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
View of the Temple over the Pond
Pond
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.
Cloud Wall
The Dragon Wall
Pavilion
There are 17 pavilions in the Gardens, but one is larger than the others and overlooks the pond.
Temple
Pavilion
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.
Located in the Orana Region of central New South Wales, Nyngan is the home of the Big Bogan, a helicopter memorial and several interesting museums. This was our second stop on a road trip out west and our first overnight stop.
Like many outback towns. there is a nice sign welcoming you to town, along with a rest stop. Here, you will find a “small” Big Bogan, but don’t be put off by its size, because the real one is in the town centre.
Driving around town we noticed some street art, as well as some nice buildings, especially the town hall.
Welcome To Nyngan
Old Level Crossing Gates at the Heritage Garden
Centenary Fountain
Nyngan Town Hall
Street Art at the Museum Car Park
Street Art at the Museum Car Park
Nyngan Main Street at Night
Nyngan Museum
Our first stop was at the Railway Station which is now the town museum and also acts as a tourist information centre. Passenger trains no longer stop here, although the line is still used for freight, so the platform is blocked off to stop people wandering onto the tracks.
The museum’s displays cover all of Nyngan’s history, from pre-colonial to recent, including World War One and railway heritage.
View of the Nyngan Museum From the Rail Overpass
Nyngan Museum Railway Platform
Old Waiting Room at the Railway Station
Old Switch Board
Kitchen Display
Old Kitchen Display
World War One Honour Roll
Wilcox and Gibbs 1871 Sewing Machine
Shearing Shed
Located across the rail line from the museum, the Shearing Shed captures the history of the wool industry that once dominated Australia. The original pulleys that powered the shears are still in place, making a great and authentic backdrop to the museum. Covering the walls are photos of past shearers, competition winners and champion sheep. We found this all very interesting, even more so when the volunteer working there turned out to be an old shearer. He told us all about life as a shearer and what the items on display were used for.
Railway Overpass Connecting to the Museum
Entrance to the Shearing Shed
The Displays
The Old Kitchen
Old Shearing Machinery
Photos of the Shearing Industry
Inside the Shed
Shearing
A photo on the wall shows how the shed used to look when operating. Many others showed champion sheep like Gothic and Dudley from Mullengudgery Stud.
How the Shearing Shed Used to Look
Champion Sheep Gothic From Mullengudgery Stud
Champion Sheep Dudley From Mullengudgery Stud
Helicopter Flood Memorial
A stunning sight in the middle of town is a helicopter displayed on a pole Not something you expect to see on the main street, but relevant to Nyngan, because of the role they played during a flood.
In April 1990, unusually heavy rains caused major flooding in the town, despite a massive effort by local people to raise the levee walls using sandbags. With the town almost completely flooded, all the residents had to be evacuated by helicopter from the railway station, the highest point of the town, which was not flooded. Air Force helicopters, TV news helicopters and private helicopters all co-operated in the airlift.
Bell UH-1 Iroquois Helicopter
Nyngan Coach House
Sitting next to the Big Bogan, the Coach House is hard to miss. A large car park makes access easy, so you don’t have to park on the street. The two coaches on display are under cover but behind wire mesh. This doesn’t restrict viewing, because the mesh is wide spaced and allows the carriages to be seen from three sides.
Make sure you plan to see them before 5:00PM, because the roller doors are shut and locked to protect the displays overnight.
Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
Rear of the Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
Cob & Co. Royal Mail Stage Coach
Wagon at the Nyngan Coach House
The Big Bogan
Adjacent to the Coach House, the Big Bogan is another “Big” thing we came across during this trip. Another one to cross of the list if you’re into seeing them all. For those who don’t know, a bogan is a derogatory word for an uncouth, unsophisticated person (like the American ‘trailer trash’).
The local shire council (The Bogan Shire) has made the most of having their name used this way and used it to attract tourists with the Big Bogan.
The Big Bogan
Early Settler Memorial
On the edge of town, a memorial pays tribute to the early European settlers in the area, who established the agricultural industry. It features a grazier, with his sheep dog and a flock of sheep.
Early Settler Memorial
Early Settler Memorial
To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.
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
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
Truck Driving Down the Decline
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
Statue at the 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
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
A 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.
