Absolutely a picturesque view! Words often don't due nature as beautiful of this any justice. If…read moreyou love nature and you find yourself nearnearby, then definitely visit and be awed by nature. While you're here, see if you can spot the waterfall.

There is just something amazing about the views that you get from the Blue Mountains. I suspect…read morethat it has a lot to do with you basically starting at the top of the mountain and going for your hikes from there, which is basically the opposite of most other mountainous regions that I know, where you basically start at the bottom had literally have to make your way up to the top. What is even better about this place is that there is a bus that takes you from the railway station to the entrance to the park, so you don't actually have to walk all that far. However, the catch is that the bus doesn't come all that often. I'll have to come back, even if it is just to walk into the valley, and out again.

What can we say about a bridge? I dunno... I do like that it's there and it seems quite useful…read more Just one of those things we all will just take for granted.

Gladesville is a suburb of Sydney located 9 km north-west of the Sydney central business district…read more One of Sydney's most famous landmarks is the Gladesville Bridge, an arch span bridge allowing Victoria Road over Parramatta River and links the north shore with the inner west. When completed in 1964, this bridge was the longest single-span concrete arch ever constructed. Construction took five years to complete and the bridge opened on October 2nd, 1964. There are three northbound traffic lanes and four southbound lanes, with a concrete median. Gladesville Bridge is part of the annual Seven Bridges Walk, a 26.2 km loop circuit that travels clockwise around Sydney Harbour. The starting point if you wanna start here is the Hunter's Hill village at Church Street near the Burns Bay overpass. The bridge design was a first, but construction method was reminiscent of the ancient Roman method of building arches in sections using temporary formwork. Precast concrete blocks were hoisted up from barges on the river, and huge inflatable rubber gaskets were installed and inflated with hydraulic fluid, which lifted the entire arch above the temporary formwork to support its own weight. Then the gaskets were filled with liquid concrete, which set to form a permanent solid arch. The formwork was then moved sideways and the next arch constructed in the same fashion. Once the arches were in place, the deck was constructed with precast concrete units. The bridge was designed by G Maunsell & Partners of London, with consulting approval from the famous bridge engineer Eugene Freyssinet. The current bridge replaced the original Gladesville Bridge completed in 1881, which was the only crossing of the Parramatta River east of Parramatta at that time (Sydney Harbour Bridge was completed in 1932). The old Gladesville Bridge was constructed in a bridge binge in the1880s, which also saw the construction of the Iron Cove Bridge, Glebe Island Bridge and Pyrmont Bridge. The old bridge was 300 metres (980 ft) to the west of the modern bridge. The sandstone piers on each shore are all that remain today of the original bridge (next to Huntleys Point Ferry Wharf, and in Howley Park, Drummoyne). This bridge reminds me of the Coronado Bridge in San Diego, with its concrete arch and pylons, and its clearance so high above the water. Smooth and clean. The span of the bridge is 305 metres (1000 ft) and has a high clearance of 40 metres (133 ft). A high school friend of mine lived on the water next to here and we used to row his little boat across the bay. Years later I used to take the rivercat catamaran to work which of course ran under this bridge.

Picture it. I'm on a tour of an historical home - Australia's OLDEST surviving homestead no less -…read moreand there's a kid putting his little sticky fingers all over every object he sees. It brings a tear to my history-lovin' eye. Because, for me, history has never just been words printed in a dusty old book by an equally dusty member of the academic elite. History SHOULD BE a multisensory experience for everyone of all ages. At good ol' Lizzie Farm...that's possible. For this, comrades, is a "museum without barriers." The house itself is, of course, the real Mccoy but everything in it is replica whilst remaining true to the period. So there is no stern lady pulling a cat's bum expression when you have a tinkle of the ol' ivories in the living room, throw on a lady's bonnet in the foyer, scale one of those insanely high beds they used to sleep on, pick up the chamber pot beneath, sit in the living room and read a newspaper from back in the day, or examine Elizabeth Macarthur's personal letters in her darling little letter-writing room. It is so well done, a few times I forgot everything was replica and stopped myself mid-touch only to remember that this action was both acceptable and actively encouraged by the guides! From the main area of the house you move into the sandstone courtyard area and look upon the female convicts' quarters. To the right is a beautiful big tree in the main courtyard area (could it be more serene here???? ) and to the left you can head off to the colonial kitchen with its entrance step worn down by countless shoes over the centuries and where you'll find a peep hole into the cellar beneath! (They think it was possibly for spying on the cons in case they were slacking off but also was good for ventilation). I want this kitchen. Heck! I want this house. They don't make 'em like they used' t' could! In that charming kitchen, the guide informed us, the wee'uns can make scones as part of the "Colonial Kids" program they also offer at the site. For the same program, the cellar below is closed off and darkened and is thereby transformed into the hull of a prison ship. The guide demonstrated this for us briefly and you could really appreciate how it would help children to imagine what it was like to be a convict being transported across the seas for the difficult months-long voyage. Even if you have been here before, go again! Not only is it a beautiful place to wile away a few hours,* it is also a place that changes over time as new historical research uncovers more information about the ways the original inhabitants used these rooms. Chances are, then, that the room you viewed once may now tell a different story to the one you heard previously. Our guide informed us that tours for large groups can also be tailored; e.g. if a girls' school visits they might like a feminist history angle so the tour will focus on Elizabeth Macarthur. You also have multiple options regarding how you interact with the site. There are guided tours, which are extremely engaging and informative and you are free to spend as much time as you like roaming around the site inspecting the rooms and objects at the conclusion of the guided tour. Or, if you've taken the tour before, you can opt for a self-guided tour from the get-go. The interactivity of the site is heightened by the optional iPad experience. Borrow one from the visitors' centre and click on a room in the house as you stand or sit in it and watch a short video clip with supplementary information about the room's history. They've thought of everything! The guided tour of Lizzie Farm is only 1 hour long approximately, but I bet you'll find it hard to pry yourself away from here after just one hour! I recommend you do this tour then walk (or drive) around the corner to John Macarthur's "Hambledon Cottage." Just don't think you can put your sticky fingers on the stuff at Hambledon Cottage...(it ain't replica) or there shall be cat's bum expressions aplenty. * Review originally written and posted 2 March 2013.

As I came up the hill through the little reserve, I started thinking strategically. If I was a…read morecolonial capitalist I'd pick that spot to make visible my wealth too. Defensible. Elizabeth Farm is the Macarthur's (wool industry guru) bungalow built in 1793, a stop on the Harris Farm Heritage Walk. Already stymied by calendrical difficulties at Hambledon Cottage, I found the situation worse here. Cue self-induced thwack to the head mark two. Ouch. It's only open Friday to Sunday, except January and school holidays when it's open all day. Still, got a good peek round the outside, including what must be one of the first long veradahs in Australian architecture (borrowed from India, I know). The grounds and green and lush and there were quite a few gardeners around keeping everything so. Had a giggle at the 'Eliz Farm' wheelie bin out the front too. Maybe it was the repeated blows to the head. Will update anon.

What else can i say!? Its a bridge that recently had a new bridge added on much to the dismay of…read morelocals but i love the structure of it (the old one that is)! It helps connect people who are out and about doing the Bay Run. In addition, the Iron Cove Bridge connects you to the Birkenhead Shopping Centre (Great for discounts - Its like the DFO for people in the area) Great view from either side of the bridge when your driving or walking with lots of water and scenery to look at.

This is like an old friend. It is stable, strong and a bit tarnished with age. Travelling over the…read morebridge always reminds me of a time in the past . I have often walked on the pedestrian side when jogging/walking on the Bay walk. It is a bridge where you meet all sorts of people at anytime of the day. May people jog the 5km run that can start and end at the bridge. Also you meet our local law enforcer who always hides on the south side of the bridge ready to catch the driver in a hurry. The view from the bridge is beautiful. On one side you view Birkenhead Point and on the other side is Canada Bay. The old bridge has a new bridge beside it looking like a new generation of stability.

Menai library is a small branch of Sutherland Library and has a main section, kids area and…read moreseparate reference/study area. This is great for studying as there are private and group desks, as well as power points for your laptop. There is paid wifi for library members and toilets within the library. The address is listed on the east side of Allison Crescent, but if you park here it is not the most convenient to actually getting into the library. Go into the Menai Marketplace carpark and continue straight through the round a bout with the kids skate park and play equipment on your right. The road curves around to the left, with the community centres and library in front of you. Parking anywhere around here is an easier option. Don't bother looking for lunch in the Marketplace shopping centre if you are looking for quality. Fried chicken, subway and takeaway is all there is.

If you are going there on a Saturday morning, give yourself plenty of time as you will be queuing…read morefor at least a half hour.

So many promises - it'll be huge; four stories! It'll have more seating!…read moreMore powerpoints! Different levels for different things! Longer opening hours! And yet, the new and improved Macquarie University Library suffers from many of the same problems as the old one - problems that millions of dollars apparently couldn't fix. As was the case in the old library, THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT SEATS! You built an entire new building, Macquarie - surely you could ensure that it met the needs of the students? And speaking of insufficient, the power point situation is fairly dire. Make sure if you are lucky enough to get one, keep it! All day, if you need to. Some of the issues, however, have been alleviated - the darkness that plagued the old library has been eliminated by the glass feature through the middle of the building that allows natural light to flood the structure. The Macquarie University administration seems very proud of the green credentials of the library, which include this natural light situation and the use of brown water in the toilets. Unfortunately, they seem to have gone a little too far with it - the air conditioning is seemingly protesting about the amount of emissions it lets off, and refuses to work quite frequently My other problem with this new building is the NOISE - its open plan dictates that there is always noise, ranging from a constant mutter on the so-called "quiet" levels, to the open shouting that occurs on others. This is probably the fault of the local HSC students who seem to think they own the library - Go back to school!

Great food, comfy beds, friendly staff, will stay again…read more Rating five stars