Little East BeachKnown as Port Fairy's safest dog beach because it is a protected cove with little to no surf and it didn't disappoint. We left Cherry at the end of Griffiths Street and walked along the beach towards Battery Hill, then into town.
Battery HillThe concrete fortifications at Battery Hill originally known as Flagstaff Hill, the Harbour Master’s signal point for shipping, were completed in 1887 in response to a perceived invasion threat by Russian after the Crimean War, which was won by a British and France alliance. Each year in January on Sunday morning the cannon is fired to celebrate the New Year and share the history of this quaint seaside town.
 Around town
Tower Hill and KoroitA wildlife reserve managed by the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperation is home to emus, koalas, echidnas, turtles, possums and kangaroos who can be seen around the crater lake and rugged bushland. The Natural History Centre, currently under renovation, was designed in 1962 by Australian architect Robin Boyd, cylindrical in shape echoes the form of this now inactive volcano. The reserve is a no dog zone so we could only drive around the circuit track but it was still very impressive, and the crater loop track would make for an exciting walk.
Located near Tower Hill, with rich volcanic soil, Koroit is a historic Irish farming settlement dating back to the 1840s, which is said to boast Australia’s most “complete examples” of early Irish architecture.
Kokoda Track Memorial WalkTo be honest it's probably more like 800 steps rather than 1,000, but the 1.5 kilometre walk up the 290 metre accent will definitely raise your heart rate and your appreciation for the diggers who fought under treacherous conditions in Papa New Guinea during WWII.
  
Our first day in Canberra we got ourselves down to the Australian War Memorial, a national memorial dedicated to members of the military who have died or served in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia. It sits directly across and in line with the parliament house, which is connected via Anzac parade. We walked from the car park through the nicely manicured garden and found ourselves looking up to the gorgeous shrine and courtyard of the memorial, while behind us was Anzac parade, perfectly lined up with the parliament house. Walking up the stairs took us into the commemorative area, a courtyard with walls filled with the names of deceased war veterans and a sea of red poppies. Through the sea of red poppies took us into the hall of memory, a Byzantine style building that was completed in 1941 to commemorate the fallen heroes of World War One. Inside the Hall of Memory is 3 large stained glass windows. The southern side represents personal qualities: resource, candour, devotion, curiousity and idependence. The west window expresses social qualities: Comradeship, Ancestry, Patriotism, chivalry and loyalty, while the east window represents the fighting qualities of youth and enterprise: Coolness, control, audacity, endurance and decision. Surrounding us in between the windows are mosaics that were completed after World War 2, each artwork represents the four services in the Wars: The Women’s Services, Army, Navy and the Airforce. Central of the Hall of Memory is the tomb of the unknown soldier, once buried at Adelaide Cemetery in Villers-Brettoneaux in France, the body was transported over with French soil and buried in the hall to commemorate the 75th World War One anniversary on 11th of November 1993. After taking a look around the memorial, we walked around the surrounding museum. Divided into World War 1, World War 2, aircraft hall and Anzac hall, the museum enriched us with artefacts and stories of Australia’s military history. You would need several days to take in the information that is there, its a day in itself just looking at the machinery and equipment that was used. Anzac hall put on some cinematic displays with the equipment, one was a display of a Japanese Navy midget submarine, and the story (called the battle of Sydney) of how close the war was to our home soil. The midget got tangled up in nets that were deployed at the western boom gate. Two Navy vessels were sent out to investigate and found the submarine demolished after the Japanese crew chose the warriors death option charging a torpedo into the vessel. After a huge intake of history we witnessed a last post ceremony, which is held at the end of every day to commemorate an individual soldier’s sacrifice made to the country. The story of the soldier is told, the ode is recited by Australian Defence Personnel and the sound of the last post is played beautifully through the bugle to conclude a day of Australian military history.
 We woke up just short of sunrise and took a drive out to Mount Tomaree, one of the Volcanoes that welcome the ships into the Karuah. We took a walk to the summit that sits 161 metres over the Port Stephens region. The views are blissful panoramas of the sun rising over coastlines, islands and deep blue ocean. Another walk below the summit track took us around to remains of the Tomaree Fort gun emplacements. The Fortress is a great showcase of how hard the military worked during World War II not only in training regimes, but also in building magnificent structures to survive the worst-case scenarios and protect the steel being manufactured in nearby Newcastle.
  A large freshwater lake hanging off the outskirts of Yungaburra in the high lands between Cairns and Innisfail, Lake Tinaroo is not only home to fishing events and watersports, but a beautiful war memorial in remembrance of soldiers and canines serving the war in Afghanistan.
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