It might have been the attraction of a train ride and a harbourside walk – it might have been the lingering Summer weather a month already into Autumn – who knows? But 14 walkers congregated at Hornsby station for the 2-hour train ride north to Newcastle – joined later in Newcastle itself by a visitor completing his first walk with HVB.
Gathering at Hornsby Station - lots of excited chatter waiting for the train north
Alighting from the train at the new ‘Newcastle Interchange’ it was but a short walk to Throsby Basin – a mass of sailing boats in a marina – and the start of the Newcastle Harbour foreshores.
Leader Don B deciding which way to go Wouldn't mind one of them!
New developments are everywhere along this ‘Honeysuckle’ section of the harbour as we headed east then north towards Nobbys. . The seats and tables of our ‘reccied’ morning tea spot had been thoughtfully ‘hosed-down’ prior to our arrival – but ‘always prepared’ - our HVB walkers produced towels and the like and dried them all so we could enjoy our morning tea sitting on the very edge of the harbour – looking across to the Hunter River and towards Stockton.
Group on promenade.....is that Bert taking a photo of photographer Don Wo
Replica of the Steamship William IV - Robyn Mi’s great great grandfather Alexander Lyle Pattison came to Australia from Scotland to put the engine in this ship around 1830. The ship was used for the coal trade between Newcastle and Sydney.
Suitably refreshed the group moved on through Queens Wharf and along the foreshore walk. Right on cue – as organised by Leader Don – a very large bulk carrier came in through the breakwaters and into the Hunter River – fussed over by its attending three tugs – and headed upstream to its berth (we think at the coal loader – although it could have been going to load wheat).
What are they looking at? (Queens Wharf in the distant background).....Aha - that's what they're looking at! A bulk carrier so large and close we could almost touch it....
On to Nobbys Beach where most opted to walk to the end of the southern breakwater, while a few stayed at Nobbys (one in particular for a swim…). 
Nobbys Beach
Returning from the end of the breakwater
Lunch was had in the pavilion at Nobbys Beach where another bulk carrier provided much entertainment as it headed for the harbour entrance - only to execute a tight (well tight for a 150,000+ tonne – 200m long bulk carrier) 360° turn before again heading for the harbour – this time for a successful entrance! We think it was forced to do a penalty turn for starting its run too early…....
A relaxing (and entertaining) lunch over, it was only a 15 min walk to the terminus of Newcastle’s new light rail (a.k.a. trams) for an inaugural HVB tram ride back to the Newcastle Interchange and the train back to Hornsby. No we weren’t in a quiet carriage, yes it’s possible there might have been some snoring.
Don B and John G led thirteen walkers......Bert, Mary, Dawn, Don Wo, Jim, Ros, Lilian, Robyn Mi, Rosemary and Kevin, Annette and David plus a visitor.
Words by John G
Photos by Lilian (1, 4, 5, 9, 13), Don Wo (2, 3, 6, 14), Robyn Mi (7, 8, 12), Ros (10, 11, 15, 16)