Destination's Journey

Tag: Australia

  • Australian Army Infantry Museum

    Australian Army Infantry Museum

    Australian Army Infantry Museum

    Only a ten-minute drive south of Singleton in the Hunter Valley, the Australian Army Infantry Museum showcases the history of Australia’s infantry men and women from colonial times to the present.

    Entry is free for Australian Defence Force members, with a modest $8.00 fee for adults (2020) and discounts for children and pensioners.

    Located adjacent to the Lone Pine Barracks, the museum has a new car park with plenty of parking spaces.

    The Museum

    Housed in a new, state of the art, purpose-built building, the museum is a huge improvement on the previous building. The display hall is large, spacious and has sombre lighting. Professionally curated, the displays tell the story of Australian Infantry, their equipment, training and deployments.

    The museum also houses a cafe, where you can purchase drinks snacks and light meals.

    Outside Displays

    In the outside courtyard a Matilda Tank and a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle an Australian-built four-wheel drive armoured vehicle.

    Matilda Tank Outside the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Matilda Tank Outside the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Bushmaster
    Bushmaster

    Entrance

    The entrance has a beautiful wall of remembrance, covered in poppies and listing the names of those fallen in battle.

    The first exhibit that greets visitors is a huge bronze sculpture of an infantryman, which makes a great first impression.

    Wall of Remembrance
    Wall of Remembrance
    Infantryman Statue Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Infantryman Statue

    Ground Floor Displays

    The ground floor contains exhibits that cover heavy equipment the infantry used, from field-guns and personnel carriers to a helicopter. The walls contain display cases showing operational deployments, from Sudan in 1885 through to current commitments.

    Universal Carrier
    Universal Carrier
    Pak 38 German Anti-Tank Gun
    Pak 38 German Anti-Tank Gun
    Equipment Display
    Equipment Display
    M113A1 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle Australian Army Infantry Museum
    M113A1 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle
    Bell UH-1 Iroquois
    Bell UH-1 Iroquois

    Upper Floor

    Exhibits on the upper floor range from personal weapons such as rifles and grenades to uniforms and mortars. All of the exhibits are accompanied by explanations, which give excellent context to the displays. The displays show how they have developed and influenced the tactics, techniques and procedures of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.

    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Weapons Display at the Australian Army Infantry Museum
    Uniform Display
    Uniform Display
    Uniform Display

    What did We Think?

    If you are travelling through the area, this is an excellent museum to visit. It provides a history of Australian Infantry, without glorifying war. It shows how the army has evolved from colonial times to the present, illustrating it with very professional displays.

    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

  • Coogee Sydney New South Wales Australia

    Coogee Sydney New South Wales Australia

    An easy half-hour walk south from Coogee Beach will take you past some interesting rock pools and memorials.

    How to Get to Coogee

    A small car park at Coogee Beach is often full, so finding a spot to park in one of the surrounding streets might be needed. On a busy weekend, or school holidays, you might end up with a walk, but don’t worry, it’s worth it.

    Public transport is a great option, as there’s a bus stop outside the surf club on Arden Street.

    What to Do There

    Apart from spending time on the beautiful beach, Coogee is the start of the Coogee to Bondi Walk. A coastal walkway also heads south, along well-formed trails, providing excellent coastal views. The trail passes rock pools and swimming baths, which are all worth stopping to see.

    Having walked the track to Bondi before, we chose the Coastal Walk to the south, which took 30 minutes each way (going as far as the Ivor Rowe Rock Pool).

    Ross Jones Memorial Pool

    Located next to the Coogee Surf House, the Ross Jones Memorial Pool was built in 1947. During high tide and rough seas, waves crash over the concrete walls of the pool.

    Ross Jones Memorial Pool Coogee
    Ross Jones Memorial Pool Coogee
    Ross Jones Rockpool Coogee
    Ross Jones Rockpool Coogee

    Fallen Lifesavers National Memorial

    Located on the foreshore, Goldstein Reserve is the Fallen Lifesavers National Memorial. Dedicated to Australian lifesavers killed during World War One the sculpture shows a digger alongside a surf lifesaver. Standing next to a flagpole, both look out across the ocean.

    Fallen Lifesavers National Memorial
    Fallen Lifesavers National Memorial

    Wylie’s Baths

    Established in 1907, by champion long distance and underwater swimmer Henry Alexander Wylie, Wylie’s Baths is a beautiful ocean tidal pool. Managed by an independent Trust The baths open 365 days a year and caters for everyone from young children to seniors. There is an entry cost to swim here.

    Wylie’s daughter Wilhelmina, along with Fanny Durack, were Australia’s first two female Olympic swimming representatives. The first gold and silver swimming medals for a women’s event in the Olympics went to Durack and Wylie respectively.

    A memorial to Mina stands near the baths.

    Wylie's Baths Coogee
    Wylie’s Baths
    Mina Wylie
    Mina Wylie
    Coastal Views Around Coogee
    Coastal Views Around Coogee

    Ivor Rowe Rockpool

    A small, natural rock pool, the Ivor Rowe Rockpool is a great place for wading, or relaxing in the water. Rocks around the pool mat become slippery, so use care when climbing down.

    Around 2 km from Coogee Beach, the walk there passes many other pools, along with beautiful coastal views.

    Ivor Rowe Rockpool
    Ivor Rowe Rockpool

    What Did We Think?

    We loved the views and the rock pools along the walk, as well as learning the history of Mina Wylie. A fun place to visit with swimming options away from the ocean, or relaxing on the beach.

    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

  • Federation Cliffs Walk Sydney Australia

    Federation Cliffs Walk Sydney Australia

    Federation Cliffs Walk

    The five-kilometer Federation Cliffs Walk offers spectacular coastal views, with sandstone cliffs, a lighthouse and a shipwreck memorial.

    Getting There

    We chose to use public transport to the Federation Cliffs Walk, as this meant we could start at one end of the Walk and finish at the other, without having to return to the starting point. A ferry from Circular Quay took us to Watson’s Bay Wharf, where we started the walk, while the return trip was by bus to Central Station, from Diamond Bay Reserve.

    The Gap Lookout and Walking Track

    From Watsons Bay Wharf, we made the short walk to the Gap Lookout, where we started our walk. From the lookout, views of the cliffs and out to sea are amazing. Well-made and maintained walkways make the track easy to walk and from here heads south to Bondi and beyond.

    Wreck of the Dunbar

    Launched on 30 November 1854, the Dunbar was a first-class passenger and cargo carrier. On the night of 20 August 1857, the ship approached the entrance to Port Jackson from the south, but heavy rain and a strong gale winds made navigating difficult. Possibly mistaking The Gap as the port’s entrance, the captain ran the ship onto the rocks. Of the 122 people on board, only one survived.

    As a result of this tragedy and the loss of the Catherine Adamson at North Head nine weeks later, the Government built Hornby Lighthouse.

    Containing one of Dunbar’s anchors, a memorial stands on the cliffs above the wreck site.

    Dunbar Memorial
    Dunbar Memorial
    Sea Cliffs on the Federation Cliffs Walk
    Sea Cliffs on the Federation Cliffs Walk

    Signal Hill

    Constructed in 1892-1893, Signal Hill Battery was one of many defensive forts built around Sydney. Originally armed with a BL 9.2-inch (234 mm) Mk VI breech-loading counter bombardment British Armstrong disappearing gun, the fort operated until just after World War Two. By this stage the original gun had been replace by two six-inch guns. Fortunately, the 9.2-inch is on display at North Head, near the Memorial Walk.

    Memorial plaques give tribute to those who served here as well as providing historical context for the structures.

    This is a great place to stop on your walk to understand some of Sydney’s history and admire the fantastic views.

    Cliff Top Fortifications
    Cliff Top Fortifications

    Memorials

    Walking along the Federation Cliffs Walk, you will come across many memorials, it is worth stopping to view them. Some are for loved ones lost overseas, while others commemorate the locations of fortifications or the service of military regiments.

    Lieutenant Grieve's Memorial
    Lieutenant Grieve’s Memorial

    Macquarie Lighthouse

    Designed by James Barnet and built from 1881 to 1883, Macquarie Lighthouse is 26m tall. Heritage listed, it is still fully operational and under the control of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The white tower makes an outstanding photo when set against a deep blue summer sky.

    Macquarie Lighthouse on the Federation Cliffs Walk
    Macquarie Lighthouse

    The Grave Of Edmund Barton

    Sir Edmund Barton, GCMG, PC, KC (18 January 1849 – 7 January 1920) was an Australian politician and judge who served as the first Prime Minister of Australia, in office from 1901 to 1903. Located in South Head General Cemetery and marked by a cross headstone, Barton’s grave is difficult to find amongst all of the others found there.

    An interesting place to visit because of the historical importance of Barton.

    Edmund Barton's Grave
    Edmund Barton’s Grave

    Diamond Bay Reserve

    Federation Cliffs Walk offers many superb views of the ocean and cliffs. One of the best is at Diamond Bay, where walkways and a viewing platform provide excellent views. Fishermen have constructed stairs and a gateway on the cliff face. The walkway provides a safe place for photographers

    Waverley Council encourages visitors to Diamond Bay Reserve to stay away from the cliff’s edge. A 27 year-old woman past away recently after slipping when taking a photo on the cliff’s edge. Fencing and signs are there for your safety.

    Sea Cliffs at Diamond Bay
    Sea Cliffs at Diamond Bay
    Stairs on the Diamond Bay Cliffs
    Stairs on the Diamond Bay Cliffs
    Sea Cliffs on the Federation Cliffs Walk
    Sea Cliffs on the Federation Cliffs Walk
    Sea Cliffs on the Federation Cliffs Walk
    Sea Cliffs on the Federation Cliffs 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