Australia - New South Wales - Terrigal

 

NEW SOUTH WALES

Terrigal - Central Coast.

Sent by Vanessa, a postcrosser from New South Wales, Australia.

This is from Wikipedia :  Terrigal is a major coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located 12 kilometres (7 mi) east of Gosford on the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area.

Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray, who called his property Tarrygal, after the indigenous^[ Aboriginal place name, signifying 'place of little birds'.

The town's long beach is highly popular with tourists. Of geographical significance are the Terrigal lagoons. There are in fact two lagoons at Terrigal, one of which has been filled in to make way for a traffic oval. A local landmark is "The Skillion", a promontory which provides a view of all Terrigal. In recent years the Skillion has undergone rehabilitation by the local city council.

The Skillion is on a preserved area of land known as "The Haven". The Haven is centered by a popular public oval which is home of the "Terrigal Trojans", a Rugby Union club. Their new club house was provided by Gosford City Council. The Haven also has a popular boat ramp which is partnered by a diving club, and a small number of restaurants and cafes (due to tight development restrictions on the area).

In recent years, Gosford City Council has spent approximately $3 million upgrading Terrigal's CBD with a new multi-level car park, esplanade walkway and new stormwater drainage system. As a result of improved infrastructure and increased developer interest, Terrigal has become substantially more urban since the 1970s, when there was only 1 market, 1 medical centre and orchards in the area.

Terrigals growth as a tourist destination and investment opportunity for wealthy individuals, such as holiday homes and small business, has had both positive and negative effects on the area such as the problem of traffic congestion and parking.

Just outside the CBD lie a number of amenities: a recently re-built hotel (2006), a primary school and high school (separate campuses), Catholic School, basketball stadium (used for training by Olympic athletes in the 2000 Sydney Olympics), and a large multi-purpose oval with 3 fields and year-round sporting activities. Not far from the town centre are large shopping centres and freeway (19 km) linked to Sydney(south) and Newcastle (north). The town itself is serviced by Terrigal Drive (to the west), Scenic Highway (to the south) and Ocean View Drive to the north.

 

Australia - New South Wales

The flag, Waratah and Laughing Kookaburra are emblems of the State of New South Wales. Left, top-bottom : Over Sydney Harbour Bridge to the city and the Opera House; Hanging Rock looming over the bush-clad slopes of the Grose Valley, in the Blue Mountains.

Sent by Ali, a postcrosser from Australia.

Australia - New South Wales

Sunrise Australia
The sun rises over the horizon in coastal New South Wales.

Sent by Alison, a WiP partner from Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : New South Wales (abbreviated as NSW), is Australia's most populous state, and is located in the south-east of the country, north of Victoria, south of Queensland, east of South Australia and encompasses the whole of the Australian Capital Territory. The colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland, as well as Van Diemen's Land, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island in addition to the area currently referred to as the state of New South Wales, which was formed during Federation in 1901.

When Britain annexed New Zealand in 1840, it briefly became a part of New South Wales. During the 19th century large areas were successively separated to form the British colonies of Tasmania (established as a separate colony named Van Diemen's Land in 1825), South Australia (1836), Victoria (1851) and Queensland (1859).

Inhabitants of New South Wales are referred to as New South Welshmen. New South Wales's largest city and capital is Sydney.

New South Wales contains one third (33%) of Australia's population.

Australia - Sydney's Centrepoint Tower

New South Wales/Sydney's Centrepoint Tower.

Sent by Sara, a postcrosser from Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : Sydney Tower (also known as the AMP Tower, AMP Centrepoint Tower, Centrepoint Tower or just Centrepoint) is Sydney's tallest free-standing structure, and the second tallest in Australia (with the Q1 building on the Gold Coast being the tallest). It is also the second tallest observation tower in the Southern Hemisphere (after Auckland's Sky Tower, though Sydney Tower's main observation deck is almost 50 m (164 ft) higher than that of Auckland's Sky Tower). The Sydney Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

The tower stands 309 m (1,014 ft) above the Sydney CBD, being located at 100 Market Street, between Pitt and Castlereagh Streets. It is accessible from the Pitt Street Mall, and sits upon Centrepoint (to which the tower is often referred), an office and shopping centre development. The tower is open to the public, and is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the city, being visible from a number of vantage points throughout town and from adjoining suburbs.

While AMP managed the Centrepoint shopping centre, the tower was officially referred to as "AMP Tower". After the Westfield Group took over ownership of Centrepoint in December 2001, the name was changed to Sydney Tower. Locals almost always refer to it as Centrepoint Tower.

Whilst the Shopping centre at the base of the Tower is run by the Westfield Group the tower itself is part of the Village Roadshow Theme Parks Group. Visitors can buy a pass from Village or at the gate that allows them a visit all of the Sydney attractions under the Village Roadshow Banner (Sydney Tower, Wildlife World and The Sydney Aquarium).

Australia - Blue Mountains

Early morning mist rises from the Jamison Valley floor at the foot of the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

Sent by Sharon from New South Wales in Australia.

Australia - Lord Howe Island Group

Lord Howe Island - widely regarded as the most beautiful island in the Pacific - is the closest island getaway to Sydney, and a part of New South Wales, Australia. It's less than two hours flying from either Sydney or Brisbane off Australia's east coast. It is one of just four island groups to be inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list for the global significance of its natural beauty and heritage.

Sent by Sharon from New South Wales in Australia.

Located in the South Pacific, 700 km north-east of Sydney, the property is included administratively in New South Wales. The preserve includes some 75% of the land area of Lord Howe Island and all of the offshore islands and rocks of significant size in the region. These are the Admiralty Group; Mutton Bird and Sail Rock; Blackburn (Rabbit) Island; Gower Island; and Ball's Pyramid, together with a number of small islands and rocks. The seaward boundary follows the mean high water mark and consequently excludes all littoral and marine areas. The entire island group has remarkable volcanic exposures not known elsewhere.

The main island of Lord Howe measures 10 km from north and south and is little more than 2 km in width. It roughly describes a crescent, enclosing a coral reef lagoon on its south-western side. The island's topography is dominated by the southerly Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird. Only a narrow isthmus of lowland country in the north-central part of the island is habitable. The northern tip consists of steep hillsides culminating in extensive sea cliffs against the northern coastline.

Lord Howe Island is the eroded remnant of a large shield volcano which erupted from the sea floor intermittently for about 500,000 years in the late Miocene (6.5-7 million years ago). The island group represents the exposed peaks of a large volcanic seamount which is about 65 km long and 24 km wide and which rises from ocean depths of over 1,800 m. Four separate series of volcanic rocks are recognized on the main island group: tuffs, breccia and basalts, with widespread intrusion of basaltic dykes. The dominant landforming process on Lord Howe since the last of the volcanic eruptions has been marine erosion, which has cut and maintained major cliffs. Slope failure and accumulation of talus at the foot of some cliffs, especially in the south, have modified their original shape.

The island supports the southern truest coral reef in the world, which is of Pleistocene to Recent Age and differs considerably from more northerly warm water reefs. It is unique in being a transition between the algal and coral reef, due to fluctuations of hot and cold water around the island. A wide variety of vegetation types has been described for the islands, with the diversity corresponding with the range of habitats. Variable exposure to wind and penetration of salt spray appear to be the main determinants of vegetation occurrence, structure and floristic.

 A population of the large forest bat occurs on the Island. No other indigenous native mammals are known. Introduced species, however, include mice, rats and goats.

There are at least 129 native and introduced bird species. Lord Howe is now the only known breeding ground for providence petrel. Fleshy-footed shearwater breeds in large numbers, with possibly half the world's population present seasonally. Other important species breeding within the preserve include kermadec petrel, black-winged petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, little shearwater, white-bellied storm petrel, masked booby, and red-tailed tropic bird in greater concentrations than probably anywhere else in the world.

The earliest European discovery of Lord Howe appears to have been in 1788 by the British. A small permanent settlement was established in the 19th century, subsisting on trade with passing ships. There is no recognized evidence of prior Polynesian or Melanesian discovery or settlement. (Source)

Australia - Sydney Opera House (2)

Sydney, capital of New South Wales, is Australia's premier city. Amongst its landamarks are Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, seen here glowing in the light of a magnificent Sydney sunset.

Sent by Catharine, a WiP partner from Queensland in Australia.

Australia - Beautiful Govett's Leap

Beautiful Govett's Leap in Blackheath, New South Wales, Australia.

Sent by Barbara, a postcrosser from Blackheath, NWS, AUstralia.

"A talk by Brian Fox on the place names of the Blue Mountains entitled "Why is it called Govett's Leap?" was held on Wed, Dec 3, 2003, at Lawson Mid-Mountains Community Centre.

Forty Bushcare volunteers and friends attended. Brian revealed some fascinating information on the origins of many place names in the Blue Mountains, and showed how they revealed much knowledge on our Aboriginal and European ancestry.

So "Why is it called Govett's Leap?" Well the name is controversial, as the waterfall feature of Blackheath has also been called Bridal Veil Falls - thought to be more attractive to tourists. "Govett" was a surveyor under the direction of Mitchell. He was involved in the early survey work of that area. The word "Leap" is Scottish for waterfall or cataract. Brian was also keen to point out that the local myth is just that, another tourist industry story. The story involves a supposed Bushranger "Govett" who robbed a bank in Blackheath, was chased to the end of the ridge and then rode over, the gold apparently never being found. The monument on the Great Western Highway refers to this." (Source)

Australia - Sydney Opera House (1)

FLOODLIGHTS ON SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Sent by Danhong, a postcrosser from Sydney, Australia.

A major cultural centre for Sydney and its siting at Bennelong Point had been discussed since the 1940s. In 1956 the New South Wales Government called an open-ended international design competition and appointed an independent jury, rather than commissioning a local firm. The competition brief provided broad specifications to attract the best design talent in the world; it did not specify design parameters or set a cost limit. The main requirement of the competition brief was a design for a dual function building with two performance halls.

The competition generated enormous interest in Australia and overseas. The New South Wales Government’s decision to commission Jørn Utzon as the sole architect was unexpected, bold and visionary. There was scepticism as to whether the structure could be built given Utzon’s limited experience, the rudimentary and unique design concept and the absence of any engineering advice. The competition drawings were largely diagrammatic, the design had not been fully costed and neither Utzon nor the jury had consulted a structural engineer. Utzon’s design concept included unprecedented architectural forms and demanded solutions that required new technologies and materials. The New South Wales Government also faced public pressure to select an Australian architect.

The Sydney Opera House is often thought of as being constructed in three stages and this is useful in understanding the history of the three key elements of its architectural composition: the podium (stage 1: 1958–1961), the vaulted shells (stage 2: 1962–1967) and the glass walls and interiors (stage 3: 1967–1973). Architect Jørn Utzon conceived the overall design and supervised the construction of the podium and the vaulted shells. The glass walls and interiors were designed and their construction supervised by architect Peter Hall supported by Lionel Todd and David Littlemore in conjunction with the then New South Wales Government Architect, Ted Farmer. Peter Hall was in conversation with Utzon on various aspects of the design for at least eighteen months following his departure. Ove Arup & Partners provided the engineering expertise for all three stages of construction.

Design and construction were closely intertwined. Utzon’s unique design together with his radical approach to the construction of the building fostered an exceptional collaborative and innovative environment. His collaborative model marked a break from conventional architectural practice at the time. The design solution and construction of the shell structure took eight years to complete and the development of the special ceramic tiles for the shells took over three years. The Sydney Opera House became a testing laboratory and a vast, open-air pre-casting factory.

The Sydney Opera House took sixteen years to build; this was six years longer than scheduled and ten times more than its original estimated cost. On 20 October 1973 the Sydney Opera House was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. After inauguration, new works were undertaken over time. Between 1986 and 1988 the land approach and forecourt were reconstructed and the lower concourse developed under the supervision of the then New South Wales Government Architect, Andrew Andersons, with contributions by Peter Hall.

Between 1998 and 1999 the recording and rehearsal room was converted into two areas: an assembly area for the orchestra and the Studio, a revitalised performance space for the presentation of innovative music and performing arts. In 1998, in accordance with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of inauguration, the Sydney Opera House Trust appointed Sydney architect Richard Johnson to advise on future development of the site and to establish planning principles. Through Johnson, the Sydney Opera House Trust began negotiations to reconcile with Utzon and to re-engage him with the building in an advisory capacity. In 1999 Utzon formally accepted Premier Carr’s invitation to re-engage with the project by setting down design principles that outline his vision for the building and explain the principles behind his design. Over three years he worked with his architect son and business partner, Jan Utzon, and Richard Johnson to draw up his design principles for the Sydney Opera House, including the refurbishment of the reception hall, construction of the western loggia, exploration of options for improving the Concert Hall acoustics, improving services to the forecourt to support performances, modification of the orchestra pit and interior of the Opera Theatre. In 2002 The Sydney Opera House Trust released the Utzon Design Principles. In 2004 refurbishment of the Utzon Room (formerly known as the reception hall) was completed. (Source)

Australia - Three Sisters

Three Sisters,
Blue Mountains, Australia.

Sent by IndigoAngel from New South Wales, Australia.

This is from Wikipedia : The Three Sisters is a famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. They are close to the town of Katoomba and are one of the Blue Mountains' most famous sights, towering above the Jamison Valley. Their names are Meehni (922 m), Wimlah (918 m), and Gunnedoo (906 m).

The Sisters were formed by erosion. The soft sandstone of the Blue Mountains is easily eroded over time by wind, rain and rivers, and the cliffs surrounding the Jamison Valley are being slowly broken up. Formations like the Three Sisters are created when water seeps into small cracks in the rock, gradually enlarging them over time to form large indentations. Eventually, the Sisters will be eroded away completely.

The commonly told legend of the Three Sisters is that three sisters fell in love with three men from a neighbouring tribe, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. Battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back. This legend is claimed to be an Indigenous Australian Dreamtime legend.

However, Dr Martin Thomas, in his work "The artificial horizon: imagining the Blue Mountains", clearly shows that the "aboriginal" legend is a fabrication created by a non-Aboriginal local Katoomba identity, Mel Ward, presumably to add interest to a local landmark. The story originated in the late 1920s or early 1930s and is unknown prior to that date.

The Aboriginal traditional owners, the Gundungurra, have a legend that includes the Sisters rock formation. They are currently developing a website which will include these traditional stories.

From the nearby Echo Point, a bushwalking trail leads to the Three Sisters and down to the valley floor via more than 800 well-maintained steel and stone steps called "The Giant Stairway". Then a 1.5-hour walk on The Federal Pass trail leads to the base of Katoomba Falls and the Katoomba Scenic Railway. Walkers who don't wish to climb back to the top can take the Scenic Railway back to civilization for a small fee.

Australia - Sydney

Around Sydney, Australia.

Sent by Stephen (TravBuddy)