The remains of timber vessels have not survived, but the wrecks and hulks of several iron and steel ships were incorporated into the breakwater during its construction.
This was the Adolphe. On a trip from Antwerp in 1904, under deteriorating weather conditions, heavy seas drove her aground where she was holed and quickly filled with water. Amazingly, all 36 crew were saved. In 1906 the ongoing construction of the breakwater reached the wreck, allowing young boys to climb about and do what young boys do (behave mischievously) so the authorities blew up the after-end of her hull and cut down her two masts. A bit sad, but the breakwater continued past the wreck to its present length in 1912 and now provides protection to the Adolphe's remains as well as present day shipping.
Jarrah was impressed with the wreck, but I think he was even more impressed with all the stray cats that were dodging in and out of the rocks on the breakwater.
After a yummy cooked breakfast, time spent on the skate park and more time spent applying first aid, we packed ourselves up for a stroll along the foreshore and a ride on the Newcastle ferry.
Waiting for us at Queen's Wharf, at the end of the short ferry ride across the harbour, was my very dear friend Di, her husband Adam, and their beautiful kids Ciara and Rory. It was great to see Di again - we worked out it had been 15 years between drinks - so we wasted no time on filling in the gaps.
We spent a lovely hour or so at the Queens Wharf Hotel before being taken on the Newcastle tourist drive and then back to Di and Adam's beautiful home in Merewether for some more merriment!
And merry it was! Di remains as I remember her - a little Irish bombshell with a big heart and a bigger laugh! Her vibrant personality is infectious, and the drinks and the tales flowed freely all afternoon and into the evening.
The kids enjoyed some PS4 and free range kids movies and were spoilt with a great home made pizza for dinner.
We were spoilt with a great pasta meal which was so hot it shattered the kitchen splashback. Well ok, maybe it wasn't the pasta that caused it to shatter, but shatter it did, and went with a hell of a bang!
Well I'm not really sure what happened next but we seem to have been caught in some kind of time warp. One minute it was 8.30pm and Di and I were having a lovely time...
...and the next moment it was after 10pm and we had missed the last ferry home. Oh dear!
After a couple more drinks and a couple of guitar and harmonica solos by Bruce we finally got our things together to make the journey back to Stockton. After all, it WAS a school/work night for the Loongs!
The $100 taxi ride home hurt, but not as much as my head this morning! I felt exactly like Di's splashback! So it was a slow start for the Johnstons this morning. We lingered over coffee and breakfast and then took the kids over to the skate park. Soon enough Jarrah retired due to the blood rule and we came back to patch him up.
It was well past lunch time by the time we felt well enough to venture out and do some sightseeing. The weather was great and we enjoyed a walk out to the end of the Nobbys Headland to watch dolphins, pelicans and some pretty impressive ships steering in through the heads.
We spent some time at Fort Scratchley. Forts Scratchley was built in 1828 to protect the coastline in the event of an attack. With its commanding position guarding the Hunter River Estuary, it was worth the visit for the view alone! Overlooking Nobbys Beach and lighthouse, the Fortress boasts panoramic ocean, coastline, harbour and city views.
The kids were keen for a swim, so we ventured a little further around Bathers Way to the Newcastle Ocean Baths.
With its distinctive and architecturally significant Art Deco pavilion, Newcastle Ocean Baths is one of the city's outstanding historic landmarks. The Baths were constructed and in use before WWI, though not formally opened until the 1920s. The Baths' popularity has never waned throughout the ensuring decades and I imagine their popularity will continue to increase with 13 shark attacks in NSW so far this year!
However, despite the appeal of a safe, sheltered swimming spot, at a water temperature of 17 degrees and a howling seabreeze, even the boys couldn't be tempted in.
Our final stop was the newly opened cliff top Anzac Memorial Walk, which links Newcastle's Bar Beach with Strzelecki Lookout. The walkway is inscribed with the names of 11 000 Hunter people who served during World War, and with the names on the silhouettes, it gives the illusion of walking in the shadows of those who have served!
As if that's not cool enough, the Anzac Memorial Walk provides safe access to one of the most scenically spectacular sections of Newcastle's coastline.
By now it was almost the end of another day, and I was finally feeling a little less like I'd been poisoned. Time to head home for some tucker and a well earned rest!
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