Newcastle – a salute

And another working port which worked to our advantage. The city itself provided the shuttles into the city so that Royal didn’t manage to get its share of money from our pockets.

Catching the first shuttle out, I walked the historic trail of the city most of the way prior to getting fascinated by the wave action at the Ocean Baths. [pictures and clip to follow]. Good thing that I have decent balance, a pair of keens and pants that dry extremely quickly. But the water temperature was more than comfortable and I didn’t squelch for all that long.  As I contemplated what the shuttle driver had said about coals, it was obvious that the town name was chosen for its resemblance to the coal producing area of England.  Still a major industry in the area, most of the coal goes out of the region, especially since the steel and iron works closed.

Museums? Found them – At the Fort which saw action in WWII against Japanese submarines, in the Art Galleries and the Maritime.  Ignored any and all shopping (but if you are a vintage clothes nut, this might just be the city for you as there were more than a dozen shops).

Many of the original homes are standing but similar to Wellington, there seem to be contractors bent on updating and splitting up.

I climbed the Queens Wharf Tower which over all had 180 steps to find that the plastic windows at the top are so scratched that photos were impossible.

On our way out past Fort Scratchley, the volunteers fired a three volley salute to the ship. Being inside, I certainly heard the ship’s horn response, but missed completely (other than the smoke) the volleys.

[photos to follow]

 

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