The Glenrock State Conservation Area contains several great walking tracks. The Yuelarbah Track is a nice walking track which follows Flaggy Creek down to Glenrock Lagoon through the coastal forest. The track is downhill most of the way to the lagoon and Burwood Beach, making is a fairly easy walk. It much harder on the return walk as it is uphill. Parts of the track are rough rocks so it is necessary to be careful with your footing. Part way along the track, the pathway splits enabling you to walk on either side of the creek. Both banks of the creek offer interesting spots, so walk down one side and back the other.
Walking along, you will find some great places to look at the creek and enjoy the scenery. Even the stairs and walkways are great to look at.
Start of Yuelarbah Track
Yuelarbah Track
Flaggy Creek Yuelarbah Track
Yuelarbah Track Steps Going Down
Rock Cutting
Yuelarbah Track Steps Going Up
Yuelarbah Track Steps Going Down
Glenrock State Conservation AreaGlenrock Lagoon
Halfway to the beach, on the left hand bank of Flaggy Creek, is a lookout which provides great views over the Glenrock State Conservation Area.
Glenrock Lagoon From Lookout
As you near the beach you will pass Glenrock Lagoon which looks tranquil compared to the ocean nearby. There is also a bench seat where you can sit and admire the views before walking down to the beach.
Glenrock Lagoon and Burwood Beach
Burwood Beach
Burwood Beach has been quiet both times we were there making it very peaceful and relaxing. As this is not a patrolled beach, so swimming is not recommended.
Burwood Beach
Burwood Beach
Returning to the carpark is either back the way you came or on the opposite bank of Flaggy Creek. We chose the second option for some variety as the scenery is slightly different.
This is a pleasant walk with a nice little beach at the end to relax on.
Hickson Street Lookout to Burwood Beach Trail
This trail descends from Hickson Street down a hill side to Burwood Beach. The majority of the track is made of mesh metal walkways and with formed steps. However there are small areas where the path is unformed and goes over rocks. These areas are small and easily negotiable but the track is steep, so take care.
Parking is available on Hickson Street, but is limited and may become crowded at peak times. A launch platform for hang gliders is located at the top of the hill, where you will find view over the coastline.
Walking Trail Hickson Street Lookout
Walking Trail Down to Burwood Beach
The Trail Down to Burwood Beach
Walking Trail Down to Burwood Beach
Walking Trail Winding Down to the Beach
Burwood Beach
The track finishes at Burwood Beach, where you will find an information board detailing the area. The northern part of the beach is a rock platform, which has rock pools and some interesting weathering features in the rocks.
Burwood Beach
Rock Platform at Burwood Beach
Burwood Beach
Burwood Beach
Rock Platform
Walking south from the beach, you will find Glenrock Lagoon, where you can walk up Flaggy Creek on the Yuelarbah Track. If you walk north you will get to the Merewether Baths and beach.
We chose to sit on the beach for a while watching the surfers, before taking the track back up the hill.
Rock Platform
Eroded Rock Formation Burwood Rock Platform
Rock Formation Burwood Rock Platform
Rock Formation Burwood Rock Platform
To find out about some other great places to go in NSW, please read some o our other stories.
Before arriving at Mudgee in the Central West of NSW, we stopped at Frog Rock to take a quick photo of this unusual rock that looks like a giant frog. Interesting for a quick stop and photo. Its also easy to find as it is well signposted.
Frog Rock
Mudgee Regional Museum
This little museum packs a huge amount of history into a tiny building. A huge amount of artifacts from Musgee’s past are on display over two floors in the main building and in the old church out the back.
Several of the rooms
are displayed as period settings while others display collections of
The shed at the back of the house contains a vast number of old tools as well as carriages
Mudgee Colonial Inn Museum
Mudgee Colonial Inn Museum
Mudgee Colonial Inn Museum
Typewriter Collection
Doll Collection
Old Mudgee Gaol Key
Old Carriages Mudgee Colonial In Museum
Mudgee Brewery
We arrived before beer serving commenced so had a coffee before exploring Mudgee and returning later. On our return we tried the sample beers of four small beers for $8.00. This was a great way to taste their products and we decided on the wheat beer was the best but unfortunately was not available in stubbies for purchase only as full size bottles. Instead we bought a six pack of the pale ale.
Mudgee Brewery Tasting
Sculpture Park
Sculpture Park on the banks of the Cudgegong River was a relaxing wall while looking at the sculptures the local council has placed there
Sculpture Park
Sculpture Park
Sculpture Park
Mudgee Town Centre
In the centre of town is the Mudgee Clock Tower and St Mary’s Church both worth a look. At the next intersection is St John the Baptist Anglican Church. We walked down Market Street as it has some great old buildings on both sides of the road that are well maintained and look fantastic.
Mudgee Clock Tower
Main Street Mudgee
Main Street Mudgee
Main Street Mudgee
Main Street Mudgee
Council Chambers Mudgee
Railway Station
We also drove to the old Mudgee Railway Station which is under two kilometers from the centre of town. Although the train no longer runs here the old building is very nice and has been repurposed into an art gallery.
Mudgee Railway Station
Mudgee Railway Station
Of course Mudgee’s greatest attraction for some is the wine produced in the region. There are many wineries in the area. and you can spend many happy hours driving around and sampling their produce.
Grape Vines
Mudgee Observatory
Only 23 km from town is the Mudgee Observatory. A great place to go at night to learn about astronomy and make your own observations of the stars.
Mudgee Observatory
To read about other places to visit in NSW, please read some of your other stories.
We flew into Athens from Munich with Aegean Airways. A nice easy flight with friendly service and nice food. We had organised a transfer through our hotel and were met by the driver. He was very friendly and informative about Athens during our trip into town.
Where Did We Stay?
Our travel agent suggested the Herodion Hotel as previous customers had thought highly of it. We knew the location was good as it was near the Acropolis and found the staff of the Herodion to be fantastic. From the reception to bar staff and others they were brilliant. The restaurant served wonderful Greek food and the bar had some great wines and beers.
The rooftop view of the Acropolis is a great selling point for this hotel especially at night when you can see it lit up.
The Acropolis From Our Hotel’s Roof
Filopappou Hill
On our first evening, we walked to Filopappou Hill and the base of the Acropolis. Filopapou Hill had many ancient ruins covering it and tracks winding around the hill will take you to all of them.
Part of the Track to Filopappou Hill
Socrates Prison
Socrates Prison
Monument of Philopappos
Monument of Philopappos
Church of Agios Demetrios Loumbardiaris
Church of Agios Demetrios LoumbardiarisBells at Church of Agios Demetrios Loumbardiaris
Walking Tour of Athens
To get an in depth understanding of Athens more important monuments we booked a private walking tour. The tour took half a day with the main stops being the Acropolis, Acropolis Museum, Olympic Stadium and an drive through Athens and past other points of interest.
Acropolis
We started at the Acropolis where our guide explained the history of the area and the individual temples. By arriving early we avoided the large crowds that go there, even in winter.
Once our guide had purchased the entry tickets, we walked up the hill towards the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion with it’s Caryatid columns. Behind these temples is the amazing Parthenon. Some of the marble frescoes from here are on display in the Acropolis Museum, while others are in the British Museum in London.
The view from the Acropolis is great with much of Athens visible as well as many other Greek monuments.
The Parthenon on the AcropolisThe Caryatid Porch of the ErechtheionTemple of Hephaestus From the Acropolis
Acropolis Museum
This museum contains excavated relics from the Acropolis, which are set out in beautiful displays with excellent explanations.
Caryatid Columns in the Acropolis Museum
Athens Olympic Stadium
This was a quick stop as we passed by in the guides car. We had a quick look at the stadium from the first modern Olympics before moving on.
Greek Parliament
The tour took us past the Greek Parliament, where the guards in national dress were on duty. We watched while they changed positions and took some photos.
Presidential Guard Outside the Hellenic Parliament
Temple of Hephaestus
Located in the Agora, the Temple Of Hephaestus is one of the best
preserves temples in Greece. With its intact columns and roof , it is an
amazing site when compared to other ruined buildings in the area. We first saw
the temple from the Acropolis, which is a great view because of its perspective
viewing it from above.
Up close, the temple is amazing and a must see when visiting
Athens. We arrived at 2:30PM and were surprised to find that the whole Agora,
including the temple closed at 3:30. For such a major attraction, we found this
unusual, so be careful when planning to visit, that you will have enough time
there.
Temple of Hephaestus
Hadrian’s Arch
Located on Leoforos Vasilisis Amalias opposite Lisikratous this ancient gateway is near the Temple of Zeus and 300m from the Acropolis.
Hadrian’s Arch
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Only a short walk from Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple Of Olympian Zeus is in poor condition, with not many of its original columns still standing
Temple of Olympian Zeus with Acropolis in the Background
Bus Tour to Delphi and Meteora
Our tour guide for the first half day from Athens to Delphi was very good. She provided lots of information about where we were travelling to and places we passed through. At Delphi, she gave a guided tour, which although long, considering time constraints, was full of detail.
Delphi
A little over two hours north of Athens by road, Delphi was a
significant religious centre for the ancient Greeks. As such it contains the
ruins of temples and stadiums as well as treasuries from city states such as
Athens which were offerings to the gods.
Travelling by bus, we had a relaxing journey to Delphi, along with
a commentary by our guide. On arrival, we found that our time on site was very
limited, as our connecting bus was leaving in two hours. We booked a two day
tour to both Delphi and Meteora. Those people on the tour only visiting Delphi
had more time.
Our guide took us around the archaeological site, providing great commentary. However, we felt that the tour guide did not stop talking, so we broke off from the main group to explore on our own. We walked up to the amphitheater, but were unable to get to the stadium as the track was closed for maintenance.
We made a quick trip to the museum to see the displays, particularly the charioteer and Sphinx. Had we not hurried, we would have missed seeing them.
Overall, we loved the site and ruins but felt too rushed to take
them in properly, because of the time constraints. If you want to see the
stadium at the top of the hill and museum, as well as the temple complex, we
would recommend a tour concentrating on just Delphi, while ensuring all of the
places are visited.
Temple of DelphiHelmet in the Museum at DelphiSphynx in the Museum at DelphiThe Charioteer in the Museum at Delphi
Thermopylae
A brief stop on our way to our overnight stop of Kalambaka, took us to the Thermopylae memorial. A very easy place to find as it is on the main highway and the huge Spartan warrior can’t be missed.
The memorial is to the Spartan defenders against Xerxes Persian
invaders.
Many people know of the Spartans who died defending the area, but don’t know much about the rest of the Greeks , who were often neglected. It is great that there is an additional memorial, adjacent to the Spartan one, to honour them as well.
A great place for a quick stop, to remember the defenders and take
some photos.
Leonidas Statue at Thermopylae Monument to all Greeks Who Fought at Thermopylae
Over night Kalambaka
Bus Tour Day 2
By day two, our patience with the tour guide had disappeared.
Although at times providing interesting information, much of what she said was
repetitive, and often incorrect. Instead of letting the tour group enjoy the
scenery and relax, she was rarely quiet. One person with us timed the longest
quiet period at 15 minutes.
We also found the bus cramped and stuffy with poor ventilation and
too loud speakers with no volume control (or off switch).
This easily ranked as the worst bus tour we have been on. Don’t
get us wrong the destinations were amazing, but the bus trip itself was
intolerable.
Meteora
Famous for its mountaintop monasteries, Meteora, provides a surreal landscape, with its scenery. Our bus trip stayed the previous night in Kalambaca, to we were able to start early the next day.
The trip through the mountains has many opportunities for views
and photographs of the monasteries. Seeing the buildings perched on the sides
of the cliffs is an amazing site.
Our first visit was to St Stephens Monastery. The church and buildings have been recently completed, as the icons and frescos are all pristine, with some still in the process of being painted. This may disappoint some people, but we found it interesting to see them newly done . All women need to wear skirts that cover their knees, they do provide these free of charge, as part of the tour .
The second stop was at St Barbara’s, a smaller and older settlement. Both places offered amazing views and history.
Entrance to Monastery at Meteora Monastery at Meteora Hill Top Monastery at Meteora Monastery at MeteoraMonastery at Meteora
Small Group Bus Trip
To view Mycenae and Epidaurus, we booked a private tour with a
guide. The driver arrived on time, and took us to the archaeological sites,
where we met the guide. They were extremely good, and we found that our
understanding of the area was much better than if we had gone by ourselves.
Being able to ask questions after hearing an explanation of an area was
fantastic, because we were able to clarify points of interest.
Although you pay a premium for a guide, the benefit received is
huge and is highly recommended. If you want to walk the site by yourself
though, there are information boards around the site that provide an
exploration of what is there. Most of these boards are in Greek and English.
Mycenae
Our guide met us at the beehive tombs, where we entered Agamemnon’s tomb. There is no proof that this was actually his tomb, as it was empty when excavated, but this it its popular name.
The huge interior, at 15m is impressive, especially considering it
is still standing after 3,000 years.
Tomb of Agamemnon MycenaeTomb of Agamemnon Mycenae
Not far from the tombs are the ruins of Mycenae. Our first stop
was the museum, which contains many of the artefacts excavated from the site,
although many of the important ones are replicas, because the originals are in
the Athens National Archaeological Museum.
We walked around the excavated site, looking at the cemetery,
palace and other ruins. The path is well maintained, but goes uphill, so take
your time, especially on the way down if the ground is wet and slippery
Entrance to the Ruins of Mycenae
Epidaurus
Located 55 km from the Mycenae Archaeological area, Epidaurus is a beautiful collection of stadiums, temples and other ruins. Dating from the 4th century BC, the impressive amphitheatre is still used today.
We walked around the empty seats and the views and acoustics of
this ancient place are amazing. You are able to hear someone speaking in the
centre without a microphone.
The temple complex to Epidaurus is undergoing restoration but
still looks impressive. Several areas have been reconstructed, with columns now
standing for the first time in over 1,000 years.
The small stadium is also in good condition and was great to see.
Amphitheater at Epidaurus
Nafplio
We made a lunch stop here and ate at one of the many waterfront eateries available. After lunch we walked along the waters edge and looked out to the prison on the harbour’s island. Walking back to the car park, we had a quick look at the fortifications, before heading back to Athens.
Corinth Canal
A brief stop on our outward journey took us to the Corinth Canal. An amazing piece of construction, it looked impressive from the bridge we viewed it from.
Corinth Canal
Cape Sounion
Temple of Poseidon
We got to the Temple of Poseidon with a small group tour from Athens. Due to the time of year, it turned out to be personal tour as there was only the two of us on it. The trip only took 90 minutes, so we admired the Greek countryside as we went.
The temple’s fantastic location at the tip of Cape Sounion, gives it amazing sea views as befits a temple to the god of the sea. Only a short uphill walk from the car park, the temple dominates the local area because of its raised position.
During our visit there were not many other tourists, so we had it almost to ourselves. We walked around the temple several times admiring the columns and taking photos.
While there, we sat on the stone benches and had a snack we had brought with us, while looking over the sea and the temple.
Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion
National Archaeological Museum
This museum contains the treasures of Greece from its prehistory through to the Greek City States. The vast amount of artifacts on display is amazing, from Agamemnon’s death mask to statues of the Olympian gods it’s all here for you to see.
The museum is very well laid out and descriptions are given in English as well as Greek so you can easily understand the significance of the displays.
Apart from the numerous coins, vases and weapins on display we liked the statue of Zeus and Agamemnon’s mask out of the whole collection.
Death Mask of Agamemnon at the National Archaeological MuseumStatue of Zeus at the National Archaeological Museum Vase at the National Archaeological Museum
What Did We Think of Athens?
We loved Athens and the surrounding areas. The city is full of history everywhere you look and the people are very friendly. The hotel was great and we loved the food and wine. Some of the day trips were long, but we we were able to see a huge amount of ancient monuments in a short time.
