Joadja Ghost Town

Here is a great day out in the Southern Highlands, just under two hour’s drive from Sydney – about 145km for us. The old town of Joadja featured in a book I found in a second hand shop a couple of years ago – called simply Australian Ghost Towns.

Joadja Historic Site is located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. The town of Joadja was established in the late 1870’s by the Australian Kerosene Oil and Mineral Co. 

Hundreds of Scottish miners with mining and retorting skills settled in the area to exploit the oil shale. ​The Scottish heritage in the valley meant that the town soon had its own distillery and brewery. The town grew to be about 1,300. Men women and children.

I will try to let the photos do the talking but as always you really need to visit these places. Alternatively if you search “Joadja” on YouTube there are some interesting videos.

You can also visit the Joadja website for more information and to book a tour: https://www.joadjatown.com.au/

The owners now run guided tours of the old ruins. We went on a combined ghost town and distillery tour. The tour was excellent and the guide (one of the owners of the land) was extremely informative.

Two Spaniards Maintaining History

The land now belongs to a couple who were born thousands of miles away on the other side of the world. Valero and Elisa Jimenez bought the 718 acre property just over a decade ago at an auction. They now own and manage the old Joadja town.

Valero was born in Málaga and came to Australia as a six year old in 1972. Elisa was born in Jerez and moved to Australia in 1971 when she was 18 months old. They met years later, in 1987, at Valero’s sister’s Sydney law practice.

 Although the Jimenezes had no experience in making whisky or gin they contacted a man who did and the Joadja distillery was reborn. The current Joadja Distillery was established in 2014.

Basically the rocks (shale) in the area contain oil which has to be extracted and then refined (in the same way as oil is refined now – more or less). But first of course the shale has to be mined. So it is a 3 step process. Compare that to oil shooting up from the ground in Texas, USA. Relatively easy to get out and then only needs refining. This was the main reason that shale oil towns like Joadja simply couldn’t compete. Once American oil products hit the market Joadja’s fate was sealed.

The Ghost Town

At the moment only accompanied tours are on offer but the owners hope to get permission to allow self guided tours and have overnight accommodation on site. That would be great. Hopefully the ongoing talks with local councils and land agencies go smoothly.

 
Inside the remaining houses

Several remains of the old town still lie hidden by overgrown bush and trees. The owners hop to get permission to clear other areas and so extent the tour to include more ruins.

There is also the original old cemetery (see below) which, as regular readers will know, always fascinates me.

Cemetery

Yes, another cemetery. If you want to see the others I have blogged about, just type in “cemetery” in the search bar and the posts will pop up.

Joadja cemetery is currently not on the land owned by the couple that own the ghost town and distillery. But apparently that may soon change. I definitely think this place should be part of the ghost town tour. That said, it is easily accessible (best on foot) just before you see the old school house on the descent into Jodja.

I know to some it may seem a bit weird but these places interest me. No ghost town or even semi-ghost-town is complete without a cemetery. (And no after-life pun intended.) These places tell us a large part of the story of the old towns. In this case the obvious – a host of Scottish names. Plus as always in these places the very sad sight of the extremely young. Always remember that infant mortality was high just about everywhere back in those days – a century and a half ago.

Distillery

Included in the price of our trip was a tour and tasting guide of the distillery.

Apparently the distillery is one of a few single malt distilleries in the world to grow their own barley and have access to natural pristine spring water on-site.

The distillery produces several whiskies along with gin, vodka and rum. Also they market an imported Vermouth and Pedro Jiménez sherry – produce of Spain. All are available in the after tour tasting session. Needless to say I only had the odd sip as I was driving.

I have visited many alcohol production sites over the years. From real ale breweries to wineries to sherry and port makers. This was the first whisky distillery. I found it smaller than expected but interesting and from the small samples I tried, high quality. They even sell a type of gin to the NSW Governor some of which made it to Buckingham Palace.

If you get the chance visit this place. I highly recommend it.

Wait! What? Part 3? THREE!? What happened? I thought I said I would stop at two…

Ok, ok, I admit it. I did. But this one is quite interesting for a number of reasons. Especially if you don’t know the story of the housing in this part of Sydney. Also some of this story applies to many inner city public/council housing projects. So, please, read on…

Firstly, please be sure to read Parts 1 & 2 – here and here. They provide background information and context to what I was originally writing about here. However, in this particular case, there is a lot more to the story.

Cook Themed Structures in Waterloo, South of Sydney City Centre

Waterloo is an inner city suburb just south of Redfern which is just south of the centre of Sydney. Famous (or infamous maybe) for the large social housing tower blocks built in the 1970s and officially opened by the Queen Elizabeth. Anyway, that area has been historically, home to most of the city’s aboriginal community. These days there are probably more asian residents but there is a fair mix including a lot of elderly who have lived there since the concrete blocks were built.

As always with these (supposedly) well intentioned housing projects the area had many problems with drug gangs and crime. Over the years the buildings were known by other names including “suicide towers”. I won’t dwell too much on this. We all know the score and you can read up on it online if you want to know more.

Suffice to say that these so called “eyesores” were due for demolition as the area was up for a complete revamp. It was talked about almost 20 years ago, then again almost 10 years back; but still has not happened. There is the counter argument of course – one I subscribe to actually. That is, that such buildings are becoming rare now as they usually get demolished. Also they are as much part of the architectural history of a city as any other buildings. I would keep them – and it seems that may be happening. 

As recently as 2019 (just before the covid scamdemic) the area was up for total revamp to accommodate the new Metro line c/w a Waterloo station. There is even talk of adding new tower blocks as tall as 40-storeys! Crazy eh? Who knows what is going to happen? Anyway, search online for “Waterloo towers Sydney” and there are plenty of stories and items. Quite interesting but nothing exclusive to Sydney by any means.

Captain Cook Place and Memorial Sundial

The Sundial was installed in 1970 (made by Sundials Australia) when the tower blocks were still being completed, to commemorate the Bicentenary of Captain James Cook’s landing at Botany Bay. It is located in the green space between James Cook and Joseph banks tower blocks on Raglan Street, Waterloo. Embedded in the base is a map of Australia and New Zealand showing the route of his ship, the Endeavour. A metal bar extends from the north arm to south arm and the shadow cast indicates the time.

At the base one plaque explains the memorial while on the other side a second plaque displays the time correction graph.

The sundial monument is bordered by two wide 17-storey tower blocks. The blocks are called James Cook and Joseph Banks (the British botanist on Cook’s ship when they landed at Botany Bay). Anyone who knows anything about public/council/social housing knows how these projects turn out. Things have improved in recent years due to gentrification and a broader social mix of inhabitants. 

The two other similarly designed tower blocks in the area are named Daniel Solander (after the Swedish botanist who was working with Joseph Banks) and Marton – the town where Cook was born. It is astounding that these place names have remained for so long. 

Obviously if such a housing estate was built and named today none of those names would be used. Or even considered. Far from it. The huge blocks would be named after obscure Aboriginal elders/leaders. Or, if built in the 1990s they would have been named something like Nelson Mandela House, Steve Biko Towers. etc etc  Just think Only Fools and Horses – the classic UK comedy series. (If you know you know.) Just ask anyone from a British inner city and they will tell you that the naming of such buildings was (is) commonplace. 

James Cook Community Garden

Adjacent to James Cook tower is the James Cook Community Garden. The gates were locked from both sides. The gates to the (community) garden on the road side are decorated each side by mosaic tiled artwork (see below). 

Let me tell you: Park Güell  (in Barcelona) it is not! But against the back-drop of those huge grey concrete ‘walls’ it is a well intentioned attempt. As are the gardens themselves in this area (there are a few). They allow people to grow vegetables and herbs while meeting neighbours. 

Other Blocks…

There are six blocks in the Waterloo project. There are also two other straight up (narrower but not as broad) 30-storey tower blocks called Matavai and Turanga. Those names are also Cook themed names taken from the great Captain’s voyages. You live and learn eh? 

Matavai, is the place in Tahiti, where Captain Cook observed the famous astronomical event called the transit of Venus in 1768. While “Turanga” is the Maori word for. “landing place” where his ship’s first anchored in New Zealand. So now you know! 

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Well, as promised a month or so ago here is Part Two of this little dive into the mad world that is about to engulf Australia (Note: my prediction). Everything to do with one of the greatest sailors and navigators in history will, I predict, soon be erased; so go and see them and photograph them now while you still can. OK, I may be exaggerating here but I do not think by much. Once it all kicks off it will snowball very rapidly – as these things tend to. We have seen isolated incidents already and soon it will turn into a one way tsunami (I predict).

In case you missed the first part click here to read and see that one… There is some good background info in that first post.

Anyway let’s get into it…

Pub

There are a few pubs (aka hotels) named after Captain Cook in Sydney. There is one in Botany not far from the airport and main shipping port, plus one in Millers Point near the CBD (see below). This one is in Paddington not far from the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). 

I intend to have a beer in every pub named after the great Captain..

Cooks River

Cooks River flows into Botany Bay after running right alongside the airport. Now this one is a bit of a mystery. Streets, pubs, statues, even parks, are all new things built in recent year and given names. But this river would have already had an Aboriginal name. At least I would have thought so. Which makes it all the more amazing that this river has not already been renamed. Or is that ‘name reverted’? How do they phrase such a thing? Anyway, surely you get my point. Basically what they did to Ayers Rock and many other places. 

I wonder what they will rename the Cooks River Croquet club??

Cook Park – Botany Bay

This one covers some area and is a great spot looking out over Botany Bay. There are plenty of signs that will inevitably need replacing (probably) unless common sense prevails…

Kurnell

I feel I should do a full post all about Kurnell. This of course was the actual spot where Captain Cook landed. The first (known) European to set foot in eastern Australia. 

Did I not already do one? (Pops off to check)… No! It seems I did not! Quite amazing really as this place is as historical as it gets in Australia. The absolute pinnacle in fact. And I have visited the spot a few times. OK readers. I promise to give you a post dedicated to Kurnell in the near future… Meanwhile here are the Cook related features that could soon be renamed and lost forever. 

Cook and Philip Pool and Park

This one is just off Hyde Park in the centre of Sydney. Stones throw away from the Cook statue in fact (if you are a really good stone thrower). The sports centre is alongside a park of the same name. 

This one is of course doubly offensive (sarc). Not only did they have the audacity to name these places after the great captain but also that Philip bloke. Yes Arthur Philip, the real “invader” and first governor of the new colony. Surely all evidence of his existence must also be erased?

Once again I find myself asking: How the fook has this one stood unchallenged (and not been renamed) for so long?

Captain James Cook Memorial, Liverpool 

Liverpool is a suburb in the south west of Sydney. It is here that you will find a strange little memorial in a small park. Not particularly impressive but very visible, easy to access and no signs of vandalism at all. In fact there is even a more recently installed plaque to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Cook’s landing (which was in 2020). So a big up to the locals and council in Liverpool I say!  

James Cook High School

I expected there to be quite a few schools named after the great man but only one I found around Sydney. Do you know of more? If so then please share them with a comment. 

This school – James Cook Boys Technology High School to give it its full title – is in Kogarah in south west Sydney, less than 1km directly inland from Botany Bay.

Notable Mentions…

Here are a few streets I never managed to get to:

Cook Road: There are several. In Marrickville, Killara and Oyster Bay.

Cook Avenue: These street names can be found in Daceyville, Canada Bay and Canley Vale.

Captain Cook Drive:  There is only one of these (oddly) that I found in Willmot. 

Cook Street: Again, not as many as you might expect. Apart form the one that runs alongside the Cook statue in Randwick (see part 1) there are Cook Streets in Glebe and Rozelle.

Do you know of any other places named after Captain James Cook? If you do then please share them with a comment. Would you like to see a Part Three? Answers in the comments please

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Better still (with this post) share it with anyone that you think it will piss off.  Hahahaa ; )

 

Yesterday was Leap Day. The 29th of February, the day that comes around once every four years. Officially the last day of summer in Australia. It was just over four years ago that I first saw this place. It impressed me then and still impresses me now.

Four years ago it was Dani’s first school swimming carnival (or as I would call it “gala”). I wrote about it then – click here for that one. Hard to believe that was four years ago…

This week we were back at the Drummoyne Swimming Centre (aka Drummoyne Olympic Pool). It was his 4th such swimming carnival (he and most of the kids missed one during that covid crap). This was the first time that the weather held out all day. And it was hot! Very warm and zero breeze. 

This year Dani’s school year is the lead primary year and it was their turn to swim alongside the Year 1 kids doing their first swimming carnival. That is always great to see. It’s also funny too. 

This year Dani didn’t do much better in freestyle or backstroke (finishing positions at least) but he did win his breaststroke heat. But he was very level-headed about it. He knew “it was a weak heat” – his own words. But I checked the times that he swam and he has improved. That’s the main thing. Concentrate on technique and the rest will follow. He is still one of the smallest. When he puts on a growth spurt and puts on a bit of muscle, having the technique will turn into faster times. 

One big difference this year. The pool now charges parents an entry fee. It’s a first. It was only about $5 but it’s the principle really. Not a good sign. Perhaps another (local) government funded facility that is not quite getting the funding it needs? Who knows? If you do know then please let us all know and leave a comment. It seems now, in Sydney (and Australia in general), that just about everyone and every company, business or authority is increasing costs and passing them on to us consumers. Not good.

As per usual when I start these type of posts, I soon realised that I needed to break it up into more than one post. I think I will leave this topic at two however. So here we are. Part 2 of Curious Japan. There are more but I don’t want to make a part 3 etc… Where would it end? I may well capture some of them as I go with other posts about our trip (probably – let’s see).

In case you missed it the link to Part One is here

Swastika Symbols

Now this really is curious. Try this on your PC/Laptop or mobile phone:

Go to google maps and type in a Japanese city. Say, Hiroshima (my example below). Then search for (nearby) “temple”. What does it show? (zoom in if needed):

This is just the central area in a relatively small city in Japan. You can do the same for anywhere and those swastika symbols will appear.

To many this probably looks like something out of a Stephen Spielberg movie right? (If you know, you know.) But it should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows anything about the origins of the swastika symbol. It is not, and never was, the property of the Nazi party in 1930s Germany.

The swastika (卐 or 卍) is in fact an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly found in various Eurasian cultures, as well as some North American ones. Unfortunately, in the West it is more widely recognized as a symbol of the German Nazi Party who appropriated it from Asian cultures in the early 20th century. Sadly the general perception of the swastika is amplified by Hollywood films regularly using it to depict nazis/2nd-world-war Germany and so on… Meanwhile in the real world the swastika has always been a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including  Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

In Japan the symbol means  good luck and prosperity in its religious and spiritual sense. Occasionally you see it at a temple site.

It also appears on the Legend of printed maps in Japan – see below.

This is also a common symbol in  India. I saw it a lot when I visited India back in the 1990s. The symbol is also historically found across Europe and was even used by North American native tribes on traditional head-dress. Native Indian school sports teams even displayed the symbol on their uniforms. I would urge everyone to go and research the history of the swastika before jumping to any conclusions. 

Chopsticks

I know this is not exactly a secret but like most other countries in this part of the world Japanese people eat with chopsticks. I do not get it. I never have got it. It is clearly so much better to use a fork. Occasionally you see locals using forks for some food. So it is not just foreigners who are struggling with chopsticks (at least for certain foods).  For a country so efficient in so many ways they still use incredibly inefficient eating tools. It just makes no sense.

And I won’t even get into the story of an English lad I knew (from my first time working in Spain) who claimed that the food tasted better when eaten with chopsticks. Yes. Someone actually said that; and he meant it. The mind boggles eh?

No Litter Bins – Yet No Litter

For a country with such large and crowded cities it is incredibly clean. Insanely so.

When you walk through a town or city there are never any litter bins. It is really hard to find them. So you can end up carrying your litter for some time before you can dispose of it. But as crazy as that sounds, it is a good thing.

While people are respecting their own (very) local environment so much it makes it easy for the councils to do their jobs. Less people are needed to constantly sweep and clean the streets – a common sight in Spain with local council workers hosing down the streets. It means councils can spend the money elsewhere on more important things. (Just guessing.)

When you get on a train it is super clean. When all passengers get off the train it is still clean. Like it doesn’t need cleaning. In Europe public transport can often get very trashed out. It is embarrassing (compared to Japan) how badly we behave when it comes to litter.

Incidentally the cleanliness of the streets and public transport extends to walls and “blank canvas” spaces. There is just no graffiti. At least I never saw any.

No Tattoos?

Natural hot springs (温泉, onsen) are numerous and highly popular across Japan. But if you want to spend time relaxing in an onsen you had better not have any tattoos. 

The tattoo thing is clearly linked to gang culture in Japan. Members of the serious criminal gangs sport a lot of tattoos. So I understand the tattoo ban in these places. Such policy would never work now in places like Europe however, as tattoos have become more or less a ‘must-have’ fashion accessory. 

Toilets

The toilets are generally the same as the ones I discovered in my culture shock introduction to Korea a few years back. I covered it in a post about Korea – click here for that one.

Great fun but over-complicated I would say.

Breakfast

You can get almost anything in a Japanese buffet breakfast. Not only (perhaps Western style) breakfasts of fruits, cereals and pastries. Including what most Westerners have come to expect as a cooked breakfast – aka the English/British breakfast fry-up.

Beef curry, various soups, fish, vegetables and of course rice. Pretty much everything you might expect to eat later in the day is on offer at breakfast time in the hotels we stayed in.

No Noise

For a country with so many densely populated cities it has to be the quietest place on earth. Very strange indeed. Eerily so in some ways. Even the boxing match I went to in Tokyo was relatively subdued. There was some cheering but mostly polite applause.

Japan is the antithesis of Spain when it comes to being a noisy/loud nation. The Spanish are reckoned by many to be the loudest country. Even by the Spanish themselves, who seem to take great delight in the title of being the noisiest bunch on planet Earth. If the Spanish are loud – and they are – then the Japanese are almost certainly the quietest.

But they do like to have a drink and let their hair down. They will have fun in much the same way as most other nations. When the drink flows in bars or restaurants they can be heard. 

Robertson and Another one of The ‘Bigs’ of Australia

We had seen this one on a rainy winter’s day almost 2 year ago when Dani’s abuelos were here. (That was about 18 months ago!) This is The Big Potato. Aka the big turd!!!  – and it is obvious to see why.

The Big Potato is located in the small town of Robertson which is located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. Robertson has a population of just over 1,200. It’s known for the fertile soil and high annual rainfall that makes growing spuds in this area ideal.

The giant spud was built in 1977 and measures around 10 metres long and 4 metres wide. Apparently it was designed with a hollow interior and you can actually enter the attraction. We never noticed or even wondered about that. Why would we hahaa?

Close to the Big Spud is the famous Robertson Pie shop. Time for a pit stop. Coffee and a fantastic apple pie – complete with inbuilt cream. We also bought a few meat pies to eat when we got home. They were also great by the way.

It turns out that this Aussie institution is up for sale. It could be bought and closed down any time soon. An authentic piece of Australiana could soon be gone.

Carrington Falls…

Then on to one of the the best waterfalls in the area. We were lucky really. In the third month of summer this could have been a mere trickle. We have seen that at some waterfalls. But it has not been the driest of summers and there was enough water to give this place that dramatic effect you would expect from a 90m drop in river level.

Cascade Falls

Finally a stop off at another place we failed to see when there was too much rain. The Cascade Falls are further down the mountains and about 35 km from the coast at Shellharbour, but it could be a whole world away. The falls sit within the Macquarie Pass National Park one of Australia’s most southerly subtropical rainforests.

The waterfalls consist of a couple of cascades but with not too much rain only one was really visible. And that was reduced to a horsetail style fall. The other was a trickle.

The falls are just an excuse to walk through the forest. And the 2km walk through the very dense rainforest is the best part. We have seen our fair share of rainforests in Australia and this one was as good as any.

And here is a quick video of the Carrington Falls… You may have to click on the video to see it properly. Apologies.

Dani is at that age now. Almost a teenager but still acting like one. He moaned most of the way home. I wonder when he will appreciate all of these places he has managed to see? Not soon enough for me…

Yesterday marked the 8th birthday of this blog. Bloody typical. Missed it! But only by a day. So I just thought I would mark it with a quick post. 

Not much else to say really except I hope you enjoy reading the posts and don’t be afraid to share them with friends or anyone you know who may be interested. And definitely don’t be afraid to leave a comment and hit the “Like” button (or whatever it is). You can also subscribe for emails of new blog posts.

That said I may not continue with this for much longer. I am still undecided but will make a decision in the next few months (while still writing about our trip to Japan and other things). Until then dear reader; please keep on reading… There are plenty there in the vault (so to speak). 

The previous 8 years have been fun in many ways. I have never captured all of the things I wanted to write about. How could I? There are always too many. But I have tried to post regular articles and always be as informative as possible.

I only allowed myself to get particularly political (if that is the correct term) during the great covid scam. And I still maintain that it was indeed always a huge “scam”. History will prove me right on this one – if it already hasn’t. Wow! That covid crap actually started 4 years ago. Now that really is an example of time flying…

Enjoy.

 

Mount Victoria

After our Zig-Zag Railways train journey we checked into our hotel (Guesthouse) in Mount Victoria, a great little village on the western side of the mountain range. Then on to another (local) hotel for a beer. And what a great bar they had! Made from very old, thick, wooden doors complete with old iron fittings (see below).

Mount Victoria is a small township with a relatively large number of historic buildings and attractions including the old Post Office, a Hall which is used as a (retro) cinema (see below), the Imperial Hotel (currently fenced off and undergoing renovation), and a museum at the railway station. The heritage listed station itself, is a must visit attraction.

Mount Victoria Station

Opened in 1868 and restored to its former glory, this station is a fantastic example of the Victorian era railways in Australia. They really have done a great job on this one. Check out the photos below. 

A different angle on the photos above but the place looks exactly like it would have done apart from the odd stainless steel or plastic bin (now) and the digital clocks at the end of the platforms.

Mount Vic Flicks

Another great little place worth a visit is the Mount Vic Flicks. The old cinema in Mount Victoria. 

There wasn’t the best choice of movies when we were there but I had to see it inside so we booked something anyway. We saw Priscilla (about Priscilla Presley and her relationship with Elvis). A well trodden story for sure but what the heck. Not great and certainly not to Dani’s taste. When the final credits rolled he punched the air in pleasure hahaa…

I have no idea how these places still keep going but I am glad they do. This place is like going back in time for fans of film and cinema in general. You can even get a cup of tea at the snack bar served in a real cup  – not one of those paper cups you see everyone walking around with. I kid you not! Fantastic. 

Mount Victoria is a great place to visit; and stay. I can thoroughly recommend it. Like all of the small towns and villages in the Blue Mountains it is a perfect launch pad for plenty of walking tracks and spectacular views. 

Hanging Rock

One of the best walks and most spectacular sights in the area is Hanging Rock. (Not to be confused with that picnic sight; the subject of a famous Aussie film in the 1970s. I believe that place is somewhere in the state of Victoria.)

A few kilometres east of Mount Victoria, just before the town of Blackheath, the trail begins and rolls up and down for over 5 kms. At the end of the trail is a steep cliff face which contains the “hanging rock” in question.

Sadly the weather was not ideal when we did this walk. The mist rising from the valley floor below largely clouded the view although it was still just visible, and perhaps somehow a little more spooky…  

Even without being able to see the valley floor below this is an experience not for the feint hearted. Certainly not the best place for anyone afraid of heights. There are no barriers or fences to protect you!

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Australia Day in the Blue Mountains

Not just Australia Day in fact. A two night stay. Knowing full well how political it gets in Sydney on Australia Day I just had to get out of the city. 

For Australia Day itself (Friday 26th) we booked a ride on the famous Zig-Zag Railway. Finally after more than 3 years of trying we got to see that incredible feat of engineering. Then we stayed in Mount Victoria for a couple of nights.

The Zig Zag Railway

The Zig Zag heritage railway, is situated near Lithgow, on the western side of the Blue Mountains, It was opened by the not-for-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-op as an unpaid volunteer-staffed heritage railway in October 1975. This used to be part of the Main Western line between 1869 and 1910. The line literally zig-zags its way up the mountain to gain height. 

The railway has had its fair share of bad luck. It was suspended in 2012 following accreditation issues with the New South Wales government (bloody politicians eh). Then it was then severely damaged during the 2013 NSW bushfires and then subsequently by torrential rain. After years of repair work it was planned to re-commence limited operations in 2019, until the 2019–2020 bushfires caused more damage. Then our old friend covid-19 further delayed everything. Despite all of these calamities heritage train services resumed on 27 May 2023. And now in early 2024 here we were…

The Lithgow Zig Zag was constructed as part of the Main Western line and opened on the 19 October 1869. Between Lithgow and Clarence, the Main Western line needed to climb the western flank of the Blue Mountains, overcoming a vertical distance of 550 ft (170 m). The line had a ruling grade of 1:42 (~2.38%) on three inclines known as the Top Road (above Top Points), Middle Road (between the two zig zags) and Bottom Road (below Bottom Points). The route between these “points” zig zags to form a “Z” shaped line which includes several tunnels and viaducts.

Of course there was a similar set of zig-zagging tracks on the eastern side of the Blue Mountains to reach the first stop in the mountains at Glenbrook. We saw some remains of that old line on a mountain walk some time ago. Almost 3 years ago in fact, it was the Queen’s Birthday weekend in June 2021 – see here for that post. 

We then spent the next two nights in Mount Victoria, a small township on the western side of the mountain range and an absolute gem of a place. Look out for a future post on Mount Victoria.

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Curious Japan Arrives in Sydney!

Update on one of the things we found so curious in Japan… (click here for that post)

Those little white plastic (collectable) toy dispensing vending machines are here!!!

I took Dani on a ferry trip from Circular Quay in the centre of Sydney the other day and he spotted this machine. And got really quite animated about seeing them here in Australia…

A piece of “curious Japan” lands in Oz.

The machines in Japan cost 300¥ (or less). This one was $5 (about 500¥) and you have to pay by card! At the side of the vending machines is a token dispenser that gives out a token for $5. So no sign of a “cash is King” option in Australia…

Bad marketing that. It would make more sense if the token dispensing machine accepted cash. At least that way kids could save up their pocket money to spend on these things. Let’s see how long they last eh? Look closely and you can see that they have deliberately taped up the cash (notes) entry. Kids can’t even spend their notes here never mind coins.

I wonder if they will now spring up all over the Sydney and other towns & cities in Australia.