So, this weekend, we...

Waverton to Milsons Point

Posted: February 29, 2016 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: Sydney, sydney harbor, this weekend in Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

On a beautiful, last day of summer day in Sydney, we parked the car at Waverton Station and walked south, down the hill past a small cafe towards the water.

There’s a road that makes its way around Balls Head, but the bush track below the road takes you past a remnant of (recent) old Sydney, the Coal Loader. It’s a beautiful,easy path with beautiful views of the city. Quite the spot for the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Some beautiful waterfront along Waverton Peninsular Reserve and Waverton Oval to Sawmillers Reserve (which sadly doesn’t go right through to Blues Point.

Wander along the path near Wendy’s Secret Garden to Luna Park and the Harbour Bridge.

A fabulous walk of about 6 or 7 kilometres. Catch the train back to Waverton Station from Milsons Point Station – just 2 stops.

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Beautiful Harbour views along the path at Balls Head Reserve

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Berry’s Bay

Beautiful Harbour views along the path at Balls Head Reserve

Beautiful Harbour views along the path at Balls Head Reserve

Remnants of the old BP storage facility. Lots of round tank holes hewn into the rock.

Sawmillers Reserve

The Goods Line

Posted: February 29, 2016 in Inner West, Sydney Harbour
Tags: Dr Chau Chak Wing, Frank Gehry, Paper Bag building, Things to do in Sydney, this weekend in Sydney, walking inner Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney

The Goods Line is a shared pedestrian and cycle path and green public space, connecting Ultimo with Darling Harbour.

The line provides a pedestraian and cycle path from Central Station to Darling Harbour, with mixed-use spaces to enjoy – dining tables, grassy spaces, table tennis tables, study pods amongst the trees and a children’s water play area with a sand pit shaded by trees.

A fabulous re-use of what was a busy industrial railway line.

http://www.shfa.nsw.gov.au/sydney-Our_places_and_projects-Our_projects-The_Goods_Line.htm

Only a short walk, but so well done

Past the iconic Dr Chau Chak Wing Building (designed by Frank Gehry – The “Paper Bag building”)

Past the iconic Dr Chau Chak Wing Building (designed by Frank Gehry – The “Paper Bag building”)

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Parramatta ~ Harris Park Heritage Walk

Posted: January 24, 2016 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: ferry, Sydney, sydney harbor, Sydney Harbour, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, walking inner Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

Back from our holiday to India and so ready to resume normal weekend service!

Our plan this year? We enjoyed walking the beaches and coast so much in 2014 that we decided to do the same this year, except we will hug the inland waterways. Late Sunday afternoon we headed out to Parramatta Ferry Wharf to begin walking East along the southern shore.

We parked the car at Parramatta wharf and walked towards Rosehill racecourse along the Harris Park Heritage Walk, a really nice path along the (pretty murky this far up stream) Parramatta River with terrific signposting advising various historical sites that used to be there

It’s well done; love wandering along bits of Sydney we’ve never seen before.

Had to start the year somewhere, so we chose Parramatta Wharf

The stern of the last HMAS Parramatta

NIce work along the path

Robyn has taught at two schools with Ellengowan in their name. This is the original site of Tara Anglican School at North Parramatta.

About 200 km to go! 🙂

Week 52 ~ Z is for The End!

Posted: December 31, 2015 in history
Tags: walk

The end of the Alphabet.

The end of the Year.

Seemed an appropriate time to visit the end of a significant Life.

We’re currently on holiday in India, so today we went to 3 significant sites regarding Gandhi.

We left the hotel with the intention of visiting the Gandhi Smrity, the site on Tees January road in New Delhi where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated.

However, our tuk-tuk driver took us to where Gandhi was cremated. Once again, shoes off as made our way to the venerated ground. Quite a nice, large park in the middle of busy Delhi; a bit of peace and quiet.

From here we asked another tuk-tuk driver to take us to Gandhi Smrity, but alas, we were taken to where Indira Gandhi was murdered by her own body guards. It’s at the house where she (and her son, later Prime Minister Rajiv) lived. Her last steps are commemorated by a glass path, and where she fell is identified by a clear glass panel. Obviously a very revered figure, the museum was chockers with local Indian tourists seemingly intent on capturing any photo as evidence that they had visited rather then reading any of the exhibits.

A quick check of the map revealed that we weren’t far from where we wanted to go, so rather than risk another failed tuk-tuk attempt, we headed off on foot.

We’re glad we did… we found the quietest, most beautiful part of Delhi that exists I think. Beautiful tree-lined streets, and guards and soldiers with machine guns every 50 metres or so keeping the hoi polloi at bay.

We were surprised to find the museum and grounds almost deserted… as such a significant figure, venerated for his role in gaining independence for India, there were bugger-all people there.

The museum display was pretty good, with plenty of information about his life and thoughts for India.

Something that stood out for me was his enthusiasm for women to be respected, educated and considered equal. Alarming and the path of his last walk and where he was shot (by a disgruntled Indian nationalist) are nicely maintained.

The irony of being shot like that, after a lifetime of advocating peace and unity.

Mahatma Gandhi’s cremation site

Indira Gandhi was assassinated along this path. Where she actually fell is under the sheet of glass.

Indira Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi’s last steps

Mahtma Gandhi assassination area.

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Week 51 ~ Y is for Youth

Posted: December 8, 2015 in Inner West
Tags: Sydney, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, walking inner Sydney, Weekends in Sydney

If you grew up in Sydney like we did, you’ll remember buying 5c paper tickets and catching myriad buses to school and the shops

Sydney’s Bus Museum fell into dis-repair some time ago and Wednesday night was the preview night of the new museum.

Now, let’s get one thing straight here… we are NOT bus officianados or even remotely interested in the actual history of transport in Sydney… I think we were the only ones who weren’t!
Rather, this is what the whole point of this doing something together project is about. To do something together that we wouldn’t normally do.

In the old bus, from Central Station to Leichhardt

I remember these posters!

Ryde local bus

Never too old to play!

Week 50 ~ X is for Xenophobia

Posted: December 7, 2015 in Walking
Tags: beach, Coffee, cronulla, Sydney, Sydney weekends, Weekends in Sydney, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

The ugly face of Australian racism.

cronulla_wideweb__470x313,0 The 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of clashes and outbreaks of mob violence in Australia on 11 December 2005 in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla.

Racial tensions were already prevalent between local caucasian and middle eastern Australians due to earlier altercations between groups.

A crowd gathered at Cronulla on the morning of Sunday, 11 December 2005 and, by midday, approximately 5,000 people had gathered near the beach to protest against recent violence towards locals. However, fuelled by alcohol, the crowd turned to violence when a young man of Arab appearance was spotted on the beach. He was surrounded by a crowd outside a local hotel and attacked, along with similar attacks later that day. Retaliatory attacks also took place that night and on subsequent nights, resulting in extensive property damage and several more assaults, including two separate, racially motivated stabbings and even some attacks against ambulance and police officers.

The attacks were widely condemned by local, state and federal members of parliament, police, local community leaders, and residents of Cronulla and adjacent areas. A large number of arrests were made over the subsequent months, from both the initial riot on 11 December and the retaliations over the subsequent nights.

10 years on and a rally was planned to remember the riots.
We thought it might be an opportune time to reflect on the violence and racism surrounding this event, so we went to Cronulla for a swim and a looksee.

Dick heads the lot of them.

Week 49 ~ W is for Wendy Whiteley’s Garden

Posted: December 6, 2015 in Sydney Harbour
Tags: garden, Sydney, sydney harbor, Sydney Harbour, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, this weekend in Sydney, what to do in Sydney

After the death of her husband (artist Brett Whitely) Wendy Whiteley started to clean up and landscape a large patch of derelict land adjacent to her home in Lavender Bay, owned by the NSW Rail Corporation. It was choked by weeds, overgrown and strewn with old train carriages, abandoned refrigerators, rotting mattresses and broken bottles, and some homeless people sometimes slept there.

The Rail Corporation had no interest in doing anything with it, and they raised no objections to her beautifying the area.

Over 15 years, it has become a coveted spot for those who have heard about or chanced upon it, with random benches in quiet spots, secluded paths, and a spectacular view to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

It’s affectionately known by locals as “Wendy’s Secret Garden”, although the public have always had free access.

In October 2015, the New South Wales Government, which owns the land, agreed to give the North Sydney Council a 30-year renewable lease on it. [so says wikipedia]

So on a beautiful Sydney early summer Saturday evening we headed over to the garden with champagne and nibbles to see it for ourselves. We weren’t disappointed.

The first person we came across, working just below her house, was Wendy Whiteley herself.

Sydney Royalty

This was definitely one of the best things we have done this year.
We’ll be back with interstate and overseas visitors for sure 🙂
The gardens have hidden spots with tables and chairs, views, steps and stairs that just draw you to climbing and exploring.

Lovely statues are dotted around the place. Winner winner.

Beautiful Moreton Bay or Port Jackson Fig, with Whiteley’s house behind

Whiteley’s house

Week 48 ~ V is for Vintage

Posted: November 30, 2015 in Inner West, Markets
Tags: antique, breakfast, cafe, Sydney, Sydney weekends, Things to do in Sydney, vintage, what to do in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

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There’s a fine line between vintage and crap – it would seem there are plenty of people who don’t know the difference.

There’s also a MASSIVE difference between vintage/second hand/old//crap/broken and what constitutes a bargain!

$hit! I’m never throwing anything out again EVER!

Deliciopus start to the day at https://www.facebook.com/SubStationCafe, an old electrical substation transformed into a cafe with a snug interior and a cute courtyard. We enjoyed a delicious start to the day at The Substation Cafe , an old electrical substation transformed into a cafe with a snug interior and a cute courtyard. Mediterranean influenced food, great coffee, friendly staff, good service.

We’ll be back 🙂

We went for a walk to the Mitchell Road Antique and Design Centre. It’s a warehouse packed with vintage and retro stuff – not really antiques. It appears to be divided into sections – I imagine that each section is sub-let to a different stall-holder.

This was followed by a short stroll to Lunatiques. Love the name 🙂
Ditto.

I was like a trip back to our grandparents’. We found ourselves at every turn saying either

Oh, look at that, I used to have these (ie remember those roller skates that laced up and the length was adjustable via a wingnut under the sole?)
or
Remember Gran used to have these? (cue the laminated kitchen table) or
Remember throwing that away/giving that to Vinnies?What a trip down memory lane!

Holy Crap! This little anvil, about the size of a rolled up sleeping bag – $1200! What would the one i have in the back yard be worth? No wonder the boys argue about who gets it when i die!!

Desk made from an aeroplane wing, anyone?

Week 47 ~ U is for Underground Bars

Posted: November 22, 2015 in Bars
Tags: small small bars, Sydney, Things to do in Sydney

Sydney’s small bar scene has changed a lot in the past few years as the local council has changed licencing laws to make them more viable.

The result is a really healthy mix of small bars, many of them underground, many of them completely un-advertised. Only through social media would you find a bar like Baxters – up a small alleyway and tucked around under a building in the corner.

We went to 3 underground bars –

Stitch Bar in York St, easily identified by the array of old Singer Sewing machines at street level
The Baxter Inn, a whisky bar in Clarence St, and
The Lobo Plantation, a rum bar in Clarence St

Secret Sydney. Fascinating.

Stitch Bar at street level

Underground

Stitch Bar

Baxters – hell of a whisky selection!

The Lobo – Rum Rum Rum

Week 46 ~ T is for a Train ride

Posted: November 15, 2015 in Transport
Tags: Sydney weekends, this weekend in Sydney, Weekends in Sydney, What to do in Sydney this weekend

Gotta love Sydney’s Opal cards – $2.50 travel all day on a Sunday.

We headed to Hawkesbury River – the train station near Brooklyn just where the road to Gosford crosses the Hawkesbury River.

We had breakfast at the Tuckshop cafe and then went for a walk around Brooklyn.

We had no idea there was so much history there…

Governor Philip was exploring the area within months of arriving in Sydney in 1788
The rail bridge was the final piece in the Trans Continental Railway. Originally built in 1889, it linked Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and was a major engineering feat at the time.
There was an anti aircraft station set up there to protect the rail bridge from any Japanese activity in WWII

It’s also where RW Corkery, the company our daughter Lauren works for in Orange, has an office, so good to see where she works from time to time and put a face to the name.