern beaches is worth it. At some point, I’d like to go back and experience a sunrise over in Watsons Bay and/or The Gap. I admit watching sunsets over the Indian Ocean in Freo/Perth aren’t bad either. šŸ˜‰ Thanks for reading and for your comment!

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    • fotoeins

      Thanks, Daniel. I like to think that the shots make themselves, and it’s up to us to see if we’re paying attention.

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