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Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

April 1, 2017 by David Herd

  Beautiful clean beach

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie 

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

 Flynns Beach Port Macquarie NSW is about 500 metres long and sits between to rocky headlands. Located about 3 kms from the city centre & about a 7 minute drive.

Surf lifesaving club

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

Includes a cafe where you can relax and take in the view of the beach and the ocean.

Pick up your supplies here

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

There is a grocer with a liquor situated close to the road leading down to their beach, pick up your local newspaper, a bottle of wine & a few beers then enjoy your day at Flynns Beach Port Macquarie NSW.

 If you really want some great food.

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

 These oysters were $15 a dozen & the prawns cost $10, both were as good as anywhere in the world.

Fresh seafood here.

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

 On the Hastings river in the centre of town here is a shop selling fresh seafood.

Location

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

Just a 7 minute drive from the centre of town.

Holiday Park

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

A beautiful park beside the break wall at the entrance of the Hastings river. 

Just north of Flynns beach

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

The entrance to the Hastings River, featuring the painted rocks of Port Macquarie.

 Port Macquarie

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

Jagged rocks at Flynns Beach Port Macquarie NSW.

Trees cling to the cliff

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

Interesting trees hanging on to the cliff at Flynns Beach.

Beautiful Flynns Beach

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

A perfect location to relax and enjoy your day.

Flynns Beach Resort

Flynns Beach Port Macquarie

Located adjacent to the beach, for a great room rate just book through THIS LINK.

Thanks for visiting my  Flynns Beach Port Macquarie NSW photo blog.

It was a great drive down from from Surfers Paradise  to Sydney stopping at Kingscliff, Yamba, Port Macquarie, Forster-Tuncurry, Gosford & Coogee. Also dropped into Maroubra which is a place I have not seen for over 50 years. Just click on the links to see my photo blogs.

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Rock Art Port Macquarie

March 23, 2017 by David Herd

 

Southern breakwall Hastings River

 Rock Art Port Macquarie

Rock Art Port Macquarie

 Rock Art Port Macquarie actually began as an art competition in 1995 & gradually evolved into a fascinating outdoor gallery.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Painted Rock Art Port Macquarie

Sadly after a small amount of complaints 12 in 10 years the rock art is now banned. It’s crazy how a few idiots can spoil things for the majority, what a shame the council won’t hold a vote on the issue.

Celebrating an engagement.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Two lovers leave their mark to celebrate their engagement.

 The mouth of the Hastings River

Rock Art Port Macquarie

The river descends 1,040 metres (3,410 ft) over its 180 kilometres (110 mi) course. The Hastings river descends 1,040 metres from the Great Dividing Range over its 180 kilometres journey to the coast at Port Macquarie. 

Look closely and you will see the rock art. 🙂

A beautiful day to catch a fish.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

One of the locals has picked a beautiful day to fish off the rocks.

Waiting for the big one 

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Actually I spoke to the guy who said he was trying to catch some small fish to use for bait.

Apparently their life is a circus.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

It says so on the rock. 🙂

A great tourist attraction

Rock Art Port MacquarieYou can spend a very interesting hour or so checking out the Painted Rock Art Port Macquarie.

Port Macquarie

Rock Art Port Macquarie

And so it goes on & on, a great addition to this terrific coastal town.

 

  Port Macquarie’s Town Green

Rock Art Port Macquarie

This is a superb park where people relax and enjoy the perfect environment beside the Hastings River.

Oxley oval

Rock Art Port Macquarie

Just a short way along the road from the painted rocks is Oxly oval where cricket & football are played in beautiful surroundings.

A beautiful park beside the river.

Rock Art Port Macquarie

A great place to relax have a picnic lunch and check out the Painted Rock Art Port Macquarie.

Please check out my photo blog for Yamba on the Clarence River a little further north.

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Port Macquarie coastal village

August 5, 2014 by David Herd

Port Macquarie coastal village originally was a penal colony, these days many people retire in Port Macquarie on the NSW coast (4 hours north of Sydney), because of the temperate climate, good fishing & boating and nice beaches. I think it is the pick of the NSW coastal towns. 

At the end of this post you will see how one of my distant relatives Helen Gillies arrived in Port Macquarie in 1833 after being convicted for stealing in Glasgow and shipped to Australia. Helen was my grandfather’s grandmother 🙂

Port Macquarie is famous for fresh seafood

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Beautiful fresh prawns & delicious oysters, in fact my favourite lunch in Port is prawns & avocado on freshly baked bread with a dozen oysters natural to begin.

Port Macquarie coastal village

Port Macquarie coastal villageAs good as it gets. 🙂

The Hastings River

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Hastings River is also the name of a small, developing wine region. The main clusters of vineyards are located in Port Macquarie and Wauchope.

The region was first planted with vines in the 1860s but recent history of the area has been pioneered by the Cassegrain family with Verdelho

Hastings River’s cellar door facilities, music events, regional restaurants, coastal attractions and great climate are serving to build interest in the local wine industry.

Beachhouse Pub formally Royal Hotel est 1840

Port Macquarie coastal village

Great place to relax and enjoy a few cold beers on a hot day. 🙂

Vintage cars in Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie coastal village

Everybody loves these old cars.

Love the colour

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Certainly not the original colour.

Luxury camper van

Port Macquarie coastal village

On the way to Port Macquarie we saw this luxury vehicle in Coffs Harbour.

My brother Warren lives in Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie coastal village

Warren has lived & worked in Port Macquarie for over 20 years, he & his wife Kerry raised four great children who are now having children of their own. The Herd family has grown incredibly over the last 50 years, I have put a lot of the family history in a post called Following the Herd. My uncle Allan Herd also lived in Port Macquarie for many years, he passed away at the age of 95 in July 2012, his story as a soldier in WW2 is the most dramatic event in our family history, it’s a tale worth reading.


My lovely niece Laura & Jordan Millar.

Port Macquarie coastal village

Laura grew up in Port Macquarie, she is a talented singer/song writer. Here she is with her boyfriend Jordan Millar at The Fig in Port Macquarie.

Family & friends

Port Macquarie coastal village

 Three brothers, Warren, Ian, David with Kerry and Chris enjoy dinner in Port Macquarie.

The Wall of China restaurant

Port Macquarie coastal village

                   Very good Chinese food at this popular restaurant.

Classic council sign

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Here is a classic council sign in Port Macquarie on the NSW coast. A friend of mine who works for Trowbridge council in Wiltshire in the U.K. arranged for a couple of these to be erected in Trowbridge, after a couple of months and numerous complaints from the public they took them down.

And I thought the Pommies had a sense of humour.

Helen Gillies

Port Macquarie coastal village

 

Helen arrived in Port Macquarie in 1833 after being convicted for stealing in Glasgow and shipped to Australia. Helen was my grandfather’s grandmother, she was 4′ 11″ tall. 🙂

Records found in the Old Courthouse in October 1998

Port Macquarie coastal village

002

 

Jordan Miller & Laura Bell Herd at the Fig.

               Thanks for visiting my Port Macquarie coastal village photo blog.
 

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1g Duck

 
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Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

December 23, 2013 by David Herd

La Rambla

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city is one of my favourite places in Europe, architecture, food people pigeons, Ok forget the pigeons.  😆

La Rambla is a street  popular with tourists and locals alike. A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell.

Plaça de Catalunya

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Plaça de Catalunya is a large square in central Barcelona that is generally considered to be both its city centre and the place where the old city and the 19th century-built Eixample meet. The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns, constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Plaza de Cataluña

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The open top bus in the background is by far the best way to see the city, buy a 24 hour pass and jump on and off as you wish.

Without a doubt AGODA is the best online Hotel booking site.

Casa Milà

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera, is one of Gaudí’s main residential buildings and one of the most imaginative houses in the history of architecture.  This building is more a sculpture than a building.  The façade is a varied and harmonious mass of undulating stone that, along with its forged iron balconies, explores the irregularities of the natural world.  UNESCO recognised this building as World Heritage in 1984.

 Old Customs building.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Port Vell  literally in English ‘Old Harbour’ is a waterfront harbour in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992  Olympics. Before this, it was a run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories. 16 million people visit the complex each year.


 

Columbus monument

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Monument a Columbus was established in honour of the discoverer of America, Christopher Columbus. In 1493 Columbus was received in Barcelona after his return from America by King Ferdinand II. The monument is opened since June 1st, 1888.

In the background is Arenas de Barcelona

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

 Arenas de Barcelona, with its beautiful neo-mujedar architecture, used to be a bullfighting arena but has now been converted into a shopping plaza which houses an excellent Desigual store.

Gothic Quarter in Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Gothic Quarter is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere. This is where my hotel was, in fact I took the photo from the hotel window.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Gothic Quarter  is the centre of the old city. It stretches from La Rambla to Via Laietana, and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere.

Despite several changes undergone in the 19th and early 20th century, many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Remains of the squared Roman Wall can be seen around Tapineria and Sots-Tinent Navarro to the north, Avinguda de la Catedral and Plaça Nova to the west and Carrer de la Palla to the south. El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, is located within this area also.

The Barri Gòtic retains a labyrinthine street plan, with many small streets opening out into squares. Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic although open to service vehicles and taxis.

Here is a link to book a popular two star hotel for around $90 per night.

Another link for a 2 star in a very good location.

Best food market I have ever seen.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria , is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district, and one of the city’s foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla, not far from the Liceu, the cities opera house. The market has a very diverse selection of goods.

Do you like lollies?

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Make sure Barcelona’s market is on your bucket list.

Sagrada Família

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família  Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral which must be the seat of a bishop. Construction of Sagrada Família had commenced in 1882, Gaudí became involved in 1883, taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project was complete. Sagrada Família’s construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project’s greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death.

Sagrada Família

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Is there any other architect in the world who has a more recognisable style than Gaudí?

Super yacht really doesn’t do it justice.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

What an unbelievable amazing example of wealth.

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city

Barcelona exciting Mediterranean cityBarcelona is certainly one of my favourite European cities. Thanks for visiting my Barcelona exciting Mediterranean city photo blog.

 
 
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Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

November 5, 2013 by David Herd

Ettalong

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Towns on the NSW coast are really worth visiting, starting 80 kilometres north of Sydney we have Ettalong on the Central coast. This small town has so many wonderful memories for me as it was the place my family spent the Xmas holidays from when I was a small baby until I was a teenager. In those days the road was quite dangerous and wound around the mountains like a snake around a pole. The journey in those days took about 2.5 hours, now it’s just over an hour on the motorway.

Ettalong in 1953

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Here I am at 10 years of age with young brother Warren and my grandmother Nan Tippett. Here is somewhere to stay in Ettalong with magnificent views over the water, the Tantra apartments.

Terrigal

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Thirty minutes further north and a little more upmarket is Terrigal, another very popular holiday destination. Terrigal was first settled in 1826 by European Settler John Gray, who called his property Tarrygal, after the indigenous Aboriginal place name, signifying ‘place of little birds’. The town’s long beach is highly popular with tourists.

Gosford

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia  Gosford is located just 80 km north of Sydney. Growing up in Sydney this area was where our family would spend our annual holidays.

Peppers is a very nice hotel opposite the beach in Terrigal.
Forster Tuncurry

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia A population of over 18,000 people it is a holiday destination for many Sydney people who are only a 4 hour drive away.

Port Macquarie

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

My favourite NSW coastal town, 400 kilometres north of Sydney, in fact my Australian residential address is here at my brother’s home. Warren has lived here for over 20 years and I always visit when I am in Australia.

Port Macquarie was first visited by Europeans in 1818 when John Oxley reached the Pacific Ocean from the interior, after his journey to explore inland New South Wales. He named the location after the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie.

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Port Macquarie is a retirement destination, known for its extensive beaches and waterways. The town is also known for its koala population, being the home to the Billabong Koala Park, and the Koala Preservation Society’s Koala Hospital, caring for koalas injured through bushfire, dog attacks and collisions with vehicles.

Please click on Google + to help my page ranking. 

Coffs Harbour

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Coffs Harbour  is  located on the north coast of New South Wales about 540 km north of Sydney, and 390 km south of Brisbane.  Coffs Harbour is one of many regional cities along the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and The Gold Coast.

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

The Observatory hotel is just a short walk to several restaurants and cafes, the only downside is being woken early in the morning when the first train stops at the station 50 meters in front of the hotel.

Typical old Australian homestead

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

A beautiful example of an early Australian homestead. An other one of the great Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia.

Yamba

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia  Yamba Clarence River NSW Coast has a population of just over 6,000, which tends to triple in the holiday season. The economy is based on tourism & fishing. 

Iluka at the mouth of the Clarence River.

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Iluka is a small village at the mouth of the Clarence River on the NSW coast. It is situated directly across the river from the resort town of Yamba. At the 2006 census, Iluka had a population of 1,739 people.  The town’s name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning “near the sea”.  It has long beaches on the ocean side of the river. It is reached by turning off the Pacific Highway approximately 20 kilometres north of Maclean.  As Iluka is a popular tourist destination its population increases slightly in the holiday season with many Gold Coasters in the summer and Victorians in the winter.

Byron Bay

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Byron Bay is a beach-side town located in the far-north-eastern corner of the state of New South Wales. It is located 772 kilometres north of Sydney and 165 kilometres south of Brisbane.  The history of Europeans in Byron Bay began in 1770, when Captain James Cook found a safe anchorage and named Cape Byron after John Byron.

 It is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast; the scenery also attracts skydivers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy.

Byron Bay

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Only a 60 drive from where I lived in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, I would occasionally drive down for lunch at the famous pub near the beach. One of the great Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia.

Byron Bay lighthouse NSW coast

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Australia’s most easterly point.

Magnificent deserted beach near Byron Bay

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Miles of deserted beaches are all along this part of the coast. I intend to live somewhere along this coast around 2022. Hopefully I will find a little bolt hole where I can live in peace until I die. 🙂

Kingscliff Northern Rivers Coast NSW

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia 

A fairly typical coastal town with lots of coffee shops, tourists & terrific beaches.

Point Danger NSW coast

Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia

Port Danger is on the border of New South Wales and Queensland. It’s a very popular location for surfers.

Port Danger

Seaside Towns NSW Coast AustraliaThanks for visiting my Seaside Towns NSW Coast Australia photo blog, it certainly is one of the world’s great coastlines.

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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Holiday Inn

bbc35e6d-80db-4e1c-8f51-83dd84f16520

Fabulous views, excellent restaurants & a very good room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

 

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