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Category: Military

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Illowra Hill 60 Battery Port Kembla

Illowra Hill 60 Battery No. 2 Gun Position

Illowra Hill 60 Battery

Today the Illowra Hill 60 Battery gives fantastic views over the Illawarra Coastline, however, in World War Two it was the front line of defence for the region. With an observation post on top of the hill, the two guns placed below had commanding views of fire to defend Port Kembla and its steel industry.

Getting There

Located in Port Kembla near Fisherman’s Beach, the Hill 60 Lookout has a small car park and lookout platform which lets you admire views up and down the coast. Once you have finished here, drive to the lower car park, to the tunnel entrances.

The Illowra Hill 60 Battery Tunnels

Built to allow access to the gun emplacements, two tunnels descend steeply from the entrance. The steepest sections have concrete stairs, but be careful, as rocks and dust provide trip and slip hazards. Adjacent to the stairs are the pathways a small gauge trollyway ran on, delivering shells to the guns below.

Although dark, the tunnels have been decorated by previous visitors and almost every blank space is covered with the grafiti.

At the end of each tunnel are the remains of the concrete gun emplacements. The mounting plates are still present at both while No. 2 emplacement still has the gun-shield.

A cross tunnel connected No 1 and No, 2 tunnels, meaning you do not have to return to the same entrance. This was far darker than the main tunnels, which added to the interest in following it.

During our visit both tunnels were accessible, however both also had large metal doors. These may be locked at times.

View over the Coast From the Top of Hill 60.
View over the Coast From the Top of Hill 60.
Illowra Hill 60 Battery No. 2 Gun Position
Illowra Hill 60 Battery No. 2 Gun Position
No. 1 Gun Position Tunnel Illowra Hill 60 Battery
No. 1 Gun Position Tunnel
No. 1 Gun Position Mounting Plate Illowra Hill 60 Battery
No. 1 Gun Position Mounting Plate
Entrance to the No. 2 Gun Position Tunnel
Entrance to the No. 2 Gun Position Tunnel
No. 2 Gun Position Tunnel
No. 2 Gun Position Tunnel
No. 2 Gun Position Tunnel
No. 2 Gun Position Tunnel
No. 2 Gun Position and Gun Shield
No. 2 Gun Position and Gun Shield

What Did We Think?

We had a great time exploring these tunnels, as they were interesting for their history as well as being deserted and different to the usual abandoned emplacements on the coastline. They were easy to find and parking was easy and with great views.

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

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Nowra New South Wales Australia

Hanging Rock

How to Get There

Only two and a half hours drive south of Sydney, Nowra is a great place to explore the nearby Kangaroo Valley and Shoalhaven District. Public transport by train and bus goes to Nowra, but you will then need to organise personal transport to explore outside of the town.

Where Did We Stay

While in Nowra, we stayed at Springs Shoalhaven, because it was in a quiet location and had an on-site restaurant at the adjoining club. The clean rooms and great views over the golf course we a nice place to relax before going out for dinner. The meals at the club were great and the staff friendly.

Nowra’s Buildings

Wandering through Nowra’s business district, we found several nice old buildings, which were worth stopping to look at.

Roxy Theatre
Roxy Theatre
Mechanics' Institute and School of Arts
Mechanics’ Institute and School of Arts
Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church
Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

Nowra Street Art

Walking through the central shopping district of Nowra, you will come across many pieces of excellent street art decorated buildings. Mostly located around the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, others can be found in side streets, which makes them fun to track down while exploring.

Aboriginal Child - Street Art Nowra
Aboriginal Child – Street Art Nowra
Quest Street Art in Nowra
Quest Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art
Car on Garage Door Street Art in Nowra
Car on Garage Door Street Art
Car on Garage Door Street Art in Nowra
Car on Garage Door Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art
Car on Garage Door Street Art in Nowra
Car on Garage Door Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art
Cockatoo Street Art in Nowra
Cockatoo Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art
Street Art in Nowra
Street Art

Ben’s Walk

The walk loops around the Shoalhaven River, through its gorges and forests. The walk begins at the Nowra Showground, where you can enjoy a barbecue, and superb views of the river and mountains from Hanging Rock. The complete track provides a return walk of about 5.5 kilometres taking around two hours. A short return walk from the footbridge to the Showground and Hanging Rock takes around 10 minutes. A suspension bridge provides a fun crossing of the river.

Hanging Rock
Hanging Rock
Shoalhaven River From Hanging Rock Lookout
Shoalhaven River From Hanging Rock Lookout
Shoalhaven River From Hanging Rock Lookout
Shoalhaven River From Hanging Rock Lookout
Stairs to Ben's Walk
Stairs to Ben’s Walk
Suspension Bridge Across Nowra Creek
Suspension Bridge Across Nowra Creek

Soldiers’ Monument

Opened in 1931, this memorial commemorates all those who served in conflicts that involved Australia. The bronze statue represents an Australian soldier, his helmet and rifle discarded now that has won and returned home, but remains forever vigil.

Nowra Soldiers Memorial
Nowra Soldiers Memorial
Nowra Soldiers Memorial
Nowra Soldiers Memorial

Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum

The museum has an almost complete collection of the aircraft operated by the RAN.  This ranges from the early 1950s when HMAS Sydney and Melbourne were acquired to a recently retired Seahawk helicopter.  A purpose-built air-conditioned building houses all the displays. Inside a raised mezzanine floor provides an excellent overhead perspective of the displays.  This is something that many aviation museums are lacking.  There is also plenty of space between each display so that they can be seen easily without the crowding that some museums use.

To read the full story of our visit there, follow the link.

RAN Fairey Firefly AS.5 Fleet Air Arm Museum Nowra HMAS Albatross www.destinationsjourney.com
RAN Fairey Firefly AS.5

What Did We Think of Nowra?

A great place to stay with a range of activities to do and things to see. We used it as a base for exploring Kangaroo Valley and further afield to Kiama and the Illawarra.

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

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Our Town Model Show Newcastle 2019

HMAS Tobruk (L 50)

Our Town Model Show

An annual event held at the Newcastle Jockey Club, Our Town Model Show  caters for a wide range of hobbies from model trains and planes to doll houses and boats. Anyone interested in models making or collecting will enjoy this event, because everyone who attends is passionate about their hobby.

Model Trains

There was a great display of trains running with amazingly well detailed dioramas. The effort that went into constructing them was outstanding, making it just as interesting as the trains were.

  • Railway Model
    Railway Model
  • Railway Model
    Diorama Railway Model
  • Railway Model
    Railway Model

Model Ships

The model boat displays were truly awesome. On static display was a range of 72 scale destroyers and other ships by Task Force 72. At around 2 m long, these huge models are amazingly detailed replicas of the original ship.

There was an indoor pond displaying remote controlled boats, which we found extremely interesting, because of the variety and detail of the ships. Many of them were zooming around, especially the tugboats which were very manoeuvrable. At 1:100 scale, these models show the dedication their owners give to their hobby to produce such great replicas.

  • HMAS Hobart by Task Force 72
    HMAS Hobart by Task Force 72
  • Indoor Pool and Remote Controlled Ships
    Indoor Pool and Remote Controlled Ships
  • HMAS Tobruk (L 50)
    HMAS Tobruk (L 50)
  • A Ship on the Inside Pool
    A Ship on the Inside Pool

Model Aircraft

Model aircraft were present in a huge array covering all eras of flight and different scales. There was a huge display showing the skills of the model builders.

Scale Model Aircraft Display at Our Town Model Fair
Scale Model Aircraft Display
  • Large Remote Controlled Tiger Tank
    Large Remote Controlled Tiger Tank

Science Fiction Models

Science fiction models from Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Gundam were on display, making an interesting alternative to the “real world” models elsewhere at the Our Town Model Show.

  • Gundam Models at the Our Town Model Fair Newcastle
    Gundam Models

Die Cast Models

An extensive display of Corgi and other brands of cars, buses and machinery catered for collectors of die-cast models.

  • Corgi Bus Display at Our Town Model Fair Newcastle
    Corgi Bus Display
  • Cars Models at Town Model Fair Newcastle
    Cars Models

Hobby Supplies For Sale

For anyone interested in adding to their hobby Frontline Hobbies had a huge stall with models for sale, which was great if inspiration struck you to build something as you walked around the displays.

A second had stall selling deceased estates was doing a good trade in model kits for anyone looking for some older models at a cheaper price.

Tools and accessories were available from Tinkering Tools, who had a large
range of high-quality products for sale.

If you got hungry, the NJC has its cafe operating and coffee snacks and meals were available

Parking was excellent on site and free, which was great and the walking distance to the fair was very short.

The entry fee of $10 each was good value for a few hours of entertainment and profits were donated to Benwerrin Rural Fire Service, so a good cause was supported too.

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

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