Bald Hill ... in Stanwell Tops

Today was shopping day as we had dislodged G & G's (Gwyneth and Graham) routine, they should have gone yesterday, so we headed to Woolworths, picked up everything needed as well as petrol and headed home to unpack. Once cold stuff was in the fridge we headed out this time North along the coast road from Bulli passing a number of coastal towns before arriving at Stanwell Park, where we were hoping to have coffee at a really good cafe G & G knew. Unfortunately, this was now a wreck and new cafe would be under construction in 2018. We looked around the area carefully as the field and beach are used as a landing site for hang gliders who use Bald Hill above as their launch site.
Bald Hill is one of Illawarra's most well known and most popular lookouts situated on top of the hill of that name. Not only are the views excellent, the area is also internationally known as a major hang gliding point.
It was on the beach below Bald Hill that Lawrence Hargrave, an Australian pioneer of flight, made a successful flight on 12 November 1894. The Australian inventor of the box kite, linked four of his kites together, added a sling seat, and flew 16 feet. By demonstrating to a sceptical public that it was possible to build a safe and stable flying machine, Hargrave opened the door to other inventors and pioneers.
We decided to go and watch the hang gliders and see if the area above had changed. So we wound our way slowly up the hill. A memorial cairn dedicated to Hargraves has been erected at the peak of the hill near the car park. This was having an additional tiled surround added to it while we were up there. Although there was the possibility of taking a flight, these had to be booked before hand! It was amazing to watch the pilots using the air currents to lift their craft and finally carefully land on the sand below. Though the kestrel, or similar bird who was hunting for lunch at the same time could not be matched for skill and beauty!
Before heading back down the long winding road, we headed towards Helensburgh and stopped at another hidden religious site. Helensburgh’s Sri Venkateswara Temple is one of the most popular and impressive Hindu temples in the Southern Hemisphere, drawing visitors and Hindu devotees from all over New South Wales, and the rest of Australia.
The small, isolated town of Helensburgh may seem like an odd choice for the location of such an important religious landmark, but it was chosen in 1978 as an abode for Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Lakshmi in accordance with Vedic principles. The five requirements for the construction of a Hindu temple are:
a) Virgin land (no building can ever have stood there before)
b) Island land (of course, Australia is the biggest island in the world. Also, there are no neighbouring buildings on the piece of land and it is made into an ‘island’ by the roads on each side of it).
c) Land surrounded by forest (no shortage of bushland surrounding Helensburgh)
d) Close to a water source (the temple is located close to the area’s beautiful Kelly’s Falls and surrounding creek system)
e) Close to the ocean (famous Stanwell Park beach is only a ten-minute drive from the temple)
The temple’s location in Temple Road, Helensburgh, NSW, meets all five of these requirements, making the site venerated by all devotees. The Helensburgh temple was constructed in the traditional style of Indian architecture, creating a truly unique and beautiful cultural jewel in the landscape.
We headed down the hill and crossed back along the highway, stopping for a look at the other end of the bridge. The Sea Cliff Bridge is an eye-catching structure borne of years of drama and frustration. Whenever it rained or there were major storms the risk of rock falls and subsidence on the original road became a grave risk! So the road was closed for two and a half years while the government developed a solution, which caused major hardship to the people and businesses in the area. The 665 metre Sea Cliff Bridge is a highlight along the Grand Pacific Drive. Opened in December 2005, the Sea Cliff Bridge offers visitors the chance to get out of the car and stretch their legs. It is also a great viewing platform for migrating whales heading north/south during migrating season.
After lunching in Corrimal we headed towards the Woolangong seafront for coffee and a beachside view for a relaxing hour or so. An evening at G & G's with music and discussion brought the day to an end.Read more