AdBlock Detected

It looks like you're using an ad-blocker!

Our team work realy hard to produce quality content on this website and we noticed you have ad-blocking enabled.

Australian Motorlife Museum Wollongong

Rugby 1924 car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com

The Australian Motorlife Museum is in Kembla Grange near Wollongong. It is a member based organisation, dedicated to the preservation of motoring history in all forms. It is sponsored by the NRMA.

We arrived late in the afternoon and found the staff were all extremely friendly and helpful and went out of their way to explain the history of the cars on display.

The cars at the Australian Motorlife Museum are all very high quality and immaculately maintained. The collection ranges from the early 1900s to the 1970s, with most coming from the earlier days of car manufacturing.

Rolls Royce (5) car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Rolls Royce
Metz 22 car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Metz 22
Holden (1) car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Holden
Austin 6-16 Burnham (1) car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Austin 6-16 Burnham
Rover 9 25 1927 (1) car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Rover 9 25 1927
Summit Roadster 1923 car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Summit Roadster 1923
Minerva 1913 (6) car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Minerva 1913

Whether you want to see a Model T Ford, a 1913 Minerva or a Zeta Sports you will find it here.

Zeta Sports 1954 (2) Car Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Zeta Sports 1954 (2)

Among the car displays are a number of motorcycles also of high quality. 

Rudge (1) Motorcycle Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Rudge
Vincent Black Shadow 1934 motorcycle Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Vincent Black Shadow 1934
Douglas Motorcycle 1924 Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Douglas Motorcycle 1924
Rudge 1911 motorbike Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Rudge 1911

As well as motoring memorabilia they are a significant number of other items on display ranging from old telephones, record players and typewriters to tricycles. A fascinating collection worth a look at.

Telephone (1) Item at Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Telephone
Scales (3) Item at Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Scales
Record Player (3) Item at Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Record Player
Tricycle (8) Item at Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Tricycle
Pump (4) Item at Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Pump
Ediphone item at Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Ediphone
Gramophone item at Australian Motorlife Museum www.destinationsjourney,com
Gramophone

If you are a car enthusiast or just have a passing interest in automobile history, as well as yesteryear memorabilia you will love this museum.

If you are an NRMA member there is a discount on the entry fee to the Australian Motorlife Museum.

For more of our photographs from the museum, click here.

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

Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour

Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com

Cockatoo Island has a long history from its aboriginal heritage and convict use to its ship building past. All of these are on display at the island so that visitors can appreciate its varied and important history.

Getting There

Access to Cockatoo Island is easy using Sydney Ferries from Circular Quay.  The ferry terminal on the island is close to the information centre. This is a good place to make your first stop. The staff there will give you a free map as well as direct you to any specific place of interest you want to see.

Near the information centre is a café which has magnificent views across Sydney Harbour and towards the bridge. It’s a great place to sit and relax while soaking up the peace and quiet there.

Exploring Cockatoo Island

The first place we decided to explore was the upper part of the island, which we accessed by climbing a stairway. This area has old convict ruins consisting of the guardhouse and convict barracks. After looking though these we walked past some of the historic buildings there and walked through the ship building museum. This detailed Cockatoo Island’s ship building history and importance to the Australia particularly during World War Two

Guard House Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com
Guard House

Historical Building Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com
Historical Building

Ship Building

Back down at the lower level of the island we saw the old slipway where ships were built and launched. Several of the old cranes are still there although looking very rusty.

Old Crane Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com
Old Crane

Nearby are the remains of old workshops and machine rooms. These are large impressive buildings, now empty but a reminder of what once happened here.

Old Machine Shop Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com
Old Machine Shop

Disused Workshop Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com
Disused Workshop

Another interesting place was the tunnel under the hill. You can walk through it from one side of the island to the other. Fully lit, it was fun to walk through.

Tunnel Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com
Tunnel

Getting back to Circular Quay was easy as there is an electronic time-table at the wharf showing when the next ferry is due.

Cockatoo Island Waterfront Cockatoo Island Sydney Harbour www.destinationsjourney.com
Cockatoo Island Waterfront

Entry to Cockatoo Island is free, so for the price of the ferry ticket you can have a full day’ enjoyment here.

For other ideas about what to see in Sydney, read some of our other posts.[ctct form=”41″]

Blast Furnace Park Lithgow New South Wales

The Furnace Lithgow New South Wales www.destinationsjourney.com

Blast Furnace Park Lithgow

Blast Furnace Park Lithgow in NSW comprises the ruins of the old blast furnace that used to operate on the site. What would otherwise have been a very bland and boring attraction has been developed into a great little place to walk around and learn about Lithgow’s industrial past.

Access around and through the buildings is by raised walkways. These are accompanied by information boards which give details about usage, design and development. There are gravel pathways further from the ruins and a lookout over the area from the top of a small hill.

Blast Furnace Park Lithgow NSW www.destinationsjourney.com
Blast Furnace Park
Main Building Blast Furnace Park Lithgow NSW www.destinationsjourney.com
Main Building Blast Furnace Park
Inside Ruins at Blast Furnace Park Lithgow NSW www.destinationsjourney.com
Inside Ruins at Blast Furnace Park
Ruins at Blast Furnace Park Lithgow NSW www.destinationsjourney.com
Ruins at Blast  Furnace Park

One of the areas nearby has warning signs for slippery surfaces and fall hazards, so don’t climb it. Anything you want to see there can be viewed from the lookout or raised walkways.

Parking at The Furnace is easy and there is plants of space. Be careful using your navigation system. Ours tried to take us through an industrial area and along some railway tracks. The actual entrance is the obvious one with the sign.  If you do follow your navigation system then you will end up on the wrong side of a big fence.  Not that we would know this.

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