A walk plus a climb at The Rocks

 

From Cockatoo Island, the ferry ride was about 20 minutes to Circular Quay. On our arrival at Wharf 5, Malcolm casually told Ben and I to be ready to climb steps, much like how we should do at Batu Caves [The word Batu in Malay, means stone or rock.]

 

A section of popular dining spots at The Rocks

My mind flashed to a vision of that massive staircase of 272 steep steps from the base to the temple cave, a challenging climb for anyone due to the humidity in weather.

 

I cannot disbelieve what Malcolm threatened us with but as humidity that morning was soaring, it was rather challenging to be walking outdoors, let alone climb.

 

As it was a weekend, he was pleased that the Rocks Market was open so that I may have an experience of another one of Sydney’s tourist attractions. We saw a bit of it (he said we will browse later) as we followed his lead to where he had in mind for lunch, at one of his favourite watering holes in the city.

 

Archway to a steep flight of stairs!

Our lunch destination was The Glenmore Hotel on Cumberland Street. It was about a 1.4km walk uphill from The Rocks, through the stone archway and up the Argyle Stairs, a steep climb of more steps before we reached Cumberland Street.

 

Many people were waiting in the alfresco section as the pub was not yet open for lunch so Malcolm decided that we should take a walk on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and led us across the road to the bottom of the Bridge Stairs.

 

I let the guys start going up
the Bridge Stairs

When I looked up at that wide flight of stairs, I let the father and son start the climb while I paused to catch my breath. Finally, I was at the (bottom of the) iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

 

I know of adventurous people who have done the Harbour Bridge Climb (for a fee!) but now I was about to embark on my own climb – up the stairs – to reach the Bridge.

 

Now cousin Malcolm, who has earned the dubious reputation as a bargain-hunter and budget-buyer, is one who shamelessly seeks out the best buys and who even does not mind if that rump of meat had passed its ‘Best Before’ date.

 

When I made it to the top of the stairs and joined the guys at road level, on the walkway which leads to the bridge, Malcolm welcomed me to what he dubbed the ‘Bridge Walk’ and added, “the budget version!”

 

At the road level pathway to the Bridge

He was of the opinion that we will enjoy the same beautiful view of Sydney from the Bridge on road level, similar to that from the Bridge Climb. He said the only difference was that their view was from a higher elevation and that it costs a fee!

 

He said locals (like him!) enjoy the views free-of-charge whenever they walked across the Bridge. So there we were, scorched by the almost-midday sun, on the walkway towards the first pylon of the Harbor Bridge.

 

Father and son, Malcolm and Benjamin,
on the Bridge Walk with me

No, I am no Puteri Lilin (English for: Candle Princess, a phrase in Malay used to describe women who avoided the sun’s rays) but I was grateful for my hat and sunglasses because I was wilting and almost melting away in the scorching heat.

 

Even though the wind was blowing, the overhead sun was very, very hot. After capturing a few photo mementoes, we made an about turn and walked back to The Glenmore Hotel.

 

To reach his favourite pub café, The Glenmore – At the Rooftop, there was yet another climb. This time on narrow carpeted stairs, up three levels to the rooftop.

 

View of the iconic Sydney Opera House
from our Bridge Walk

By then, I was sweating buckets. It was so good to sit down and enjoy refreshing drinks before looking at the menu to place our lunch orders.

 

I was not counting but we probably covered some 272 steps plus stairs, pretty much like climbing the steps of the Batu Caves!

 

This pub café, according to Malcolm, was a favourite chillout spot for him. It was less noisy before but now that it had gained popularity, the music was loud and the crowd was even louder.

 

Memorial plaque at the first pylon on the Bridge

Refreshed, rested and revived after our light lunch, we made our way down to The Rocks to explore and experience the Rocks Market.

 

While walking down to Cambridge Street we paused to look at heritage buildings like the charming Susannah Place (since 1844) that still maintained its hewn rocks steps at the rear of the building.

 

As I explored the Rocks Market, I saw that it was no ordinary Day Market but more of a tourist destination for designer fashion, handicrafts and artisanal products.

 

Heading to Glenmore Hotel for lunch 
at the Rooftop pub cafe 

I do so enjoy markets so I took my time to browse around to enjoy the touristy vibe as merchants promoted their products and shoppers chose their souvenirs.

 

A large section of the market was sheltered under tents while the open section close to the underside of the Bridge was for stalls that served food and beverage. It was a well curated market, especially for the food, where a range of cuisine was available.

 

I watched as a group of Asian women sipped on coloured drinks, exchanging the tumblers among them in an attempt to figure out what was the flavour of each coloured drink.

 

A browse at the Rocks Markets

The aroma of sizzling barbecued meat filled the air from the stall that boasted of Authentic Australian BBQ, illustrated by drawings of creatures that resembled a cross among lamb, emu, crocodile, chicken and kangaroo, for an exotic choice of meat.

 

For the hungry but less adventurous palates, they may pick from Aussie, Columbian, Italian, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese or Korean street food.

 

Tables and barstools were arranged under the Bridge (which used to be a carpark) for people to chillout over drinks and snacks, while enjoying the shade, the breeze and views of Sydney Harbour.

 

Malcolm was determined to show me, Sydney’s Oldest Pub, so he led us to the Fortune of War on George Street, within Sydney’s historic birthplace, The Rocks.

 

See [Bottom Right] their wall cladding that 
resembled bathroom tiles

Before billboards and promo posters were put up, the façade of this old pub was visible. Now only a small section can be seen: their wall cladding of square, smooth and shiny green tiles, much like bathroom tiles.

 

Inside, a poster provided relevant info which read like this:

 

“In the last century, there were six pubs in this block, catering for local people and sailors and passengers from the sailing ships moored in Sydney Cove. The only one still licensed is the Fortune of War.

 

Our walk-plus-climb was around
this area at The Rocks

The old pub was demolished in 1920 and the existing Fortune was built in 1922.”

 

Reputed as an institution, this destination continues to attract visitors and is a must-visit place for heritage buffs at The Rocks.

 

Tired but elated, I was more than pleased that I was able to match the father and son in terms of ability in our walk-plus-climb at The Rocks which started at Cockatoo Island this morning.

 

As we headed back to Wharf 5 to catch a ferry to return to Cabarita, Malcolm said we should sit inside for air-conditioned comfort. Thanks guys, for a fun and memorable outing together.

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesFebruary2026

Morning walk on Cockatoo Island

 

That morning, just as I was getting my breakfast on the table, Malcolm told me to get ready soon as we were going to catch a ferry to Cockatoo Island in about 30 minutes.

I was escorted by father and son on this
morning walk on Cockatoo Island

I looked at the time and there was barely enough time for me to drink my coffee and swallow my slice of buttered banana bread.

 

He was checking online for the ferry schedule and thought that we should aim to get to the wharf at Cabarita for the next ferry, if not then the next one. Whew!

 

I recalled a few weeks ago, while we were passing on a ferry into the city heading to Circular Quay, Malcolm pointed out Cockatoo Island to me. So in record time, we were out the door and into the car, heading to the parking lot at Cabarita.

 

A section of the Powerhouse;
See Malcolm dwarfed next to it

His son, Benjamin, was probably used to Malcolm’s very short notice to get up and go, so I was pleased that Ben was joining us on this weekend outing that will start with a morning walk on Cockatoo Island, followed by a trip to the city for lunch.

 

Malcolm reminded me to bring along a hat and echoed the same to Ben because the weather was turning out to be a blazing hot day.

 

While waiting for the ferry, I observed rowing teams undergoing training in the river. This was because I heard the muffled voice of their trainer yelling instructions to the crew as their racing boat glided across the water.

 

It was interesting that the Paramatta River and the many rivers that crisscross New South Wales support a wide range of sea sports from sailing to other water sports for fitness, recreation and competition.

 

The buildings are built into the sandstone

We boarded our ferry which brought us smoothly to Cockatoo Island in about 20 minutes. Malcolm, who is familiar with this destination, directed us to the Visitor Centre where I picked up a flyer with relevant info as well as a useful map.

 

From the information provided, I learnt that this island was known to First Nations people as Wareamah with a rich layered history as a First Nations meeting place.

 

Cockatoo Island has served multiple purposes including a convict prison, a reformatory and industrial school for girls (1871 – 1911) and a prominent shipyard that supported the Allied powers during both the World Wars.

 

A map on the flyer to guide us
on our morning walk

It is the largest island in Sydney Harbour, an 18-hectare UNESCO World Heritage-listed site known as a convict penal establishment (1939 – 1869) and a major industrial shipyard (1857 – 1992).

 

We walked pass the camp ground where tents were lined up for the adventurous to rent and relax under the stars. It was good to see many tents occupied by families with young children for the kids to have an outdoor experience, staying in a tent.

 

The remnant structures in the Convict Precinct on this island offers a window into a period when people were exiled to Australia and put to work on the colony’s building projects.

 

As I walked through the hollow heritage buildings, I wondered – “if these walls could speak, what tales they would tell!”

 

An opening into a tunnel
built into the sandstone hills

In Johor Bahru, our historic prison built in 1883, has been repurposed by young people as a hip destination into a playground for art, culture and heritage. When this prison was defunct, it was opened briefly as a museum and I documented my visit experience in a heritage story in, A peek into the Johor Bahru jail, published in my book, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now.

 

My most unforgettable experience in visiting a former penal establishment must be to the infamous (now demolished) Pudu Jail in Kuala Lumpur that was built in phases by the British government in 1891 and 1895.

 

Horror stories abound about Pudu Jail as it was considered one of the nation’s most haunted sites, built on a cemetery and the site of countless deaths due to a cholera outbreak in 1895, the Japanese Occupation and many executions.

 

"...if these walls could speak..."

[This jail was officially closed in 1996 and was opened as a prison museum briefly in 1997. Demolition began in 2009 and by 2012, only its main gate and a small part of its wall remain as a legacy of this infamous jail.]

 

With the morning sunshine beating down on us, we continued with our round-the-island walk to explore the old buildings and dockyards, lingering at various spots to read the information plaques.

 

Surrounded by deep water, Cockatoo Island – then a convict jail – was deemed ideal for maritime activities and that the island’s convicts could be employed in the construction of a dry dock.

Construction of the dry dock commenced in 1848 and was not completed until 1857 as the convict labourers were unruly and poorly treated. In 1854, midway through construction, it was christened Fitzroy Dock.

 

Outer wall of the Steam Workshop

Construction began on a second dock in 1882 to enable the island to accommodate larger naval and merchant ships. Christened Sutherland Dock and completed in 1889, the shipbuilding and repair activities on Cockatoo Island grew steadily from then on.

 

With this part of our morning walk done, Malcolm – who was checking the ferry schedule – let out a yell and said, “Five minutes!” and walked briskly towards the wharf.

 

Ben and I took off after him as he continued the countdown, “Four,” followed by, “Three,” meaning the ferry was about to arrive, so let’s hurry up!

 

Safely on board the ferry, we headed to Circular Quay to continue our morning walk in the city. [Note: It was not just a walk but more like a climb!]

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesFebruary2026

A visit to Parliament House, Canberra

 

As we were heading to the Parliament House, Malcolm advised us (the ladies) to leave our handbags in the locked car.

 

The flag was flying and the fountain was flowing
in the forecourt of Parliament House, Canberra

“Just carry our handphones,” he said, as photography was allowed inside.

 

He went on to explain that visitors must go through security screening and inspection of personal possessions, just like the screening at airports. So we followed the instructions and got ourselves screened before entry into the grand building on Capital Hill.

 

This building which replaced the Old Parliament House where the Federal Parliament sat from 1927 to 1988, is the New Parliament House which was officially declared opened on 9 May 1988 by the Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II.

 

The House of Representatives

It was good to retreat from the blazing sun into the main foyer which features a marble staircase, that feels cool to the touch and leads to the Great Hall.

 

I learnt that the design of Parliament House is anchored around two large curved walls that divides the structure into four quadrants.

 

Clockwise these are: The formal entrance and event space, the House of Representatives decorated in Green, the executive wing and the Senate chamber with a Red colour scheme.

 

It was interesting to discover that the Green colour décor in the House of Representatives is muted to suggest the colour of eucalyptus leaves or the Australian bush, while the colour scheme in the Senate chamber are in muted tints of ochre, reminiscent of the colour of the earth and the Australian outback.

 

The Senate chamber

Both the rooms have large central roof skylights which welcomes in natural light during the day. Later when I went to the rooftop to see the flagpole and flag, I thought that the skylight reminded me of a similar design I saw at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.

 

[I found these details very interesting as I consciously compared it to my visit to the Dewan Negeri Johor or Johor State Assembly chamber in Bangunan Sultan Ismail, Kota Iskandar, the Johor State Administrative Centre in Iskandar Puteri.

 

The flagpole with the 
Australian flag unfurling

For the décor in the chamber for the Johor State Assembly, the Johor icon of pepper and gambier motifs were widely used along with features designed in pewter.

 

By day, this chamber is also bathed in natural light through a skylight, in a design inspired by the oval shape of a pineapple because Johor was one of the largest pineapple production centers in Malaysia.]

 

When we walked through the halls and corridors, we saw portraits of Australia’s highest office-holders in an art collection that belongs to the Historic Memorials Collection. Malcolm named them one-by-one to introduce them to me.

 

Then we took an elevator to the rooftop and realized that the walls of the Parliament House are sunken into the hill so that the building appears to emerge from the land rather than towering over those who built it.

Malcolm encouraged me to walk of the grass growing on the rooftop and said that this illustrates the ability for people to walk on the grass roofs, literally over their representatives which means “the people are above the government.”

 

The entire structure is topped by an 81-metre (266 ft) flagpole flying the Australian flag, which is the largest in the country, around the size of a double-decker bus.

 

View of the Australian War Memorial
situated directly opposite from the
Parliament House, Canberra

From this vantage point, we looked across to the Australian War Memorial building, which was situated directly opposite.

 

Before we left the building, Malcolm was determined to show me a rare 1297 copy of the Magna Carta which is on permanent display in the Parliament House.

 

After a brief search, we found it on display in the Presiding Officers Exhibition Area and closely guarded (manned by guards!) within a specially designed, secure and environmentally controlled showcase.

 

Australia holds one of only four surviving 1297 copies of the Magna Carta which was purchased in 1952. This charter is considered a vital symbol of democratic principles and a foundational document for modern democracy.

 

Pleased with our tour of the Parliament House, we left with new knowledge of the building that houses the seat of government in Australia.

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesFebruary2026

 

Stories of military service and sacrifice

 

We arrived at the entrance of the Australian War Memorial just as a group of teenagers converged ahead of us so we inched our way in to have our bags tagged.

 

View of the Commemorative Area from the
entrance to Hall of Memory; The names of 
nations, including Malaya, are on the walls

I was pleased to see teenagers, young people and school children in the gallery, mostly on a guided group tour for them to gain better insights from their visit.

 

Such a visit to a national war memorial or museum dedicated to those who have died as a result of war, will be a valuable experience when people learn to appreciate the military for their service and sacrifice.

 

For generations who have never experienced the hardship of wars, it is essential for them to look back and learn from history – whether good or bad – so that they can build a better tomorrow for themselves and future generations.

 

Quotation in the lobby of
the Australian War Memorial

On a White wall in the main lobby, I saw a quote by Sergeant Adam Bryan, Royal Australian Air Force Middle East who said, “Lives have been lost, and family members have made sacrifices… It’s a continuing timeline, and it’s important that these stories are told.”  

 

As I explored the galleries in the Australian War Memorial and saw the collection of exhibits for the First World War, Second World War, Cold War, Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, the Indonesian Confrontation among others, a lump started to form in my throat.

 

The galleries are well curated and designed for visitors to have an immersive sound and light experience, complete with low lighting, soundscapes in military schemes along with voices, music and battle noises.

 

While I may not have been through any war, I have heard first-hand experiences and horror stories of the Second World War from our grandmother and my dad who survived the Japanese invasion and occupation.

 

School children on an educational visit in
the Australian War Memorial

My dad was a Nursing Orderly with the Royal Army Medical Corps whose campaign and service abroad covered, “Johore and Singapore.” [Johore is the old spelling for Johor, the southern-most state in peninsula Malaysia, linked to Singapore by a causeway.]

 

Dad’s duties as a medical first responder, was to rescue the injured and provide first-aid before sending them to the hospital. He probably also carried the wounded on stretchers before and after dressing their wounds and sending them to safety.

 

I read from his Discharge Certificate that dad was discharged from his duties from 29 January 1947. In recognition of his service in the War of 1939 to 1945, dad was awarded three medals: The 1939/1945 Star, the Pacific Star and the War Medal.

 

Seen at the exhibit on Stretcher-Bearers

My dad’s medals may pale in comparison to the grand medals displayed in the Hall of Valour gallery but when I looked at those shiny medals, the lump in my throat threatened to choke me. As I walked through the galleries, I realized that I was breathing with my mouth, blowing out puffs of breath to avert tears.

 

At the exhibit on Stretcher-Bearers, I was drawn to read the small White plaque which read (in part) like this:

 

“…stretcher-bearers worked tirelessly to perform first-aid and carry the wounded to aid posts and dressing stations. As non-combatants, the stretcher-bearers from the Australian Army Medical Corps were not armed, but just like any other soldier they faced the dangers of the front line.”

 

Sculpture of a Water Carrier

In another gallery, there was a bronze sculpture by Wallace Anderson (1888 – 1975) of a Water Carrier who was carrying three two-gallon petrol tins of precious water to his comrades. The information plaque explained that:

 

“Water, even more than other essentials, was key to life at Anzac, and for most of the campaign, every drop had to carried to the front lines from reservoirs and wells near the coast.”

 

These brief descriptions echoed what my dad told me about his work in the field and increased my respect for the service and sacrifice of the military, even the non-combatant soldiers.

 

Then a familiar outline of a map I recognized as Johor in then Malaya made me pause to study the names of towns like Muar, Bakri, Batu Pahat and Yong Peng that included my hometown, Johor Bahru. The name for Parit Sulong was in Red bold print, so I had to read the accompanying plaque:

 

Map of Johor in the Australian War Memorial

“Charles Anderson (1897 – 1988) was born in South Africa and came to Australia in 1935. He had been awarded the Military Cross in the First World War. In 1940 he joined the Second AIF and was appointed to command the 2/19^th Battalion in Malaya.

 

During the Japanese advance, the battalion was sent to the Bakri area. Following the heavy casualties, Anderson took command of the brigade and led it in a fighting withdrawal toward Parit Sulong.

 

Cut off and surrounded, for four days he led attacks against roadblocks and enemy positions. Finally trapped and with no possible hope, Anderson ordered that everything be destroyed and survivors form groups to try to get south.

 

Once Singapore fell, Anderson became a prisoner-of-war and later worked on the notorious Burma-Thailand Railway. Afterwards he returned to farming. In 1949, he was elected to federal parliament where he served as the Country Party member for Hume.”

 

Gallery for the Malayan Emergency

Another gallery of interest featured the Malayan Emergency, also known as the Anti-British Liberation War (1948 – 1960).

 

This was a guerrilla war fought in Malaya between communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army and the military forces of the Federation of Malaya and Commonwealth (British Empire).

 

The communists fought to win independence for Malaya from the British Empire and to establish a communist state, while the Malayan Federation and Commonwealth forces fought to combat communism and protect British economic and colonial interests.

 

The term “Emergency” was used by the British to characterize the conflict in order to avoid referring to it as a war, because London-based insurers would not pay out in instances of civil wars.  [Credit Reference from: Wikipedia]

 

The Malayan Emergency struck a familiar chord because under the Briggs Plan (named after Harold Briggs), the British forcibly relocated a million civilians into concentration camps dubbed, “New Villages.”

 

The Kuching Stone

Over the years, many of these New Villages have evolved into residential areas so I wanted modern generations to understand the history and origin of the “New Villages.”

 

To do this, I documented a heritage story, “The Legacy of New Villages” in my book, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, the third and final instalment that completed the trilogy of My Johor Stories books. [MPH Publishing Kuala Lumpur, 2022.]

 

Another exhibit that caught my interest was the Kuching Stone. Inscriptions on the stone were in Chinese characters while the information plaque read like this:

 

“This stone commemorates the opening of the Kuching prisoner-of-war camp on 15 August 1942. The stone bears the name of the camp commander, Colonel Suga Tatisuji, and the command, “Be faithful.”

 

View of the Commemorative Area and the 
Eternal Flame to a backdrop of the 
Hall of Memory

About 3,000 prisoners were held in Kuching, in Sarawak (now Malaysia). They comprised civilian adults and children and military personnel from Australia, Britain, India and Holland.

 

The prisoners had about one cup of rice each, per day and whatever they could buy or steal. They were given no medicine. Many adults died from malnutrition and disease but remarkably, not one child died.

 

We can now regard this stone as a memorial to all who suffered at Kuching.”

 

Outdoors in the Commemorative Area, I read the names of Malaya and Singapore emblazoned on the walls along with the names of the nations in the allied forces and saw the eternal flame that burned to honour the memory of the fallen.

 

Inside the Tomb of the 
Unknown Soldier

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located in the Hall of Memory, situated at one end of the Commemorative Area. This tomb represents all Australian war dead from World War One and subsequent conflicts. The inscription around the tomb reads:

 

“An unknown Australian soldier killed in the war of 1914 – 1918. Known unto God. He is all of them and he is one of us.”

 

At the opposite end of the Commemorative Area, from an elevated position, I saw the landscaped gardens and roads in the heart of Canberra that led directly to the Parliament House, situated on top of Capital Hill.

 

On our way out from the Commemorative Area, we walked on the upper corridor pass the Roll of Honour, an entire wall covered by bronze panels that listed over 103,000 Australian armed forces members who died in service.

 

Dubbed cloister walls, strings of red poppies decorated these walls where the blooms were placed next to the names in their memory.

 

It was encouraging to see groups of
students and young people being guided
 through the Australian War Memorial

The red poppy is a poignant symbol of remembrance for military personnel who died or suffered in war and conflict. It represents the memory of the fallen, the sacrifice of those who served and acts as a plea for peace.

 

This flower symbolises the blood-red poppies that bloomed across battle-scarred, war-torn European landscapes. In Australia and the Commonwealth, the poppy is worn on the left side, close to the heart on Remembrance Day (November 11).

 

The mood was contemplative as we made our way out of the War Memorial.

 

An experience in this destination certainly brought the reality of war and its consequences alive as I recalled our grandmother’s and my dad’s first-hand experience stories. I watched as more visitors arrived, many of them youths.

 

And I echo the sentiment that indeed, “There are no winners in war.”

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesFebruary2026