Destination's Journey

Tag: Church

  • Muswellbrook New South Wales

    Muswellbrook New South Wales

    Muswellbrook

    Located in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, Muswellbrook is known for coal mining, horse breeding and a developing reputation for gourmet food and wine production.

    St James Catholic Church

    Our walk around Muswellbrook town centre started at St James Catholic Church. There is a car park nearby or in the street. This is a beautiful old church with a huge spire. 

    St James Catholic Church Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    St James Catholic Church

    St Alban’s Anglican Church

    St Alban’s Anglican Church is located on the opposite side of the rail line that runs through town. Only a short walk off Bridge Street, if you walk around the back you will find the old wooden spire preserved on the ground.

    St Alban's Anglican Church Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    St Alban’s Anglican Church

    Buildings on Bridge Street

    As you walk down Bridge street from Brooke St towards the railway bridge, you will find some old and interesting buildings.

    Masonic Lodge Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    Masonic Lodge
    Uniting Church Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    Uniting Church
    War Memorial Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    War Memorial
    School of Arts Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    School of Arts

    Presbyterian Church

    Presbyterian Church Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    Presbyterian Church

    Street Art and Sculptures

    Street Art

    There are several pieces of street art on or near Bridge Street. The JTS Real Estate building has a mural on one side of the building and the barbecue in Simpsons Park has the sides covered in mosaics.

    • Street Art Outside JTS Realty Bridge St Muswellbrook
      Street Art Outside JTS Realty Bridge St Muswellbrook
    • Mosaic Decoration on the BBQ in Simpson Park
      Mosaic Decoration on the BBQ in Simpson Park

    Light Horseman Statue

    This bronze statue commemorates the men and horses of the light horse in World War One. You will find it at the intersection of Bridge and Brooke Streets. There are verses from the poem of the light horse etched into the concrete under the statue, which adds a huge amount to the understanding of these brave men.

    Light Horseman Memorial Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    Light Horseman Memorial

    Small Cattle Dog Statue

    Also, on Bridge street is this small statue of a cattle dog. A cute little statue worth having a quick look at.

    Small Cattle Dog Statue Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    Small Cattle Dog Statue

    The Blue Heeler Cattle Dog Statue

    Sitting on a plinth 2 m tall, this huge statue commemorates the contribution of the blue heeler to Australian rural life. Located on the main road at the intersection with Hill Street he’s hard to miss.

    Blue Heeler Cattle Dog Statue Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    Blue Heeler Cattle Dog Statue

    Upper Hunter Valley Sculpture Trail

    The Upper Hunter Valley Sculpture Trail runs from Muswellbrook to Denman and onto Sandy Hollow.

    In Muswellbrook, it starts outside of the Regional Arts Centre, where you will find a map of the trail and the first sculpture, the ANZAC Centenary Stone. From here you drive to Two Rivers Wines outside of Denman, before heading to David Mahoney’s Art Gallery and Sculpture Park at Sandy Hollow. If you are interested in the Sculpture Trail, read our post here.

    • Upper Hunter Valley Sculpture Trail Map
      Upper Hunter Valley Sculpture Trail Map
    • ANZAC Centenary Stone Outside the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre
      ANZAC Centenary Stone Outside the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre

    Hunter Belle

    If you are in the mood for a taste of the local produce, Hunter Belle is a great spot to stop. Situated on the northern outskirts of the town on The New England Highway. Here you will find local cheeses and other produce that you can relax and eat with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

    Memorial Park

    Located north of Muswellbrook, Memorial Park contains memorials to both world wars, Vietnam and other conflicts. Adjacent to a rest area is the Vietnam Memorial, consisting of a 105 mm field gun and a roll of honour. 

    Located further north is the World War One memorial which has a 7.7 cm German field gun and 250 mm mortar.

    Nearest to town is a memorial to the National Servicemen.

    105mm Field Gun in Memorial Park Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    105mm Field Gun in Memorial Park
    Vietnam War Memorial Muswellbrook NSW Australia
    Vietnam War Memorial
    M577A1 Armoured Command Vehicle ARN
    M577A1 Armoured Command Vehicle ARN

    St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days

    St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days is an annual event held just outside Muswellbrook. Held over a weekend it’s a great way to get up close to these amazing animals.

    The events run continually throughout the day so you are able to see all of the heavy horse breeds. We found the owners to be very friendly and happy for you to take photos of their horses.

    It was great to sit in the sun watching the competition or wandering around the stalls that were set up.

    A blacksmith had his forge there and put on a demonstration which was very interesting. Nearby was a woodcarver using a chainsaw to make sculptures. There were many stalls selling leather belts, saddles and lots of horse gear for sale. It was only $5 each to get in and there was lots of seating and a huge paddock for car parking.

    Shire Horse at St Heliers Heavy Horse Field Days
    Blackmore Da Vinci a Shire Horse
    St Heliers Heavy horse Field Days
    St Heliers Heavy horse Field Days

    To see what else there is to do in the Hunter Valley, please see some of our other stories.

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  • Mont Saint Michel

    Mont Saint Michel

    Mont Saint Michel is an abbey built on an island that used to be isolated at high tide, established by a bishop after seeing a vision from the Archangel Michael (hence its name).

    Why Did We Go?

    Mont Saint Michel is one of those iconic places that looks fantastic in a photo, making it a must see on many people’s to do lists.  The idea of being able to see it, when we may never return to this part of France meant we had to visit.  We chose a day trip from Paris.  It was a very long day, with a three and a half hour journey each way, and four hours spent at Mont Saint Michel.

    We were very lucky to have a good guide for this trip and her descriptions of the Mont and the Abbey were excellent.  A huge bonus was the headphones, as she could talk to all of us, despite the huge crowds and noise.

    The Bus Trip

    It was long.  It was boring.  The rest stop was at a roadhouse service station.  The sort of generic ones you see everywhere.  The queue for the toilets was huge and took most of the available time.  Trying to buy food and drinks was equally hopeless.  Fortunately, we brought our own, so were well supplied.

    When you arrive, the tour has organised lunch in one of the restaurants.  If you are not on an organised tour, there a several places to eat before going out to the Mont.  There is a row of shops on either side of the road by the car park. These sell food and a wide range of souvenirs.  I would suggest eating here as the food on the Mont itself is overpriced (unless you really want to have a meal over there).

    Shuttle Bus

    There are two ways to get out to the Mont itself.  The causeway is set up for pedestrians, so if you have time you can walk.  However, there is a shuttle bus that runs across.  As we were with a tour and had to stay together, we all took the shuttle.  Well, we took two as the first was crowded and we could not all fit on.

    Mont Saint Michel

    The tour through the Abbey and ramparts was fascinating.  Without a tour guide, or lots of prior knowledge, we would have wandered around, but missed many points of interest.  The outside is just like you see in the photos, an Abbey perched on top of a small island.  The interior though is quite spartan, with most furnishings missing.  Without a guide, the function and history of each room would be a mystery.

    Mont Saint Michel
    Mont Saint Michel

    The Abbey
    The Abbey

    The Village

    Well, it’s more of a street and any similarity to Medieval times is the way the shop keepers try to swindle money out of you.  It is the typical tourist trap.  The street is full of gift shops selling poor quality overpriced items and restaurants selling overpriced food and beer.

    The Village Street
    The Village Street

    The Ramparts

    The Abbey’s walls are a place not to be missed because the views across the bay and to the Atlantic are very good.  Walking around the walls also gives a great impression of how impregnable this would have been.  A great spot to take some spectacular photos.

    What Did We Think?

    We really liked the Abbey and its setting.  It is no wonder that it is UNESCO listed.  The bus trip however was too long.  What we should have done, was plan a longer stay in Normandy and combined our trip to the D-Day battlefields and our trip to the Loire Valley Chateaux.  We would have seed far more and spent less time on a bus.