Take in old Sydney's seamy side

MARGARET Turton gets a taste of Sydney's Kings Cross and its old world history of hookers, drugs and mayhem.

JUST along from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Pier 6 Circular Quay is the meeting point for two new sightseeing tours.

One, Jetcruiser, delivers a sedate and informative commentary on Sydney's harbourside icons before lifting passengers clear off their seats in a jet-boosted rush across Sydney Heads.

The second, Bounce Walking Tours, takes the curious on a Crimes and Passions guided walk through Kings Cross.

The exotic is a powerful force. Given all the hoo-ha surrounding the Cross, it's a wonder an accompanied introduction to the bizarre social fabric of this near-mythical precinct has been so long coming.

After meeting at Pier 6, Bounce's guide takes her charges on a bus to Kings Cross. They gather at the top of William Street. From here, many of the crime scenes and passion pits that gave the Cross its notoriety are only a stone's throw away.

These include S&M goings-on in the den of Roslyn Norton, the "Witch of Kings Cross", whose affair with conductor Sir Eugene Goossens led to his professional demise in the 1950s.

Then there was the three-day siege in 1974 that saw Frank Sinatra holed up in his hotel room through the efforts of an outraged union movement.

He had dubbed the Australian press a bunch of "buck-and-a-half hookers".

There was the mysterious disappearance of heiress, activist and publisher Juanita Nielson, last seen walking from her terrace house to the Carousel (formerly Les Girls transvestite nightclub) in 1975.

Even in its golden era, between the two world wars, when the Cross housed some of our finest citizens – rich pastoralists, poets, writers and artists – there was never a shortage of gangsters.

Toughest of all were two women, Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine, queens of prostitution, cocaine and illegal liquor.

Their turf wars were fought on the streets with razors, bottles and guns.

These days the Cross still attracts a mixed bag. Restaurants and businesses occupy revamped Victorian mansions, and two posh girls' schools co-exist with a floating population of hookers, millionaires, junkies, backpackers and nightclubbers.

You're free to stay on, or the tour offers a bus back to the city, where Jetcruiser departs hourly on a 45-minute tour.

It cruises past the Opera House and the harbour bridge.

Skimming past the green-painted Sydney ferries, it slips by Woolloomooloo, Rushcutters Bay and Point Piper with a pleasant commentary along the way.

By the time it reaches Shark Island you need to tighten your seatbelt. The jet engines can unleash an awesome force.

During 15 minutes of full power, Jetcruiser performs every trick in the book soaring across the Heads. It is the only Sydney Harbour craft licensed to do so, which is reassuring in the hazardous business of thrill-seeking.

Margaret Turton was a guest of Bounce Tours and Jetcruiser.