Fortress Archives - Destination's Journey

20 July 202319 September 2023

Manly to North Head Walk

The walk from Manly to North Head takes you past some beautiful beaches with views over the coast, through coastal scrub and passes old fortifications. Finally ending at the entrance to Sydney Harbour, it has spectacular views of the city.

Getting There

The easiest way to get to Manly is to take the Manly ferry from Circular Quay. If you’re new to Sydney, this is an attraction in itself, because the Sydney Harbour ferries form an important part of the local public transport. During the ferry ride, you get some brilliant views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge as well as all the other boat traffic on the water.

Sydney Ferry Collaroy — Manly Ferry Collaroy

Opera House From the Manly Ferry Sydney Australia — Manly Ferry Collaroy

Start of the Walk

Catching the Manly Ferry from Circular Quay, we arrived at Manly Wharf at 9:30 am. We planned our walk to take us along the shore to Shelly Beach where we would follow a track to the Barracks Precinct. Not only would this give us views over the coast but take us past some old fortifications and gun emplacements.

From the Manly wharf, we walked down The Corso, which is a pedestrian mall leading to the beach.

Manly Beach

One of the most popular Sydney beaches, Manly Beach is a great place for a swim or relaxing on the sand. We bought a coffee at a kiosk near the south end of the beach before starting the walk.

Manly to Shelly Beach

Starting at the south end of Manly Beach, the path follows the coastline, which is rocky until you reach Shelly Beach. There are plenty of places with places to look up and down the coast and back to Manly, giving you some amazing views.

Along the way look out for small metal sculptures of local wildlife. These have been placed on the rocks next to the path.

About halfway to Shelly Beach, Fairy Bower Pool is a protected ocean pool where you can swim. The pool is also decorated with a sculpture of two fairies.

Fairy Bower Sea Pool Marine Parade Manly Sydney Australia — Fairy Bower Sea Pool

Fairy Statues Fairy Bower Sea Pool Manly Sydney Australia Manly to North Head Walk — Fairy Bower Sea Pool

Shelly Beach

Shelly Beach is a secluded and serene crescent-shaped beach surrounded by nice shady trees. As well as a grassed area to relax on it has a kiosk where you can buy refreshments before continuing the walk.

From Shelly Beach, the track goes uphill to head along the cliffs to the south.

Shelly Beach Manly Sydney Australia — Shelly Beach

Shelly Headland Lookout

Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, this Shelly Headland Lookout provides an ideal spot for photographers because of the wonderful views along the coast. During the whale migration season, it’s also an ideal point to watch them swimming past.

Coastal view looking north back to Manly Manly to North Head Walk — Coastal view looking north back to Manly

Shelly Beach to the Barracks Precinct

After the flat walk from Manly the track becomes rougher and steeper. From here the track climbs uphill to reach the cliff tops. Winding through the coastal vegetation, it is not as busy as the first section because it is a more difficult walk. We loved this section, as the walk through the bush was much more peaceful.

At the top of the cliffs, old fortifications dating from the Second World War and earlier can be seen. The track even goes through one of the old walls built to defend the area.

The track south of Shelly Beach Manly to North Head Walk — The track south of Shelly Beach

Old fortification wall at North Head — The track south of Shelly Beach

Barracks Precinct

The Barracks Precinct at North Head is a historically significant site that served as a military base from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. It played a crucial role in the defence of Sydney Harbor and housed various military units over the years.

The Barracks Precinct has well-preserved sandstone buildings, which showcase the architectural style of the time. It includes several barracks, officers’ quarters, mess halls, and maintenance buildings. These structures provide a glimpse into the daily lives of soldiers stationed at North Head.

Today, the Barracks Precinct has been repurposed as a heritage site and is open to the public for exploration. Visitors can wander through the historic buildings, learn about the site’s military history through information boards which are dotted around the area.

In this area and continuing to North Head, the walking tracks are generally well paved and often consists of boardwalks or paved roads. When we visited, the banksias were in flower adding a touch of colour to the walk.

Main barracks building and parade ground

Banksia in flower — Main barracks building and parade ground

Fortifications

Many of the original fortifications were dismantled and the guns sold for scrap when they were no longer needed. Fortunately, some are still in place so that visitors can see them. Several large gun emplacements are open to the public, but when we visited others were being repaired.

A great way to get a feel for the area’s past is to take the underground tunnels tour. We did this several years ago and highly recommend it. You walk through the tunnels and underground sections of the fortifications as well as getting into areas the general public cannot access.

Old Fortifications Manly to North Head Walk — Old Fortifications

Old Fortification undergoing restoration — Old Fortifications

Memorial Walk

Winding through the coastal vegetation, the Memorial Walk commemorates Australia’s military heritage. Not only are there great sandstone memorials but the path is inlaid with bricks commemorating individuals or military units.

Memorial for Australian Peacekeeping Operations — Memorial Walk

Fairfax Lookout

The end of our walk took us to Fairfax Lookout with its stunning views of Sydney and Sydney Harbour. The site was named after Sir James Fairfax, a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist.

Other Places to See in North Head

If you have time, Q Station, the old Sydney Quarantine Station is worth a visit. We did a guided tour here some time ago, which took us through the history of the site and most of its buildings. The old quarantine station cemetery is also a great place to see.

Getting Back

After finishing our walk, we decided to catch the bus back to the wharf as it stops right outside. Alternatively, you could walk back via Q Station. We had an excellent tour there a few years ago and highly recommend a visit.

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

20 June 202312 June 2023

Sculptures at Scratchley

Sculptures at Scratchley is a planned annual sculpture exhibition held for the first time this year in the grounds of Fort Scratchley, a historic fort at the entrance to Newcastle Harbour in New South Wales, Australia. Held for the first time in 2023 the exhibition showcases a selected number of international, national and local artists’ works, with a variety of styles and materials.

The exhibition is open to the public with free entry and the chance to nominate a sculpture for the main prize of People’s Choice Award, which is a non-acquisitive award of $25,000. The exhibition also has a peer-judged award, also non-acquisitive, of $15,000. For anyone interested, non-acquisitive means that the operator of the exhibition does not purchase the winning piece. Instead, the winner is able to sell it on the open market. The exhibition ran from May 13 to May 28, 2023.

The variety of sculptures was great and the backdrop of the fort and surrounding beaches was a great setting. Hopefully this will be an on-going annual event, like the Sculptures at the Sea at Bondi.

First Prize Winning Sculpture Bleaching by Michael Greve

The Miss Fits by Geoff Harvey Sculptures at Scratchley — The Miss Fits by Geoff Harvey

Learning to Fly by John Logvyn Sculptures at Scratchley — Learning to Fly by John Logvyn

Persistence by John Logvyn Sculptures at Scratchley — Persistence by John Logvyn

The Leadlight Garden Shed with Glass and Timber Tools by Lee and Zac Howes Sculptures at Scratchley — The Leadlight Garden Shed with Glass and Timber Tools by Lee and Zac Howes

Prancer by Nicole O'Regan — Prancer by Nicole O’Regan

Advance by Nicole O'Regan Sculptures at Scratchley — Advance by Nicole O’Regan

Following Orders by Anthony Xerri Sculptures at Scratchley — Following Orders by Anthony Xerri

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

7 January 202325 December 2022

Bare Island

The external walls of the fortified island

Bare Island

In the 1860s Britain removed its garrison troops from its Australian colonies, which resulted in a rapid examination of the colonies’ defenses. Britain’s war with Russia escalated fears of an invasion (not sure how Russia was going to send an invasion force all the way to Australia). As a result two Imperial Engineers arrived (Scratchley who also designed Fort Scratchley in Newcastle and Jervois). Between them and with the assistance of colonial architects they devised a series of forts to defend the coastline and major centres. One of these was Bare Island.

With excellent views over the entrance to Botany Bay, Bare Island was perfectly placed to guard against an overland attack of Sydney. Manned by around 70 soldiers it served as a fort from it’s completion in 1886 until the early 1900s. With changing technology, the fort became a war veterans’ home until 1942 when the military again took up residence.

Bare Island Fort Today

Unfortunately during the 1930s all but the two largest guns were sold for scrap. The largest guns remain only because they were too heavy to move. In 1967, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) were given control of the now gazetted historical site. In 1989, the fort opened to the public.

Getting There

We drove to La Perouse and parked in the foreshore parking area. From here we walked over the pedestrian bridge to Bare Island.

The Tour

NPWS conduct guided tours of the island, which can be booked online. Joining a tour at the entrance gate is possible, but only if there is room. Book onlie to avoid disappointment.

Access to the island is via a pedestrian bridge. Your guide will meet you at the far end of the bridge and let you through the gates. From here, the tour takes you through the gun pits, tunnels and rooms of the fort. The guide provides a narration throughout the tour, so you receive the full history of the island.

From the top of the island, you get amazing views of Botany Bay, while being able to appreciate the importance of the fort as it overlooks the bay’s entrance.

What Did We Think of Bare Island?

This was a great tour, full of history and interesting things to see. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, providing us with lots of information on the Island’s history. Especially good was the group size, which was no so large that you missed out on seeing things.