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Tag: Sydney

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Chinese Garden of Friendship

Dragons

Chinese Garden of Friendship

Located in Darling Harbour next to Chinatown, the Chinese Garden of Friendship has been a place of relaxation in Sydney since 1988. Built as a symbol of friendship between Sydney, New South Wales and the city of Guangzhou in the province of Guangdong, China (sister cities of sister states), to mark Australia’s bicentennial in 1988, it is one of only a few public Chinese gardens outside mainland China.

Open daily, there is an entry fee which includes a guided tour if you don’t want to wander around and discover the gardens for yourself.

Getting There

We walked here from Chinatown, but the closest light rail stations are Paddy’s Market, Chinatown and Exhibition Centre, each a five-minute walk away. The closest ferry wharf is Barangaroo, although that is a 20-minute walk.

Gardens

Unlike most of the other gardens found in Sydney, there are no formally laid out flowerbeds or manicured lawns here. Instead, wild aspects of nature are recreated in landscapes that feature waterfalls, mountains, lakes and forests.

Following the Taoist principles of ‘Yin-Yang’, the opposing yet complementary and balanced forces, and ‘Wu-Xing’, the five elements or phases—wood, fire, earth, metal and water, the gardens are peaceful and relaxing. 

Chinese Garden
Chinese Garden
View of the Temple over the Pond
View of the Temple over the Pond
Pond
Pond
Waterfall
Waterfall

Garden Walls

Two of the impressive walls within the garden are the Cloud and Dragon walls. Featuring two flying dragons, the Dragon Wall was a gift from Guangdong, with the brown dragon representing Guangdong, and the blue dragon New South Wales.

Chinese Garden of Friendship Circular Entrance
Cloud Wall
Chinese Garden of Friendship Dragon Wall
The Dragon Wall

Pavilion

There are 17 pavilions in the Gardens, but one is larger than the others and overlooks the pond.

  • Chinese Garden of Friendship Temple
    Temple
  • Chinese Garden of Friendship Temple
    Pavilion
  • Carving Inside Temple
    Carving Inside Pavilion
  • Pavilion Ceiling

What Did We Think of the Chinese Garden of Friendship ?

A relaxing place to visit and get away from the city for a while and take in some Chinese culture.

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

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Cobar in Outback New South Wales

The Cobar Sign

Cobar

Located in the Orana Region of New South Wales, Cobar was a 130km drive from our previous overnight stop in Nyngan. Established in 1870 to mine the rich copper ore discovered there, the town still relies on mining for its existence.

The huge Cobar sign is on of the first thing you see when arriving in town. A car park next to the sign allows easy access to take photos, as well as have a break and relax at the picnic tables in the area.

The Cobar Sign
The Cobar Sign

Fort Bourke Lookout Peak Gold Mines

Only a three minute drive from town, the Fort Bourke Lookout at Peak Gold Mines provides an insight into the size of the local mining industry. The view looks over the old open cut mine, where you can see the entrance to the underground section at the bottom. We watched a truck drive down the decline until it entered the underground section.

  • Fort Bourke Lookout Over the New Cobar Mine Site
    Fort Bourke Lookout Over the New Cobar Mine Site
  • Truck at the New Cobar Mine Site
    Truck Driving Down the Decline
  • Truck Entering the Underground New Cobar Mine Site
    Truck Entering the Underground Mine Site

Cobar Miners Heritage Park

Currently undergoing a major upgrade, the Miners Heritage Park was temporarily closed during our visit. Many of the exhibits are visible from the road, but you are not able to read any information boards about them. The upgraded site looks like it will be great, from what we could see.

  • Cobar Miners' Heritage Park Being Refurbished
    Cobar Miners’ Heritage Park Being Refurbished
  • Statue at the Cobar Miners' Heritage Park
    Statue at the Miners’ Heritage Park
  • Underground Loader at the Cobar Miners' Heritage Park
    Underground Loader

Stele Monument

Across the road from the Heritage Park, a stele commemorates Campbell, Hartman and Gibb, who discovered the copper deposit and established the town.

Stele Monument
Stele Monument

Great Cobar Heritage Centre & Cobar Visitor Information Centre

Also closed for refurbishment during our trip was the Heritage Centre. Only the silhouettes of miners in the gardens were visible.

Miner Silhouette Outside the Tourist Information Centre
Miner Silhouette Outside the Tourist Information Centre
Miner Silhouette Outside the Tourist Information Centre
A Miner Silhouette Outside the Tourist Information Centre
Miner Silhouette Outside the Tourist Information Centre
Miner Silhouette Outside the Tourist Information Centre

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

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Sawmillers Reserve on Sydney Harbour

Wrecked Barge at Sawmillers Reserve

Sawmillers Reserve on Sydney Harbour

Located in the Sydney suburb of Waverley, Sawmillers Reserve is a beautiful park with an industrial heritage. For 100 years from 1880, the area housed a sawmill, but is now a leafy park on Sydney Harbour. Not only are remnants of the sawmill visible, but a ship wreck sits on the harbour foreshore.

Getting There

Public transport is a great option when visiting here, because parking is limited. We used the train, getting off at North Sydney Station before walking ten minutes to the reserve. On the way we stopped at a little coffee shop, before continuing.

Alternatively, it’s only a 10-minute walk from McMahons Point Ferry Wharf, giving another easy way to get here.

Ruins at Sawmillers Reserve

The reserve contains the remains of the sawmill, which have been placed together by artist Jane Gillings. The ruins draw attention to the changing use of the site from industrial, to open public space.

Remains of the Timber Yard at Sawmillers Reserve
Remains of the Timber Yard

Ship Wreck

The wreck of a Marine Service Board Hopper Barge lies just offshore, making an excellent backdrop to Sydney Harbour. Now slowly rusting away, the barge broke its moorings in the 1960s, before grounding in Berrys Bay off Sawmillers Reserve. This barge was used to carry dredged material out to the spoil dumping grounds off Sydney, but is now a heritage listed wreck.

Wrecked Barge at Sawmillers Reserve
Wrecked Barge on the Foreshore

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

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