Destination's Journey

Category: Travel

  • Echo Point Blue Mountains

    Echo Point Blue Mountains

    Echo Point Blue Mountains

    Probably the best place to start your trip to the Blue Mountains, Echo Point in Katoomba has amazing views, access to several walks and an information centre. Parking is available in the surrounding streets, where parking meters ensure no-one visits for free.

    Our first stop was the Visitor Information Centre because recent rain had closed many tracks and we needed to find out which ones were still open. After speaking to the helpful staff, we walked around the viewing area which has fantastic views of the Three Sisters and the Megalong Valley. The Three Sisters are probably the most famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains with this being the best pace to see them.

    A small track behind the Visitor Information Centre leads to Spooners Lookout with more great views over the valley and an end-on view of the Three Sisters. This is a paved track, people even took prams along one section of it. From here stairs lead down to the Sisters and the Giant Stairway (800 steps), but were closed for repair work). This small track also forms a section of the Prince Henry Cliff Walk which runs from Scenic World to Leura.

    Unfortunately the Prince Henry Cliff Walk was cut in several places while storm damage was repaired. However, we walked a small section, seeing some amazing views.

    Something to look out for on the way to Spooners Lookout is a series of metal sculptures of Australian wildlife. Placed onto rocks defining the track they make an interesting addition to the walk. These walks are relatively easy, and there are usually lots of people doing them., so can become busy!

    The Three Sisters From Echo Point
    The Three Sisters From Echo Point
    Looking Over the Blue Mountains From Echo Point
    Looking Over the Blue Mountains From Echo Point
    Spooners Lookout
    Spooners Lookout
    The Three Sisters From Spooners Lookout
    The Three Sisters From Spooners Lookout
    Blue Tongue Lizard Sculpture on the Walk
    Blue Tongue Lizard Sculpture on the Walk

    Our photos are available for purchase on

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

  • Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin

    Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin

    Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin

    Although now retired from from its confrontations with Japanese whaling fleets, the MV Steve Irwin still looks impressive with its camouflage and skull painted deck house. Docked at Thales Marine in Newcastle, New South Wales, the ship is now owned by the non-profit organisation Ship4Good. Tours are a great way to learn about the fight to save the whales while contributing to the preservation of the ship.

    We met our tour guide at the Thales Security Gate, where we were issued hi-visibility jackets for the walk to the ship. The jackets were necessary because the Thales dock is a working area.

    Ship’s History

    After a safety briefing our tour started with a talk on the ship’s history. Originally serving 28 years as the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency conservation enforcement patrol boat, FPV Westra, Sea Shepherd purchased her in 2006. Although originally named the MV Robert Hunter after Canadian Robert Hunter, co-founder of Greenpeace it was renamed the MV Steve Irwin following his death. Steve had been considering joining the vessel the following year before his death.

    Over the next 12 years, the ship undertook 17 voyages ranging from anti-whaling and illegal fishing. These occurred in areas as diverse as the Antarctic and Mediterranean. However, she is most famous for confronting the Japanese whaling fleet in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. These clashes occurred as close range, with activists throwing stink bombs onto Japanese ships and attempting to entangles their propellors. On several occasions, ships rammed each other, a very dangerous action because of the freezing Antarctic waters.

    Tour of the Ship

    Over the next hour we toured the ship from the bridge to engine room. On the bridge we were able to see where the ship and its operations were directed, with the large windows providing an excellent view of the surrounding area.

    In the engine room, the two British Polar 12-cylinder 2,100 bhp Engines with their turbo chargers showed why Sea Shepherd bought this ship. The engines and the ship’s design gave it a speed able to match and overake the Japanese whaling fleet, while being relatively stable in rough seas. Along with the embarked helicopter this enabled them to find and harass the whalers.

    Getting Around the Ship

    Anyone intending on touring the ship should be aware of several restrictions. Several of the rooms and corridors are small and narrow. So if you are claustrophobic, this may be a problem. Moving from one deck to another is via steep stairways. If you are mobility impaired or have small children this may make getting around difficult. Remember to wear sensible enclosed shoes, because of the stairs and outside surfaces.

    We had a great time here learning about the Steve Irwin’s history and seeing the inner workings of the ship.

    Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin in Newcastle Harbour
    Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin in Newcastle Harbour
    Gangway onto MV Steve Irwin
    Gangway onto MV Steve Irwin
    Covered walkway around the ship
    Covered walkway around the ship
    Some of the cruises the ship participated in
    Some of the cruises the ship participated in
    Some of the cruises the ship participated in
    Some of the cruises the ship participated in
    Throwing stink bombs at the Japanese whaling ships
    Throwing stink bombs at the Japanese whaling ships
    Dramatic painting of the Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin
    Dramatic painting of the ship at sea
    The two 12-cylinder 1,600 kW engines
    The two 12-cylinder 1,600 kW engines
    The Steve Irwin's propellor shaft Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin
    The Steve Irwin’s propellor shaft
    The Bridge
    The Bridge
    The Bridge Sea Shepherd’s MV Steve Irwin
    The Bridge
  • Vaucluse House Sydney Historic Home

    Vaucluse House Sydney Historic Home

    Vaucluse House Sydney

    Completed between 1803 and 1839 in the Gothic Revival style, Vaucluse House is one of the few remaining colonial mansions in Sydney still surrounded by its original gardens and wooded grounds. Purchased by colonial explorer, barrister and politician William Charles Wentworth in 1827, it was expanded from a simple cottage to a grand mansion. Wentworth also extended the grounds and surrounding gardens which originally covered most of what is now the suburb of Vaucluse.

    Operated by Historic Houses Trust of NSW, part of the NSW State Government, Vaucluse House became Australia’s first house museum in 1915.

    Getting There

    A large carpark on site provides ample parking if you are driving yourself. The closest bus stop is for bus 325 on Wentworth Road. Bus 325 connects to both the Edgecliff train station and Watsons Bay Ferry.

    Entry to the house is through the rear, via the gift shop. Large backpacks are not permitted inside the house and are stored in a cabinet behind the service desk. Entry is free and you get a map which has descriptions of each room.

    Vaucluse House
    Vaucluse House
    The rear of Vaucluse House
    The rear of Vaucluse House

    The Kitchen

    The first major room is the kitchen, which contains some original items including the food safe, dresser and cast iron cooking range. When we visited, the range was lit, so the kitchen had a great wood smoke smell. Arranged around the room pots and pans and other cooking utensils give a sense of what the room would have looked like.

    Kitchen Vaucluse House
    Entry to the Kitchen
    Kitchen
    Kitchen
    Kitchen Vaucluse House
    Kitchen

    Housekeeper’s Room

    Furnished as it would have been in the 1800s, the housekeeper’s room is a small room where the housekeeper lived and performed her duties.

    Housekeeper's Room Vaucluse House
    Housekeeper’s Room

    Drawing Room

    Decorated extravagantly, the drawing room is furnished in the period style of the 1800’s. This room was where potential suitors could meet the Wentworth’s daughters. This room projects how rich and influential family was.

    Drawing Room Vaucluse House
    Drawing Room
    Drawing Room
    The Drawing Room
    Drawing Room Vaucluse House
    Drawing Room

    Breakfast Room

    This room was an informal family dining area, but still nicely furnished and decorated.

    Breakfast Room
    Breakfast Room

    Bedrooms

    Upstairs Bedroom
    Upstairs Bedroom

    Wine Cellar

    Accessed via external stairs, the wine cellar still contains the arched alcoves for the storage of wine bottles. Despite being warm outside, the cellar was cool, showing how it helped keep the wine in good condition. Next to the wine cellar is the cool store with hooks on the ceiling for hanging cured meats.

    Wine Cellar Vaucluse House
    Wine Cellar

    Stables

    Although no longer housing horses, the stables are in excellent condition, with the wooden stalls still showing the marks of horses from 100 years ago.

    Stables
    The Stables

    What Did We Think?

    The house is in great condition along with all of the period furnishings. We loved walking through the house, seeing how the wealthy lived in mid-nineteenth century Australia.