Tag: New South Wales

  • Picton New South Wales

    Picton New South Wales

    Picton New South Wales

    Stopping at Picton on our way south to Jarvis Bay, we spent some time looking around town to break the driving and get a coffee. Picton’s Main Street contains several old and historic buildings which we stopped to take photos. There was also a variety of cafes and restaurants to choose from if you wanted something to eat and drink. There is plenty of parking.

    Picton Viaduct

    Not far from the Picton railway station is the viaduct, a huge sandstone bridge spanning a gully and small creek. Parking is limited as no dedicated car park is available, but we found parking in a side street.

    There is a walkway down to the creek where you can cross to the other side of the viaduct from a different perspective.

    The Picton Viaduct From Stonequarry Creek
    The Viaduct From Stonequarry Creek
    The Picton Viaduct
    The Picton Viaduct

    The Mushroom Tunnel at Picton

    Another rail related attraction is a disused rail tunnel  that you can visit called the Mushroom Tunnel. We missed the entrance the first time as it is quite small. The dirt road into the tunnel can be rough so drive carefully. The tunnel itself is quite interesting,  having been repurposed from a train tunnel to a mushroom farm (hence its name) and now a tourist attraction. We drove though it in the car, then turned around and drove back before walking through it. Remember to take a torch.!

    Mushroom Tunnel Piction New South Wales
    Mushroom Tunnel

    New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere

    How to Get There

    Only a 10-minute drive from Picton is the NSW Rail Museum Rail Museum. The museum houses the majority of Transport Heritage NSW large collection of historic locomotives and rolling stock. The importance of this collection means that it is well protected and mostly housed under cover as well as having a modern display hall containing the most important items.

    Parking is on the road outside of the museum in marked parking bays. Entry is via the new building where the staff will give you a map of the museum and answer any questions you may have.

    The Collection

    The main building houses the historic E18 and E78 trains as well as the Governor’s train.

    Oldest Loco E18 New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    Oldest Loco E18
    Locomotive E78 New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    Locomotive E78

    The majority of the collection is held outside under cover and away from the elements. This huge collection would take many hours to explore if you wanted to examine it all in detail. There are arrows painted on the walkways to make walking around the collection easier.

    Old Carriages New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    Old Carriages
    Rail Pay Bus New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    Rail Pay Bus
    D55 Class Locomotive 5595 New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    D55 Class Locomotive 5595

    As well as the trains and rolling stock, there is other memorabilia at the museum.  As you walk around you will find old station clocks, time-table departure boars and baggage carts.

    Old Departure Time Board New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    Old Departure Time Board
    New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    Baggage Cart

    Unfortunately the on site café was not open when we visited,  but there are options available just a few minutes walk away at the Thirlmere shops.

    Train Photographs

    More photographs fro the NSW Rail Museum can be found here.

    Thirlmere Station

    While at the New South Wales Rail Museum have a look at the Thirlmere station and station master’s house as they are well maintained and make some great photos.

    Thirlmere Station New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere
    Thirlmere Station
    Boom Gates at Thirlmere New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere

    The old boom gates where the road into Thirlmere crosses the rail tracks are also worth having a close look at.

    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

  • Newcastle Street Art

    Newcastle Street Art

    There are several places to find street art in Newcastle, although it is not as widespread as in other cities. In the city centre there is a collection in Morgan and Newcomen streets.

    Civic Lane near the old Civic Railway Station also has some interesting art works on the backs of some buildings.

    Further afield, you can find some great pieces at Hamilton and Wallsend.

    In addition to the street art, Newcastle has some amazing sculptures scattered around the city, so keep an eye out for them.

    New Street Art March 2021

    City Centre Street Art

    Newcastle’s Pillar People

    One of Newcastle’s initiatives to brighten up the city centre, is the Pillar People. These telecommunications pillars have been cleverly painted to represent local identities, or reflect the businesses they are located near.

    There are over a dozen of them, see if you can find them all.

    Painted Power Boxes

    In a similar initiative to the Pillar People, electrical boxes around the city have been decorated with nautical themes. They brighten up an otherwise dull box. Look for the amusing mice, painted on some.

    Newcastle Sculptures

    Destiny Monument

    Located on Newcastle Harbour on Dyke Point, Carrington, the Destiny Monument is difficult to reach because of its location. Dyke Point is part of the Newcastle Port Authority’s operating area with no public access permitted. The closest viewpoint from land is the Honeysuckle Footpath at Honeysuckle, where you can look across the harbour to the statue.

    This nine metre tall bronze statue commemorates the 200th anniversary of Newcastle Port operations and was inspired by the figureheads of early sailing ships.

    Destiny Statue on Newcastle Harbour
    Destiny Statue on Newcastle Harbour

    Hamilton and Wallsend Street Art

    Located further from the city centre, these art works a more difficult to get to, as you will need a car. If driving past them, they are worth a stop to admire, as they brighten up and add interest to otherwise dull buildings.

    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

  • Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler

    Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler

    Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler

    A great way to experience the Nepean River at Penrith is to take a cruise on the Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler down the 50 million year old gorge. This gives you a nice relaxed environment, while viewing the river and enjoying morning tea or lunch.

    We chose the morning tea cruise, giving us an early start, but being able to enjoy the whole day in the Penrith area. Arriving early, we grabbed a coffee from one of the cafes across the road from the Nepean Belle carpark. There was ample car parking available near the Paddlewheel. We just needed to provide our ticket and have our names ticked off, making the boarding process easy.

    The Nepean Belle Paddlewheeler Tour

    Once we boarded the Paddlewheeler, we were allocated a table on the upper level by a window, giving us great views over the river. This tour was 1.5 hours, but there are quite a few tours to choose from including twilight dinner tours etc.

    The Nepean Belle is very stable on the water and once underway, you can walk around freely, admiring the views natural flora and native wildlife around the river. There was a lot of birdlife on the water and we were pleased to have seen a few eagles as flying overhead. The captain gave ample information about the area. There were people kayaking on the river and enjoying water sports as well.

    Morning Tea

    Morning tea was tea/coffee and delicious fluffy scones with home-made jam and cream, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The staff were exceptional and the captain a wealth of knowledge. It’s nice to be able to go on this cruise with so many staff who were so welcoming and really appeared to love what they do!

    It was a relaxed way to start the day on a nice old boat while getting to see the Nepean River.

    We spent the afternoon at Knapsack Bridge, Lennox Bridge and Mt Schoenstatt Spirituality Centre.

    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