More red

 

It's a good year for the Illawarra flame tree. They traditionally dazzle with their bright red flowers at the same time as the jacarandas do their purple thing. Often they've been planted side by side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Castle Hill's historic Heritage Park they've planted a whole lot of them. I was half hoping for a dazzling show today, but it looks like they'll need a few more years yet. Watch this space.

Back to Castle Hill Heritage Park

 

Looking better and better, and ably delivering its history lessons too. Of early agriculture and the early colonial settlement. Of the 1804 convict rebellion (also known as the second battle of Vinegar Hill - the first one, in Ireland, was what caused the Irish rebels to be sent here in the first place). And then the lessons of the lunatic asylum that was later put here.

More here from my 2020 lockdown explorations: 2020 post

Lockdown parks of Castle Hill

I checked out a string of pleasant little reserves today. We started in Pioneer Place Reserve, then down past First Farm Reserve, through James Greenwood Reserve, to Spain Reserve. We followed the upper reaches of Castle Hill Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

It's all very leafy green scenic, and all new to me, yet again! We were close to Castle Hill's more famous Heritage Park, site of that historic 1804 convict rebellion. See: Heritage Park visit April 2020  I'll revisit that one soon, I suspect.

Suddenly the parks (and the streets) were much quieter than they have been. With the epidemic escalation and the significant tightening of the lockdown restrictions, the Castle Hillians must be seriously staying at home. It's probably helped by massive confusion about all the rule changes. I suspect a lot of people have no idea what they can and can't do, and don't want to risk a $5000 fine.

More Lockdown 2 exercise parks!

 
 

 

Fred Caterson Reserve, Castle Hill, with the Castle Hill BMX track.

Bellamy Farm Reserve, West Pennant Hills

Lofberg Oval, Bicentennial Park, West Pymble.

A Castle Hill coffee morning and the "I don't hold a hose" Prime Minister

 

What's going on here then? We were in the Castle Mall shopping centre for our Sunday morning coffee, and there was an excited crowd outside the Medical Centre. Inside was an even more excited bunch of politicians, senior health executives, and the nation's media. It was the launch (pre-launch actually) of the country's COVID-19 vaccination programme.

 

When PM Scotty-from-Marketing went on holiday in Hawaii during the bushfire crises a year ago, he used the excuse of "I don't hold a hose!" Now that there's some good news re the COVID crisis, he's definitely wanting to be in on the action. I feel an election coming on.

Here's a Reuters video. Watch for the bit where our first vaccinee inadvertently(?) gives a disrespectful gesture to them all!

Click here: YouTube/Sky News video

Covid countdown - Castle Hill Heritage Park

Ten years since my last visit, and it's come along nicely.

It's on the site of what was once the Third Government Farm, and it's where the second Battle of Vinegar Hill took place. This was the convict rebellion in 1804. The convicts were Irish political prisoners. It didn't end well of course. More here:
Wikipedia article

Covid countdown - Exercise park #27: George Thornton Reserve

Covid countdown - Exercise park #26: Castlewood Community Reserve

Discovering the Discovery Centre

I finally made it the other day to the Castle Hill Discovery Centre museum thing. It used to be known as the repository for most of the stuff that couldn't fit into the Powerhouse Museum. It's now administratively linked to the Australian Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, maybe a new name for the Powerhouse anyway. Who knows.





Anyway, it's well worth a visit. There's an excellent eclectic collection of museumy things, and it's open weekdays, and beautifully uncrowded, out there in its Castle Hill site, which it shares with an even quieter looking TAFE campus.

Look at how uncrowded the car park was! That's quite a recommendation in itself, for a nice stress-free cultural experience.