Travel | Nazim

North Head, Sydney

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Walking from the Botanic gardens, I took a shortcut path to reach Circular Quay wharf across the “Memory is Creation Without End” relics.

Start Point: Circular Quay Wharf.

One can also take a train to the Circular Quay station to reach the Circular Quay wharfs.

https://transportnsw.info/routes/ferry will provide information on the various ferry services available and the timings of the ferry departures. The digital sign-boards at near the Wharfs also have information on which number wharf serves which location and the departure timings.

The Manly ferry departs from Wharf No. 3

Customs House at Circular Quay

You get a wonderful view of the Opera House as the ferry departs from Circular Quay.

Sydney CBD Skyline from the ferry.

The best views of Sydney harbour bridge and the Opera house are from the public ferries.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Manly Fast Ferry departing from Manly Wharf

Once you get down from the ferry at Manly, head towards Stand D across the road for bus No. 135. For schedule of the bus, it’s best to check Google maps which is pretty accurate in showing the next bus timings.

The bus route for 135 - https://transportnsw.info/routes/details/sydney-buses-network/135/28135

Even though the route map shows that the bus goes all the way to Fairfax walk, it does not and the last stop is the Q Station stop. The rest of the distance, I just walked on the road instead of the walking path.

Note: There is no footpath from the last bus stop to Fairfax lookout.

North Fort:

Strategically placed at the northern entrance to Sydney Harbour, North Fort was part of a defence system that spanned 300km of coastline during World War II.

The once active army base previously featured 9.2 inch calibre guns, capable of firing a distance of 26km. Each heavy weapon was operated by nine soldiers with support from personnel running the underground shell and engine rooms.

North Fort was built to protect Sydney from air and sea attack, completed around 1938, playing a pivotal role as an enemy deterrent during World War II. North Fort is now the Royal Australian Artillery National Museum enabling visitors to enjoy the tunnels, guns, scenery and BBQs, or perhaps relax in the café with spectacular views of Sydney Harbour. North Fort gates open from 6am – 8:30pm (October – April) and 6:30am – 6:30pm ( May – September).

With its large network of gun emplacements and underground tunnels, North Fort was a crucial part of Sydney’s coastal defence system throughout World War II.

North Head:

The heath-covered clifftops at North Head reveal unending ocean views and a spectacular panorama of the harbour and Sydney skyline. Situated on the northern-most edge of the harbour within sight of Hornby Lighthouse on South Head, it’s a relaxing ferry ride from Circular Quay. One of those things to do when visiting Sydney, it’s near to Manly, and a great day trip for locals and tourists alike.

North Head is home to an endangered population of Long-nosed Bandicoots, once common throughout Sydney. It is also a refuge for echidnas, reptiles, frogs and more than 100 species of bird, including the New Holland Honeyeater, the Rainbow Lorikeets and the Little Wattlebird. Recently, locally extinct species such as the Eastern Pygmy Possum, Brown Antechinus, and Bush Rat were re-introduced to the area.

North Head Sanctuary was the backdrop for some of the earliest interactions between Aboriginal People and Europeans, and the area was also used to quarantine Australia from deadly epidemic diseases. During the Second World War, North Head was one of the most heavily fortified sites in Australian history. Remnants of those fortifications can be explored today.

Wildlife!

Walking further ahead will take you to the Fairfax walk/trail.

No footpath! Be careful of cars while walking!

The Fairfax lookout trail

View of Sydney CBD Skyline from Fairfax lookout!

Dangerously swirling water at the bottom of the cliffs!

Beautiful sunset!

The Manly public ferries can be seen in the picture!

Amazing view of the North Head cliffs!

Fairfax Walking Track

Fairfax Walk

North Head Artillery Lookout

View from inside!

The beautiful path overlooking the sea!

North Head Artillery Lookout

Third Quarantine Cemetery:

Established in 1881 for victims of a smallpox epidemic, the Third Quarantine Cemetery at North Head sanctuary, Manly, is included on Australia’s National Heritage List as a significant example of the nation’s evolving quarantine practices.

By the time of the cemetery’s closure in 1925, more than 240 people had been interred there, having succumbed to ravages including influenza, the bubonic plague, smallpox and scarlet fever.

Third Quarantine Cemetery

Q Station:

The Quarantine Station was established primarily to regulate the risk of disease importation through the migration of free and convict Europeans, and the arrival of merchant shipping. There was always a close link between the requirement for quarantine and the ebb and flow of sea-borne immigration; and the growth of the Quarantine Station from the 1830s parallels the changes in immigration policy and practice. The other major influence was the imperative to limit disruption to the increasingly commercially-sensitive shipping industry.

Q Station

The North Head Quarantine Station is a heritage-listed former quarantine station and associated buildings that is now a tourist attraction at North Head Scenic Drive, on the north side of Sydney Harbour at North Head, near Manly, in New South Wales, Australia.

I took the bus 135 back to Manly wharf and took the ferry back to Circular Quay.

View of the Sydney Opera house and CBD from the ferry

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

View of the harbour bridge from the Circular Quay wharf.

Pitt Street Mall

Sydney Town Hall

All Photographs are copyrighted.

Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Explored the Royal Botanic Garden at Sydney on 19th September 2019.

The Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney is a heritage-listed major 30-hectare (74-acre) botanical garden, event venue and public recreation area located at Farm Cove on the eastern fringe of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia.

The Royal Botanic Garden consist of 29 hectares (72 acres) of closely cultivated land surrounded by 51 hectares (130 acres) of open parklands comprising The Sydney Domain. The Garden forms a large natural amphitheatre, wrapped around and sloping down towards the ‘stage’ of Farm Cove. It is divided into four major precincts called the Lower Gardens, the Middle Gardens, the Palace Gardens and the Bennelong precinct. Within the four major precincts are many smaller gardens and features as well as large amounts of lightly wooded lawn areas. Located approximately in the middle of the four precincts is the Palm Grove Centre which offers a restaurant, cafe, visitors centre and bookshop. A large and complex public botanic garden, largely of late 19th-century character; being not only an historic site of the first importance but containing within it numerous structures which have been nominated separately by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). A predominantly nineteenth century character of landscape layout strengthened by large mature trees. Traditionally designated as four areas reflecting its development.

Walking to the gardens from Martin Place station

Entrance to the garden

The Calyx

Maiden Pavilion

The Maiden Pavilion is a beautiful sandstone pavilion which provides shelter for approximately 30 people. It offers colourful views across the Botanic Garden and Sydney Harbour.

Sydney Harbor bridge and Opera house as seen from Mrs. Macquarie’s chair

Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is a Sydney landmark. The chair was carved out of a sandstone rock ledge by convicts in 1810. Specially commissioned by Governor Macquarie for his wife Elizabeth who was known to love the area this is one of the best vantage points to view the sights of Sydney Harbour.

All Photographs are copyrighted.

Chennai Metro

Sat, 22 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The system commenced service in 2015 after partially opening the first phase of the project. The network consists of two colour-coded lines covering a length of 45 kilometres (28 mi).

For recent updated on Chennai Metro, please visit the official web - https://chennaimetrorail.org/

It is the third largest metro system in India after DelhiMetro and Hyderabad Metro.

The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), a joint venture between Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu built and operates the Chennai Metro. The system has a mix of underground and elevated stations and uses standard gauge. The services operate daily between 4:30 and 23:00 with a varying frequency of 10 to 20 minutes. As of February 2019, about 90,000 people use the service on a daily basis. There are 42 trains with four coaches each, making a total of 168 coaches, operating in the first phase.

The following pictures were taken on 22nd July 2017 while traveling from Nehru Park station to the Chennai International Airport.

Nehru Park Station Entrance

Platform level

Receipt for travel card

Signs showing the time for next train

Stations map

Alstom coaches

Emergency communication button

Alstom coaches - Interior

Travel Card

Approaching Airport

Staircase from Metro to Airport

Link bridge from Airport to Metro Station

All Photographs are copyrighted.

Raymond's Tomb

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Hyderabad is known for its rich history, culture and architecture representing its unique character as a meeting point for North and South India, and also its multicultural nature, geographically, culturally and intellectually. Also known as The City of Nizams and The City of Pearls.

Michel Joachim Marie Raymond’s Tomb

20-year-old Michel Raymond left France in 1775 for the Indian shores to become a merchant like his father, but Fate had other plans for him. He joined the French forces in Pondicherry in fighting the British. Their on-and-off skirmishes and Raymond’s role in the French victories brought him into the notice of the Nizam of Hyderabad. He joined the Nizam’s forces in 1786; a step that was to establish and cement his bonds with Hyderabad and its people, and become a part of its lore.

He rose in the ranks rapidly and became a trusted aide of the Nizam, to the extent that a “Gora” was given the crucial position of Amin Jinsi or Comptroller of Ordinance. Once he assumed charge, he revolutionized the artillery of the army and established the Gun foundry, which still stands today as a testimony to his vision. Under his guidance, the Nizam’s army became one of the best fortified and most formidable in the entire region.

Battle was in his blood, but there was more to this man than just the art of war. Raymond was known far and wide as a good, kind man who never looked down upon the local populace unlike many other foreigners. His bravery, contribution to Hyderabad and his loyalty to the Nizam won him many epithets - to the Muslims he was Musa Rahim, and to the Hindus he was Musa Ram (whence the name Musarambagh).

It’s no surprise that when this foreigner died in 1798 at the young age of 43, he was deeply mourned by all. His dear friend the Nizam had a special memorial errected for him on the top of a hillock, and it still stands there today.

The tomb is a black granite obelisk, and it has the initials JR on it. At the foot of the tomb lies a Grecian-styled pavilion, which is said to house the graves of his family. At the bottom of the hill lies another obelisk which was built over the remains of Raymond’s faithful dog and horse. Even in his death, the people of Hyderabad saw to it that he was surrounded by those he loved and who had loved him back.

The years have not been kind to Raymond’s memories, with a handful of people knowing the location of the tomb and the stature of the man interred therein. The dilapidated tomb was rebuilt in April 2003, and an open-air theater around the Grecian pavilion was also constructed. And the tomb is still used as a venue for qawwali evenings held in his memory every year. But what you find when you go there today is weeds, graffiti and a sense of desolation.

The monogrammed tomb has a thin trickle of visitors, even after the renovation. The few people who do find their way there usually spend more time gazing into the panoramic view of Hyderabad that the hill affords. A cursory glance at the tomb and a few sniff of disdain about the disarray is what Raymond has been reduced to.

The story of Michel Raymond stands to become lost to the people of today unless it is retold. Here lies a man who was a saint of sorts to the locals. A lesser known one albeit, but a well-loved one nonetheless. He stands testimony to Hyderabad’s multihued culture, and to the friendliness of the locals who took a stranger from a far-off land into their hearts.

Source: fullhyd.com

How to get there: Going from Malakpet, at the Asmangarh Signals, where the left goes to Amberpet - take a right and go into the lane next to Hotel Sham. The road is steep and climbs crazily, go all the way up and come down the other side. At the bottom of the hill take a left and proceed some 400 mts. Finally you will find a faded grey board pointing to a lane - the Mons Raymond Monument is at the end of that lane lined with houses.

None of the Locals at Moosarambagh area knew about the existence of this tomb! This is the only board which we found. (We got the location after speaking to a policeman at the Malakpet station)

This one picture is sufficient to prove the state of maintenance here!

At the end of this passage, there are encroachments/huts and people are living inside the walls of a Protected monument!

And here’s the proof

Raymond’s sister’s tomb

A brief history

Raymond’s Tomb

J.R Written on the tomb

The rebuilt 28-pillared open structure resembling a Grecian Temple. The caretaker was very knowledgeable and was expressing his helplessness in protecting the monument.

View from the hillock

TV Tower as seen from the tomb

The yellow building in the center is the AsmanGadh Palace