Sydney

The view from our 11th floor hotel room. We're just above Kings Cross station - next stop out is Bondi Junction.

 

Potts Point

There are many substantial Victorian buildings from a grand suburban plan of the time.
There are also many high rise blocks on the outskirts. Most do not share the Victorian elegance, though some newer buildings look much better.

 

The McElhone Stairs replaced a wooden ladder that linked the upper road down to the docks.

The El Alamein fountain (WWII commemoration) was built in 1961.

 

Darling Harbour

 

Our apartment is on the 25th floor overlooking Darling Harbour and the Maritime Museum and Aquarium.
The world's earliest swing span bridge (1902) opens for tall masted ships from Cockle Bay. The monorail track above the bridge can also open for very tall ships.

 

Australian National Maritime Museum

The harbour contains the Australian National Maritime Museum and has various vessels moored in the harbour.
The museum is very good to visit, with several themed collections.
Images to be added.

 

Sydney Aquarium

Sydney Aquarium - visited but not yet processed!

 

Harbour Bridge

The Harbour Bridge dominates the harbour at day or night.
Both trains and cars cross the bridge.
The harbour is busy with ships of all sizes, including small yachts.

 

Opera House

The Opera House occupies a prominent position at one end of Circular Quay. Many restaurants and bars occupy the sides of the quay and there is plenty of open space.

Our evening visit to the Opera House was to see the Australian ballet.
The Firebird was supported by Les Sylphides and Petrouchka - a good varied mix.

 

Circular Quay

 

Hyde Park

 

Mrs Maquarie's Walk

 

Bats in the Royal Botanic Garden

 

These giant bats were spotted in the eucalyptus trees at about 5pm as we were walking back through the gardens.
They were huge - the wingspan must have been at least a metre. They were clearly starting to get active even though it would not be dark until about 8pm.
It was fascinating to see them stretching the huge wings and squabble amongst each other.
Some of the images have a larger picture - click the image.

 

Birds in the Gardens

 

The lorikeets were very noisy as they flitted around the bushes.
The cockatoos were content with posing and occasional walks.
Ibis were very numerous, grubbing around in the grass.

 

Port Arthur

 

By 1840 over 2000 convicts, soldiers and staff lived at the site in "Van Diemen's Land". The informative museum has a lot of rooms containing many staged examples. Between 1853 and closure in 1877, it housed the mentally and physically infirm.
Only a fraction of the buildings remain, having suffered from bush fires.

 

Tasman Arch & Devil's Cauldron

The sea has eroded the siltstone forming a tunnel. Vertical cracks weakened the roof at the rear and it fell.
The Cauldron is connected by the same vertical fault.
The coast line nearby is very dramatic with many caves forming and pinnacles in the sea.

 

Richmond Bridge & other views

 

Richmond Bridge is Australia's oldest bridge. It was completed in 1825 using convict labour.
Norfolk Bay is almost landlocked and contains many beaches and boat launch slipways. We happened to pass Sunset Beach at the right time of day - just.

 

Freycinet Peninsula - Wineglass Bay/Hazards Beach circuit walk

 

First 20mins was a steep walk up to the lookout where we viewed Wingless Bay and Promise Bay in the distance. Mt Mayson (one of The 5 Hazards) was on the peninsula.
Next an equally steep 20 min walk down to Wineglass bay.
Time for a late (15:00) picnic lunch on the sand.
The next part of the circuit is across the isthmus to Hazards Beach.

 

The wallaby in the woods was quite unperturbed by our presence.
Hazards beach was very long and the sand grains were huge. It was 15:45, warm and the beach was deserted but for a group of 3 people.
After walking to the other end of the beach we set off into the wooded shore track.

 

 

The track from Hazards Beach rose steeply and we walked round the peninsula to Coles Bay. It was quite a long trek through the scrub and we only met one other person.
As we walked back to the car park the sun was sinking quite fast and The Hazards (Mt Amos, Mt Dove) were very red.
Back at the car park we found a baby wallaby enjoying some grass. (Click for larger image).

The walk was billed as requiring 3.5 -5 hrs to complete. We started at 14:15, took 20 mins for our picnic and were delighted to return at 17:20. Sunset was at 18:30 and we had set out a little late - we had imagined it would take us about 4 hrs and we would be back just before dusk.

There were lots of people on the walk up to the lookout and quite a lot walking down to Wineglass bay. After that we met only 5 walkers.

It was a nicely varied and interesting walk which we both enjoyed very much.

 

Bicheno Blow Hole

A walk around the headland brought us to the blowhole - the first we've managed to see working well. The tide was in but it was otherwise quite calm - a storm required for spectacular plumes.

 

Bay of Fires - Binalong Bay

Binalong Bay is in the Bay of Fires. It was Easter Saturday and almost empty. We enjoyed lunch overlooking the beautiful clear waters and paddled in the little coves.
Absolute heaven just admiring the fish and birds, and a few scuba divers.
Where is everyone?

 

 

Legerwood - Memorial Park

In 1918, 7 trees were planted to commemorate the 7 local victims. In 2001 the trees were declared dangerous and had to be felled. Eddie Freeman a chainsaw sculptor, was engaged to carve likenesses of each of the fallen.
The sculptures were unveiled on Anzac day in 2006, each with details of the individual represented.
Well worth a visit.

 

Hobart

 

The Tasmanian capital is beautifully situated, and surprisingly receives no more rain than Sydney. Our apartment at Battery point was in easy walking distance of the main restaurant areas in Salamanca Place and the harbour at Franklin Wharf.
Mures is a famous fish restaurant that really deserves its fame. We had hoped to visit the Drunken Admiral, but time was against us.
Our walk up Mt Wellington gave us spectacular views over Hobart, the islands and peninsulas. It was very windy and cold on top. Mt Wellington protects Hobart from the weather.

 

 

New Norfolk

The Derwent river valley reaches the sea at Hobart. We visited hoping to see picturesque oast houses - the only one that we could find was a dilapidated failed restaurant up for sale!
A large shiny new brewery could be seen lower down the river.

 

Wentworth Falls

 

 

Wentworth - Valley of the Waters

We walked both the Undercliff/Overcliff tracks and the National path - just re-opened after repair work.
The views were superb, as were the rock faces and waterfalls. Layers of rocks were disturbingly waiting to fall on the track!
At the end of the National path there were 900 steep steps to walk up to the top - some just clinging to the rock face.

 

Katoomba - Leura : The Three Sisters

We get to the start of the Federal Pass walk by descending on the 54° former coal mine track. Mercifully it is a short descent as we are at the front.

The walk starts by passing the Katoomba Falls and then on a path through the forest.

 

The track ends with a 900 step staircase up the far side of the Three Sisters, including an optional walk across a bridge to the first sister.
The walk back to the car was on the higher Prince Henry Cliff Track, with views across the valley.

 

 

Jenolan Caves

 

 

 

This visit was exceptionally good - ane we only saw one of the 9 cave complexes that are open.
The tour took 2 hours and we visited many caves and travelled down many passages.
Other tours visit caves where there are many more crystal encrustations over the other formations. These sparkle in the light but don't photograph well enough to show the lovely effect.
The area has lovely walks and it's a location to be revisited in the future.

 

From the Blue Mountains

 

From Pebbly Beach near Batemans Bay

 

Lakes Entrance

There is just a small exit to the distant sea for the vast lakeland with many islands.
Lakes Entrance town is to the left of the picture - it's a 180Km journey to get to this side by road.

 

At one time concrete was manufactured at the Lakes Entrance sea exit and the remains of 1900s machinery associated with the small railtrack remain. The concrete blocks were also used to shore up the mouth of the sea entrance.
90 Mile beach on the sea side is accurately described. All but about 3Km starts on the far side of the sea exit.

 

 

 

Hopefully now named correctly!

 

Cape Woolamai

 

The walk to the end of the peninsula was a gradual uphill to a small beacon, with rugged costal views and many seagulls and ibis. From the high point, the whole of Phillip Island was visible.
This peninsula is a major shearwater breeding ground. Only partially fledged deceased offspring remained.

 

Koala Conservation Centre

 

The centre has a low fenced breeding programme section with 4 females and one male. Many females are sterile due to clamydia infection. Young are born 1cm in length, with gripping arms and a sucking mouth.
The outer woodland has many more koalas, birds and kangaroos. It is surrounded by a dog proof fence since dogs are a major cause of death to koalas when they relocate via the ground.
Koalas generally sleep to digest their low nutrition eucalypt leaf diet -100 hours is required to digest the leaves, which other animal eats.
We were fortunate to see a koala relocate to a higher sleeping position and one eating.
This was a lovely park and it felt totally natural.

 

Other animals

 

Yerring Grange

 

 

 

The estate is dominated by kangaroos - the brightly coloured birds are here too.

Kangaroos go back to the bush in the daytiime, so it's morning and evening when they're around.
The young bucks enjoy a good tussle, kicking and wrestling.
Some of the joeys in their mother's pouches are really quite large. Surprisingly this does not appear to inhibit the mother from bounding along.

Walking out at night with a torch and meeting a herd of kangaroos is a bit stressful for both parties. Their bright eyes are not much good at night but the ears have you clocked. They just move quietly away, though the large bucks can cause serious damage if cornered.

It was really wonderful to watch kangaroos in their everyday life at such a close range.

 

Gundagai bridges

 

This was a rest stop on our journey. The guide book mentioned old bridges, but we were unprepared for the enormity of them.
We did notice that the rail bridge was much better built than the road bridge!
The climate here does not appear to cause significant decay to the timber.