A little bit ago my mate Dumhed messaged me saying “Yo, I was flying by on my rocket spaceship and I spotted these bunkers. You better not go there without me.” So because of my jealousy of Dumhed’s talent and good looks. I went by myself anyway.
BIG MISTAKE.
I lived, but exploring on your own is not a good idea. Especially this place. You see these bunkers are at the bottom of a lookout. So you have to climb down the cliffs to get to them unless you approach by boat.
This is the view of the bunkers from Google Earth. You can see the roofs of two of the bunkers. But there are actually three and I found a couple of rooms underground as well.
This is the view from the top of the lookout toward Lion Island. It’s a long way down to the water. Bunkers usually have an access road or path left over from when they are active. The soldiers had to access it some how and get supplies. So usually they are easy to find and provide an easy way to the bunkers. Finding the path was no issue. But my god, it is insane. According to this site, the road was actually a counter-weighted rail for transporting goods.
Nothing is left to determine how the railway actually looked and despite best efforts no official drawings or plans have come to light. Utilising Bluey Mercer’s excellent memory, 4HR’s Peter Rea started to produce a technical drawing of the railway. We knew there were no motors or winches, the railway was worked by ‘weight and counter-weight’, the counter-weight trolley had a three and half ton concrete block attached.
The picture doesn’t do this path justice. It goes down about 200 to 300 metres at a slope of about 45 to 50 degree. Part of it is concreted, but it’s all collapsing and lose. Thankfully, someone has installed a rope to get all the way down.
Look at the trees on the left and you’ll see how steep it is.
The rope is a must use, or you will end up sliding all the way down and seriously mess yourself up. And remember, this is also the way up. A fun but exhausting climb for a flabby geek.
But after the climb down, bunkers!!!
This is the path leading off to the other bunkers. Let’s look at the first one. These are surprisingly large bunkers and would have held some serious fire power in the day.
Another surprise was this information pamphlet that was sitting on top of one of the platforms. The pamphlet also showed some rooms. I had to find them!
Walking on from the first bunker I spotted this path heading into the cliff. It was full of rocks and debris. But I could see some concrete structure so I headed over to check it out.
Closer…
Score! This looks interesting.
Entering the door I saw this. Two rooms and an escape ladder. The rooms from the pamphlet I found earlier.
Turning around a looking back at the entrance.
Now to head to the other bunker, but on the way I spotted this one up on a hill.
Turns out it’s a two story bunker with a machine gun nest (I think) and an upper level to spot the baddies (go team Australia). I am really surprised by this structure, I suppose because it’s so hard to get to that not many idiots get there. So the original markings from the army are still showing AND the armored shutters are still in place. Something I have never seen on any of the other bunkers I have visited around Sydney. I totally nerded out. Ps. Sorry about the over exposure.
The shutters! Usually these are all torn or missing from the bunkers around Sydney.
The interior of the bottom room.
Entering the top room.
Not much in here except a pretty view.
Aw.
Artistic rusty door shot.
Down the hill from this bunker was another. The door on this one looks like it was blown off.
To the left and right of the entrance are two walk ways leading to nowhere. Except one had a blue barrel. The type you’d expect to find a body in.
The other side was clear and in the middle was another massive gun emplacement.
And that’s it. A nice find by Dumhed and much thanks. The climb back from these bunker was a real bastard. 🙂