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  • Palona Cave Walk

    Palona Cave Walk

    Palona Cave Walk

    Located in the Royal National Park, near Sydney the Palona Cave Walk is a short and easy bush walk. It takes you through beautiful temperate rainforest to a large limestone cave and a cascading waterfall.

    Getting There

    We drove to Royal National Park, arriving just after sunrise, so that we could catch the sunrise. Parking at the intersection of Lady Carrington Drive and Sir Bertram Stevens Drive was easy as only two other cars were there. On our return though, it was full, and many cars were parked along the road. Access to the National Park is charged per vehicle and you can pay at the entrance gate or main office. If you plan to visit several parks during the year, an annual pass is available from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

    Entrance near the carpark
    Entrance near the carpark

    The Track

    Starting at the car park the historic Lady Carrington Drive trail leads into the forest. This is a wide and well-maintained dirt trail that follows the course of the Hacking River. Originally a road, it was closed and is now a dedicated bike and hiking trail. The trail takes you through temperate rain forest and our early morning start meant that it was quiet and peaceful.

    After about 750 m, we reached the junction with the Forest Path, which is another scenic walk in the park. From here we continued along Lady Carrington Drive to Palona Cave track.

    Sunrise at the start of the track Palona Cave Walk
    Sunrise at the start of the track
    Toadstools and moss growing in an old tree stump
    Toadstools and moss growing in an old tree stump
    Lady Carrington Drive Trail Palona Cave Walk
    Lady Carrington Drive Trail

    Palona Cave

    After another 1 km, a sign for Limestone Cave on the left side of the track points off to the right. Unfortunately, a tree now obscures it, so keep a look out as the path to the cave is easy to miss, being very narrow. If you reach the Palona Brook crossing, you have gone too far. From here you leave the main trail and follow a narrow bush track that leads uphill to Palona Cave. The track is rough and rocky in places, so watch your step. When we visited it was also very overgrown and disappeared in several spots.

    Palona Cave is a large overhang with stalactites and stalagmites formed by water dripping through the limestone rock. You can explore the cave and see the different shapes and colours of the formations. There is also a small stream that flows next to the cave and forms a waterfall. We were lucky it had rained recently because this creek is often dry.

    This was a great walk with the reward of a waterfall and cave at the end. Remember to wear good boots as the second part of the track is rough. At around 5.3km return, it took us around two and a half hours, with plenty of stops for photos and cave exploring.

    Sign to the cave track. Hidden behind the tree.
    Sign to the cave track. Hidden behind the tree.
    A fallen tree on the walk Palona Cave Walk
    A fallen tree on the walk
    Gymea Lily
    Gymea Lily
    Rock overhang on the track Palona Cave Walk
    Rock overhang on the track
    Entrance to the cave Palona Cave Walk
    Entrance to the cave
    Cave Entrance Palona Cave Walk
    Cave Entrance
    The back wall of Palona Cave
    The back wall of Palona Cave
    Waterfall near the cave
    Waterfall near the cave

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

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  • Maitland Steamfest 2023

    Maitland Steamfest 2023

    Maitland Steamfest 2023

    This took place on 29 and 30 April 2023 in Maitland, New South Wales. Maitland Steamfest 2023 was a festival of steam and industrial heritage. The festival celebrates Maitland’s rich steam and industrial history, which dates back to the 19th century when the city was a major coal mining and railway centre. Featuring a diverse program of family friendly entertainment, with a steam theme (well generally but not always) it was a great day out.

    Train Rides

    Several historic steam engines made their way to Maitland for the festival, providing rides around the Hunter Valley’s nearby towns. Starting at the Maitland train station, we arrived just in time to see the Garratt 6029 leaving. The photo below shows how well maintained the train is despite its age. It was great to be able to get close while it was running, but the noise when it let off steam was deafening.

    Steam Locomotive Beyer Garratt #6029
    Steam Locomotive Beyer Garratt #6029

    The Rally Ground

    Across the road from the train station, the rally ground had displays of antique machinery such as traction engines, portable engines and steam rollers. Most of the steam engines were running and demonstrating how they operated. Several were also driving around a loop track outside the rally ground.

    Foden steam truck
    Foden steam truck
    Traction engine giving joyrides Maitland Steamfest 2023
    Traction engine giving joyrides
    Traction engine doing loops around the other displays
    Traction engine doing loops around the other displays
    Traction engine giving joyrides Maitland Steamfest 2023
    Joyrides on a traction engine
    Steam traction engine
    Steam traction engine
    Line up of steam engines Maitland Steamfest 2023
    Line up of steam engines

    Steampunk and Town Crier

    We found several steampunk enthusiasts wandering through the grounds, along with a town crier who were all happy to pose to photos. They also had a display tent selling steampunk themed merchandise. They all seemed to be having a great time and staying in character.

    An area was set aside where blacksmiths demonstrated their skills, which apparently are in high demand again and is a growing in popularity as a profession again.

    Steampunk lady Maitland Steamfest 2023
    Steampunk lady
    Steampunk gentlemen
    Steampunk gentlemen
    Town Crier
    Town Crier

    Vintage Military Display

    One of the not quite steam related display was a large collection of military equipment in the middle of the rally ground. They were a great addition to the other displays and had a huge crowd looking at them. With no barriers, we were able to get very close and see inside most of them.

    Willys Jeep Maitland Steamfest 2023
    Willys Jeep
    Ferret armoured car
    Ferret armoured car
    Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen Maitland Steamfest 2023
    Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen
    Humvee
    Humvee

    What Did We Think of Maitland Steamfest 2023?

    We had a great day out at Steamfest because of the relaxed atmosphere and variety of thing to see. All things steam from trains to traction engines and steampunk people.

    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.

  • Balmoral Beach

    Balmoral Beach

    Balmoral Beach

    Balmoral Beach is a picturesque and popular beach located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour, Australia. It’s a great place to swim, relax or just take in the scenery.

    Getting There

    During busy time like weekends and public holidays, the area can be very busy, so getting there early might be a good idea. Using public transport requires several changes of buses, trams and ferries, depending on where you leave from. Only the 114 and 238 busses stop at the beach, with the 238 connecting to the wharf at Taronga Zoo, enabling you to get the ferry from Circular Quay.

    Balmoral Beach

    The main attraction, in the area is of course the beautiful beach. The sheltered waters are a great place to relax and swim. Along the foreshore, a variety of eateries offer places for snacks and meals. The old Bathers’ Pavilion is now a restaurant, with views over the beach while you eat. Strictly speaking this area is Edwards Beach, as there is a name change around Rocky Point Island.

    Bathers Pavilion
    Bathers Pavilion.

    Rocky Point Island

    Located just offshore and at the north end of the beach, Rocky Point Island was one of the reason we visited. Not only does it have great views along the coast and back to the beach, but it is accessed via a unique foot bridge. This bridge allows access to the island during high tide while providing a great backdrop for photos. It’s very popular for wedding photos as well.

    Arch bridge to Rocky Point Island Balmoral Beach
    Arch bridge to Rocky Point Island.
    Arched bridge to Rocky Point Island
    Arched bridge to Rocky Point Island.
    View to Balmoral Beach from Rocky Point Island
    View to Balmoral Beach from Rocky Point Island.
    View to Balmoral Beach from Rocky Point Island

    Balmoral Wharf

    Built in the early 1900s, the circular Balmoral Pier is a popular spot for fishing and boating. The water enclosed by the pier is a sheltered and safe spot to swim and we saw a lot of families with small children using it. Visitors can also enjoy a meal or a drink at one of the restaurants or cafes located on the wharf, while taking in the stunning views of the harbour.

    The Circular Wharf Balmoral Beach
    The Circular Wharf.

    Tramway Cutting

    Located in Lawry Plunkett Reserve and opposite Balmoral Beach is an old tramway cutting, built in the early 1900s to provide easy access to the beach for visitors. Unfortunately it was removed, as it would make access to the area far easier. Today, the tramway cutting is a pedestrian walkway that runs along the eastern side of the beach, providing a scenic route for walkers and joggers.

    We accessed the park from Botanic Road, but there are entrances from all of the surrounding streets. Following the path through the reserve led us to the old cutting, which is near the Esplanade entrance. Several pieces of old track are still present, but most has been removed. This was an interesting place to see and nice to see that a small part was preserved.

    Remains of the old tracks in the tramway cutting Balmoral Beach
    Remains of the old tracks in the tramway cutting.
    Old control wheel cemented into the rocks
    Old control wheel cemented into the rocks.
    Walking track through Lawry Plunket Reserve Balmoral Beach
    Walking track through Lawry Plunket Reserve.
    The White Flower by Christopher Hodges
    The White Flower by Christopher Hodges.

    What Else to do in the Area?

    From here we walked part of the Hedland Park Walking Track which has fantastic views over Sydney Harbour. We had a great day here walking along the beach and it’s surroundings, and finished it off with a great walk.

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

    Our photos are available for purchase on