When driving from Perth to Albany, be aware of the distance...people underestimate distances in Australia all the time and fatigue can be a killer behind the wheel. Also try to avoid driving at dawn and dusk. Kangaroos are surprisingly solid when your car hits them.
If you can swing it whilst in Sydney, the Naval Museum and Chapel at Garden Island Navy Base (I think the Navy now calls it Fleet Base East or something along those lines) is DEFINITELY worth a visit - try getting in touch with the Naval Historical Society of Australia - they’d be able to point you in the right direction to get access to the museum. The museum is in one half of the building, the other half has been set up as a function venue, but has various items of historical significance on display there too - the main hull section and conning tower from one of the Japanese midget subs that attacked Sydney Harbour in 1942 for example, sinking the ferry Kuttabul, which was being used as a depot ship at the time. Enjoy your trip, I can’t wait to see your take on our Naval History and the ships and crews that formed it!! : )
I will also mention the cockatoo island dockyards, as they were one of the main allied repair points in Australia and the South Pacific after the fall of ABDA command.
Blast! We Adelaidians always miss out when the big acts tour Oz. :P But then I have to concede, there's precious little of historical naval interest here in South Aust. Hope you have a great time here!
One correction to make, Castlemaine is not the only surviving Bathurst-Class. Her sister HMAS Whyalla (J153) is a museum ship in Whyalla, South Australia, two kilometres inland.
HMAS Cerberus is at Half Moon Bay in Melbourne (just south and east of the city) and serves as a break-water there. She sits in only 3m of water, 200m from shore. An easy swim, but maybe not now that it is winter in the southern hemisphere. Parts remain above water due to conservation efforts.
Around Melbourne there are some coastal forts worth visiting too (Point Nepean, South channel fort, Pope’s eye), and two surviving WWI “J” class subs (well, mostly wrecks).
It appears that even today, for a Brit to travel to Australia requires a great deal of conviction. Have a safe and enjoyable trip Drac and crew. 👍🏻🇬🇧 🇦🇺😎
When you tour Vampire, remember this little anecdote. I had a friend in the ‘80s who served aboard HMAS Voyager. On his first deployment ever, first night at sea, his ship was rammed and sunk by the carrier HMAS Melbourne during a night training exercise. The Daring class were the biggest destroyers ever built by the commonwealth, but Melbourne cut Voyager in half and the rear half sank in minutes. My friend’s entire class of engine room artificers was assigned to Voyager. Half were billeted in the forward ERAs mess, the other the aft. My friend was assigned forward, and that saved his life as nobody got off the rear half of the ship. he told me the ship lurched, and he thought, being a noob, that they had hit a whale. When the abandon ship order came he didn’t believe it. So think of Vampire’s sister ship as you tour, please.
You know... Canberra is worth a visit because of the national war memorial... and Holbrook is fascinating because of the sub in the middle of a park. You can do Melbourne to Sydney in a day in a car and stop in at Holbrook. If you're really keen you can go via Canberra which makes the trip a 2 day affair but much cheaper than a flight. Oh... and thanks for dropping by. Deeply appreciate your videos.... and if you want an awesome story, look at the Krait when you're in Sydney
If you get time in Perth you can see the America's Cup winning, national hero: Australia ll 1983 Australia ll defeated American Dennis Connor's Liberty 4-3 and claimed The Cup for a foreign nation for the first time in 132 years. Hope you have a nice time in AUS :)
Located just a few hundred meters from HMAS Castlemaine in Williamstown Melbourne is the original anchor from HMS Nelson. HMS Nelson was one of the last wooden walled ships of the line produced for the Royal Navy in 1814. She was gifted to the colony of Victoria in 1867 where she became Her Majesty's Victorian Ship (HMVS) Nelson and went through various modifications. During the latter half of the 19th century, Melbourne was one of the most heavily guarded ports outside of the UK with a colonial navy of sloops, gunboats, torpedo boats, a breastwork monitor (HMVS Cerberus), HMVS Nelson, and fortifications. All paid for by the Gold rush of the 1850's onwards. There are numerous naval guns scattered around Melbourne, from these vessels. HMAS Castlemaine survived because it was used as a training ship for engineering cadets as well as acting as a stationary and rather large floating hot water service for the shore base HMAS Cerberus (the shore base, not the monitor). Unfortunately, without a boat it is difficult to visit HMVS Cerberus, but it is clearly visible from the shore. Not far away from the wreck of the Cerberus is the wreck of the J7, a J-class submarine, but it's in a sorry state. The 40mm Bofors on the stern of HMAS Castlemaine used to be at the Royal Australian Naval Cadet training depot TS Voyager. I have many happy memories of playing with the Bofors as a boy in the 1970’s. I'm only sticking to "things that float" so I'm leaving out Fort Queenscliffe and Fort Nepean and just a bit too far to travel for a short trip but both very interesting in their own right. Williamstown for HMAS Castlemaine and HMVS Nelson’s anchor. Sandringham for the wreck of the J7 Submarine. Black Rock for HMVS Cerberus. Polly Woodside is at South Bank. Note. Probably no one at the Polly Woodside remembers, but many of the older blocks and tackle used in the rigging were donated by the Naval Cadets from old stores dating back to the time of Her Majesty’s Victorian Navy in the late 1800’s!
I was there last week. The WW1 shot was the first fired by the British empire and resulted in capturing a German ship. The gun is one of the exhibits. The WW2 shot wasn’t as glorious.
@@creativehorse7907 Neither shot in WW1 or WW2 was intended to hit. They were warning shots and had the desired effect of stopping both vessels. The WW1 shot resulted in the capture of the German ship Pfalz. The WW2 shot was due to an error in communications and after clarification the Australian ship Woniora proceeded on her way.
The Forceful is actually no longer at the Queensland Maritime Museum. She was removed due to cost of preserving her and while her fate is still up in the air it seems likely she'll end up scrapped or sold off if we're lucky. Also we have our own Carpentaria (CLS2) which is a sister ship of the one in the National Maritime Museum (CLS4).
Cerberus is in Melbourne. Also with respect to Melbourne, do a search on the Enterprize. It's a good replica of the ship which found the spot where it was determined that Melbourne would be. If it's in harbour and you meet the crew, I'm sure they'll take you to the pub to sing some sea shanties. Melbourne's other active sailing ship is the Alma Doepel, which is berthed next to the Enterprize, though it's currently not active and under restoration. I'm in Melbourne - not particularly close to anything nautical, but if you need free accommodation, I have guest rooms. Cheers.
@@BrickNewton Perun described Canberra in one of his power points to having a similar climate to the Donbas. And it's just down the road from the Australian Alps, which have a greater coverage of snow than Switzerland. TLDR; don't worry, it can get really cold down here once you're away from the coast.
Do they still have that exhibit where you walk of a simulated ships decK and can feel the "machinery" vibrating beneath? That one would stir any old salt walking over it.
That's a massive itinerary mate. You're going to be exhausted. It kinda breaks my heart to know how close you'll be to so many once in a lifetime wonders that you'll never see because of your mad schedule. All the best anyhow.
HMVS Cerberus is in Melbourne, in the suburb of Black Rock south-east of the the city. If you want a guide I live about 3 miles from there - it's a little tricky to reach by public transport. Don't miss it, as it is slowly falling into the sea and has sunk down noticeably just in the time I've been visiting it.
Given petrol prices, I can assure you it's NOT cheaper to hire a car and drive between any of the capitals. Driving my own car is surprisingly close in costs, but ridiculous in terms of time (and risk, although the main interstate highways are all dual carriageways etc so they're still very safe). I do Bris/Syd (or return) in about 8:36 driving time from my place in the north of Bris to the northern suburbs of Syd, and that's as quickly as you can do it legally. It's ~905km. I did a search a few minutes ago, and could have booked you from Melbourne to Brisbane, for example, for no more than AU$150, which is about 80 pounds. If your domestic flights are costing you a ton, perhaps it's because you've booked them from the UK and are flying QANTAS? Or perhaps you have excess baggage requirements, but even those aren't crazy numbers. You could have asked someone here to book them for you. You could still do that and cancel your current bookings. I'd be very happy to help. Cheers
When you are in Sydney come down to wharf No 7 at Darling Harbour & visit the James Craig. We are diagonally opposite the Endeavour the James Craig was originally built in Sunderland in the UK. She was abandoned in Tasmania where she was re discovered & towed to Sydney to be fully restored.
3:38 Funny story Drach. I visited the National Maritime Museum when I was a kid and went on Vampire. And was playing on one of her AA Mounts and hit my head on the breech.
Hi Drach, great to have you out to Western Australia! We have an extremely rich maritime heritage. If Albany doesn't work out, can I suggest the West Australian Museum in Geraldton, which is about the same distance but in a Northerly direction, up Indian Ocean Drive. We have a fantastic shipwrecks gallery centered around the many artefacts from the infamous Batavia wreck of 1629, including the stunning reconstructed portico which she was carrying for the VOC fort at Jakarta.
Drach, please be aware that some of the HMAS Nowra FAA Collection are now held in a flying condition at Illawarra/ Albion Airport. Having visited Nowra it is a nice museum, and make sure you have lunch on the first floor deck as the helicopters fly overhead. The FAA aircrews do have lunch on the deck, and they are happy to chat.
Im a nowra local and sadly the Cafe closed about 5 years ago HARS is really worth the visit as OP mentioned at Albion Park. *also its HMAS Albatross or Nowra Naval Air Station. Etheir but only by known by those names.
@@captain61games49 sorry to hear that, as I’m from the UK and visited there a couple of times and always got a warm welcome from the manager of the museum Terry I believe he was called?
Another West Aussie here, if you are able to commit half/full day we would be happy to fund a visit out to Wadjemap (Rottnest Island) for a visit to the coastal batteries and so on. Just beware that drones are a no-go over 90% of the island due to the airport in the middle (unless you get specific clearance from the Rottnest Island Authority and CASA).
Yes, flights to Australia are crazy expensive... went there on business back in '17, and the round trip flight from Detroit was over $2k (IIRC), and took some 30 hours including layovers. The LA-Melbourne leg alone was 16 hours.
Hey mate, as far as perth goes i reccomend rottnest island if you have room in the schedule, rich history in ships crashing into it. HMAS ovens is pretty in tact, but looks sad externally, enjoy
I live in Brisbane. The maritime museum is great. Definitely make an effort to see fort Lytton which is really interesting as a naval fort and quarantine station
Drach, if you are intending to visit Fort Lytton, please contact me - I can chat with the other Queensland Military Historical Society volunteers and see about ensuring there’s someone there to show you around, as it’s not permanently staffed.
Also if you get the chance hit Fremantle museums you won't forget it because we have a section dedicated to war one and two in the Maritime Museum we also have a shipwreck Museum not too mention fremantle was a SpringBoard into the Pacific Theatre and housed most of the American troops also used to have the duyfken over here but that got taken over to the Eastern state my advice if you want to see Western Australia's lower half defence posture go out to Garden Island Point Peron way couple years back they read in that complex up to its original wartime state
Another thing if you're interested in going to a memorial best place in Perth I can think of is Kings Park it's an entire War Memorial and Nature Reserve and you'll get some pretty good shots with drone of the Swan River also public transport pretty good over here you can pretty much get anywhere you want also if you want to make a quick detour and you're into retro games checkout nostalgia box Museum or if you're into general history museums checkout are refurbished National Museum in Perth also if you want some quiet place and you're heading down Albany way considers when pass Mandurah it's a small quiet coastal town somewhat worth checking out because we have the most beautiful Waterways and we have so many dolphins that you could take one and that we wouldn't notice also Busselton is a good place if you want to checkout because that's pretty much where anything of value down South would be loaded into ships and brought up to Fremantle
Fremantle can be confusing - we have a Shipwreck Museum and a Maritime Museum. They are both well worth visiting but they are not the same thing and are not in the same place. Fremantle also has Cat Buses, which are free travel within Fremantle, which may be of use to you.
So close. Are you sure you don't want to come to the War memorial? To be honest, it doesn't have a whole lot of naval exhibits, and it sounds like you guys are gonna be very busy anyway. Have fun! Be careful, Vegemite is not to be taken internally and should only be used externally to ward off dropbears.
Fort Nepean might also be worth a look if you have time in your Melbourne schedule. Thanks to some overly enthusiastic gunners it is said the first shots of both world wars were fired from there. Unfortunately the crew of the Schleswig Holstein were slightly quicker so its only the first Allied shots. There should be public transport from the CBD if you are not in a rental.
If you have the time Canberra is worth the trip for the Australian war memorial just overall a good place for naval history. Thanks for visiting us regardless it’s expensive to come down all this way
Hi, Drach. My father was a PO on the Vampire and if he was still with us he would have been proud to show you around her and also fill you in on the FESR and their fight with not only the Malayan guerillas but also the government for recognition. As well my uncle was a survivor of the HMAS Voyager collision, and his wishes that upon his death he rejoin his mates who didn't make it have been fulfilled... That would have been a good interview for you. I always remember his story that he was in the ocean for several hours before rescue. After being flown back to HMAS Albatross they sent him off for a hot shower and dry uniform, and the first thing he did was take his watch off so it didn't get wet. That's when it hit him what had happened.
Whilst not a navy ship there is also the STS Leeuwin II, a Tall ship based in Fremantle (Perth). Cheers and have a blast down under ! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS_Leeuwin_II
Thanks for coming down to Australia and well done on your correct pronouncing of Bathurst (like math in mathematics). The domestic flights are very dear! The drive to Albany isn't to bad You might have mentioned it, the Duyfken used to be in Perth, but I understand its now in Sydney
WA’s Maritime & Shipwreck museum are great, you may be able to schmooze a pass on to (the other) Garden Island naval base just off the coast of south of Fremantle 👍🏼
I had the privilege to visit the Diamontina back in '88. Being a U.S. sailor on vacation it was nice to get a tour of a foreign design from WW2. Also was able to get a tour from a Aussie volunteer who actually served on Her during the war. Good times.🇦🇺
Definitely drive to Albany - flight prices are insane. Also when you return go back via the West coast and stop at Augusta with the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse. Not only can you see the Southern ocean on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other, there is a memorial for the sailors lost on HMAS Nizam on a transit between Port Phillip Bay and Fremantle - in 1944 if I remember correctly You will also pass by some excellent wineries between Augusta and Perth….
Drach - do you travel on these trips with Mrs Drach and any associated midshipmen? If so, spend a day on the Gold Coast, and a morning or afternoon visting Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The chance to feed the lorikeets is well worth it, and certainly an excellent photo opporunity for the home albums. Also: Diamantina - Dye-man-tina Carpentaria - Car-pen-tear-ia
Next time you come to America, you should do a Submarine tour. U-505, USS Nautilus, USS Batfish (have them tell you about the time set sail on her own a few years ago) and a number of others.
As mentioned already Cerberus is in Black Rock (about 12 miles S of Melbourne). Weather permitting it would be worth borrowing/hiring/stealing a dinghy to have a closer look.
Assuming you mean HMVS cerberus (you can’t fly drones over HMAS Cerberus I believe) is in Melbourne and closer to the polly woodside than to Williamstown. Welcome in advance, Drac.
Fantastic I will keep a watch out for updates! Great you are coming to Boorlo/Perth and Walyalup/Fremantle Whadjuk nyoogar boodar Always was, always will be aboriginal land. Close friends have crewed HMAS Ovens but I think the display in Walyalup is closed. The two museums are small but perfectly packaged! Albany is pronounced "Al" as in "you can call me Albany" definitely NOT ALL. Flight costs internally in WA are ridiculous (I work in aviation) HMAS Diamantina - pronounced Dye er Man Tee Nar HMAS Carpenteria - pronounced Car Pen Tear (rip, not cry) Ee Ar The HMS Endeavour was built in Walyalup/Fremantle before 1988 as a publicly funded restoration project My friend also crewed HMAS Onslow and Vampire now based in Barangaroo/Darling Harbour. I love him, he is a top bloke. Thoroughly recommend a visit to Wareamah (place of women)/Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour where many RAN ships were built.
Hi Drach - I’m a Perth native and, yes the flights are expensive. Sorry bout that. One of the things that visitors often miss is the distances. The drive to Albany (pronounced “Al” as in Al Bundy, not as in “all”) is a decent one, about 4 and a half hours, like the one to Geraldton. I take it you have contacts at the museums. If not, pm me and I can put you in touch. Happy to help if you have other questions - Welcome to WA.
I'd love to see a collab with Oceanliner Designs on maybe be service of the Olympic in WWI or something but I totally get that likely wouldn't be in the cards for this trip. Just something to think about for the future!
Perth? Heard there was this tall tower there. These crazy dudes hang out there, I'm sure they'd love to drop a cannonball from it. It'd be pretty Ridiculous..... 😏
If you end up In Wollongong there are a few WW2 fortifications remaining around Port Kembla. There is also a WW2 Aircraft crash site that you can visit. If you are heading to Nowra for the fleet air arm museum there is also HARS in Wollongong(Albion park) that has a lot of naval aircraft some of them came from the fleet air arm museum. Wollongong is 85Km form Sydney between Sydney and the fleet air arm museum in Nowra. If you want more information let me know.
State pride on the line here but being a South Aussie and hearing that the "Last Bathurst class corvette" lived out there I just couldn't help but chime in and show you this lovely thing that is only 3 hours outside of Adelaide that I drive past everytime I go to Port Lincoln. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Whyalla_(J153) Granted I know Adelaide isn't on your list of places and if you talk to anyone on the East coast they'll tell ya there's nothing here but there are a few things worth seeing in SA ;)
Also I just want to add that the War memorial in Canberra is a good spot to visit. One of its displays is a midget Sub that was rebuilt using parts from the 3 that attacked Sydney Harbour.
Welcome to the sunshine state when you get to Queensland, plenty to see and experience up here Drac, Brissy has some great sea food, or if steak is more your style you can get some grass fed beef from the Darling Downs, very tasty. Enjoy yourself mate soak up the sun and fresh air .
Awesome Drach! Can't wait to have you in West Oz! The WA Maritime Museum may not be much after some of the other ones you've visited but it is quite good and one of my favourite ways to spend a day! The Aviation museum in Perth is another good little museum and has a Catalina Flying boat if you wanted a naval based excuse to make time to go and see it.
In Melbourne the Castlemaine is certainly worthwhile but I’d also recommend seeing the Cerberus which is sadly a breakwater at Half Moon Bay, which is about 20-30 mins out of the city, a pleasant beach drive. Let me know if you need a ride.
In Sydney (if the stars are right) the middle head fortifications and tunnels tour with National Parks. If stars aren't right then a self guided tour can cover the surface works in a few hours .Garden and Cockatoo islands for the docks/ industrial infrastructure. A few hours north, Fort Scratchley at Newcastle.
I recommend taking the train to HMAS Castlemaine, as it is only a short walk from Williamstown station to where the ship is berthed at Gem pier. If you can fit it in, I also recommend visiting the Newport railway museum right next to Williamstown north station. Cheers!
Drach, please, do your self a favour and visit the princess royal fort in albany. It has extenaive fortifications, gun turrets from ships you can enter and sit on as well as tons of fantastic stuff about the Anzac fleet. Whale may also be worth a visit as you can a good look inside the whale chaser they have beached there.
We don't bother with internal flights mostly. Only it's it's a trip that takes longer than 3 nights to drive. It's a shame we won't see you here at Newcastle. Fort scratchley is a great place to visit
Drach, please for your own sake, take the ferry in Sydney around the bridge to Cockatoo Island, former Naval Dockyard and 19th century penal colony. It's a World Heritage Site and an amazing half to full day. They still have the shipbuilders draft room where hull designs were/are laid out in large scale on the floor and so much more. Simply an amazing time capsule you can wander around endlessly.
Fyi Drach, the fleet air arm museum is in Nowra, it's about a two and a half hour drive south of Sydney. It's quite cool but saying it's near Sydney is like saying Portsmouth is near London. If you want to do it allow most of a day as you will spend a bit of time travelling. Depending on the day I may be able to drive you.
RAN Fleet Air Arm museum is at Nowra (my father was RAN FAA) - about 160km South of Sydney (ie London-Birmingham). Good road (lot of freeway/motorway, but not all). From an Australians' point of view, an easy return trip - but don't plan to do much else that day.
Pinned post for Q&A :)
Are you ever going to come to Narvik?
When driving from Perth to Albany, be aware of the distance...people underestimate distances in Australia all the time and fatigue can be a killer behind the wheel.
Also try to avoid driving at dawn and dusk. Kangaroos are surprisingly solid when your car hits them.
If you are in Brisbane, lmk, if I am around, Ill show you some of the cool ships and things we have
@@TIMO-in8lz eventually :)
@@Spinobreaker definitely will be
If you can swing it whilst in Sydney, the Naval Museum and Chapel at Garden Island Navy Base (I think the Navy now calls it Fleet Base East or something along those lines) is DEFINITELY worth a visit - try getting in touch with the Naval Historical Society of Australia - they’d be able to point you in the right direction to get access to the museum. The museum is in one half of the building, the other half has been set up as a function venue, but has various items of historical significance on display there too - the main hull section and conning tower from one of the Japanese midget subs that attacked Sydney Harbour in 1942 for example, sinking the ferry Kuttabul, which was being used as a depot ship at the time. Enjoy your trip, I can’t wait to see your take on our Naval History and the ships and crews that formed it!! : )
I will also mention the cockatoo island dockyards, as they were one of the main allied repair points in Australia and the South Pacific after the fall of ABDA command.
@@silas4lagoon776 agreed - need to pull my finger out and get there myself, lol!!
Navy calls it Fleet Base East because there is also a Garden Island in WA which also a RAN base (HMAS Stirling).
Yes think they do now call it Fleet Base East after all they had at a time two Garden Island on books.
@@whya2ndaccount yeah, gotcha. I was aware of HMAS Stirling, but wasn’t aware that it was a second Garden Island. Thanks for the tip!! : )
Blast! We Adelaidians always miss out when the big acts tour Oz. :P But then I have to concede, there's precious little of historical naval interest here in South Aust. Hope you have a great time here!
There’s HMAS Whyalla, and a couple of coastal forts, but Whyalla is hardly in Adelaide unfortunately
I was hoping hw was coming here, oh well :(
One correction to make, Castlemaine is not the only surviving Bathurst-Class. Her sister HMAS Whyalla (J153) is a museum ship in Whyalla, South Australia, two kilometres inland.
The wreck of the Cerberus is in the Melbourne suburb of Black Rock.
HMAS Cerberus is at Half Moon Bay in Melbourne (just south and east of the city) and serves as a break-water there. She sits in only 3m of water, 200m from shore. An easy swim, but maybe not now that it is winter in the southern hemisphere. Parts remain above water due to conservation efforts.
Yes came here to mention this, historically important.
he's from britian,
the water temp there rarely gets above freezing :P
@@alt7488 That does not necessarily mean he goes swimming in it.
Yea no tradition of "Bugger, the ship's on fire!" drill.
Around Melbourne there are some coastal forts worth visiting too (Point Nepean, South channel fort, Pope’s eye), and two surviving WWI “J” class subs (well, mostly wrecks).
It appears that even today, for a Brit to travel to Australia requires a great deal of conviction.
Have a safe and enjoyable trip Drac and crew. 👍🏻🇬🇧 🇦🇺😎
"Conviction"😁
😂
Nicely played, sir!
And to be fair , due to inflation, and a woefully performing air travel industry, you will need to steal to afford a plane ticket...
Well said sir, imma ride my kangaroo into the sunset now.
When you tour Vampire, remember this little anecdote.
I had a friend in the ‘80s who served aboard HMAS Voyager. On his first deployment ever, first night at sea, his ship was rammed and sunk by the carrier HMAS Melbourne during a night training exercise.
The Daring class were the biggest destroyers ever built by the commonwealth, but Melbourne cut Voyager in half and the rear half sank in minutes.
My friend’s entire class of engine room artificers was assigned to Voyager. Half were billeted in the forward ERAs mess, the other the aft. My friend was assigned forward, and that saved his life as nobody got off the rear half of the ship.
he told me the ship lurched, and he thought, being a noob, that they had hit a whale. When the abandon ship order came he didn’t believe it.
So think of Vampire’s sister ship as you tour, please.
You know... Canberra is worth a visit because of the national war memorial... and Holbrook is fascinating because of the sub in the middle of a park. You can do Melbourne to Sydney in a day in a car and stop in at Holbrook. If you're really keen you can go via Canberra which makes the trip a 2 day affair but much cheaper than a flight. Oh... and thanks for dropping by. Deeply appreciate your videos.... and if you want an awesome story, look at the Krait when you're in Sydney
Thumbs up for the Krait.
Definitely worth going to Canberra to see the War Memorial
I agree with Canberra did the detour with no expectation and it was a nice surprise
Most of the best parts of the War Memorial (ANZAC Hall) are currently unavailable while the two-years-long renovations are ongoing…
If you get time in Perth you can see the America's Cup winning, national hero: Australia ll
1983 Australia ll defeated American Dennis Connor's Liberty 4-3 and claimed The Cup for a foreign nation for the first time in 132 years.
Hope you have a nice time in AUS :)
Located just a few hundred meters from HMAS Castlemaine in Williamstown Melbourne is the original anchor from HMS Nelson.
HMS Nelson was one of the last wooden walled ships of the line produced for the Royal Navy in 1814. She was gifted to the colony of Victoria in 1867 where she became Her Majesty's Victorian Ship (HMVS) Nelson and went through various modifications. During the latter half of the 19th century, Melbourne was one of the most heavily guarded ports outside of the UK with a colonial navy of sloops, gunboats, torpedo boats, a breastwork monitor (HMVS Cerberus), HMVS Nelson, and fortifications. All paid for by the Gold rush of the 1850's onwards.
There are numerous naval guns scattered around Melbourne, from these vessels. HMAS Castlemaine survived because it was used as a training ship for engineering cadets as well as acting as a stationary and rather large floating hot water service for the shore base HMAS Cerberus (the shore base, not the monitor). Unfortunately, without a boat it is difficult to visit HMVS Cerberus, but it is clearly visible from the shore.
Not far away from the wreck of the Cerberus is the wreck of the J7, a J-class submarine, but it's in a sorry state.
The 40mm Bofors on the stern of HMAS Castlemaine used to be at the Royal Australian Naval Cadet training depot TS Voyager. I have many happy memories of playing with the Bofors as a boy in the 1970’s.
I'm only sticking to "things that float" so I'm leaving out Fort Queenscliffe and Fort Nepean and just a bit too far to travel for a short trip but both very interesting in their own right.
Williamstown for HMAS Castlemaine and HMVS Nelson’s anchor.
Sandringham for the wreck of the J7 Submarine.
Black Rock for HMVS Cerberus.
Polly Woodside is at South Bank. Note. Probably no one at the Polly Woodside remembers, but many of the older blocks and tackle used in the rigging were donated by the Naval Cadets from old stores dating back to the time of Her Majesty’s Victorian Navy in the late 1800’s!
in docklands there is steam tug wattle and alma doeple and some random others includinv replica enterprize.
@@renown16 it is nice to look at that old steam tug, the old style of construction is awesome to see
While in Melbourne you should go to Fort Nepean. It fired Australia's first shots of both WW1 and WW2.
I was there last week. The WW1 shot was the first fired by the British empire and resulted in capturing a German ship. The gun is one of the exhibits.
The WW2 shot wasn’t as glorious.
Came here to say the same. Definitely worth a visit if the time allows. A great naval fort with disappearing guns and lots to explore.
I can't imagine those first shots of WW2 hit anything. Surely they weren't fired in anger?
@@creativehorse7907
Neither shot in WW1 or WW2 was intended to hit. They were warning shots and had the desired effect of stopping both vessels.
The WW1 shot resulted in the capture of the German ship Pfalz. The WW2 shot was due to an error in communications and after clarification the Australian ship Woniora proceeded on her way.
The Forceful is actually no longer at the Queensland Maritime Museum. She was removed due to cost of preserving her and while her fate is still up in the air it seems likely she'll end up scrapped or sold off if we're lucky. Also we have our own Carpentaria (CLS2) which is a sister ship of the one in the National Maritime Museum (CLS4).
Cerberus is in Melbourne. Also with respect to Melbourne, do a search on the Enterprize. It's a good replica of the ship which found the spot where it was determined that Melbourne would be. If it's in harbour and you meet the crew, I'm sure they'll take you to the pub to sing some sea shanties. Melbourne's other active sailing ship is the Alma Doepel, which is berthed next to the Enterprize, though it's currently not active and under restoration. I'm in Melbourne - not particularly close to anything nautical, but if you need free accommodation, I have guest rooms. Cheers.
Future welcome to my country sir. Remember it's winter here.
The Australian war museum in Canberra is a must see.
Probably still warmer than ol' blighty
@@BrickNewton Perun described Canberra in one of his power points to having a similar climate to the Donbas. And it's just down the road from the Australian Alps, which have a greater coverage of snow than Switzerland.
TLDR; don't worry, it can get really cold down here once you're away from the coast.
Do they still have that exhibit where you walk of a simulated ships decK and can feel the "machinery" vibrating beneath? That one would stir any old salt walking over it.
@@BrickNewton Maybe, it gets cold here,don't let our deserts fool you, we aren't that far from the South pole.
@@simonolsen9995 Wasn't there last time i went but that was over a decade ago.
That's a massive itinerary mate. You're going to be exhausted. It kinda breaks my heart to know how close you'll be to so many once in a lifetime wonders that you'll never see because of your mad schedule. All the best anyhow.
HMVS Cerberus is in Melbourne, in the suburb of Black Rock south-east of the the city. If you want a guide I live about 3 miles from there - it's a little tricky to reach by public transport. Don't miss it, as it is slowly falling into the sea and has sunk down noticeably just in the time I've been visiting it.
Drach - don’t underestimate how long the drive from Perth to Albany is. That’s not a day outing. Also don’t underestimate the effect of jet lag.
So interesting you are going to the polywoodside, it’s basically a compulsory excursion for all school aged children in Melbourne
Given petrol prices, I can assure you it's NOT cheaper to hire a car and drive between any of the capitals. Driving my own car is surprisingly close in costs, but ridiculous in terms of time (and risk, although the main interstate highways are all dual carriageways etc so they're still very safe). I do Bris/Syd (or return) in about 8:36 driving time from my place in the north of Bris to the northern suburbs of Syd, and that's as quickly as you can do it legally. It's ~905km.
I did a search a few minutes ago, and could have booked you from Melbourne to Brisbane, for example, for no more than AU$150, which is about 80 pounds.
If your domestic flights are costing you a ton, perhaps it's because you've booked them from the UK and are flying QANTAS? Or perhaps you have excess baggage requirements, but even those aren't crazy numbers.
You could have asked someone here to book them for you. You could still do that and cancel your current bookings. I'd be very happy to help.
Cheers
Diamantina is pronounced Di-man-t-nah (in Australia) the wreck of the Cerberus is in Melbourne. Carpentaria is also pronounced Car-pen-tare-e-ah
When you are in Sydney come down to wharf No 7 at Darling Harbour & visit the James Craig. We are diagonally opposite the Endeavour the James Craig was originally built in Sunderland in the UK. She was abandoned in Tasmania where she was re discovered & towed to Sydney to be fully restored.
3:38 Funny story Drach. I visited the National Maritime Museum when I was a kid and went on Vampire. And was playing on one of her AA Mounts and hit my head on the breech.
Hi Drach, great to have you out to Western Australia! We have an extremely rich maritime heritage. If Albany doesn't work out, can I suggest the West Australian Museum in Geraldton, which is about the same distance but in a Northerly direction, up Indian Ocean Drive. We have a fantastic shipwrecks gallery centered around the many artefacts from the infamous Batavia wreck of 1629, including the stunning reconstructed portico which she was carrying for the VOC fort at Jakarta.
rottnest island is another good day trip,
many shipwrecks,a museum and you have the ww2 gun tours
don't forget the memorial to HMAS Sydney that is in Geraldton too
@@alt7488 I have done this twice and it was really good both times
Oh god, yes, the Sydney memorial is deeply moving.
The Sydney memorial is chilling.
Drach, please be aware that some of the HMAS Nowra FAA Collection are now held in a flying condition at Illawarra/ Albion Airport. Having visited Nowra it is a nice museum, and make sure you have lunch on the first floor deck as the helicopters fly overhead. The FAA aircrews do have lunch on the deck, and they are happy to chat.
Im a nowra local and sadly the Cafe closed about 5 years ago
HARS is really worth the visit as OP mentioned at Albion Park.
*also its HMAS Albatross or Nowra Naval Air Station. Etheir but only by known by those names.
@@captain61games49 sorry to hear that, as I’m from the UK and visited there a couple of times and always got a warm welcome from the manager of the museum Terry I believe he was called?
@@peterhughes7099 yep, Terry was a formerly on RAN Tracker aircraft.
The road trip from Perth to Albany will take you over 5 hours and that's just one way. Can't do it in a day
Haul away your rolling king, heave away, haul away
Haul away, you'll hear me sing, we're bound for South Australia
seeing the HMAS vampire is always a treat
I expect Animarchy and Drach gonna do a meet up and for what ever reason Perun joining in
Collab we never expected but definitely we would deserve
If you're in Melbourne suggest a visit to the museum at the Cerberus shore establishment near Hastings VIC.
Another West Aussie here, if you are able to commit half/full day we would be happy to fund a visit out to Wadjemap (Rottnest Island) for a visit to the coastal batteries and so on. Just beware that drones are a no-go over 90% of the island due to the airport in the middle (unless you get specific clearance from the Rottnest Island Authority and CASA).
Yes, flights to Australia are crazy expensive... went there on business back in '17, and the round trip flight from Detroit was over $2k (IIRC), and took some 30 hours including layovers. The LA-Melbourne leg alone was 16 hours.
Hey mate, as far as perth goes i reccomend rottnest island if you have room in the schedule, rich history in ships crashing into it. HMAS ovens is pretty in tact, but looks sad externally, enjoy
my mother also served on ovens training new submariners!
I live in Brisbane. The maritime museum is great.
Definitely make an effort to see fort Lytton which is really interesting as a naval fort and quarantine station
Drach, if you are intending to visit Fort Lytton, please contact me - I can chat with the other Queensland Military Historical Society volunteers and see about ensuring there’s someone there to show you around, as it’s not permanently staffed.
I can't imagine flying from London to Perth. Then again, I can't imagine flying anywhere. Just thinking about it gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Also if you get the chance hit Fremantle museums you won't forget it because we have a section dedicated to war one and two in the Maritime Museum we also have a shipwreck Museum not too mention fremantle was a SpringBoard into the Pacific Theatre and housed most of the American troops also used to have the duyfken
over here but that got taken over to the Eastern state my advice if you want to see Western Australia's lower half defence posture go out to Garden Island Point Peron way couple years back they read in that complex up to its original wartime state
Another thing if you're interested in going to a memorial best place in Perth I can think of is Kings Park it's an entire War Memorial and Nature Reserve and you'll get some pretty good shots with drone of the Swan River also public transport pretty good over here you can pretty much get anywhere you want also if you want to make a quick detour and you're into retro games checkout nostalgia box Museum or if you're into general history museums checkout are refurbished National Museum in Perth also if you want some quiet place and you're heading down Albany way considers when pass Mandurah it's a small quiet coastal town somewhat worth checking out because we have the most beautiful Waterways and we have so many dolphins that you could take one and that we wouldn't notice also Busselton is a good place if you want to checkout because that's pretty much where anything of value down South would be loaded into ships and brought up to Fremantle
Damn, wish I could make the trip over the ditch from New Zealand to say hi.
Sadly, we have no museum ships over here. If you want to see America's Cup winners (and losers), then Auckland's your destination.
Fremantle can be confusing - we have a Shipwreck Museum and a Maritime Museum. They are both well worth visiting but they are not the same thing and are not in the same place. Fremantle also has Cat Buses, which are free travel within Fremantle, which may be of use to you.
So close. Are you sure you don't want to come to the War memorial? To be honest, it doesn't have a whole lot of naval exhibits, and it sounds like you guys are gonna be very busy anyway. Have fun! Be careful, Vegemite is not to be taken internally and should only be used externally to ward off dropbears.
Drach: "....We will be flying to Melbourne...."
Me: holy crap, someone from overseas who actually says the name correctly! XD
And I noted he was trying really hard to get Bathurst right too ❤️
Melbourne has the HMVS Cerberus (Half Moon Bay, Black Rock) and also an old Sub (K 7) a few Ks North at Sandringham yacht club
*J7
Godspeed and safe travels Drach and crew!
I believe the Aus War memorial in Canberra has a Japanese midget submarine and bits of the Emden.
Thanks for coming down you're more than welcome. Even if you are a pom. Enjoy your content one of the best on RUclips.
Fort Nepean might also be worth a look if you have time in your Melbourne schedule. Thanks to some overly enthusiastic gunners it is said the first shots of both world wars were fired from there. Unfortunately the crew of the Schleswig Holstein were slightly quicker so its only the first Allied shots. There should be public transport from the CBD if you are not in a rental.
If you have the time Canberra is worth the trip for the Australian war memorial just overall a good place for naval history. Thanks for visiting us regardless it’s expensive to come down all this way
There’s no other reason to visit Canberra…
Hi, Drach. My father was a PO on the Vampire and if he was still with us he would have been proud to show you around her and also fill you in on the FESR and their fight with not only the Malayan guerillas but also the government for recognition.
As well my uncle was a survivor of the HMAS Voyager collision, and his wishes that upon his death he rejoin his mates who didn't make it have been fulfilled... That would have been a good interview for you. I always remember his story that he was in the ocean for several hours before rescue. After being flown back to HMAS Albatross they sent him off for a hot shower and dry uniform, and the first thing he did was take his watch off so it didn't get wet. That's when it hit him what had happened.
Whilst not a navy ship there is also the STS Leeuwin II, a Tall ship based in Fremantle (Perth). Cheers and have a blast down under ! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS_Leeuwin_II
Thanks for coming down to Australia and well done on your correct pronouncing of Bathurst (like math in mathematics).
The domestic flights are very dear! The drive to Albany isn't to bad
You might have mentioned it, the Duyfken used to be in Perth, but I understand its now in Sydney
WA’s Maritime & Shipwreck museum are great, you may be able to schmooze a pass on to (the other) Garden Island naval base just off the coast of south of Fremantle 👍🏼
😊 Pity your not stopping in at Holbrook in NSW to see the Submarine there. HMAS Otway. Also a nice sub museum.
I had the privilege to visit the Diamontina back in '88. Being a U.S. sailor on vacation it was nice to get a tour of a foreign design from WW2. Also was able to get a tour from a Aussie volunteer who actually served on Her during the war. Good times.🇦🇺
Definitely drive to Albany - flight prices are insane. Also when you return go back via the West coast and stop at Augusta with the Cape Naturaliste lighthouse.
Not only can you see the Southern ocean on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other, there is a memorial for the sailors lost on HMAS Nizam on a transit between Port Phillip Bay and Fremantle - in 1944 if I remember correctly
You will also pass by some excellent wineries between Augusta and Perth….
Drach - do you travel on these trips with Mrs Drach and any associated midshipmen? If so, spend a day on the Gold Coast, and a morning or afternoon visting Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The chance to feed the lorikeets is well worth it, and certainly an excellent photo opporunity for the home albums.
Also: Diamantina - Dye-man-tina
Carpentaria - Car-pen-tear-ia
Next time you come to America, you should do a Submarine tour. U-505, USS Nautilus, USS Batfish (have them tell you about the time set sail on her own a few years ago) and a number of others.
Hope you really enjoy your adventure here in Oz.
As mentioned already Cerberus is in Black Rock (about 12 miles S of Melbourne). Weather permitting it would be worth borrowing/hiring/stealing a dinghy to have a closer look.
Andrew from Perth here. Don't fear the drive from Perth to Albany (a name we butcher here). It a lovely drive that you'll probably quite enjoy.
Bayswater car rental in Sydney too...I would use public transport mostly in Sydney. Manly ferry is a fun ride and great way to get a view of the city.
Assuming you mean HMVS cerberus (you can’t fly drones over HMAS Cerberus I believe) is in Melbourne and closer to the polly woodside than to Williamstown. Welcome in advance, Drac.
@Drachinifel in Melbourne don't forget the remains of the ironclad HMVS Cerberus.
Fantastic
I will keep a watch out for updates!
Great you are coming to Boorlo/Perth and Walyalup/Fremantle Whadjuk nyoogar boodar Always was, always will be aboriginal land.
Close friends have crewed HMAS Ovens but I think the display in Walyalup is closed. The two museums are small but perfectly packaged!
Albany is pronounced "Al" as in "you can call me Albany" definitely NOT ALL.
Flight costs internally in WA are ridiculous (I work in aviation)
HMAS Diamantina - pronounced Dye er Man Tee Nar
HMAS Carpenteria - pronounced Car Pen Tear (rip, not cry) Ee Ar
The HMS Endeavour was built in Walyalup/Fremantle before 1988 as a publicly funded restoration project
My friend also crewed HMAS Onslow and Vampire now based in Barangaroo/Darling Harbour. I love him, he is a top bloke.
Thoroughly recommend a visit to Wareamah (place of women)/Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour where many RAN ships were built.
Hi Drach - I’m a Perth native and, yes the flights are expensive. Sorry bout that.
One of the things that visitors often miss is the distances. The drive to Albany (pronounced “Al” as in Al Bundy, not as in “all”) is a decent one, about 4 and a half hours, like the one to Geraldton.
I take it you have contacts at the museums. If not, pm me and I can put you in touch.
Happy to help if you have other questions - Welcome to WA.
I'd love to see a collab with Oceanliner Designs on maybe be service of the Olympic in WWI or something but I totally get that likely wouldn't be in the cards for this trip. Just something to think about for the future!
Perth? Heard there was this tall tower there. These crazy dudes hang out there, I'm sure they'd love to drop a cannonball from it. It'd be pretty Ridiculous..... 😏
Safe travels my friend love the pictures and content you continue to share with us
Good luck down under, look forward to content form there. Safe travels 👍
If you end up In Wollongong there are a few WW2 fortifications remaining around Port Kembla. There is also a WW2 Aircraft crash site that you can visit. If you are heading to Nowra for the fleet air arm museum there is also HARS in Wollongong(Albion park) that has a lot of naval aircraft some of them came from the fleet air arm museum. Wollongong is 85Km form Sydney between Sydney and the fleet air arm museum in Nowra. If you want more information let me know.
I hope you have a great trip. Safe Travels.
State pride on the line here but being a South Aussie and hearing that the "Last Bathurst class corvette" lived out there I just couldn't help but chime in and show you this lovely thing that is only 3 hours outside of Adelaide that I drive past everytime I go to Port Lincoln.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Whyalla_(J153)
Granted I know Adelaide isn't on your list of places and if you talk to anyone on the East coast they'll tell ya there's nothing here but there are a few things worth seeing in SA ;)
Also I just want to add that the War memorial in Canberra is a good spot to visit. One of its displays is a midget Sub that was rebuilt using parts from the 3 that attacked Sydney Harbour.
Have a successful, and rewarding trip
Welcome to the sunshine state when you get to Queensland, plenty to see and experience up here Drac, Brissy has some great sea food, or if steak is more your style you can get some grass fed beef from the Darling Downs, very tasty. Enjoy yourself mate soak up the sun and fresh air .
Awesome Drach! Can't wait to have you in West Oz! The WA Maritime Museum may not be much after some of the other ones you've visited but it is quite good and one of my favourite ways to spend a day! The Aviation museum in Perth is another good little museum and has a Catalina Flying boat if you wanted a naval based excuse to make time to go and see it.
Very exicted to see you comming down here to explore Australian naval history. Hope i can find some time to meet you when you come to Brisbane!
In Melbourne the Castlemaine is certainly worthwhile but I’d also recommend seeing the Cerberus which is sadly a breakwater at Half Moon Bay, which is about 20-30 mins out of the city, a pleasant beach drive.
Let me know if you need a ride.
In Sydney (if the stars are right) the middle head fortifications and tunnels tour with National Parks. If stars aren't right then a self guided tour can cover the surface works in a few hours .Garden and Cockatoo islands for the docks/ industrial infrastructure. A few hours north, Fort Scratchley at Newcastle.
Albany is also where the lighthouse were despatched from. Also i think there is now an annex of the war memorial in Canberra located there.
Love the fact that you are coming to Briabane
Looking forward to seeing you here in Perth, I'm sure many of us will help you with the pronunciation of the ships and locations while your here.
I recommend taking the train to HMAS Castlemaine, as it is only a short walk from Williamstown station to where the ship is berthed at Gem pier. If you can fit it in, I also recommend visiting the Newport railway museum right next to Williamstown north station. Cheers!
I would recommend the Kings cross neighborhood in Sydney for a real good time. There is a Hyatt regency at the entrance to spend a week be worth it.
May I suggest you try for the ten pound pom trip, of get youself nicked and given seven years transportation at the Kings expense.
I remember the open days they would have in Perth at the submarine base was always a super fun day
Good luck on your trip.
Cerberus is in Vic, Black Rock. Basically 30-40 mins from the city driving down along the bay.
Drach, please, do your self a favour and visit the princess royal fort in albany. It has extenaive fortifications, gun turrets from ships you can enter and sit on as well as tons of fantastic stuff about the Anzac fleet.
Whale may also be worth a visit as you can a good look inside the whale chaser they have beached there.
Surely a beer in Brisbane, down at felons drach! Bit of history in that place
We don't bother with internal flights mostly. Only it's it's a trip that takes longer than 3 nights to drive. It's a shame we won't see you here at Newcastle. Fort scratchley is a great place to visit
Phenomenal
Take care when driving Drach, those long hauls can really mess you up. You feel fine and then in an hour or so you can feel so exhausted and tired.
Fort Lytton is in Brisbane too. Well worth a visit.
Drach, please for your own sake, take the ferry in Sydney around the bridge to Cockatoo Island, former Naval Dockyard and 19th century penal colony. It's a World Heritage Site and an amazing half to full day. They still have the shipbuilders draft room where hull designs were/are laid out in large scale on the floor and so much more. Simply an amazing time capsule you can wander around endlessly.
Hope to catch up with you on the Perth leg of your trip, possibly around Fremantle. Cheers
Albany ‘just to the south of Perth.’ Hilarious. It is a 4.5 hr drive. Australian maps can deceive folk from smaller countries.
I thought he might want to ride a push bike over to Sydney. 😆 Reminding me of the silly move Inbetweeners 2....😁
Pity you're arriving on June 6th, as June 5th is a Public Holiday in WA - perfect for a meet and greet.
HMAS Cresswell also has a small museum if you vist the Fleet Air Arm museam at HMAS Albatross
Listening to your sched made me need a nap. lol Safe Trip.
Fyi Drach, the fleet air arm museum is in Nowra, it's about a two and a half hour drive south of Sydney. It's quite cool but saying it's near Sydney is like saying Portsmouth is near London. If you want to do it allow most of a day as you will spend a bit of time travelling. Depending on the day I may be able to drive you.
I work 200m away from Diamantina in Brisbane. Was looking at her on the walk home tonight. Enjoy!
RAN Fleet Air Arm museum is at Nowra (my father was RAN FAA) - about 160km South of Sydney (ie London-Birmingham). Good road (lot of freeway/motorway, but not all). From an Australians' point of view, an easy return trip - but don't plan to do much else that day.