Guided Fun History Tours

Coming soon are  guided tours and later on self-guided audio tours, with four themes aimed at different age groups.

 Each will have different intensities from 15 minutes to two hours (or more). Cost will be $25 for two hours per head, and $15 for an hour and a mere  $7.50 for a half  hour and a shockingly affordable $5 for 15 minutes.

Components including accomodation, local bus hire, meals and picnic baskets can be organised through  these tours with local businesses. Currently the Sebel Kiama Harbourside (built around the old Kiama School, overlooking Kiama Harbour) looks likely to be involved in all facets of these components, with Kiama Scenic Tours available to provide buses. Tours will be mainly guided walking tours but guiding aboard buses is fine as well with audio cds for self-guided driving tours to come.

In time, Murder Mystery Dinners ( an ideal conference component as an ‘icebreaker’) set in the history of Kiama will be offered, (with titles like ‘The Kiama Harbour Mystery’, Orry-Kelly Presents’ and ‘Mrs Jacksen’s House is Moving’ as will self-guided audio tours both on MP3 and audio ( for self driving audio tours)

TOUR THEMES

Architectural

The Harbour, The Quarries,  Buildings in Terralong Street and Manning Street, the Dairy Industry, local   Irish dry stone walls and houses of basalt,  The Great Fire of 1899, the churches and their cemeteries, and the Pilot’s Cottage, the ocean baths and the Lightouses using the Pilot’s Cottage and it new re-vamped Heritage walk (now with pictures!). Times can vary from half an hour to two hours,  looping through various walking tracks and using the  newly installed Heritage Walk Plaques.

Social

Orry Kelly and his three Academy awards,  Charmian Clift the Australian author,  Rob Weir, the first Australian overseas military casualty, the story of John Black the Mayor’s feud with the local hotel, A First Fleeter buried in Kiama, Henry Parkes, Samuel Charles, what is known of local Aboriginal history, the conflict and intrigue between the Northern Irish Protestants, and also, the local Irish Catholics. The Temperance Movement in Kiama and poems and songs set in Kiama, some by Henry Kendall who had cousins in Kiama. The Quarrymen and the Dairymen. Rugby League and Union. Robbie Madison and his world record motor-bike jump.

Kids’ Fun

Big Ben the Tiger shark,  The first Soaring record in Australia off saddleback Mountain, blue metal carrying trams down the main street, Sailor’s Tools and Dairy Centrifuges, Gold-panning on local beaches, William Kelly and his bravery award, Saddleback Mountain is a collapsed volanic vent, the Amaki sauce factory and its lost secret ingredient, shipwreck and rescues, Radar stations and Japanese submarines, Kiama’s connection to  films such as Babe, Power Rangers and Mullet,  Trap doors and the Russian  Scare,

Ghost and Horror

The Headless Ghost of Dunmore House, the Swedish Captain Mystery, the Norwegian Murderer,

The Honey Boating tragedy,  the Mrs Charles Headstone Mystery, the Kendalls Cemetery and other Cemetery Tours, possibly including the Living Spirits tour (meeting actors playing our famous citizens in the cemetery)

and more recent horror and ghost stories.

and a special tour  which will be set up as the

The Allen Penny Treasure Hunt,  a mix of detective mettle and metal detectors, researching and searching  possible locations for these highly valuable lost coins. (the last one sold in 1977 for $14,000)

http://www.treasureenterprises.com/Treasure%20Hunting%20Information/treasure_hunting_tips.htm

For further information or Bookings

 contact Mark Whalan

on 0421 864262 or at the Pilot’s Cottage on 02 42321001

or at mwhalan@hotmail.com

 

PICTURE: Mark Whalan explains the history of Kiama Harbour and the Pilot’s Cottage to Kiama Public School’s Year 1 and 2 students
http://www.kiamaindependent.com.au/article/learning_of_kiamas_history
Learning of Kiama’s history
March 25, 2009
Section: School news
KIAMA Public school’s Year 1 and 2 students participated in a walking excursion to the Pilot’s Cottage, near the lighthouse, during the week.

On the way, they strolled through our beautiful town, noting many historical features.

When they reached Black Beach they looked at the harbour wall, which was actually built by Cassie Wilson and Deni Clarke’s grandfather.

They learnt about how blue metal used to be shipped out of Kiama Harbour.

A highlight of the day was seeing three helicopters land near the lighthouse.

At Pilot’s Cottage they listened to a talk given by Mark. He told them that Kiama used to have a sauce factory and showed them how butter was churned. There was even the odd ghost story.

The Pilot’s Cottage was used in the past to house the Harbour Pilot. In those days, the harbour was very busy as it was the main way goods were transported between Kiama and Sydney.

The pilot’s job was to help the ship captains guide their ships in and out of the harbour, as well as to look after the lighthouse.

It was a very worthwhile, educational day, where the students had many glimpses of our town’s past.