Illawarra Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Destination's Journey

10 January 202210 January 2022

Sri Venkateswara Temple

Consecrated on 30th June, 1985, construction of Sri Venkateswara Temple started in 1978. Located in Helensburgh, 60 minutes south of Sydney, and 30 minutes north of Wollongong, the temple has ample parking. Built in a bushland setting, it serves as an impressive local landmark.

The NSW Office of Environment Heritage listed the Temple for historical, aesthetic, social as well as reasons of rarity and representativeness in the Wollongong Region.

Although serving as a major religious and sacred place for Hindus living in and visiting Australia, many non-Hindus and tourists visit due to the unique Temple architecture.

The complex consists of two large temples, one dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the other to Shiva/Parvathi. For this reason, there are two towers, each with beautifully carved decorations. Specialist sculptors, who used traditional methods completed the sculptures found in and around the temple, while using no modern tools.

Visitors are welcome, whether they want to admire the temple, or learn more about the Hindu religion. There are several important things to know before you visit:

no footwear, hats or caps are allowed inside. An undercover area is available outside the main entrance to leave your shoes.
No photography of any kind inside.
Be quiet and respectful at all times..
No mobile phone use inside.
No food or drinks inside

Inside The Temple

If you liked the exterior of the temple, the interior will amaze you. The numerous beautifully decorated shrines and idols were the highlight of our visit. Unfortunately we could not take photos because they are not allowed inside. However, being able to walk around an admire them up close was a great experience.

Temple Entrance Sri Venkateswara Temple — Sri Venkateswara Temple

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

5 January 202227 December 2021

Lawrence Hargrave Memorial

Lawrence Hargrave Memorial

Located at Bald Hill is a memorial to British-born Australian engineer, explorer, astronomer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer Lawrence Hargrave. Associated with Hargrave’s first attempt to fly, Bald Hill is the perfect place to remember his achievements, as well as providing fantastic views.

On November 12, 1894, Hargrave linked four of his box-kites together, added a sling seat, and flew approximately 5 metres. By demonstrating a safe and stable flying machine, Hargrave opened the door to other inventors and pioneers. The Hargrave-designed box kite, with its improved lift-to-drag ratio, was to provide the wing model of the first generation of European and American aeroplanes.

Hargrave has two memorials here, one at each end of the car park. The primary one, is at the southern end, which has relief of him carrying a model of his box-kite. At the north end a memorial wall lists his achievements. The carpark itself has plenty of parking available, while toilets are available at the north end.

Depicted on the old style $20 note, Hargrave’s importance to aviation was on display to Australians from 1966 to 1994, when it was replaced.

While visiting the memorials, check out the amazing views, which are amazing. This is one of the best places to admire the coast around Wollongong. The views were great, despite the rainy day we had.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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3 January 202227 December 2021

Minnamurra Rainforest

Minnamurra Rainforest

Part of Budderoo National Park west of Kiama, Minnamurra Rainforest is a subtropical, dry, riparian and temperate rainforest. Only a 30-minute drive from Wollongong, it’s a great place to experience the Australian bush.

Parking is available near the visitor centre, for a small fee. Alternatively, if you have an annual pass for NSW National Parks and Wildlife, parking and entry are free. Advice on the walks and information on the area is available at the visitor centre.

Two walks are available, the Lyrebird and Falls walks. It is possible to do Lyrebird and extend it to the Falls. Each takes around an hour to complete, so two hours for both. Unfortunately on our visit, heavy rain had closed the Falls Walk, so we only did Lyrebird.

The track follows the Minnamurra River, crossing it four times as you walk along its valley. The majority of the track is board walk to is easy to walk, although it is steep in places. The track also has up and down grades as you move along the valley and is rarely flat. Even so, we found it an easy walk, taking us under an hour, even with constant stops to admire the scenery.

At two points suspension bridges cross the river, providing great photo opportunities and views along the river.

Don’t rush the walk, but look at the plants growing along the path. We found some amazing looking mushrooms growing there.