Located only 30 minutes north-west of Lithgow in the Central-West of New South Wales, the Portland Silo Art makes a great addition to any tour of the area. Unlike other silos, these are cement bins, rather than grain silos, representing the towns history as a cement producer.
Painted in 2018 by Guido van Helten the bins feature past employees of the cement works. Titled “The Foundations”, it pays tribute to the cement works and people who established the town of Portland.
Access to the site is easy, with plenty of parking available. With no fencing, you are able to walk right up to the silos to see the art up close. This is better than some other silo art we have visited, where a fence keeps you away.
The FoundationsPast Employees on the Old Cement Bins
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Providing outstanding views of Australia’s capital city, Mount Ainslie Lookout is a must see place when visiting Canberra. Only a five-minute drive from the War Memorial, although up a windy road, it’s easy to get to.
Several viewing platforms provide vantage points to see the main axis of the city. From here, you can see the Australian War Memorial, at the top of ANZAC Parade. Across Lake Burley Griffin, Old Parliament House sits below Parliament House.
In the photos below, The War Memorial is at the bottom with the domed building. ANZAC Parade is the wide road with the red centre section. Old Parliament House is across the lake and halfway up the hill, while the new centre of Australia’s government has the large flagpole above it.
Mt Ainslie Lookout
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Only a ten-minute drive from the centre of Mittagong, the Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel is an amazing bush walk. Not only do you get to see Australian bush, but a rail cutting and old, disused tunnel.
There are two easily accessible places to start the walk. The first is closer to Mittagong but around 3 to 5 hours for the return trip. The second is closer, with a 4km return walk, taking about 30 to 45 minutes each way.
We chose the second option and parked near a locked gate at the start of a fire trail.
Box Vale Walking Track Parking Area
The Fire Trail Section
Maintained to ensure access for firefighting, the fire trail is an easy walk. Not far along the trail, look out for a sign on the right-hand side. This is where the Box Vale Walking Track diverges. It is narrow and overgrown, so easy to miss.
Start of the Track
Trail to the Tunnel
Once you see the post with an arrow, follow the tack into the bush. There is no official sign here, so someone has written “tunnel” on it with an arrow. From this point, the vegetation changes for that found on the fire trail. It becomes denser with more ferns and undergrowth.
Not long after crossing a bridge over a small creek, you arrive at the tramway cutting.
Sign Post on the Fire Trail Leading to the TunnelBridge on the Box Vale Walking Track
Tramway Rail Cutting
This former railway line was used to transport coal from the Nattai Region to the main southern line at Mittagong. Although the rail lines are long gone, the cuttings remain and form a great part of the walk. This section of the walk can become extremely muddy, so wear good waterproof boots.
The scenery here is great, while the overgrown walls of the cuttings give the area a surreal feeling.
Cutting for the old tramwayCutting for the old tramwayFallen Tree in the tramway cutting
Box Vale Tunnel
The highlight of the walk is the 84m Box Vale Tunnel. Once again, good walking boots are required as the floor can be wet and muddy, as well as slippery. Walking through the tunnel was fun, because it was very atmospheric.
Tunnel EntranceTunnel EntranceBox Vale TunnelInside the tunnel
What Did We Think of the Box Vale Walking Track and Tunnel?
The old tramway cutting and tunnel added something different because of the way they are overgrown. The otherworldly feel from the overgrown areas was fun to walk through as well as take photos. Apart from a few areas to get around boulders, the walk was easy because it was mainly flat.
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
