North Sydney Off The Beaten Path

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The awesome Bidjigal Reserve, (previously known as Excelsior Reserve and Darling Mills State Forest), is a 300 hectare corridor of protected public bushland along Darling Mills Creek and its tributaries. It has towering eucalypt forests, weathered sandstone cliffs, sparkling creeks and rivers and a truly enchanting collection of natural habitat with lush greenery .Bidjigal has also the ff: (accdg to www.sydneyhills.com.au)

370 native plant species, over 140 native animals, myriads of birds, spectacular
varieties of native orchids and a diverse show of fungi makes a walk through
Bidjigal Reserve an interesting,relaxing and educational experience.

The earliest record of Indigenous people in the Bidjigal Reserve is from a rockshelter where,starting 10,000 years ago,they left many stone artefacts along with numerous animal bones.The area was part of the territory of the Bidjigal clan of the Darug people and provided an abundance of fresh water, fish, shelter, stone for tool sharpening and a wide range of plants and animals for food, medicine,weapons,tools and containers.

Vegetation in the reserve ranges from tall eucalypts to native heath,small nectar producing shrubs and soft grasses.Bidjigal Reserve has it’s own cool rainforest in small patches and narrow bands along the creek and in sheltered sections of the
gully.The canopy is dense and shady with an understorey of tall shrubs and young rainforest trees.

I must warn you you must be fit to negotiate some of the steep and winding tracks! But the rewards are endless so I urge you to go and visit this ancient but magical place!

The bonus - this is just less than 20 minutes from our place, sheer heaven I tell you!

During autumn, there are walks offered around Fred Caterson Reserve from 9:30 to 1:30 am and 1 to 3 pm during weekends.

These walks can be booked by calling 96343163 in Sydney. They explore plants and vegetation which are known to the traditional owners of the land around the reserve and the whole Australia in fact- the Aborigines. The vegetation can be used for food and medicine and it is fascinating how anyone can greatly learn a lot from how the Australian Aborigines survive from their knowledge of these plant life and also the animal life around them!

In this time of economic hardships, we have a lot to learn from our native brothers and sisters in Oz! I reallly admire them for their tenacity!

I saw this activity offered from the freely distributed From the Hills to the Hawksbury Guide and Directory. It is amazing what we can get from reading community leaflets!

Lane Cove National Park offers peaceful bushland setting to locals and tourists alike.There are dozens of picnic spots and you can stay overnight stay in cabins or powered/unpowered camping sites at the nearby caravan park.

This is not a touristy area so it is not as crowded as other National Parks.

There's also the Wildlife Shelter which is home to a good collection of Aussie animals.
If you're a bushwalking enthusiast like we used to, Lane Cove National Park is a haven as it sits on 601 hectares with the picturesque Lane Cove River flowing through this peaceful bush land.

The park is within easy reach of the Sydney City Centre, extending from East Ryde to Wahroonga/Pennant Hills.

We've been here a few times when we lived at Lane Cove- for picnics and bushwalks. There are a few ducks about in the river too during those days!

Lane Cove National Park is at Delhi Road, Lane Cove Road or Lady Game Drive.

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Prospect Reservoir is located on Prospect Creek, approximately 35 kilometres west of Sydney. The dam was completed in 1888 and was the first earthfill embankment dam in Australia. Its original purpose was to store water fed by gravity from the dams of the Upper Nepean system, via the Upper Canal.

Open everyday of the year, the picnic area within Prospect Reservoir has BBQ facilities, children’s playgrounds, toilets and a viewing area. This place is not so crowded unlike Nurrangingy Reserve so it is a good place for families to have weekend picnics and enjoy the great outdoors!

Entrance is off Reservoir Rd from Great Western Highway. Entry is free!

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It is just a newly established park at our estate, but it is becoming a popular venue for many activities of the Newbury community at Stanhope Gardens. It is near the more known Blacktown Leisure Centre where the wave pool is.

It is neatly landscaped yet the best natural asset of this park are the two humongous Moreton Bay fig trees which are a sight to behold. They are my fave trees an d the first view I see when I go out our balcony though our home is a good 100 to 150 metres from the park!

There is a well equipped play ground consisting of a spacious and giant sand pit with flying fox, swings, poles to explore and bike and jogging paths. We love coming here!

There is usually an event happening here throughout the year so whatever season you are in Sydney there is bound to be something going on in our park- for example, free movie under the stars, mini-Olympics, Christmas in July, Multicultural Festival, etc. Or, just enjoy the park with the spectacular Fig Trees!

Many families with young kids come here to have picnics as well as there are picnic tables and lovely well maintained green lawn almost all year round.

It is at Yarralumla St or corner of Tilbury Avenue and Perfection Avenue.

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Rouse Hill House and Farm is one of the earliest surviving properties in Australia and an extraordinary archive of the lives of the Rouse and Terry families. Take a guided tour of the estate’s house, its grounds and outbuildings and discover the rich collection of objects from over 180 years of one family’s occupation.

It is also one of Australia's most significant historic properties, outstanding for its unique array of artifacts, furnishings, buildings and original colonial garden. It also provides the most complete document of continuous family occupancy of a country house in New South Wales.

I am proud to live in such a historic area, with our home just less than five minutes' drive to this farm!

Families can experience life in the farm during weekends when they offer brekky and activities at the farm like milking cows, gathering eggs, etc.Plus they serve a hearty Aussie brekky for a small fee! Go and visit the place, you will love it!

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Rouse Hill House and Farm is one of the earliest surviving properties in Australia and an extraordinary archive of the lives of the Rouse and Terry families. Take a guided tour of the estate’s house, its grounds and outbuildings and discover the rich collection of objects from over 180 years of one family’s occupation.

It is also one of Australia's most significant historic properties, outstanding for its unique assemblage of artefacts, furnishings, buildings and original colonial garden. It also provides the most complete document of continuous family occupancy of a country house in New South Wales.

I am proud to live in such a historic area, with our home just less than five minutes' drive to this farm!

Families can experience life in the farm during weekends when they offer brekky and activites at the farm like milking cows, gathering eggs, etc. Go and visit the place, you will love it!

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My town has a rich and colourful history so explore it with me!For lack of choice in this site for the exact location of Blacktown which is Northwestern Sydney, it is classified under North Sydney. But our main local government is still Blacktown Council though we are more in the Hills District.

The area comprising the City of Blacktown has a long history - Aborigines belonging to the Darug tribe certainly inhabited the area long before European settlement and archaeological evidence of their settlement has been found along creeks in the area. Europeans on exploratory expeditions to the Hawkesbury and beyond traversed the area and the first European settlement occurred at the base of Prospect Hill in August 1791.

Since that time, the area has changed and developed from a largely rural community. Some traces of the past still exist in areas to the north west, although the plans for development will see drastic changes in the next few years.

There are lots of historical places yo ucan visit- Rouse Hill House and Farm, Bicentennial Museum, St. Bartholomews' Church, plus many more!

I shall go through those places with you with more depth.