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Category: Military

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Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre

Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre

How to Get There

The Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre is on Garden Island in Sydney Harbour. To get there you catch the Sydney Ferry to Double Bay. This stops at a Garden Island only during the Centre’s opening hours (9:30AM to 4:30PM but check their website to be sure). There is no access via the Naval Base, only from the ferry wharf.

Approaching the Heritage Centre, you pass a series of memorials to ships lost and people killed in service to the RAN. These are worth a detailed look at before entering the main building. 

Corvette Memorial Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Corvette Memorial
Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre

What You See At The Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre

Entry to the Heritage Centre is free, but you must leave before the last ferry. There is a very good display of Royal Australian Navy history inside the main building. There are items from the formation of the navy after federation to the present day. We found the staff to be friendly and approachable.

Wheel From HMAS Protector Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Wheel From HMAS Protector
Twelve Inch Shell From the Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (I)Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Twelve Inch Shell From the Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (I)

Eating

There is also a cafeteria catering for snacks and lunch. Food was great and reasonably priced.

On the Waterfront

Outside on the waterfront are some very interesting displays. These include the SeaCat anti-aircraft missile and Australian designed Ikara anti submarine system, whilst a small museum, there is a lot of great displays and history presented over the entire site.

Ikara Anti-Submarine Missile Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Ikara Anti-Submarine Missile
Seacat Anti-Aircraft Missile Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Seacat Anti-Aircraft Missile
Eight Inch Gun From HMAS Australia (II) Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Eight Inch Gun From HMAS Australia (II)

 An additional area to see there is a large garden up the back, which given some great views to the harbour.

If you have a few hours to spare, the Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre is a great place to learn about the history of the RAN.

Old Tree on Garden Island Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
Old Tree on Garden Island

For other places to visit in Sydney, please have a look at some of our other posts.

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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″]

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Aberdeen Highland Games with Tartan Warriors and Bands

The Tartan Warriors at the Games Aberdeen Highland Games New South Wales www.destinationsjourney.com

The Aberdeen Highland Games is held annually in the Upper Hunter town of Aberdeen in New South Wales Australia.

Getting There

Held in Jefferson Park Aberdeen, access is very easy with signs directing you where to go for parking and entry to the park.  There is ample parking available on site which is managed by with local SES volunteers.  They will direct you  to a parking spot and ensure they car parking is orderly so that people can get in and out safely.

Buying Tickets to the Aberdeen Highland Games

Tickets can be purchased on the day, or on-line.   On-line purchases give you a discount of $5.00 (in 2018). Tickets purchased on-line also enable faster entry which is a great way to avoid queuing. 

All action is based in one of two ovals and a dancing stage and fully surrounded with market stalls selling Scottish heirlooms and souvenirs.

It’s very cold so rug up or dress in theme.

Typical Scotsman at the Games Aberdeen Highland Games New South Wales www.destinationsjourney.com
Typical Scotsman at the Games

Events on the Day

Initially there is an opening chieftain’s address welcoming guests and sponsors and giving information about what’s happening during the day (you can also buy a guide book).

The day’s events then start with the massed pipe bands. Each clan and band enters dressed their clan’s tartan playing bagpipes and drums. Once all of the bands are on the field, they perform a massed march of the bands. They march up and down the field several times, so there is ample opportunities to see everything and take photos.

Massed Pipe Bands at the Games Aberdeen Highland Games New South Wales www.destinationsjourney.com
Massed Pipe Bands

The Australian Defence Force sent the Australian Federation Guard Precision Drill Team. Selected from all three services, they provided an amazing display of precision marching and weapons firing.

Australian Federation Guard Precision Drill Team at the Games Aberdeen Highland Games New South Wales www.destinationsjourney.com
Australian Federation Guard Precision Drill Team

The Scottish dancing competitions are held on the central stage. These are very popular, so to get a good view, get in early and get a good spot.

The strong men in the tartan warriors competition is a highlight of the day.  Events include the sheaf toss, caber toss and commenced with the stones, or Clach Cuid Fir.

The Tartan Warriors at the Games Aberdeen Highland Games New South Wales www.destinationsjourney.com
The Tartan Warriors

The bands compete individually to choose the best band, so the sound of bagpipes is in the air the whole day. This gives a great atmosphere throughout the day.

To see what else there is to do in the Hunter Valley, please see some of our other stories.