ROAD TRIP TO DUNEDOO - PROJECT 52

A long day today for my 'Project 52' where I am going out every weekend to somewhere starting with the letter in the alphabet... This week ' D'!! Dunedoo it had to be!!

Dunedoo is a tiny rural service centre on the crossroads of the Golden and Castlereagh Highways. It is surrounded by fertile plains, gently rolling hills and wide valleys. The local water comes from the Talbragar River. The surrounding district is agricultural and concentrates on wheat, cattle, mixed farming, timber, fat lambs and wool. The commercial centre is effectively a run of shops along Bolaro Street which runs beside the railway line.

Dunedoo is located 354 km north west of Sydney via Mudgee, 97 km north east of Dubbo and 88 km north of Mudgee.

Dunedoo is well known to Australian travellers due to its distinctive name ‘Dunny’, which is a colloquial Australian word for a toilet. The name is actually derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning "swan", which are commonly found in the area's lagoons.

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

CARLINGFORD & CAMELLIA - PROJECT 52

This weeks 'Project 52' had me staying in Sydney metro area, as we've had some horrendous weather this past week, with many trees down and wires cut, so I played it safe near home...

For 'C', I visited the newly opened 'Carlingford to Westmead' L4 Tram Line (others will want to call it a 'Light Rail' - I beg to differ...)

The stabling yard is located in 'Camellia', which is located behind the Rosehill Racecourse.

The Carlingford railway line was originally constructed a ‘heavy rail’ line in Sydney, NSW.

It was opened from Clyde (on the main western line) to Subiaco, renamed Camellia, in January 1885, then by means of the construction of a bridge across the Parramatta River, and then up the hill to Carlingford in 1896!

The line was also used heavily on race days at the Rosehill Racecourse.

The busy James Ruse Drive, required a bridge to be built to cross over it, and this bridge Bidgee Bidgee Bridge, to recognise the important Aboriginal heritage of Parramatta as well as the life and legacy of Bidgee Bidgee – a prominent local Aboriginal Elder. It uses Australian-made weathered steel to minimise future maintenance and reduce disruptions to light rail network operations. 

The ‘Heavy Rail’ line was closed on 5 January 2020 with most of the line converted to be part of Parramatta Tram Line, otherwise known as the L4 Carlingford to Westmead, which opened in December 2024. A very short section between Clyde and just short of Parramatta Rd, was retained for use by Sydney Trains.

'End of the Line' - both for the tram, and the old Carlingford Produce Store surrounded by the ever growing Carlingford unit blocks... After over a 100 years of continuing presence, Carlingford Produce Store closed its door permanently on February 27th, 2021.

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

Wallerawang Power Station

On Sunday, when driving out to Ben Bullen for my 'Project 52', I past the decommissioned Wallerawang Power Stiation, just past Lithgow. As I had the drone with me, it was too good of a morning to not put it up over the remaining towers!!

It was really cool to see it from this perspective from above!!!

Wallerawang Power Station was a thermal coal powered station, located near Wallerawang, in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. The power station was equipped with two turbo-alternators of 500 megawatts (670,000 hp) each, supplied byCA Parsons & Company of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Production commenced in May 1957.

In July 2013, Energy Australia acquired Wallerawang Power Station, along with Mount Piper Power Station, from Delta Electrix. Due to dwindling demand, the first of the two generating units had been mothballed in January 2013, and the second in April 2014. In November 2014, EnergyAustralia announced that it would permanently close Wallerawang due to ongoing reduced energy demand, lack of access to competitively priced coal and the power station's high operating costs. EnergyAustralia began the process of removing useful equipment from the station in 2015, and was finally demolished in 2021 using controlled demolition.

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

Customer Service - Could NOT get any better!!!

Almost three years ago and not long after I got my new car (Toyota Fortuner 4WD) which I just love, I had a Stedi Lightbar installed into a cavity in the Bullbar, installed by the team at PCTA Offroad. Everything has gone really well over the 100,oookm I have done. Until just before Christmas...

I had noticed that the light was suddenly, very HIGN! And when I investigated, it was actually very loose!! As I had some time off, I looked at it, tried to fix it, but my tools and fingers were just not good enough... So I contacted the team at PCTA who did the install.

When I got to the store, the technician who did the install, was now at a sub-branch over the other side of the railway line, and so I went over. After a quick look, I was told it would take about an hour, as all of the protective 'bash plates' would need to come off to access the rear of the lightbar; no issues there and was quoted $170 (no issues either as it was well after any sort of warranty period!)

So today was the day, and arrived at the service centre, and the guys took the car in to be worked on. Meanwhile, I was in the waiting room, going crazy on modifications I might like to make (wheels & tyres are next, wider and higher). A couple of other guys were also getting quotes etc... After about an hour, my car was ready, and I was invited out to inspect, and I was so happy again. He remembered my car from a UHF Radio installation (which is also another mod very soon), and we got talking.... I asked the Manager about the wheels and tyres, and BOOM, not only a good price (returning customer maybe?), but the repair today was for FREE!!!! He also told me to keep an eye out on the socials as they quite often have special "Buy THREE, get one FREE" which I am happy to wait for!!!

So, thanks guys, a simple goodwill gesture has me coming back for future mods!!!

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

BEN BULLEN - Project52

Continuing on with the 'Project 52' of visitiing a letter of the alphabet everyweekend, today I headed west for 'Ben Bullen'... Not much there really, just a lonely old abandoned railway stattion, which made for a bit of interest with the stabled coal wagons in the siding...

Ben Bullen is located on the Castlereagh Highway (almost) halfway between Cullen Bullen and Capertee.

The place name Ben Bullen is derived from the local Aboriginal word meaning “high, quiet place”.

The village was formed when the railway was constructed in the early 1880s. While goods trains still use the railway line the small railway station is closed. Since the closure of the railway station a bus service serves the community.

Ben Bullen is surrounded by picturesque cattle grazing land and the Gardens of Stone National Park. Farming and coal mining are the main local employers.

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

2024 - MY FLICKR REVIEW...

So, apparently, Flickr have a year in review... So I looked it up to see what happened!!

My shot of a United B747 was my top hit!!

Overall stas below.... Thanks to everyone who enjoys my shots!!

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

Stanhopea Orchids

After moving houses back in 2016, I had a couple of the Stanhopea nigroviolacea (Vanilla Orchid Upside Down Orchid) that didn't really survive. Theyre the sort of plant you can literally have in a basket, and almost literally do nothing much more... Or so I thought!

Anyway, I asked my father-in-law if he happened to have any he was about to divide, and if possible, could I grab a couple?? Well I got three, 2 were from a single basket that he divided, and the other was a singluar basket. You see, they have to be in baskets, with Melaluca (Paper Bark Trees) to hold in the bark/soil mixture as they are more of an epiphite type plant! He also told me that the divided pair may not flower as well...

To my delight, both visually and aromaticly, they ALL flowered!!! The divided pair one had three spikes of flowers (two flowers per spike), whilst the other had a singular, and the undivided one, well it had a total of ten, yes thats TEN spikes!!

These started mid December last year, and today, the last spike has opened, so over Christmas, I have had a lovely vanilla scent in the courtyard, wofting into the kitchen and dining area...

IF you can find these delicate orchids, I would recomend them!!

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

AUSTINMER BEACH & OCEAN POOL - PROJECT 52

I have wanted to get back into the 'Project 52' for a while, in many ways to challenge my photography and see new things and venure either to parts of Sydney Metro I have not yet been to, or to head further out of Sydney to see what is about...

So in this weeks edition, the first weenend where I will e posting this series, it was off to 'A' for Austinmeer along the upper Illawarra, before you hit Wollongong.

The afternoon before, I checked my Weatherzone app on my mobile, and saw that first light was to be 0510, WOW this was going to be an early start as it was just over an hour to get there! I pushed off at about 0330 just to be sure, and was a very pleasant drive south, windows down, music on, and the road ahead well lit up with the lightbar on the car! Arrived nice and early, and positioned myself atop of the changerooms for the beach, which was like that of a 'lookout' offerring up splendid view across the beach. I set up the camera, programed for a frame to be taken every 20 seconds, and whilst it did its thing, I simply chilled in my campchair.

The Austinmer Rock Pool, also known as ‘ocean pools’ or ‘ocean baths’, was first built in the early 1910s and then rebuilt or replaced several times at various locations along Austinmer Beach. You can still see the remains of the Children’s Bathing Pool at the foot of the steep cliff of Brickyard Point.

Here are some of the pics I got, along with the lifeguards Hut, in the middle of the beach, with the sun just tipping over the horizon of the Tasman Sea.

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

Sea Cliff Bridge - Best seen with a drone!

I have been here beofore with my old drone (DJI Phantom 4), but now with the replacement (DJI AIR 3), I am seeing things VERY differently!!!

I feel I have just more freedom with the flying, better camera(s) and the combination is just very picturesque indeed!!!

I started the day early, VERY early (thus no post last night) and had the alarm set for 0330; I woke at 0300! I was heading to a destination for tomorrows post, so after that, I went and revisited the old Sea Cliff Bridge. Opened in December 2005, and at 665 metre long, Sea Cliff Bridge is a highlight along the Grand Pacific Drive. A drive which takes in 140 kilometres worth of coastal scenery from the Royal National Park, Loftus down to Nowra.

HISTORY

Lawrence Hargrave Drive is a spectacular section of Coast Road just north of Wollongong NSW. The Sea Cliff Bridge was built to address geotechnical instability between Clifton and Coalcliff that would result in road closures, sometimes for months at a time.

The Sea Cliff Bridge was created after it was deemed the road that curved alongside the cliff face was unsafe due to rockfall activity that could close the road for months at a time.

The $49 million bridge braces against the Pacific Ocean, up to 70 metres east of the original alignment in places. It consists of a five-span, 450-metre-long balanced cantilever bridge adjoining a seven-span, 203-metre-long incremental launched bridge, sharing a common pier.

The goal of this ambitious project was to provide a fully available road with a design life of 100 years. The bridges incorporate two traffic lanes of 3.5 metres to 3.8 metres and a 2.5-metre shared pathway.

Lawrence Hargrave Drive is named after the famous aviator and the first Australian to fly at the nearby Stanwell Park.

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie

Back to work it is then...

So today it was a 'back to work' day, not much really happened really there, all normal...

But, I was already planning what I can get with the dron over the weekend! I sort of want to do a post (I am thinking of a Sunday) where I will visit somewhere in the Sydney Metro (maybe even a little wider) and run through the alphabet as I go along... I mean, theres 26 letters in the alphabet and 52 weeks in a year, coincidence?? Maybe not...

So, on Saturday or Sunday I will go to somewhere, that starts with the letter 'A', where, I don't know just yet, so stay tuned there...

In the meantime, here is a pic when I tried this back in 2011, but there was just too many things going on, so I will PROMISE I will complete this, this year...

'Avalon' is on Sydney's Northern Beaches, and a fave of mine that I try to get to every summer, though I am now heading to a more subdued 'Inner Harbour' beach...

Hoo roo for now...

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Bernie