7:00 am: I leave my flat, and take the elevator down to the second floor. To save space, apartment blocks are built above shopping malls, so my elevator leads straight to the mall. A short walk past McDonalds (Hong Kong has the highest rate of McDonalds consumption in the world, and seven of the world’s most profitable McDonalds) brings me to the Ma On Shan bus station (still indoors!).

7:05 am: I catch the 807k green minibus (technical term: ‘public light bus’) to University train station. Minibuses are a strange invention – they are fairly large, rickety, and seat 16 people, but their drivers treat them like race-cars. To prevent them speeding (frightening elderly passengers), the Hong Kong government requires minibuses to install large speedometers inside the passenger cabin, so you can see exactly how fast the bus is travelling. If the bus crosses local speed limits, the speedometer beeps, much to the irritation of the gas-happy driver.

7:15 am: I arrive at University station, which runs on the Kowloon-Canton (East Rail) line of the MTR, Hong Kong’s train network. This particular line is overground, and the oldest in Hong Kong – built in the early 1900s by the British government keen to secure influence in Southern China. The trains are clean and modern, helped by metal seats (uncomfortable, but easy to clean) and a no-eating policy that has landed me in trouble on more than one occasion.

7:16: Trains typically arrive within 1 minute, and it is a fifteen minute ride to Tsim Sha Tsui, the terminus of the line, and tourist capital of Kowloon, the second most important region in Hong Kong.

7:30: A short walk along Nathan Road past world-class hotels, hawkers selling fake watches, and a torrent of people brings me to the Star Ferry, Hong Kong’s oldest but most celebrated way of crossing Victoria Harbour. It is half transport, half tourist attraction, but for less than 50 US cents, it offers an elegant way to cross the harbour. The harbour itself is spectacular, flanked on both sides by skyscrapers that rival New York.

7:35: Five minutes on the ferry, and I’ve arrived at Wanchai, a business area, but also a party center on Hong Kong Island itself. A short walk, an elevator ride up to the 48th floor, and I arrive at my desk. It’s time to work.

As the ferry approaches Circular Quay, be inspired by the majestic Sydney Harbour Bridge, the largest steel arch bridge in the world, and the iconic Sydney Opera House glistening in the sunshine.

Sydney Ferries operates a network of services across Sydney Harbour and down the Parramatta River. The main ferry terminus is at Circular Quay, from where you can either walk to your office or take a bus or train.

On some of the ferries, there is a cafeteria service, so that you can relax and enjoy a coffee and perhaps even your breakfast on the way to work.

Suburbs with quick and easy access to the CBD by ferry include Milsons Point, Kirribilli, Balmain East, Greenwich, Neutral Bay and Double Bay. From other suburbs, it is still possible to commute by ferry but it will take longer – the journey from Sydney Olympic Park to Circular Quay, for example, takes about 50 minutes.

There are regular services in the morning and evening commuting hours on all of the ferry routes, making it possible to commute from almost all of the 39 wharves serviced by Sydney Ferries. The only wharf from which it would not be possible to commute is Parramatta, since the first ferry from Parramatta does not arrive at Circular Quay until about 11am.

The most cost-effective way of commuting by ferry is to purchase a weekly, quarterly or annual TravelPass ticket. There are two types of TravelPass: one that allows you to travel on ferries, buses and trains and one that is valid for travel on ferries and buses only. A TravelPass ticket gives you unlimited travel within the colour-coded zone that you choose. Further information can be found on the sydneyferries.info website.

On a fine day, sit outside of the main cabin and enjoy the fresh air and the wonderful views of Sydney Harbour. A variety of scenes will enfold before your eyes – unspoiled countryside, small islands, the skyscrapers of North Sydney and the CBD, and perhaps a super-sized gleaming white cruise ship visiting Sydney for a day or two.

On your way home, the same views will look different in the twilight as the sun gently sets over Sydney Harbour. Your journey home will help you to put your working day into perspective.