Category: New South Wales

  • Newcastle Street Art

    Newcastle Street Art

    There are several places to find street art in Newcastle, although it is not as widespread as in other cities. In the city centre there is a collection in Morgan and Newcomen streets.

    Civic Lane near the old Civic Railway Station also has some interesting art works on the backs of some buildings.

    Further afield, you can find some great pieces at Hamilton and Wallsend.

    In addition to the street art, Newcastle has some amazing sculptures scattered around the city, so keep an eye out for them.

    New Street Art March 2021

    City Centre Street Art

    Newcastle’s Pillar People

    One of Newcastle’s initiatives to brighten up the city centre, is the Pillar People. These telecommunications pillars have been cleverly painted to represent local identities, or reflect the businesses they are located near.

    There are over a dozen of them, see if you can find them all.

    Painted Power Boxes

    In a similar initiative to the Pillar People, electrical boxes around the city have been decorated with nautical themes. They brighten up an otherwise dull box. Look for the amusing mice, painted on some.

    Newcastle Sculptures

    Destiny Monument

    Located on Newcastle Harbour on Dyke Point, Carrington, the Destiny Monument is difficult to reach because of its location. Dyke Point is part of the Newcastle Port Authority’s operating area with no public access permitted. The closest viewpoint from land is the Honeysuckle Footpath at Honeysuckle, where you can look across the harbour to the statue.

    This nine metre tall bronze statue commemorates the 200th anniversary of Newcastle Port operations and was inspired by the figureheads of early sailing ships.

    Destiny Statue on Newcastle Harbour
    Destiny Statue on Newcastle Harbour

    Hamilton and Wallsend Street Art

    Located further from the city centre, these art works a more difficult to get to, as you will need a car. If driving past them, they are worth a stop to admire, as they brighten up and add interest to otherwise dull buildings.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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  • Penrith White Water Stadium

    Penrith White Water Stadium

    Penrith White Water Stadium

    One of the many great legacies of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, is the Penrith White Water Rafting Stadium, which still caters for elite athletes, but also has given locals the opportunity to experience the thrill of rafting.

    Penrith White Water Stadium Entrance
    Penrith White Water Stadium Entrance

    Booking

    Booking beforehand is essential, so phone and book well in advance on (02) 4730 4333. The staff member will give you all the information you will need, and send a confirmation email, which also contains the necessary details for this thrill.

    Arriving a half an hour beforehand gave us the opportunity to complete the necessary paperwork and grab some wetsuits and to see the local kayak club training, which was great.

    The stadium provides all of the required safety gear, helmet and life vest. If needed, wet suits are available for hire, but not essential, as t-shirts and shorts are acceptable. However, for safety, closed in shoes are essential. Bring a change of clothes as you will get wet, even if you don’t fall in. The bathrooms are huge and have a big area for changing. There are also lock up areas to store your bags and valuables until you have completed rafting.

    The trip starts with a safety briefing and a description of the next hour’s events, as well as life vest and helmet fitting. Safety is their priority, and the briefing made us feel very safe. We did not start our lap until everyone was happy that we were ready to do the course. It is also emphasised that you can get out at any time, so if you feel unwell or are not enjoying the experience, the guide will stop at the next safe stop and you can get out of the raft.

    The Course

    The course starts at the loading ramp where we carried the raft into the water, followed by instructions from the guide in how to paddle the raft. Once they are satisfied that you are OK, the fun begins with a trip up a conveyor belt, that transports the raft to the upper pool. From here, you follow a circular route through rapids, back down to the starting location. We managed about eight trips in our allotted time, each one becoming more difficult at our request. The guide decides how difficult, each trip is, depending on how your party is going.

    We had a great time and highly recommend this for anyone looking for a more adventurous experience while being in a safe environment.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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  • Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler

    Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler

    Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler

    A great way to experience the Nepean River at Penrith is to take a cruise on the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler down the 50 million year old gorge. This gives you a nice relaxed environment, while viewing the river and enjoying morning tea or lunch.

    We chose the morning tea cruise, giving us an early start, but being able to enjoy the whole day in the Penrith area. Arriving early, we grabbed a coffee from one of the cafes across the road from the Nepean Belle carpark. There was ample car parking available near the Paddlewheel. We just needed to provide our ticket and have our names ticked off, making the boarding process easy.

    The Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler Tour

    Once we boarded the Paddlewheeler, we were allocated a table on the upper level by a window, giving us great views over the river. This tour was 1.5 hours, but there are quite a few tours to choose from including twilight dinner tours etc.

    The Nepean Belle is very stable on the water and once underway, you can walk around freely, admiring the views natural flora and native wildlife around the river. There was a lot of birdlife on the water and we were pleased to have seen a few eagles as flying overhead. The captain gave ample information about the area. There were people kayaking on the river and enjoying water sports as well.

    Morning Tea

    Morning tea was tea/coffee and delicious fluffy scones with home-made jam and cream, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The staff were exceptional and the captain a wealth of knowledge. It’s nice to be able to go on this cruise with so many staff who were so welcoming and really appeared to love what they do!

    It was a relaxed way to start the day on a nice old boat while getting to see the Nepean River.

    We spent the afternoon at Knapsack Bridge, Lennox Bridge and Mt Schoenstatt Spirituality Centre.

    To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

    Our photos are available for purchase on