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Category: Memorial

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Cook Park Orange

Path Running Through Cook Park Orange

Cook Park Orange

Looking for something to do in Orange after we arrived in the late afternoon, we discovered Cook Park. Named after Captain James Cook, the park is a beautiful escape, with shady trees, grassy picnic areas and a duck pond. Laid out in the Victorian style when designed in 1873 many of the original straight paths remain.

We walked along the avenues of trees pleased to escape the summer sun and spent some time relaxing near the duck pond. As a surprize, a metal sculpture of a dragon sits in the pond.

Many people were enjoying the grassed areas with family picnics along with others simply walking around enjoying the gardens.

A greenhouse with seedlings, ferns and orchids was interesting to walk through, with hundreds of potted plants on the shelves.

Also, in one corner of the park sits a small war memorial with an old, World War One German field gun and a cannon. The cannon previously defended Sydney but was moved here as a memorial in 1906.

A great place to relax and if you have kids, there’s plenty of space for them to run around.

Avenue of tree in Cook Park Orange
Avenue of trees in Cook Park Orange
Path Running Through Cook Park Orange
Path Running Through the Park
Reflections in the Pond
Reflections in the Pond
Trees and Greenhouse in Cook Park
Trees and Greenhouse in Cook Park
Inside the Greenhouse
Inside the Greenhouse
FK 16 77mm German Field Gun
FK 16 77mm German Field Gun
24 Pound Smooth Bore Cannon Cook Park Orange
24 Pound Smooth Bore Cannon

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

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Lake Burley Griffin Cruise

The Gull

Lake Burley Griffin Cruise

This is a great, relaxing way to see the sights of Canberra while you cruise around Lake Burley Griffin.

We parked in the Questacon carpark, only a short walk from the jetty on Queen Elizabeth Terrace where we boarded the “Gull”. Conveniently located near a coffee shop, you can get a snack and coffee if you arrive early.

The boat takes you past many of the attractions of Australia’s capital while giving you a different view of them. The tour guide was very informative, going through the history of Canberra and most of the places we looked at.

Depending on the tour time, the Captain Cook Memorial Fountain may be operating, so you will get a close-up look of the water jet.

This was a fun, informative tour and would be a great introduction for anyone new to Canberra.

The Gull
The Gull
Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge
Captain Cook Memorial Jet
Captain Cook Memorial Jet
Australian Merchant Navy Memorial
Australian Merchant Navy Memorial
National Carillon Lake Burley Griffin Tour
National Carillon
Angel of the North Lake Burley Griffin Tour
Angel of the North
Parliament House Lake Burley Griffin Tour
Parliament House

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

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Yass New South Wales

Yass Courthouse

Yass New South Wales

An hour’s drive north of Canberra, or west from Goulburn, Yass is an historic New South Wales Town. We were passing through on a drive from Canberra to Orange so stopped to have a quick look around. Being early morning, parking was easy, and we found a spot outside the Banjo Patterson Park, named after the famous Australia poet.

Several coffee shops were open, so we ordered a coffee before setting off to explore the town. The main street, Comur St contains several well preserved nineteenth-century buildings. The Post Office looks great, but the courthouse looks like a small palace!

Yass Post Office Yass New South Wales
Yass Post Office
Yass Courthouse Yass New South Wales
Yass Courthouse
Banjo Patterson Bust Yass
Banjo Patterson Bust
Banjo Patterson Park Yass New South Wales
Banjo Patterson Park
Tootsie Gallery and Café Yass New South Wales
Tootsie Gallery and Café

Yass Railway Museum

The Yass Railway Museum is small with only a few trains and pieces of rolling stock on display. However, it’s a great place to visit, see some interesting trains, memorabilia and find out about the history of trains in Yass. You can find a full story of our visit here.

1307 Steam Locomotive Yass New South Wales
1307 Steam Locomotive

Abandoned Railway Bridge

We drove to the old railway bridge over the Yass River, parking at Joe O’Conner Park and walking down to the river. Disused since 1988 when the rail line closed it’s now a tourist attraction and heritage listed. It was interesting to walk around, especially as there are trees growing through parts of it.

Old Tramway Bridge Yass
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
The Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge

What Did We Think Of Yass?

Although this was only a quick visit, we enjoyed our time here. The lovely old buildings on the main street, abandoned bridge and railway museum are all worth stopping to see.

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

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