Sydney Archives - Page 29 of 42 - Destination's Journey

17 December 201929 March 2022

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.

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.

Our photos are available for purchase on

16 December 201929 March 2022

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.

Ship's Wheel, Where you get a Chance to Steer the Boat — The Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler

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

14 December 201914 December 2019

Carriageworks Eveleigh Sydney

We have spent a lot of time on the trains into Sydney and always gone past this area, without thinking too much about what it had to offer. Converted from old railway workshops, Carriageworks, located at Eveleigh, is now a huge display centre for artists and engages artistic and audiences with contemporary ideas and issues. This is a cultural facility of NSW government and receives support from Arts NSW and the Australian government.

The industrial heritage of the site has been embraced, with minimal internal removal of cranes and gantries, providing an amazing backdrop to the exhibitions. It feels like you have truly stepped back in time, making it unique.

The closest railway station is Redfern, which is only a 10 to 15 minute walk away. Car parking is also located nearby, if you choose to drive yourself. There is always changing displays and artworks! While there, we watched a photography display by a local artist, and found it interesting.

One of the attractions of Carriageworks is the buildings themselves, as the exterior brickwork and arched windows provide great photographic opportunities. Rail lines are still in place in the roads around the main building and the car park (once another workshop), houses some old machinery.

Entrance to the main workshop is free, but at times there may be a charge to access some of the exhibits. We wandered through the old workspaces , taking photos and looking at the old cranes and winches left in place.

There is a cafe near the main entrance, where you can get drinks and a food.