Located a 25-minute drive north of Batemans Bay, North Durras Beach is a popular spot for surfers. Apart from two surfers, it was deserted when we visited. We parked on North Durras Road, where Google Maps says there is a car park. It’s really just a gravel patch on the side of the road, but does have a path down to the beach.
After an easy five-minute walk along the track, we got to the beach. It was beautiful, with some cliffs off to the right and a headland and rock platform to the left. This headland is Point Upright, with the Burrawang Track which we had walked earlier and looked down on the beach.
The weathered cliffs made an interesting addition to the beach, with lots of interesting patterns in the rocks.
If you are in the area and like surfing or just enjoy relaxing on a beach this is a great one to visit.
Track from the road down to the beachTrack down to North Duras Beach through coastal scrubSteps down to the beachLooking north towards Point UprightLooking south along the beachThe Caves cliff wallThe Caves cliff wallSteps up from the beach
Open until the 23rd of February 2025 at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru is a unique opportunity to experience Andean culture in Sydney. With over 130 artifacts from five Peruvian Empires to see it’s an amazing experience.
Getting There
The Domain carpark is the closest secure parking spot to the museum, being only a ten-minute walk away.
Getting there using Sydney’s public transport system is easy, with the Museum, St James and Town Hall train stations all within a ten-minute walk of the museum. Bus stops along Elizabeth Street, next to Hyde Park are another great option to get there.
Tickets
Access to the exhibition is by paid ticket. As this is proving to be very popular, it’s advisable to book ahead online to ensure you get in.
The Exhibition
Everyone starts with a short audio-visual presentation explaining the history and mythology of the Peruvian Empires. It concentrates primarily on the Mocha-culture and its hero-god Ai Apaec.
Once the presentation is complete, access to the displays is left to your own timing. An hour is recommended, but it would be easy to take longer. The initial exhibits show the beautiful craftmanship used to make jewelry, pottery and other objects. Many of them depict the struggles of Ai Apaec who ensures the return of the rains each season.
The final exhibits are magnificent gold funerary and religious regalia. Only the most important members of society were allowed to wear these gold and silver items. Being buries with them carried their status into the after life.
What Did We Think?
If you have an interest in history or South America, this is a must-see while it’s in Sydney. The amazing range of exhibits, particularly the gold regalia makes this a highly recommended exhibition to visit.
Stele representing a Goddess Chavin Culture 1250 BCE – 100 BCECrystal drop necklace Moche Culture 100-800 CEOwl God ceramic pitcher Moche Culture 100-800 CEWarrior Lord. Ceramic stirrup spout bottle. Moche Culture 100-800C.E.Flaring Bowl showing episodes of the mythological epic of Ai Apaec Moche Culture 100-800 C.E.Priest’s Head stirrup-spout bottle. Moche culture 100-800C.E.Ear flares featuring a mosaic bird warrior Mocha Culture 100-800C.E.Gold Crown. Chimu culture 1100-1470C.E.Tumi, a ceremonial sacrifice knife. Moche Culture 100-800C.E.Ceremonial Cup with Mythological Fertility Scenes Lambayeque Culture 700-1300 C.E.Gold imperial regalia. Likely from one of the nine rulers of the Chimu Empire. 1100-1470C.E.Warrior’s armour. Moche Culture 100-800C.E.Funerary crown Vicus Culture 100-400 CE
Located on the corner of Pottinger and Windmill Streets in Millers Point, Sydney, the Parbury Ruins were uncovered during the construction of an apartment block. Once excavated and recorded by archaeologists, the developers modified their design to retain the ruins, preserving them.
Access to the underground area is by appointment only, or during special open days. We booked tickets through Sydney Open, but they are also available from Museums of History New South Wales . If you are unable to book tickets, there are three windows displays showcasing broken ceramics and other items excavated from the ruins.
The ruins consist of the footings of a two-bedroom cottage from the 1820s, as well as the remains of a stone kitchen with a fireplace and a sink. Outside the dwelling are remnants of a verandah and a well. The well had been filled in, but contained the remains of ceramics and other items, many of which are on display.
Originally a dockworker’s home, the cottage was built of sandstone blocks cut by convicts from a local quarry. The cottage was probably demolished by the late 1860s or early 1870s when new wharves and bond stores were developed in the area.
A guide took us through the ruins, explaining the history and likely uses of the different rooms. Access is by stairs, so is not wheelchair accessible. Once you have descended the stairs, you walk over the original floor and get a very close look at the sandstone structure.
This was a fun visit and it’s great that the ruins have been preserved for the future.
Original outside wall area looking over the ruins to the entrance at ground levelKitchen areaFireplace in the kitchen areaHoles for floor beams in the wall for the upper storyFilled in wellArtifacts on Display
