March 2014 Report
Venue
Bondi Junction through Centennial Park to Hyde Park
Participants
Chris, Colin, Natalie, Peter, Yvonne and special guest from Melbourne-Chris
The start
The group met at Bondi Junction Rail Station and walked to the mall for a coffee stop to start the day’s outing.
Highlights
Walking through Bondi Junction markets without buying anything but we oooed and aaahed.
We entered Centennial Park at the very impressive sandstone “Woollahra Gates.”
Walked around the first and then on top of the 2 other large underground water tanks at the highest points of Centennial Park. Water from these tanks supplied Sydney.
Down a set of stairs and over the sandstone ridge.
Evaded most of the dog trainers and their large dogs that had boundless energy.
Went into the Federation Pavilion, which was built as part of the Bicentennial Celebrations in 1988. It was built to protect the “Federation Rock” where the first Governor General was inaugurated in 1901.
Crossed over the Grand Drive being alert to the bike, walk and horse tracks on to the inside track, which was safer for walking on. We found abundant bird life as we walked around Willow Pond, Duck Pond and Lily Pond.
Fabulous birds such as the all white Little Corellas, Black Swans and blue-breasted Dusky Moorhen were among the most beautiful. Also saw Crows or were they Ravens. They sounded like Crows. We saw huge fig trees everywhere. Did I saw huge? Gigantic more like it. We also were amazed at the enormous 4 trunked paper bark trees full of birds. Our heads were turning in all directions looking for and finding bird life.
On to Lachlan swamp-very aptly named as part of the walkway was very muddy from recent rain and it is in … a swamp! There were bats asleep in the trees, looking like crumpled black baskets hanging from the branches of the dense paper bark tree forest.
We found the statue of Charles Dickens-reputedly the only one outside of England. Apparently he didn’t like statues of himself.
We enjoyed the beautiful Column Garden where there was an unusual statue. After much deliberation we agreed finally it was a woman (the breasts do give it away) clad in what looked like a roman toga. No plaque so no identification.
Had lunch in a nice shady spot near the café. Exited the park at Jervois Ave Gates and walked along Lang Road gawking at some of the lovely houses and gardens.
Walked on to Paddington via Oxford Street and were delighted with the architecture of the Town Hall area. We were especially delighted to see the remnants of an old underground water cistern called the Paddington Reservoir that has been made into a quiet recreational garden area.
We enjoyed looking at the old facades on the Imperial Hotel, Town Hall and Post Office in Paddington and some of the old terrace houses, which have been maintained in good condition.
Continued all the way down Oxford Street past Victoria Barracks. What do they do in there? As Colin said is it a bit of a worry that the army need to have Federal Police to guard the entrance. Are the army not capable of having its own security guards?
The closer we got to the city the more traffic and noise was to be expected.
The finish
A quick visit to the War Memorial in Hyde Park where a wonderful gentleman told us there were 120,000 stars on the ceiling to represent the number of NSW citizens that took part in WW1.
Then on to our various trains or buses to make our way home.
Venue
Bondi Junction through Centennial Park to Hyde Park
Participants
Chris, Colin, Natalie, Peter, Yvonne and special guest from Melbourne-Chris
The start
The group met at Bondi Junction Rail Station and walked to the mall for a coffee stop to start the day’s outing.
Highlights
Walking through Bondi Junction markets without buying anything but we oooed and aaahed.
We entered Centennial Park at the very impressive sandstone “Woollahra Gates.”
Walked around the first and then on top of the 2 other large underground water tanks at the highest points of Centennial Park. Water from these tanks supplied Sydney.
Down a set of stairs and over the sandstone ridge.
Evaded most of the dog trainers and their large dogs that had boundless energy.
Went into the Federation Pavilion, which was built as part of the Bicentennial Celebrations in 1988. It was built to protect the “Federation Rock” where the first Governor General was inaugurated in 1901.
Crossed over the Grand Drive being alert to the bike, walk and horse tracks on to the inside track, which was safer for walking on. We found abundant bird life as we walked around Willow Pond, Duck Pond and Lily Pond.
Fabulous birds such as the all white Little Corellas, Black Swans and blue-breasted Dusky Moorhen were among the most beautiful. Also saw Crows or were they Ravens. They sounded like Crows. We saw huge fig trees everywhere. Did I saw huge? Gigantic more like it. We also were amazed at the enormous 4 trunked paper bark trees full of birds. Our heads were turning in all directions looking for and finding bird life.
On to Lachlan swamp-very aptly named as part of the walkway was very muddy from recent rain and it is in … a swamp! There were bats asleep in the trees, looking like crumpled black baskets hanging from the branches of the dense paper bark tree forest.
We found the statue of Charles Dickens-reputedly the only one outside of England. Apparently he didn’t like statues of himself.
We enjoyed the beautiful Column Garden where there was an unusual statue. After much deliberation we agreed finally it was a woman (the breasts do give it away) clad in what looked like a roman toga. No plaque so no identification.
Had lunch in a nice shady spot near the café. Exited the park at Jervois Ave Gates and walked along Lang Road gawking at some of the lovely houses and gardens.
Walked on to Paddington via Oxford Street and were delighted with the architecture of the Town Hall area. We were especially delighted to see the remnants of an old underground water cistern called the Paddington Reservoir that has been made into a quiet recreational garden area.
We enjoyed looking at the old facades on the Imperial Hotel, Town Hall and Post Office in Paddington and some of the old terrace houses, which have been maintained in good condition.
Continued all the way down Oxford Street past Victoria Barracks. What do they do in there? As Colin said is it a bit of a worry that the army need to have Federal Police to guard the entrance. Are the army not capable of having its own security guards?
The closer we got to the city the more traffic and noise was to be expected.
The finish
A quick visit to the War Memorial in Hyde Park where a wonderful gentleman told us there were 120,000 stars on the ceiling to represent the number of NSW citizens that took part in WW1.
Then on to our various trains or buses to make our way home.