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Thread: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

  1. #1

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    Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Sunday drive from Sydney, Australia
    (does anyone else have a favourite/notable local area with great photo opportunities? - particularly interested in UK contributions as I am visiting Aug-Sep)
    A few hours’ drive west from Sydney takes you to the historic town of Lithgow, where the first production of iron and steel commenced in the 1880’s. The facility produced pig iron, notably for Australian railways, and steel until the late 1920’s. The blast furnace was left to decay gracefully (for generations of photographers to come). The shell of the pump house, and foundations and parts of the furnace remain.
    Canon 7D and Sigma 24-70 mm, cropped and straightened etc.. Intended as a documentary, but C&C always appreciated.
    1. Blast Furnace Park - f11,1/400, -1EV, ISO200
    Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    The “portholes” become searchlights, constantly changing shape and moving around the walls as the sun changes direction and elevation while stalking the building.
    2. Blast Furnace Park - f11, 1/800, -1EV, ISO200
    Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Just a little further are the smaller towns of Portland and Wallerawang. Portland also supported the growth of Sydney in the 1800’s as a major source of lime and concrete, and many buildings from its boom times remain. The main attraction now is that mural artists have decorated the town centre shops, buildings and fences with 1950’s style advertising . Perhaps our CiC Portland correspondent can provide additional information?
    3. f5, 1/400, ISO200
    Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)


    I do not know about Wallerawang’s role in the early days, but currently has a large power station.
    4. Wallerawang from outskirts of town – f16, 1/160, ISO200
    Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Another attraction close to Lithgow (at Clarence) is the Zig-Zag railway used from 1870 to 1910 as part of the main line across a difficult section of the Blue Mountains, now a heritage line (currently closed for renovations).
    5. Zig Zag Railway (just a snap from a previous visit)
    Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

  2. #2
    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by casper View Post
    ... (does anyone else have a favourite/notable local area with great photo opportunities? - particularly interested in UK contributions as I am visiting Aug-Sep)
    What are your plans, Noel. Where do you know/think you'll be visiting and what sorts of subjects/opportunities will you be looking for?

    Of course as everyone knows (don't they?), Scotland is the most glorious, wonderful, majestic, beautiful part of the UK (and full of modest people)! But there are other bits that are sort-of okay.

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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald View Post
    What are your plans, Noel. Where do you know/think you'll be visiting and what sorts of subjects/opportunities will you be looking for?
    hi Donald,
    We (my wife and I) will be staying 3-4 days each at Douglas (IOM), then picking up a car and staying Doncaster, Whitby, Carlisle, Harrogate, Derby, Llangollen, taking car back, then train to Edinburgh, back to Doncaster, then public transport to Brighton, Torquay, London (thought of driving down there frightens me). I/We are interested in history, culture, architecture and engineering, art, and having fun. There has to be castles, but also bridges, trains/boats/planes, landscapes - whatever we see, we are going to love it! Particularly things that we can't see in Australia, like white swans, hedgehogs, badgers, modest scots, mock battles and mediaeval pageants. Will have a mixture of showing ourselves around and picking up day trips. Really looking forward to it.
    - Noel

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    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Well, there are certainly lots of places on that list where there will be lots of history (both modern and more ancient) to revel in.

    And when it comes to castles ............! In my opinion, nothing can equal the sight of Edinburgh Castle high on its rock above Princes Street Gardens. And then the walk, down the Royal Mile at the top to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom. Lots of tourist type shops on the street that you can ignore, but in doing that walk you are going through several centuries of Scotland's history. So much of the story of Scotland is in that mile-long cobbled street.

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    Kaye Leggett's Avatar
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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by casper View Post
    hi Donald,
    We (my wife and I) will be staying 3-4 days each at Douglas (IOM), then picking up a car and staying Doncaster, Whitby, Carlisle, Harrogate, Derby, Llangollen, taking car back, then train to Edinburgh, back to Doncaster, then public transport to Brighton, Torquay, London (thought of driving down there frightens me). I/We are interested in history, culture, architecture and engineering, art, and having fun. There has to be castles, but also bridges, trains/boats/planes, landscapes - whatever we see, we are going to love it! Particularly things that we can't see in Australia, like white swans, hedgehogs, badgers, modest scots, mock battles and mediaeval pageants. Will have a mixture of showing ourselves around and picking up day trips. Really looking forward to it.
    - Noel
    Wow - that's some itinerary. Good spots from my knowledge of some of these places are
    Whitby is fab - Dracula's abbey on the hill, beautiful coastline, interesting harbour
    Harrogate - good gardens in town and the nearby Royal Horticultural Society one at Harlow Carr
    Llangollen - beautiful Welsh scenery (Donald will claim not as good as Scotland and I'd tend to agree) + canal and famous viaduct. If you get a chance t go further North to the coast there are some good castles around, Caenarvon, Conway, Harlech. Take a look at the Welsh Heritage websites to see what events may be on if you fancy a mock battle or two
    Edinburgh - I'll leave Donald to elaborate, but sounds like you may be around for the Festival if you're there in August
    Brighton - if you hit a hot weekend will be heaving on the beach as all of London tips out there on a sunny weekend. Fairly near is Battle - the famous site of 1066 - again have a look at English Heritage web site for pointers.

    Another good resource is the National Trust website to find places nearby where you're visiting. Between them and English/Welsh Heritage they have a vast array of history and landscape managed here which is open to us.

    Enjoy your trip - we look forward to seeing some of the photos from the Aussie eye.

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    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by kaye leggett View Post
    Edinburgh - I'll leave Donald to elaborate, but sounds like you may be around for the Festival if you're there in August
    I just came back into the thread because I realised I'd forgotten to mention that. The greatest arts festival in the world - The Edinburgh International Arts Festival ... with all its spin-offs: The Book Festival (which I love); The Fringe ( was once at a performance that started at midnight in which lots of young people from some US University or College, ran around the stage naked and there were 4 people, including one of who was drunk, in the audience. Great fun! Couldn't tell you what the play was about.); The Science Festival. The Film Festival has now moved dates. But the place is buzzing for 3 weeks.

    The 'problem' with Edinburgh at Festival time, is getting accommodation. And if you can get it, it being reasonably priced.

  7. #7

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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald View Post
    Well, there are certainly lots of places on that list where there will be lots of history (both modern and more ancient) to revel in.

    And when it comes to castles ............! In my opinion, nothing can equal the sight of Edinburgh Castle high on its rock above Princes Street Gardens. And then the walk, down the Royal Mile at the top to the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the bottom. Lots of tourist type shops on the street that you can ignore, but in doing that walk you are going through several centuries of Scotland's history. So much of the story of Scotland is in that mile-long cobbled street.
    hi Donald,
    Thanks for the response. The mile is on the "definite" list, we will be staying just off Princes Street. Planning to do one of those "see everything in Scotland in 12 hours" coach trips, also want to see Falkirk Wheel (may do that from Carlisle), Culloden Visitor Centre, Bannockburn and Stirling if we can fit them in, and take a train across Tay Bridge and back. We will be there late August and will just miss Book and Fringe Festivals, but should be able to pick up some International Festival Events -I think we may be OK for a Princes Park Fireworks Concert. Three days will not be enough for that time of year. Thanks again.
    - Noel

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    Moderator Donald's Avatar
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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Noel

    That's a lot you're going to pack in.

    Quote Originally Posted by casper View Post
    ... and take a train across Tay Bridge and back.
    Do you mean the Tay Bridge or the Forth Bridge (you can do both on the same train journey)? For a pre-visit glimpse of both, have a look at my 'Bridges' gallery, here.

  9. #9

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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by kaye leggett View Post
    Wow - that's some itinerary. Good spots from my knowledge of some of these places are
    Whitby is fab - Dracula's abbey on the hill, beautiful coastline, interesting harbour
    Harrogate - good gardens in town and the nearby Royal Horticultural Society one at Harlow Carr
    Llangollen - beautiful Welsh scenery (Donald will claim not as good as Scotland and I'd tend to agree) + canal and famous viaduct. If you get a chance t go further North to the coast there are some good castles around, Caenarvon, Conway, Harlech. Take a look at the Welsh Heritage websites to see what events may be on if you fancy a mock battle or two
    Edinburgh - I'll leave Donald to elaborate, but sounds like you may be around for the Festival if you're there in August
    Brighton - if you hit a hot weekend will be heaving on the beach as all of London tips out there on a sunny weekend. Fairly near is Battle - the famous site of 1066 - again have a look at English Heritage web site for pointers.

    Another good resource is the National Trust website to find places nearby where you're visiting. Between them and English/Welsh Heritage they have a vast array of history and landscape managed here which is open to us.

    Enjoy your trip - we look forward to seeing some of the photos from the Aussie eye.
    hi Kaye, thank you for replying. I will follow up on all of your recommendations. Staying just opposite the Abbey in Whitby, will be there for their Folk Festival weekend so the place will be packed. Will do a bit of driving up and down the coast, NYMR steam train), and eat fish and chips from the plinth of Captain Cook's statue (like Nick Rohan did in "Heartbeat"). A month too late for the Eisteddford in Llangollen, but staying almost on top of the Pontcysyllte viaduct - I love canals and barges (never seen one, though). Lots to see and photograph there as well. Brighton/Eastbourne has a lot locally, but we will use as a platform for the south east, including Hastings/Battle and Dover. Hoping to do a day tour from London to the Cotswolds, so we will see your part of the country as well. Thanks again for all of your tips.
    - Noel

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    allenlennon's Avatar
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    Allen or "Lurchy" is fine

    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    ah, you were in my small town of portland! Nice photos by the way.

    Portland is the town that built Sydney, majority of the cement that sydney used came from Portland, hence the saying on our sign. The cement works closed down in the 90's somtimes, my grandfather worked there, after he retired he opned up a museum with a few of the items from the works, such as a big huge metal lathe. A few tools, and once had a huge model of the works that was in the main lobby of the works. Unfortintely he had passed, but the museum is now run by a trust, a trust to which im a part of and live on the property.

    As for the advertisements, all i know of for now is that it was commisioned from the local council to put up these wonderful paintings around the main part of portland to bring back an idea of how advertisement was used and made back in the good old days. There is the arnot one that you have pictured, cement works down the ally( pretty much just down and across the street), food works, and toilet block.

    Next time your done in Portland let me know and you can drop by and see some of the tools from the cement works and such.
    Last edited by allenlennon; 9th May 2013 at 04:46 AM.

  11. #11
    Kaye Leggett's Avatar
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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by casper View Post
    hi Kaye, thank you for replying. I will follow up on all of your recommendations. Staying just opposite the Abbey in Whitby, will be there for their Folk Festival weekend so the place will be packed. Will do a bit of driving up and down the coast, NYMR steam train), and eat fish and chips from the plinth of Captain Cook's statue (like Nick Rohan did in "Heartbeat"). A month too late for the Eisteddford in Llangollen, but staying almost on top of the Pontcysyllte viaduct - I love canals and barges (never seen one, though). Lots to see and photograph there as well. Brighton/Eastbourne has a lot locally, but we will use as a platform for the south east, including Hastings/Battle and Dover. Hoping to do a day tour from London to the Cotswolds, so we will see your part of the country as well. Thanks again for all of your tips.
    - Noel
    Hi Noel
    I forgot, Magpie Cafe for fish and chips in Whitby. You can takeaway or eat in - if the latter you have to queue but it is worth it.
    kaye

  12. #12

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    Re: Sunday drive from Sydney (Australia)

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald View Post
    Noel

    That's a lot you're going to pack in.


    Do you mean the Tay Bridge or the Forth Bridge (you can do both on the same train journey)? For a pre-visit glimpse of both, have a look at my 'Bridges' gallery, here.
    hi Donald,
    That will be the Forth Bridge. Spot the tourist. Thanks for putting me straight.
    - Noel

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