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I kept a sharp lookout for saltwater crocodiles and sharks as my kayak slid slowly up the narrow creek, squeezed on either side by mud banks and in a permanent twilight thanks to the thick canopy of mangroves.
True, salties have never been found this far south in Australia, but
the creek had an atmosphere of untouched wildness; it felt like the sort of place where something unexpected might be lurking.
And there are definitely sharks in this area because the last fatal shark attack in Sydney's Middle Harbour - which we were exploring - happened right around here in 1963 when a bull shark killed actress Marcia Hathaway.
But happily the tranquillity was only disturbed by the cries of the prolific birdlife - herons, bitterns, several kinds of cormorant, gannets, darters and the brilliant flash of a couple of crimson rosellas - plus the faint splashings of other paddlers.
It was hard to believe that I was almost in the middle of a bustling city of 4.2 million people.
Scotts Creek, which our kayak group was exploring as part of a Sydney Harbour Kayaks eco-tour, doesn't look to have changed much since 1788 when it was first explored by New South Wales Governor Arthur Phillip during an expedition to find further sources of food.
Middle Harbour itself, into which the creek flows, may be an arm of busy Sydney Harbour, but because of its steep sides and barren soil, it was slow to be settled and today it remains a tranquil haven.
That, of course, makes it a good place for kayak trips, though as we headed off on our expedition our guide, Bruce Bannan, who turns out to come from Whakatane, did warn of the need to keep an eye out for pleasure boats.
"It's just like being on the road," he said, "except the speedboats are the cars and we're the bikes."
As we paddled along the shoreline, we passed some impressive houses built into the cliffs that run down to the water, several with their own lifts to carry people and supplies from the ridge tops where the roads run.
One - a long, low sandstone mansion covered in ivy - recently sold for A$12 million ($15.1 million). Another is the home of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and his biographer-turned-wife Blanche d'Alpuget.
Most spectacular of all is Innisfail Castle - its turrets peering incongruously above the gum trees - built around 1905 by New South Wales MP Henry Willis and reportedly modelled on Edinburgh Castle.
As we pass Fig Tree Point, Bruce explains that it was once the home of Sir Edward Halstrom, an early Australian refrigerator magnate, who used his money to create a private zoo on his property and, when this irritated his neighbours, went on to help found Sydney's wonderful Taronga Zoo.
Because few people lived there in colonial times, Middle Harbour was selected as a good spot for the colony's gunpowder. As we paddled across Powderhulk Bay, Bruce explains that it got its name from two ships which were moored here from the 1870s that were used to hold munitions. One of the ships, the Behring, was scuttled in nearby Sailors Bay, where its hulk still lies.
In 1914, the explosives were moved across Middle Harbour to a purpose-built depot, with double-brick walls and water-cooled roofs, in Bantry Bay, but that was abandoned in 1974 because of fears that bushfires might set off a vast explosion. The munitions were then moved far, far away to Broken Hill.
We could see the munitions depot, but weren't allowed to land because the place has been declared dangerously contaminated.
But, if the early settlers found Middle Harbour unwelcoming, the Aborigines certainly didn't. Around the harbour edges are middens which show that clans of the Guringai language group have been coming here to harvest seafood for at least 12,000 years.
Obviously it's still plentiful, because as we paddled our way up and down the harbour we passed lots of people, in kayaks and small boats, peacefully fishing.
Places like Scotts Creek, where we explored the mangroves, and Sugarloaf Bay, where our group stopped for a picnic, are also thick with shellfish, especially oysters.
That, it occurred to me as a climbed back into my kayak after a cup of coffee and a snack, is a bit worrying. If there's lots of seafood around, there could be larger things coming to eat it.
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Air New Zealand offers over 50 non-stop flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch to Sydney, with connections available from all around New Zealand.
Where to stay: The Grace Hotel, an Art Deco hotel in the heart of the city, is an easy walking distance from most attractions.
Kayaking: Sydney Harbour Kayaks are based at Middle Harbour.
Further information: For general information on visiting Sydney see sydneyaustralia.com.
Jim Eagles went kayaking on Middle Harbour with help from Air New Zealand and Tourism NSW.
