This photos show The Rocks from the view of a walkway between the streets. If you follow the brick walk, you'll see it double back on itself to form stairs. That is how steep the cross streets are here -- The Rocks are closely packed and the ground slopes sharply down to the shore. Walking north-south is no problem, east-west however....

If you look over the tops of the houses, you can just make out the white roof of the Sydney Opera house. It's almost the same color as the clouds.