Recent Tour Reports

TOFS TRIP 893

Wednesday 24 June 2026

Prince Henry Cliff Walk

(Organised by TOFS WW Sub-group)

TOFS [12]: JP (27), Daryl H (65), Phill K (122), Phil K (123), Rex M (179), Graham L (185), Ron O’H (231), Chris R (251), Allan S (349), Paul E (380), David W (434), David C (467)

A fine and cold winter day (12 degrees max) in Katoomba with 12 keen walkers appropriately attired. Some walkers doing this walk for the second time. It is a good trip on a fine day.

A 20-minute stop for coffee and on bus for the 3 Sisters lookout. Being a clear day all took advantage of the view to the Three Sisters.

Most members then walked together around the cliff tops on a dry track with frequent stops for pictures of valley views. Some ventured out to extra view points as the track became a little muddier and all glad to have correct footwear.

A good vantage point for the group photo found at the usual spot.

A busy day for walkers and all happy to say hi to the old farts.

Once finished the track we made a short road stroll to the Katoomba RSL. A great venue for groups and individuals with a decent choice of menu items.

Some took the early train home, but most stayed for further chatting.

Phill K (122) and Phil K (123)

Tour Leaders

 TOFS Trip 892

Thursday 18 June 2026

SHEP’S MOUND WALK, MASCOT

(Organised by TOFS SS)

TOFS (20): Graham L (185), Lyle W (386), Paul E (380), Les H (469), JP (27), Ron B (446), Rex M (179), Phil B (345), David W (434), Ken C (474), Keith R (283), Frank W (475), Phil G (154), Peter O (348), Bruce K (68), Jeffrey H (373), Ron C (470), Dennis S (60), Peter M (288), David C (467).

We met at Waterloo Station and caught the trusty 309 bus down to Mascot Shops. From there we headed west along Robey Street, a long single-block street that connects near to the Domestic Airport. From there onto Ross Smith Avenue which we followed around the eastern perimeter of the airport. Many interesting places are visible from the fenceline – where private planes are parked and cleaned, some diplomatic planes can be spotted, a lot of work is done on the smaller aircraft here and sales offices are ready to field flight enquiries from the super-rich. Further along is the helicopter port. Here many pilots on standby, are ready – dapper airmen, distinguished it is said by anchor tattoos upon their chests. Their craft, shiny and smart, sit on the tarmac in the background ready for action.

After covering some more distance we approached the control tower, beneath which is Shep’s Mound. Sydney Airport officially opened the upgraded Shep’s Mound plane spotters’ lookout. The site provides elevated viewing platforms and improved amenities for the growing community of aviation enthusiasts that frequently use the site.

“Aviation captures the hearts and minds of many of us and we’re proud to be home to a very active plane spotting community,” said Sydney Airport Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ms Kerrie Mather. “With about 345,000 aircraft movements per year, our plane spotters have the chance to see an impressive range of aircraft fly in from around the world".

It might not be for everyone, but the smell of aviation fuel and roar of jet engines are enough for many  to marvel at planes taking off and landing at Sydney Airport for hours at a time. They're known as plane spotters, and they've been part of Kingsford Smith Airport at Mascot since the first regular flights took off in 1924.

Schoolchildren travel to spots on the airport's perimeter almost every day during the holidays. Even airport workers can be found watching planes several hours before their shifts start. And now Sydney Airport has turned a favourite spot near the control tower from a dust bowl into a lookout featuring two viewing platforms, a shelter, a grassed area and car parks for plane watchers. Importantly, it is only a short distance from taxiways and the airport's main north-south runway over which scores of planes from A380 superjumbos to small regional aircraft pass each day.

The lookout has been officially named Shep's Mound in memory of Bruce Shepherd, a former policeman well known for his enthusiasm and willingness to help fellow plane spotters. "Everyone would go to chat to him. He was like an icon of the mound area here," Mr Hutchison said.

Shep's Mound is one of five locations the airport lists among the top viewing sites. The others include "the beach" near the old control tower, Airport Drive and the top floor of the Rydges hotel beside the international terminal.

After spending some time at the mound watching planes taking off and landing, and reading the information boards provided, those walking both ways reverted to Ross Smith Avenue to get back to Mascot. A party of nine chose to take Ubers back to the hotel, which were offered at $5 per person. This made all the difference for some walkers who had already covered 3.5 km.

TENNYSON HOTEL

This well-regarded local hotel is defined by its architectural significance, designed by famed Tooth & Co architect Sidney Warden in the 1930s as a premier Art Deco pub. It was recognized as one of NSW’s top gaming venues and in 2016 was sold at a record-breaking auction for over $37 million to Justin Hemmes of Merivale. It was one of the local pubs involved in a 1948 "black ban" over drinking conditions and beer supply.

MUSIC

To get into flight mode for this tour we listened to 'Fly Away' by talented Australian artist Tones and I (2020).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0vu5QfsD5E

Graham L (185)

TOFS TRIP 891

THURSDAY 11TH JUNE 2026

CAMPBELLTOWN HERITAGE WALK

(Organised by TOFS NM Group)

TOFS (17):  JP (27), Rex M (179), Graham L (185), Ron O (231), Stuart P (264), David M (271), Phil B (345), Peter O (348), Gary H (366), Jeffrey H (373), Lyle W (386), Ron B (446), David W (434), David C (467), Ron C (470), Les H (469), Frank W (475).

After a few call-offs, 17 TOFS members set off from Campbelltown Station on a beautiful winter’s morning.  We had been promised showers but escaped the day without a drop of rain.

Our first stop was Koshigaya Park, where we met up with our guides for the day, Stephen and Helen.

Koshigaya in Japan is the sister city of Campbelltown and was designated in 1984 to promote cultural exchange between the two cities.  The park was opened by the Mayor of Koshigaya, and Campbelltown also boasts a Japanese garden.  Campbelltown is named after Elizabeth Campbell, the wife of Macquarie, and in Mawson Park we were impressed by the statue of this fine lady.

Today the population of Campbelltown is fast approaching 200,000 but of course back in the day it was a quiet country town.

We proceeded along Queen Street, formerly Main Street, and along the way are plaques on the pavement, telling the story of Campbelltown’s notable people down the years.  Stephen elaborated on the suburbs of Minto, Airds and Bradbury and provided a lot of historical facts.

Most of the old cottages and buildings on our tour date back to the 1850’s, including Emily Cottage, Quondong Cottage, Airds Cottage, Milby Cottage and Dredges Cottage; and we also stopped at the original Town Hall circa 1891.

Throughout the morning, we heard much of Fred Fisher of Fisher’s Ghost fame, and the man convicted of his murder in 1826, George Worrall.  Campbelltown celebrates the Festival of Fisher’s Ghost each November.

For all those interested TOFS, there is a vast amount of Campbelltown history available on Google, including lots of information on Fred Fisher and most of the old buildings that we looked at.

We stopped outside Glenalvon (1840’s) which many TOFs would remember from a visit there in 2024.

Next stop was at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, a most impressive building.  The church has been in use since 1823.  Mawson Park in the heart of Campbelltown CBD was an enjoyable stop.  Named in 1938 in honour of a retired doctor William Mawson who served Campbelltown for 28 years, William was the older brother of Sir Douglas Mawson, Antarctic explorer.

The park has several commemorative plaques and a War Memorial, and also Naval, Air Force and Army Memorials, all very impressive.  There is also a memorial to Kevin Wheatley VC, a Vietnam soldier.

We took the group photo in Mawson Park and thanked our guides for a comprehensive, informative and interesting visit.

Lunch at the Campbelltown RSL was enjoyable, good meals, prompt service and pleasant company.

One final note for any TOFS who may be interested, Campbelltown has a fine selection of tattoo parlours.

Next NM Group Outing   – The Rocks on Thursday 9th July.

David M (271)

TOFS Trip 890 

Tuesday 9th June 2026

LUNCH HAWKESBURY BREWERY – LISAROW

(REVISED TRIP – Organised by TOFS CC)

TOFS (9): John P (27), Peter B (32), Paul E (380), Anthony T (420), Jeff J (153), Graeme O (371), Andrew M (16), Phil G (154), Rob B (440).

The original trip was to Hole in Fun an indoor golf centre however, they decided with no notice to close from Monday to Friday after the long weekend.

In all my time arranging Tours this is the worst experience I have had with a company due to poor communication. If I had not gone round physically on the Thursday prior to finding them closed and then checking their website, we would have turned up to a closed venue.

I will not be trying to arrange another trip with them.

Anyway, the revised lunch at the Hawkesbury went off well with a small group of locals discussing their experiences at local restaurants and pubs etc, and things to see and do on the Coast some of  which I will add to our list of Tours.

Peter B JP 32

15th June 2026.

TOFS Trip 889

Thursday 4 June 2026

ROSE BAY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

(Organised by TOFS KO)

TOFS (28): Graham L (185), Les H (469), David C (467), Jim M (209), Ron C (470), Ron O (231), David W (434), Rob O (250), Daryl H (65), Ken C (474), Terry O (147), Clynt S (69), Peter L (479), JP (27), Paul E (380), Don N (400), Frank W (475), Bruce K (68), Richard M (219), Phil B (345), Lyle W (386), Phil G (154), Jason F (464), Jeffrey H (373), Bobby T (448), Rex M (179), Richard B (296), Peter M (288).

Weather forecasts leading up to the day threatened to “rain over us”, but luckily, they proved wrong and umbrellas stayed dry and crisp. We landed at the ferry wharf to be greeted by Carolen Barripp, author of the book “Sydney Seaplanes”. She presented an overview of Rose Bay and the history of the seaplanes through the years.

AIRMAIL

After the First World War, the faster delivery of mail across the British Empire became a priority. It also became important to form airmail links across remote Australia, and the first contract was awarded in 1921. Qantas, which had been formed in November 1920, was awarded the second contract.

Imperial Airways was formed in December 1923. In 1933 its partnership with Qantas was formed, to provide airmail services between Sydney and Singapore, where handover occurred and Imperial Airways took the mail the rest of the way. Imperial was the largest airline in the world at that time. Regular airmail services commenced in December 1934, under the banner Qantas Empire Airways (QEA).

PASSENGERS

The first passengers on mail planes could travel between London and Brisbane from 1935. Flying boats made by Short Brothers of London were favoured for their capacity, power and range. The craft were medium-range, four-engined all-metal aircraft. The upper deck carried 3000 pounds of mail and freight, the lower deck a passenger saloon, toilets, a galley and cabins. Cabin seats were convertible to beds, but these were rarely used as flights were in daylight. There were a smoking lounge and space to play mini golf (putters and balls provided). Silver service meals were provided, and a pay bar was provided.

It was a 10-day trip between Rose Bay and Southampton. Shipments of gold bullion were hidden in compartments below the floor, and one-day-old chickens were carried for supply to the Singapore markets. Flying through the tropics was often difficult with severe turbulence and no weather radar.

SELECTING ROSE BAY

There were six contenders for location of the airport – Botany Bay, Lake Illawarra, Pittwater, Lake Macquarie, Pindimar Bay and Rose Bay. After some consideration Rose Bay was selected, to the horror of local nimbys. The building of the base commenced in 1938, and the huge hangar and terminal were completed in October 1939. The inaugural flight was on 4 August 1938 in the plane Camilla, arriving in England on 13th. The service ran three times per week, departing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Overnight stops: Townsville, Darwin, Surabaya, Singapore, Bangkok, Calcutta, Karachi, Basra, Athens and Southampton.

In 1938, Rose Bay became Australia's first international airport, serving as the base for Qantas Empire Airways and Imperial Airways. This connected Australia to the world through majestic flying boats, including the Short Empire, Catalina, and Sunderland aircraft. These extraordinary machines overcame the tyranny of distance.

SECOND WORLD WAR

During the Second World War, Rose Bay played a vital role in supporting the Royal Australian Air Force. By February 1942 Japan occupied most of South-East Asia and the Singapore flights were forced to cease. The Rose Bay base underwent substantial modifications to support the RAAF. New buildings and a second hangar were added, and the local scout hall was repurposed. Airlines co-operated on the “horseshoe route” between Durban and Auckland to keep wartime correspondence flowing throughout the empire. The RAAF requisitioned several flying boats to fulfil its need for long range aircraft to ferry supplies and personnel, and fly patrols.

The quality of the facilities at Rose Bay was not only suitable for flying boats such as the Short Sunderlands but also for Supermarine Walrus/seagull amphibians, Vought Kingfishers, Consolidated Catalinas, Dornier Do 24s and Martin PBM Mariners.

The shelling of Rose Bay by the submarine I-24 on the night of 7 June 1942 resulted in the nearest shell falling 400m away from the hangar. There was speculation that the base was a target but there is no evidence to suggest this.

On 17 September 1945, nine Catalina flying boats landed and moored at the Rose Bay wharf, repatriating Australian prisoners of war who were survivors of Japanese camps. A crowd of 45,000 looked on in sickened silence, aghast at the emaciated state of the returning soldiers.

AFTER THE WAR

The RAAF decommissioned the base, as advances in aircraft design and performance shifted the preference toward land-based planes. In 1946 BOAC and QEA re-introduced a twice-weekly flying service between the UK and Rose Bay, now taking just five days via Egypt, Iraq, India, Burma and Singapore. The second hangar was removed to Mascot Airfield. Outdated with their bulky designs and dependence on waterways, the flying boats ceased operation in February 1949.

Its international days mainly over, Rose Bay was used from then on for more local flights, to Brisbane, Hobart, Port Moresby and Lord Howe Island. The main role of Rose Bay Airport ended with the end of operations by Ansett in 1974.The decision was made to downscale the base but not to waste the asset, but rather to maintain it largely for pleasure purposes until today.

We were able to get access to the small museum in the Sydney Seaplanes terminal, where many displays, models and other items were on display. At the conclusion of our tour, as all eyes were turned towards the waters of Rose Bay, two sea planes took off across the bay – a fitting end to our time. One final challenge was to find the historic lettering of the sign “to airport” set into the kerb on New South Head Road. While partly obscured we were able to find and photograph it.

CLUB ROSE BAY

Rose Bay was named for George Rose, Joint Secretary of the British Treasury, who had much to do with financing the First Fleet. Rumours of an anchor tattoo upon his chest are unsubstantiated.

Club Rose Bay has a long and storied history in the local area, going back over a century - the Club was first formed by a group of WWI veterans in 1919. By 1945 funds were raised to demolish and relocate a building from Hyde Park. The new club established 1947 became Rose Bay RSL in 1951.

MUSIC

Have some fun with Jimmy Buffett "No Plane on Sunday" (1986).               https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW515iq33eg

THE BOOK ‘SYDNEY SEAPLANES’

To purchase Carolen’s book here is the link:

https://www.fanplus.com/sydney-seaplane-book-2802.phtml

Graham L (185)

TOFS TRIP 887

Friday 22nd May 2026

Ten Pin Bowling at Taree

(Organised by TOFS MC)

TOFS (12): Malc S (359), Dave T (351), Norm MS (307), Ian C (376), Allan J (416), Gary S (322), Peter W (326), Tom H (393), Peter B (399), Will L (282), Ray L (407), Peter T (352).

Twelve members boarded the Halliday Shores bus at 9am on Friday morning 22nd May bound for the Club Taree Tenpin Bowling Centre at 55 Muldoon Street with driver Dave Turner at the wheel.

Arriving on the outskirts of Taree a call resonated through the bus that the coffee at Caterbox Café in Taree South comes highly recommended.  With no loudly uttered objections, driver Dave took that as his cue to guide the bus through the maze of traffic islands, roundabouts, kerbs and white lines to access the tiny premises hidden amongst the trucks and tractors on the site.  The staff at Caterbox handled our orders with their usual efficiency and it wasn’t long before we were all sitting around enjoying our morning tea while also creating more noise than had been experienced there for some time.

The accompanying pictures and scores largely tell the story of the Tenpin bowling experience. The scores indicate that some were really good and some were not-so-good.

Congratulations to Ray L (407) who blitzed the field! Coming a not-so-close second was Peter T (352) with Garry S (322) not far behind. Norm MS (307) and Peter W (326) round out the top five.

There were no serious mishaps, although some of us found the gutters a bit too often! Driver Dave mused that we would notice one of our shoulders more than the other later in the day. 

We didn’t have to travel too far for lunch, just down the road to the Greenwood Restaurant at Club Taree, where we enjoyed a meal and some liquid refreshments.

Thanks to Allan J (416) for organising the venue, Malc S (359) for facilitating attendance, Norm MS (307) for financial services, and Dave T (351) for getting us there and back safely.  Look out for the next email from Malc that will advise details of next month’s outing.

Malcolm S (359)

MC TOFS Tour Organiser.

TOFS Trip 886

Thursday 21 May 2026

SUTHERLAND SHIRE MUSEUM, SYLVANIA

(Organised by TOFS HQ)

TOFS (25): Graham L (185), Paul E (380), Les H (469), Rex M (179), Ron B (446), Ron O (231), David W (434), Frank W (475), Terry O (147), Lyle W (386), JP (27), Ray N (235), Keith R (283), Jason F (464), Kenn W (243), James B (214), Glen R (246), Bobby T (448), Jim M (209), Bob S (444), Phil G (154), Peter L (479), Ron C (470), David C (467), Jeffrey H (373).

Visitor (1): Bill S (V).

We converged on Hurstville Station bus stand K to take the ever-reliable bus 970 to Sylvania. Oh, actually not so reliable it never turned up, we sought assistance of the driver of the next 971 bus and then walked the width of the suburb of Sylvania to arrive at our destination.

Background

Here on the southern shores of Kamay Botany Bay, 'Warra Warra Wei' were the first Aboriginal words ever recorded, later translated as 'they are all dead'. This suggests that they thought the new arrivals were the ghosts of their ancestors. Cook landed here on his way to see the Transit of Venus. As it turned out this spectacle was not visible due to an overcast sky! Cook and his party explored Kurnell Peninsula. During their brief stay, a Scottish seaman named Forbes Sutherland died of tuberculosis. In his honour, Cook named the northwest point of the peninsula Point Sutherland. Cook himself originated from near the Yorkshire coastal town of Whitby, where Dracula was shipwrecked when he migrated from Transylvania to England.

When Botany Bay was chosen as the new penal settlement and the First Fleet under Governor Arthur Phillip anchored off Kurnell on 18 January 1788. After sending a party to clear land for settlement, Phillip soon realised the area was unsuitable. There was a lack of shelter for ships, inadequate water and poor soil. On 24 January, two French ships were sighted off the coast, causing Phillip to raise English colours near Sutherland Point. Governor Phillip sailed north to explore Port Jackson, and eventually settled at Sydney Cove.

The first landowner in Sutherland Shire was James Birnie, a mercantile trader who was granted by promise 700 acres (280 ha) at Kurnell in 1815. Title to land was not granted by the Crown until 1856, before which there was practically no settlement. Timber cutting was the primary industry, supplemented by shell gathering in the Port Hacking area.

Our Visit

Our guides Sue, Pauline and Leigh were there to meet us and our visit commenced with tea and cake under the museum awning. We were then divided into three groups and rotated for 20 minutes with each guide; the changeover time being marked by the ringing of a school bell.

(1)   Encounter

This section dealt with the arrival and early days of the area. A bark canoe is on display, with a clay-lined portion at one end to enable lighting of a fire. This canoe would have resembled the craft used when Cook visited Kamay Botany Bay, on the Kurnell Peninsula. An islander Tupaia met Cook and travelled with his party, known no doubt at that time for the anchor tattoos upon their seafaring chests. A sample of the ballast (pig iron) that Cook jettisoned up the coast is on display.

Thomas Holt was a wool merchant who ended up owning large tracts of today’s Sutherland Shire, he was also a politician and a businessman and built a mansion ‘Sylvania’ upon his landholding. The organ in his home originated in Canada and is currently being restored. He tried oyster farming which was not especially successful.

Sutherland is naturally isolated by rivers; it was not until coal was found in the Illawarra area that the railway line came through. Prior to that, punts were the main connection points.

(2)   Recent History of Sutherland

Leigh conducted this section of the exhibition, her family published a paper ‘The Observer’ and following the untimely death of her grandfather, her father became the editor at the age of 15. Many houses were fibro as the building materials were easier to transport across rivers and bridges. A migrant hostel was for many years located at Cronulla, which was also the site for the filming of ‘Puberty Blues’. The Hotel Cecil dominated the social scene of Cronulla during the 1930’s.

(3)   Aboriginal Items

Cabinets of items which were not sourced in the local area, held womens’ business (coolamon, weaving) and mens’ business (killing boomerangs, shields). In addition, the museum has now secured the Matson Collection of local items, and we were shown how a shell progresses to a fish hook in simple steps.

Final word must go to Burnum Burnum, whose picture was on the wall in this section. “To the Queen of England - you can keep your country it’s too bloody cold”.

CREST HOTEL

This is a very big room, spacious renovated premises with good service and well-priced mains. Located in the Southgate Shopping Centre.

MUSIC

Get some real history - "West of the Wall" by Toni Fisher (1962).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVeG-MllgXI

Graham L (185)