Located and hour’s drive north-east of Newcastle, New South Wales, the Soldiers Point Marina is a popular tourist destination. Not only does it have excellent boat launching facilities, but has a modern marina, beach and restaurant.
We took a walk along Sunset Beach and enjoyed the views, we loved the boats and yachts moored in the water and on the beach. The marina has tables near the beach, where you are able to enjoy a rest while taking in the views. If you feel like exercising your brain, each table has a chess board and sets are available from the nearby cafe.
The marina has also installed a number of sculptures around the cafe and boats. All are located close together and easy to find with a slow walk around the moored boats.
Overall a great morning out, with a coffee, relaxing walk on the beach and some sculptures.
Sunset BeachSunset Beach Looking back at the marinaDingy on Sunset Beach Complimentary Chess at the outdoor diningThe Missing Link by Mike Van DamSea Borne humpback WhalesWe Ride Together in Love by Marc and GillieSummit aka The Thinking Man by Laurence EdwardsBubble and Squeak by Mike Van DamThe Table of Love by Gillie and MarcThe Brolgas by Willie Wildlife SculpturesPelican SculptureAnchorFlipper by Jay Sikora
Currently located at 264 George Street Sydney (September 2023), this Gillie and Marc bronze sculpture of Rabbitwoman and Dogman is titled “Together they were a golden couple”. The artists description on the statue is “Rabbitwoman takes the lead on the bike while Dogman gets cosy in the sidecar next to her, trusting her to take him somewhere incredible”.
Gillie and Marc are known for their inclusion of Rabbitwoman, Dogman, coffee cups and the Vespa. This bronze has all of them in one place.
We found the statue on a quiet Sunday morning while walking down George St in Sydney. As with many things, it’s often the unexpected that makes your day. So, if you’re walking through Sydney, drop in to say hi to Rabbitwoman and Dogman on George St. And if you are interested in where they got their coffee, there is a small café behind them.
Rabbitwoman and Dogman. Together They Were a Golden Couple. 262 George St Sydney by Gillie and MarcRabbitwoman and Dogman. Together They Were a Golden Couple. 262 George St Sydney by Gillie and MarcRabbitwoman and Dogman. Together They Were a Golden Couple. 262 George St Sydney by Gillie and Marc
Located on the Tilligerry Peninsula, Tanilba Bay is a suburb of the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.
Entrance to the town
Tanilba House
The centrepiece of the town is Tanilba House, a beautiful and elegant home which is one of Australia’s oldest historical buildings. Built for Lieutenant William Caswell, a naval officer who had received a land grant of 20.2 hectares in 1831. Caswell established farm sites at Seaham (23 km north) and Salt Ash and opted to build his homestead on the land at Tanilba.
Tanilba House
The Temple of the Stork
Built from local rock quarried from Mallabula and completed in 1933, The Temple of the Stork is an ornate stone and shell temple. The floor and ceiling of the temple feature reversed images while patterns of 8 appear mystically in the design. Henry F. Halloran who owned Tanilba House at the time was responsible for its construction.
The Temple of the Stork
Water Gates
The Centenary Gate, also known as the Water Gate, were constructed from 1929 to 31 March 1931. It was built to mark the centenary of European settlement at Tanilba Bay by the original grantee, Lieutenant William Caswell.
Henry F. Halloran designed the gate from round and broken quartz porphyry embellished with white feldspar gathered from Tanilba foreshore and a quarry at Mallabula.
The metal arch suspended between the rock pillars reads ‘Tanilba Bay’ and was designed to be viewed from the water when many visitors arrived by boat.
The Water GatesCloseup of the Water Gates
Tanilba Bay Water Front
The town’s waterfront has a nice sandy beach ideal for watersports or relaxing. Bordered by grassed areas with street parking the waterfront is a nice place to stop after arriving. When we visited there was a mobile coffee van in one of the carparks which was great after a 90 minute drive to get there.
Mallabula Beach Looking West
Mallabula Beach Looking East
Looking Over Tanilba Bay
Small sandy Beach
Looking over Tanilba Bay
Tilligerry Habitat
The Tilligerry Habitat and adjacent boardwalk is a great place to wander through. Consisting of rehabilitated sand mining areas, it is now a sanctuary for birdlife and koalas. Unfortunately we didn’t see any on our visit, but we were assured they are there. A longer blog with more pictures of the Tilligerry Habitat can be found here.
