New South Wales History

Tucked away on the Northern Headland at Ulladulla (via Dolphin Street) is One Track for All, with four lookouts providing spectacular views of the coast and harbour. Telling the story of the southern Shoalhaven Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal history, from an Aboriginal prospective.

Cowra is noted for its historical and natural attractions, the magnificent Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre, quality restaurants, wineries, galleries, craft shops and horse riding. The public identity of the town has become bound up with the Cowra breakout of 1944 (in which Japanese prisoners of war attempted to escape from a local camp during World War II) and the subsequent association with Japan. This history has led the town to focus on and promote the values of pacifism and internationalism, which are at the centre of the annual Festival of Understanding. Interestingly, the many Italian POWs were, for the most part, cheerful and cooperative and worked agreeably outside the camp while the Japanese POWs were surly, difficult and resentful. Attempts at employing them outside the camp had proved a failure due to their aggressive behaviour. Their lack of cooperation and the breakout itself arose from an overwhelming sense of shame engendered by a code of honour which viewed capture as a disgrace to themselves, their families and their country. Japanese soldiers were supposed to commit suicide rather than be humiliated by the subservience implicit in imprisonment. Indeed most of the prisoners were taken when they were too weak to offer resistance or they were merchant seamen scooped from the waters. They gave false names as they felt news of their capture would shame their families while the Japanese authorities reported all those missing in action as dead. When informed of the deaths during the breakout, the Japanese authorities asserted that those killed must have been Japanese civilians as, it contended, there was no such thing as a Japanese POW. When the internees returned many felt their 'shame' would render them unworthy of return to Japanese society (some expected to be executed) and half did not tell their families they had been POWs. A number of annual events grace the Cowra calendar. The Festival of Understanding (which features a different guest nation each year) is held in March, the Cowra Picnic Races and the Cowra Wine Show in July, the Cowra Show in late September, Sakura Matsui (the Cherry Blossom Festival) in early October, and, at the visitors' centre in November, the Art and Craft exhibition and Rose Fair.

Sydney has got to be one of the coolest cities in the world. There is always so much to do and so much to see, even when you have been there a tonne of times like I have.

Activities all depend on what you like to do. You can do touristy things like climb the "Coathanger" AKA The Harbour Bridge, or you can catch a ferry from circular quay to Manly and walk around the markets that they have there every Sunday, or you can check out the Sydney Opera House either on your own or in a guided tour.

If gossip is you thing, check out the Slipp Inn, the place where Mary Donaldson met Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark in 2000 (he was slipping the black American Express over the bar...their eyes met, the rest is royal history!), or maybe do a bit of shopping in the rich sector in the heart of the city.

Night life in Sydney is pretty good, There are so many places you can go to and so much to do that it really does cater to everyones tastes and needs. The only drawback about doing things and going out in Sydney is how ridiculously expensive it can all get, You would be guaranteed of spending well over $200 in a night and that is just on dinner and a few drinks, not including taxi's, or places to go to after dinner is finished and you are looking to move on and be swept off to wherever the night will take you. The night can take you to expensive places, believe me!!!

There are, however, things that you can do in Sydney that don't cost anything though, aside from the few dollars to hop on a train or on a bus.

Like all art galleries, and art museums, Sydney's does have free exhibitions, and you can go in to check them out during opening hours. Or, you can walk through the parks they have in the city. A stroll along Darling Harbour is always nice during a sunny Day, and of course, taking photos on the steps of the Opera House is free :) Or, go visit Bondi Beach! An institution in itself!

Sydney to me, however, will always be about summer and the city. It's just got such a great vibe. In the suburbs, the sakadas hum in the middle of the night, and the smell of frangapanis fill the air with thick perfume. It's all about having a good times, and plenty of them.

If you can, stay in the heart of the city near King Street Wharf. Always something happening there, and never too far to go to the next place where something is happening.

My final and most important tip....bring money, lots of money.

Check out 'Burning Mountain Nature Reserve' (about 17 kilometres North of Scone). Walking tracks have been restored, with interpretative signs explaining the effect of the burning coal seam on the landscape, the significance of the area to the local Aboriginal people and the history of the phenomenon that is "burning mountain".

Eat at the Paragon because it has really good food, it's cheap and fast. I very old town that has a lot of Aussie History to it.