Goat Island in Sydney Harbour is administered by National Parks and Wildlife and tours are organised and conducted by Rangers. We met our guide at Circular Quay wharf 6 where we boarded the ferry for a quick trip to the island. Access to the island is prohibited unless you are on an official tour, because of its heritage listed status. This tour takes 2 hours, which is plenty of time to see all of the island’s history.
Original Use
The original use for Goat Island was gunpowder storage and the most impressive building there is the old magazine. Built using convict labour this sandstone building has 2m thick walls, as a precaution to contain any explosions.
It was interesting to see the difference between the convict-built buildings and those built after. The convict buildings are of excellent construction and quality, but hose built afterwards are of a far lesser standard as the government paid for their construction.
Some boat maintenance is still performed on the island at the old shipyards but the facilities are a shadow of what happened there when Sydney was a large boat building harbour. The old crane still standing there is a reminder of the industry that used to be there.
View of Sydney Harbour From Goat Island
View of Sydney Harbour From Goat Island
Gunpowder Magazine Entrance
Gunpowder Magazine Walls
Interior of the Gunpowder Magazine
Magazine Memorial Plaque
Convict Built Building on Goat Island
Convict Built Building on Goat Island
Old Derelict Crane
Harbour Master’s Residence
The harbour master’s residence overlooking the harbour is a beautiful old building but is currently unused. Plans to develop it and several surrounding cottages did not materialise leaving it unoccupied.
We also stopped at Boney Anderson’s rock where he was chained for 2 years as punishment for bad behaviour. The small cutting in the rock was where he slept.
Harbour Master’s Residence
Boney Anderson’s Bed
Water Police
The tour also takes in the old water police and fire tender wharf which are in poor condition. Only the piers of the wharf remain and although they make an interesting photo it would have been nicer had it been preserved. The building is badly in need of renovating because although the structure appears sound, the interior walls and floors need repair.
Filmed on the island, the Australian TV show Water Rats built a set there. Unfortunately once filming stopped the set was not removed and remains an eye sore on the waterfront because it’s style does not match the historic buildings elsewhere.
Old Water Police Wharf
Cottage Interior
What Did We Think of Goat Island?
We had a fantastic time on Goat Island and learnt a great deal from our guide. This tour is highly recommended to anyone who wants to find out more about Australia’s past.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
We had an amazing time with Balloon Aloft from arrival until the trip was over. The day starts at 5:15AM when you need to check in. The gate was marked by red flashing lights and people were stationed inside to show you where to park and then direct you to the check in area. To help with the early morning, coffee is available free of charge. Once everyone is signed in and you are given a coloured sticker for your group, there is a safety briefing and then you are taken to a minibus for the ride to the take off field. This changes daily depending on the winds. For our trip, take off was from the Cessnock gun club and there were ten balloons from different companies preparing for launch. It was a fantastic sight as all these balloons slowly inflated and took off.
Getting ReadyGetting Ready
We spent an hour quietly floating over the vineyards of the Hunter Valley. The view is breathtaking and the quiet of the balloon ride adds to the amazing feeling.
Balloon over VineyardsBalloons AloftBalloon Over Peterson House
Landing and Breakfast
After an hour in the air our pilot chose a field to land in and we made a surprisingly smooth landing. We had thought it would be a bit bumpy but instead it was very gentle.
The ground crew were there to meet us having been in radio contact with the pilot. We all helped pack the balloon away and then went back to Petersons Winery for breakfast. On your arrival you were offered orange juice and champagne.
Balloon Coming in to LandBalloon Coming in to Land
As part of the package we booked, breakfast was included and we didn’t have to wait long before what we had ordered was delivered. This was a great way to finish the morning and we left with great memories of a fantastic experience.
For other great trips around the Hunter Valley,please click here.
We flew into Greenland with Air Greenland, out of Copenhagen. There was one stop on the way to our final destination of Ilulissat, with a change of planes at Kangerlussuaq. On arrival there is a small international terminal, with a customs desk. You need to go past this, to get to the internal Greenland flights, although this isn’t immediately obvious. They do not do announcements in English either, so you need to look at the board, as you need to get a bus transfer out to the plane. The flight to Ilulissat was short and did not get very high, which allowed us to see a lot of the Greenland snow covered landscape as we went.
Air Greenland Airbus 330
Arrival in Ilulissat
We were met at the airport by our tour operator from Arctic Adventure, who ensured that we had got on the shuttle bus to our hotel. He met us again at the hotel, where we were given an overview of our activities. Our previous flight to Copenhagen (via Stockholm) had resulted in a lost suitcase. When we told him that our luggage was lost in Stockholm he offered to take us to some shops so that we could purchase some clothes and toiletries. He also lent us some cold weather overalls for the duration of our stay. Fantastic service and a great introduction to Greenland.
Hotel Arctic
The Hotel Arctic proved to be a great place to stay. The staff were very friendly and helpful and our stay there was very pleasant. There are two options for meals with informal dining available at the bar or more formal meals in the restaurant. We tried both a were happy with the food and the local beer on offer. Yes Ilulissat has its own brewery!
Although it is located outside to the actual town a shuttle bus operates every hour and is a reliable way to get to and from town for tours, shopping or meals. They even saw us walking back to the hotel once and stopped to give us a lift. If you do want to walk yourself its only a 20 minute , but is cold in winter!
The hotel also offers transfers to and from the airport. They take care of boarding passes and weigh suitcases and put them on the bus prior to departure, so you do not have to worry about any of those things.
As an option, several igloo rooms are available overlooking the bay. these are currently being renovated, but would be great fun to stay in once complete.
Danish and Greenland Flags at Hotel ArcticIgloo Accommodation at Hotel ArcticIgloo Accommodation at Hotel Arctic
Town tour of Ilulissat
After a stop at a local shop our guide took us on a tour of Ilulissat showing us all of the major points of interest and explaining the history of the town. The highlight was a visit to the local harbour where we saw the fishermen bringing the day’s catch. The harbour still had a lot of ice and many boats were ice bound and looking surreal.
On another occasion while driving in the Hotel Arctic’s shuttle bus, we passed some Husky puppies, looking very cute. The driver stopped so that we could get a good look at them.
IlulissatHusky Puppies
Harbour
Ice Bound Fishing BoatIlulissat Harbour in Ice
Zion’s Church
Another interesting stop in town was Zion’s Church. It was closed when we were there but we were able take some great photos.
Zion’s Church
Snow Shoe and a Northern Light Walk
After dinner at hotel on our first night, we went on a snow shoe walk in the dark. The walk took us about two hours and walking through the snow in the dark was a great experience. It was a clear cold night and the stars were brilliant although the northern lights only put in a small appearance, it was great to see.
Iceberg Sight Seeing
Our guide met us outside World of Greenland before driving us to
the harbour, where we boarded our ship for the tour. Although catering for 36
people in the peak season, only ten of us took this trip. This meant that there
was plenty of room for everyone.
The tour started with a safety briefing in the cabin and then some tips on taking photos. The guide was also available to explain the local bird and wildlife, as well as the effects of climate change on the local area. You have options of staying outside or spending time inside having tea and biscuits. The crew are really helpful at all times, and are exceptionally experienced at navigating the ice under the water. So safety is not a problem.
Tour Boat For Iceberg CruiseIceberg in Disko BayTrail Through the Ice
Snowmobile Exploration
We were the first customers for the new tourist season and had the
trip to ourselves along with our guide. After an initial safety briefing and
operating instructions, we were away.
The trip first ran over flat ground, which gave us an opportunity
to get used to the 350kg machines and their handling. This was important,
because before long we were going up steep hills and around bends.
Driving through amazing arctic scenery, we passed several dog sled teams, before stopping for a coffee and admiring the Arctic sunrise from on top of a mountain overlooking the ice fjord.
This was a fantastic experience, not the least of which was discovering that although these heavy machines sit on top of the snow, when you get off, you might sink waste deep. Probably best to take snow shoes!
Sunrise During Snow Mobile TripDog Sled Training
Lunch in town
Several times we walked into and then around town to take photos of tbe colourful Greenlandic buildings and magnificent views out to sea. There were icebergs in Disko Bay visible from Ilulissat. After walking around in the minus 20 degrees Celsius we went to the cafe to have a hot chocolate a meal and warm up. The locals are extremely friendly,
Museum
The Ilulissat Museum is a three storied building in the centre of town. Opening hours vary depending on the time of year, so check before visiting. There is a small entrance fee, which also entitles you to entry at the art gallery.
Exhibits are spread over the top two floors, where they are well laid out with information cards in several languages including English.
The third floor contains an informative display of pre Christian
Greenlandic culture, with an emphasis on shamanistic religion.
Archaeological Display at the Ilulissat MuseumDog Sled at the Ilulissat MuseumTraditional Clothing Display at the Ilulissat MuseumSeal Skins at the Ilulissat Museum
Helicopter Flight to the Glacier
A great way to see the interior of Greenland is by helicopter. We had a flight booked, to take us up onto the glacier, but unfortunately due to bad weather, it was cancelled. It was snowing all day so we walked around town, admired the views and had hot drinks and snacks at the cafe.
Flying back to Copenhagen, we again transferred planes in Kangerlussuaq, where we caught up with our missing bag.
What Did We Think?
We had a fantastic time in Greenland. The people were friendly, the accommodation great and the sights and activities amazing. We went in winter to experience the cold and ice and it easily lived up to our expectations.
