Sydney: St. Mary’s Cathedral

18 and 19 December 2017

Pic 2017-1218 08 St Marys Cathedral (12) Edit

St. Mary’s Cathedral prominently sits on the edge of Hyde Park looking over Sydney’s central business district. The Catholic Church is worth a visit any time, but we were in for a special treat during the Christmas Season. They put on a free sound and light show each evening leading up to Christmas. The show is amazing! My pictures don’t do it justice; I’d recommend watching the full show on YouTube.

St. Mary’s Cathedral

Christmas Sound and Light Show

 

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Sydney: City Skyline

17 – 19 December 2017

Pic 2017-1218 04 Royal Botanical Garden (19) Edit

Sydney is one of the world’s great cities and the largest in Australia. Here are a few skyline pictures we took from the Sydney Harbour area.

Pic 2017-1218 04 Royal Botanical Garden (84) Edit

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Somersby Falls

16 December 2017

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Somersby Falls west of Gosford was our last stop of the day. The walk from the upper falls down to the middle and lower falls was pleasant but there was very little falling water.

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Gosford Classic Car Museum

16 December 2017

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My favorite stop of the day was the Gosford Classic Car Museum. They have an impressive collection of classic cars manufactured all over the world. The Communist Car Collection was particularly interesting. As an American I was especially interested in seeing classic Australian muscle cars. I did not expect to see so many AMC Ramblers. Everyone enjoyed our time at the museum.

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The Entrance, NSW

16 December 2017

Pic 2017-1216 01 The Entrance NSW (6) Edit

In our tour of the Central Coast Region we stopped at The Entrance, a town named for its location on the channel that is the entrance to the Tuggerah Lakes. It is a local holiday destination. We heard about the Pelicans which are fed each day at 3:30 PM. It was a nice short stop.

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Blacksmiths Beach

15 December 2017

Pic 2017-1215 01 Blacksmiths Beach (5) Edit

Today we relaxed. Blacksmiths Beach was only a 5 minute walk from our holiday park. A nice beach but the water was too cold to stay in long.

 

 

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Morisset Park, NSW

14 December 2017

Pic 2017-1214 06 Morisset Park (42) Edit

Morisset Park was listed on TripAdvisor as a great place to have a picnic lunch and see kangaroos. We are suckers for seeing roos and we needed a stop for lunch as we circled Lake Macquarie. We did find the kangaroos and had a great time with them; however it was not what we were expecting. First, the Morisset Picnic Area is on the lake but not near the kangaroos. Second, the kangaroo area is adjacent to a mental hospital. We did not want to trespass on hospital grounds so we missed the turn several times. Once we found them it was fun but not a good place for a picnic, just a quick stop for a roo selfie.

 

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Snapper Point in Munmorah Park

14 December 2017

Pic 2017-1214 05 Snapper Point (30) Edit

Snapper Point is a lookout in Munmorah State Conservation Park. With a short walk it provides fantastic views of the surrounding coastline. We did not fully investigate the park. If we had more time, Frazer Beach, Bongon Beach, and Tea Tree Lookout looked nice.

Pic 2017-1214 05 Snapper Point (4) Edit

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Pic 2017-1214 04 Bongon Beach Edit

 

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Caves Beach, NSW

14 December 2017

Pic 2017-1214 01 Caves Beach (5) Edit

After few days in Newcastle, we moved less than an hour south to the Lake Macquarie area. Our first stop was Caves Beach. True to its name, Caves Beach has a series of seas caves that the kids loved exploring. We only spent a few hours walking the beach and climbing the rocks however it would be a great place to spend a day.

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Newcastle, NSW

12 – 13 December 2017

Pic 2017-1213 03 Nobbys (18) Edit

Newcastle, the second largest city in New South Wales, is located about 100 miles (160 km) north of Sydney on the Hunter River. Once “Steel City”, the export of coal and other minerals from the Hunter Valley Region to China has provided a boost for the local economy. Newcastle appears to be an industrial city on the verge of a rebirth. Growing up in Pittsburgh, also known as “Steel City”, I witnessed the shutdown of Jones and Laughlin Steel and soon after watched Bethlehem Steel grind to a hault, Newcastle’s industrial revitalization has a familiar look.

The city has two very different faces. The north side of Newcastle and Newcastle West on the Hunter River is dominated by industry and shipping. Although the south bank is lined with apartment buildings and restaurants the river side is all business. Newcastle West is undergoing a massive revitalization project. When it is complete, this should be a nice area to visit. The ocean side of Newcastle East is the city’s scenic face. The shore is lined with beaches and parklands. This is where you’ll find the fun and sun we expect in Australia. Overall we thought Newcastle was a nice place to visit for a few days and expect it to be even better in the coming years.

Newcastle Coast

Nobbys Head

Newcastle City and Wharf

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