Destination's Journey

Tag: cafe

  • Tocal Homestead New South Wales

    Tocal Homestead New South Wales

    Tocal Homestead New South Wales

    Located in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, the Tocal Homestead is a historic house and associated buildings originally established in 1822 by J. P. Webber. In 1834 the property was sold to Caleb and Felix Wilson, who commissioned the homestead as a country retreat from their Sydney business.

    Subsequently the farm was leased to the Reynolds family who occupied it for two generations adding many of the wooden buildings to the farm. In 1926, four siblings of the Alexander family purchased the property. The last, C.B. Alexander died in 1947, leaving all of his properties tied in a complex will which stipulated that it was to be used for destitute and homeless children. Eventually this became the Tocal Agricultural College, now run by the NSW Department of Agriculture. The college is located not far from the homestead and is now an important educator in the agricultural industry.

    An additional stipulation of the will was the allowance of his two nieces Myrtle and Marguerita Curtiss be allowed to live out their lives at the homestead. This they did until 1985 when they died within five days of each other.

    Getting There

    Located a 15-minute drive from Maitland, the homestead is well sign posted and easy to find. During our visit, it was only open on Sundays from 10:00AM to 3:00PM, but check their website for updated times and dates.

    Tocal Homestead

    The tour of the homestead is self-guided, with a map and personal audio player provided at reception. This allows you to self-pace around the property, taking your time at places of interest and moving on from others. The descriptions of each room, their uses and furnishings were excellent.

    Tocal Homestead
    Tocal Homestead
    Main entrance
    Main entrance
    Book collection
    Book collection
    Lounge room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    Lounge room
    Family room
    Family room
    Family room
    Family room
    Family dining room Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    Dining room
    kitchen
    Kitchen
    Looking down the staircase
    Looking down the staircase
    One of he Curtiss sisters' rooms
    One of he Curtiss sisters’ rooms

    Alexander was keen to use new technology, installing electricity in the homestead. Not only did he purchase a generator, but also sufficient battery storage in case the generator failed.

    Lister engine and generator
    Lister engine and generator
    Battery storage for the generator Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    Battery storage for the generator

    Internal Lift

    Another innovation Alexander adopted was the internal lift so that the upper floor could be accessed as he aged. Unfortunately, on one night while alone in the house, one of the Curtiss sisters was trapped in the lift. She had to wait until the staff arrived in the morning to let her out.

    Internal lift Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    Internal lift

    Farm Buildings and Equipment

    Designed by architect James Blackett the largest barn has amazing internal framework for the roof is a work of art. As you walk around, you get to meet some of the animals as you walk past the pig stye and chicken run.

    Near the homestead is a garage with a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom in immaculate condition, along with the first tractor used at Tocal, a Twin City 17-28 imported from Minneapolis USA.

    Bull barn Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    Bull barn
    Barn
    The Blackett Barn
    Inside the barn
    Inside The Blackett Barn
    Horse stables
    Horse stables
    Webber's cottage
    Webber’s cottage
    Webber's cottage
    Webber’s cottage
    Garage Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    Garage
    Pigs Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    Pigs
    Tocal's first tractor a Twin City 17-28
    Tocal’s first tractor a Twin City 17-28
    1929 Rolls Royce Phantom Tocal Homestead New South Wales
    1929 Rolls Royce Phantom

    Wedding Venue

    The homestead is a popular wedding venue, with its wonderfully decorated rooms and gardens.

    Fig tree in the homestead garden
    Fig tree in the homestead garden. A favorite spot for wedding photos.

    Visitors’ Centre and Cafe

    At the end of the tour, we went back to reception where we ordered a Devonshire Tea. The little cafe overlooks the surrounding farmland and was very relaxing.

    Devonshire Tea
    Devonshire Tea
  • Dangar Island and Brooklyn Ferry

    Dangar Island and Brooklyn Ferry

    Dangar Island

    The first European to visit the area was Governor Arthur Phillip, who explored the lower river by small boat in March 1788 within weeks of the First Fleet’s arrival. He named it Mullet Island, for the abundance of fish in the local Hawkesbury River. The island was purchased in 1864 and renamed by Henry Cary Dangar, the son of Henry Dangar, a surveyor, pastoralist and parliamentarian.

    Subdivided into residential plots in the 1920s while it still retains some areas for recreational use. Around 330 permanent residents call the island home.

    Getting There

    Dangar Island can only be accessed by water, either by ferry, private boat or water taxi. We used the ferry, which operates seven days per week. The ferry “Sun” is itself a historic boat, making the trip that little bit more interesting.

    The ferry leaves from Brooklyn north of Sydney, where parking is available near the wharf. The Brooklyn train station is only a short walk from the wharf, making this a great option if you don’t want to drive. The ferry arrival and departure times coincide with the train’s timetable.

    On the Island

    The only vehicles on the island are the fire truck and council ute, with all other vehicles banned. Residents use wheel barrows to haul items from the wharf to their homes. As you leave the ferry, you will see a line up of wheel barrows on the side of the path. On the opposite side is a metal sculpture of a Stegosaurus.

    Our first stop was the coffee shop next to the wharf. This also serves as the island’s only shop, because of the small population. Sitting outside was very relaxing, and a great way to start our visit before setting off to explore.

    Walking Around

    With only around 3km of roads, walking around the island does not take too long. You can download a map, to show various things to see on the island. However, we spent a lot of time at the beach, which had driftwood from recent storms washed up. Also near the beach the rocks are covered in oysters, although most have been removed by fishermen.

    One small relic here dates from the Second World War when the Australian Army garrisoned the island and manned a cable boom across the river to protect the railway bridge. A small section of rusted steel embedded in the rocks is all that remains.

    We visited at low tide and much of the beach was exposed. The exposed sand was covered in small mounds of sand from crabs that had burrowed down until the tide returned. From the amount of burrows, there must be a huge crab population here.

    From the upper road, you get great views of the Hawkesbury and the railway bridge. A rock shelter previously used the local Guringai people before European settlement sits just off the upper road.

    Returning to Brooklyn

    After around three hours, we returned to the wharf where we had a cold drink while we waited for the ferry. Make sure you don’t miss the last ferry, or you will need to call the water taxi, which is much more expensive.

    This was a fun relaxing morning out to somewhere that’s a little different. The locals and the atmosphere of the island is great and we had a great time, well worth a visit.

    Historic Ferry the Sun
    Historic Ferry the Sun
    Fishing boats tied up at Brooklyn Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    Fishing boats tied up at Brooklyn
    Houses and private jetties on Dangar Island
    Houses and private jetties on Dangar Island
    Bikes left at the ferry wharf
    Bikes left at the ferry wharf
    Wheel barrows to carry your things home in Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    Metal stegosaurus
    Metal stegosaurus
    typical Dangar Island road
    typical Dangar Island road
    The Pavilion and Beware of the Rabbit sign Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    The Pavilion and Beware of the Rabbit sign
    Fence made of old surf boards
    Fence made of old surf boards
    driftwood on a beach Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    driftwood on a beach
    One of Dangar Island's beaches
    One of Dangar Island’s beaches
    Private jetties at low tide
    Private jetties at low tide
    Rusting remains of the barrage from World War Two Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    Rusting remains of the barrage from World War Two
    Crab metropolis. The piles of sand are from crab burrows Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    Crab metropolis. The piles of sand are from crab burrows
    Rocks and trees on a beach Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    Rocks and trees on a beach
    The Cave
    The Cave
    Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge
    Cold Bundaberg Ginger Beer Brooklyn Ferry to Dangar Island
    Cold Bundaberg Ginger Beer
    Historic Ferry the Sun

    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

  • Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator

    Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator

    Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator

    Built in 1934 the Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator was originally the Willoughby Municipal Incinerator. Its purpose was to dispose of Willoughby Council’s municipal waste rather than dumping it at the tip. As the name suggests, Walter Burley Griffin designed the building, the same architect responsible for the winning design of the city Canberra in the ACT.

    Designed to use the Australian designed and patented Reverberatory Refuse Incinerator, it was very efficient for its time. Essentially, it used and inclined vibrating conveyor to move waste from the feed to the furnace. As the conveyor moved, waste was heated using excess furnace heat generated from the burning waste. This dried the incoming feed, making it more efficient to burn.

    Over time, council neglected the incinerator, failing to upgrade its capacity as waste volumes grew until it closed in 1967.

    In 2011 the Willoughby Incinerator re-opened to operate as an art space and artist studios on the lower section, while a café operates at street level. Run by Willoughby Council, the art space and studios present a diverse range of exhibitions each year.

    We had a coffee at the café and then had a look through the gallery. As well as the art, the building interior was interesting, because of the industrial architecture still visible. Unfortunatley, much has been removed, but some still remains.

    Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator
    Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator
    Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator
    Walter Burley Griffin Incinerator
    A Lift
    Lift to the Art Space on the Lower Level
    Art Work on Display
    Art Work on Display
    Part of the Original Incinerator
    Part of the Original Incinerator
    Art Work on Display
    Art Work on Display
    Art Work on Display
    Art Work on Display

    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.