Sydney Olympic Park

The Newington Armory  - 10 July, 2017    (throwback memory)

This is a throwback memory to 10 July, 2017,  which I did not write about at that time, when Ken and I did a bus tour with Anglican Churches, Springwood to the Newington Armory in Sydney Olympic Park.  

Here is Trish marking off passengers' names as we entered the bus outside Christ Church on the Great Western Highway, Springwood.

Newington Armory is a heritage-listed former Royal Australian Navy armament depot, set in a riverside landscape, now a tourist attraction in Sydney Olympic Park.  It was built in 1897 by the Royal Australian Navy.  Situated beside the Parramatta River, the area was originally chosen for its relative isolation.  It is on the traditional land of the Wann-gal indigenous people.

 Most of the 248 acres resumed at that time was described as mud flats, swamp and mangroves or salt marsh.  Its isolated location, away from urban areas, made it suitable for the storage of explosives.  During the Second World War Newington played an essential role in providing supplies for the Allied ships for the war in the Pacific.  

The site now spans approx. 100 hectares.  It contains 100 buildings, 6.7 kls. of narrow-gauge railway, 7 battery-powered locomotives, 30 rail wagons, 3 cranes and various items of moveable heritage left behind after the Depot closed.  There is also 48 hectares of Nature Reserve.  The Southern part of the Depot was developed as the athletes village for the 2000 Olympic Games and is now the suburb of Newington.

There are many interesting buildings, doorways, cranes and tanks on the site and other items of moveable heritage left behind from the armament days.

There is a 2ft. narrow gauge electric railway which we boarded and it is a great way to get to know the Newington Armory.  See link

It was formerly used to transport missiles, torpedoes and other WW2 munitions.  The train ride takes 75 minutes.

Building 155 Inspection workshop

A tour guide provided an on-board commentary while we rode around the site, passing heritage buildings dating back to the 1890's including explosive storehouses, workshops and cottages.  We stopped at Building 39 to alight and view an armament exhibition.  The exhibition features an array of ammunition, bombs and missile replicas.  It is fascinating and the highlight of the train trip, only accessible via a tour on the rail.

Olympic Park Station

We enjoyed our time spent at Newington Armory.  We were originally meant to have lunch in a canteen on the site, but due to a mix-up in arrangements, our booking had been overlooked.  So we were then driven up to the shops at Olympic Park where we had a fabulous complimentary lunch in the Coffee Club Restaurant before boarding the bus again for our trip home.

Richmond

St. Peter's Church and Old Cemetery

On Thursday 13 August, 2020 we took a picnic to Pugh's Lagoon and had a picnic lunch while observing the many ducks and birds.  There were a number of people out and enjoying the beautiful sunny weather and a cluster of artists at easels painting the scenery.  After our picnic we took a walk up Windsor Street, running alongside Smith Park and discovered St. Peter's Anglican Church.  The Church occupies a high prominent position in Windsor Street, overlooking Pugh's Lagoon and the surrounding lowlands of Richmond and opposite the Church in the same street is the Old Cemetery.

Unfortunately, the Church was not open so we could not explore inside.   I have since found out that our friends Kathleen and Paul are members of this Church and Paul has a key and could show us around at some convenient time.  It would certainly be great to see inside as there is a fine pipe organ and several stained glass windows.  The architectural style of the Church is Colonial Georgian.

However, we did a little exploration of the Old Cemetery where the remains of several first fleeters and pioneers from the early days of Hawkesbury settlement are buried.  We found many old tombstones.  The oldest date, I believe is that of George Rouse, who died on 9 September, 1809.  His father Richard Rouse arrived in the colony in 1801 as a free settler on the convict ship "Nile".  One old stone bears the name of Joseph Hobson "killed by the blacks 1816".

"St. Peter's Church is a heritage listed Anglican church and associated Sunday school, rectory and cemetery at 384 Windsor Street, Richmond, City of Hawkesbury, NSW.  It was designed by Francis Clarke and Edmund Blackett and built from 1836 to 1841 by James Atkinson." Wikipedia

The Church has a tall spire which has had to be replaced a couple of times, due to damage in storms and I believe it will need further repair within the next few years.

The most imposing monument in the cemetery is the Hordern Memorial inscribed with the names of Edward Hordern, senr. died 14/8/1883 aged 45;  Christina, his wife, died 24/4/1904 aged 59 and Cecil, son of Edward Hordern, senr. died 14/9/1931, aged 63.  This monument stands at the rear of the cemetery as a tall monolith with a winged angel on top.



  

This view of the Lagoon and the surrounding lowlands with the Blue Mountains in the distance is visible from the top of the Hill where the Church is situated.  On the other side of the trees is the Richmond Polo Club where we saw some mounted polo players on horses, engaged in a polo match, racing around the field and brandishing long wooden mallets in the air as they swooped down on the ball.  It looked to be a fast and furious game!

After our visit to the Old Cemetery, we walked back to our car and drove home after a very enjoyable day out.

Darwin to Adelaide

Adventure on the Ghan - conclusion   Day 3    (throwback memory)

Our two nights spent sleeping on the Ghan were not very comfortable.  We are not good sleepers at the best of times and the strangeness of our surroundings, coupled with the clackety-clack of the train rumbling along ancient train tracks, was not a good recipe for a good night's sleep!  However, this was a small price to pay for such a wonderful adventure and it all added to the distinctive thrill and unique flavour of the holiday.

During the night Ken had moved down to the other end of his bunk as he found the noise of the train on the tracks very disturbing.  He was able to catch a bit more sleep down this end.  I wasn't having much luck either down on the lower bunk, but I guess I managed to get some sleep.

As we approached the South Australia border, the rich red soil of the outback gave way to wide expanses of sandy coloured farming land, turning green the further south we travelled.  Paddocks of wheat and grain became noticeable and I guess there would also be dairying and sheep farming.

We had brunch on the train before arriving in Adelaide.  Adelaide Railway Station is a landmark building.  It's neoclassical design harks back to the 19th Century, but being built of reinforced concrete firmly places it in the 20th Century.  It was completed in 1928 amidst controversy at the enormous amount, over budget, that was spent on it.  The design and detailing of the interior, in particular the Concourse and Marble Hall, are quite grand!

We caught a shuttle bus to our hotel.  We were staying at The Grand Chifley on South Terrace and our room seemed positively luxurious with two very comfortable looking double-sized beds and an en-suite with a bath!  I would definitely be using that later that night.

Well that was the end of our Ghan adventure.  It was a wonderful and memorable journey and we were so happy we had been able to complete it.  We planned to spend the weekend in Adelaide, visiting a few of our favourite places before catching a plane back to Sydney and then train back home to the Blue Mountains.

Glenelg Beach.  We caught a tram to spend an afternoon in Glenelg.  It was a holiday weekend with many people enjoying the good weather on the beach.   

We caught a tram back to Rundle Mall and watched a street performance by Fatt Matt, part of the Adelaide Arts Festival.

Darwin to Adelaide

Adventure on the Ghan - Day 2     (throwback memory)

A Town Like Alice

Alice Springs is the half-way point on our journey, as it is an equal distance of  1,500 kilometres between Darwin and Adelaide.   The town straddles the Todd River (usually dry) and is nestled between the East and West MacDonnell Ranges.  It is the traditional home of the Arunta Aboriginal people.

Alice is famous for its beautiful outback desert landscapes, its strong Aboriginal culture and it is the adventure capital for exploring the Red Centre.

We arrived in Alice Springs for an off-train excursion, after breakfast on Day 2 of our Ghan adventure.

We joined the Alice Explorer tour and were driven by bus to the Women's Museum of Australia as our first port of call.  This is housed in the old gaol now preserved as a historic reminder of life for male and female prisoners in the early days.  We saw an interesting exhibition by the National Pioneers Women's Hall of Fame celebrating women of the outback.  These pioneer women were a special breed, tough, resilient and endlessly resourceful.

Our next visit was to the Royal Flying Doctor's Base where we saw a short video to learn about the vital medical care the service provides to those living in the outback. We also stepped inside a replica RFDS aircraft and found it all fascinating.

Our driver then drove us through the town where we could see the shops and then out to the old Telegraph Station which is 4 kilometres north of the town centre.

This is now a historic museum with indoor and outdoor displays depicting the story of Australia's telegraphic connection to the rest of the world in 1871. There is also a small cafe at the site where you can buy refreshments. We spent a pleasant time wandering around and inspecting the various stone buildings on the site.

After leaving the Telegraph Station, our driver drove us back through the town and up to Anzac Hill where we saw good panoramic views of the Town and the surrounding Ranges. There is a memorial on the top to all who served in wars Australia has participated in.
  

Here is part of the Old Gaol where we saw the Pioneer Women's Exhibition.  The Gaol was built in 1938 and ceased operations in 1996.  There is a new gaol south of Alice Springs.

 Ken standing on the steps into the RFDS aircraft.

Alice Springs Railway Station and the memorial to the Afghan workers on the Railway.



It was time to farewell Alice Springs and return to the Train and continue our journey to Adelaide.

Darwin to Adelaide

Adventure on The Ghan - 5 March, 2014     Day 1    (Throwback Memory)

What better way to see the rich, red earth of outback Australia than to travel in the luxurious comfort of an air-conditioned train on its journey from Darwin to Adelaide, right down the centre of Australia!  The Ghan train was named for the pioneering cameleers from Afghanistan who blazed a permanent trail into the Red Centre of Australia more than 150 years ago.   

Ken and I did this epic journey six years ago.  We boarded the Ghan train in Darwin and arrived three days later in Adelaide.  During that time we enjoyed gourmet dining with local wines and also off-train excursions to Katherine Gorge and Alice Springs.

Our accommodation on the train consisted of a Twin Gold Service Compartment with our own en-suite bathroom, including toilet and shower.

During the day our beds converted to a long three-seater lounge where we could sit and admire the ever-changing scenery and, at night, a steward would come and convert our lounge into twin bunks.  

On the first day, we departed our hotel in Darwin at 8.00 am and were picked up, with other passengers, by bus and driven to the station, on the outskirts of the town.  The train was waiting for us and the bus drove along beside it, depositing passengers and luggage at their appointed carriage.  

Our cabin was very comfortable and we soon made ourselves at home, unpacking a few clothes and hanging them up in the wardrobe.

Lunch that first day was in the on-board art deco themed Queen Adelaide Restaurant with the tables designed to seat two people either side with amazing views of the outback visible through the windows.   We were seated opposite John and Joy, a couple from Victoria, also enjoying their first time trip on the Ghan.  Our meal, prepared by on-board chefs, consisted of an entree of damper and pate, followed by Beef Medallions for Ken and a Goat's cheese tart for me with desserts of Panna Cotta and Lemon Meringue tart to follow. The food was delicious and nothing was too much trouble for the waiting staff. 

After lunch, the train stopped at Katherine.  We were transported by air-conditioned bus to Katherine Gorge for a boat cruise on the Katherine River.  We were in the local Indigenous Jawoyn Country and they were our hosts on the river cruise.  Their name for the Gorge is Nitmiluk, meaning Cicada Place.  As we boarded the boat we were handed a plastic container holding fruit salad together with a bottle of soft drink to provide us with refreshments for the journey.

We cruised slowly down the Gorge between towering sandstone cliffs.  There were boulders of sandstone perched on top of each other, like piles of giant marbles.  Trees lined the banks, some growing up high amongst the boulders.  I noted several Rock Wallaroos on the rock escarpments.  There were also Goannas on the rocks and Buffalos swimming across the river.  Fortunately, I did not see any Crocodiles.  The scenery was breathtaking and I felt we were in a special and sacred place, steeped in the culture of the Aboriginal Dreamtime.  We were not able to cruise the second Gorge because of the high level of the River.  It was the wet season and the river had risen.  Also the mythical Boolong, the Rainbow Serpent resides in the second Gorge where it is deeper and he must not be disturbed!  His presence helps to bring on the rains but, if he is disturbed, he can prevent the rains coming and this will cause drought and people to perish.

We left the boat at the end of the first Gorge and had a little walk around on the sand and rocks, looking into the second Gorge, being careful not to disturb Boolong.  We then re-boarded our boat for the return trip down the Gorge.  It was very hot and I felt the sun beating down on me.  The boat was crowded and we were unable to find seats in the shade and I was glad I had worn a hat!

After our cruise, we walked back to the buses to be transported back to the Ghan.  It was amazing to see our train just waiting there for us, in the desert.  It seemed so out of place, but at the same time comforting to know that inside we would find all the modern-day comforts we needed to survive in the outback. We were hot and exhausted as we piled out of the bus, eager to get back to our cabin and cool off.

Ken and I were on the first sitting for dinner at 6.30 pm.  We started off with soup, then luscious lamb cutlets with apple pie for dessert.  We also had some local wine.

We enjoyed looking out at the deep red earth in the outback of the Northern Territory in the "Top End" of Australia.

After dinner some passengers were settling down in the lounge car, quite obviously intent on having a long boozy party night, but we decided this was not for us.

We stayed a little while in the lounge and watched the sunset over the desert and then returned to our cabin.

Our beds were made up when we got back, so we decided to retire for the night.  I had a shower in the little bathroom.  This proved to be quite a challenge, in the lurching train as the shower water went flying around in the small space.  It was difficult to find a place where my clothes would not get wet, but somehow I managed it, just grateful to have a lovely hot shower.  Ken took the top bunk as I didn't fancy climbing the ladder!  We were looking forward to the next day and our trip to Alice Springs.

Our boat about to enter the Gorge.  Our Aboriginal guide told us stories from the Dreamtime of Bula the Creator and Nabilil, a dragon-like creature who camped at the entrance to the Gorge.

Part of the spectacular scenery as we cruised through the Gorge.  Katherine Gorge snakes its way for 12 km along the Arnhem Land Plateau on its way to the sea.  The cliffs can tower  up to 70m high.