31 Mar 2009

Category: Australasia Travel Insurance News

Cockatoo Island offers "superb" views

The views of Sydney Harbour from Australia's Cockatoo Island are "superb", according to a newspaper travel writer.

Tom Adair of the Independent wrote that the island - which is situated around three miles away from Sydney Harbour Bridge - has had many identities in the past, ranging from a 19th-century convict prison to a granary, an industrial school, a reformatory for girls and a 20th-century shipyard.

But now, the island - which is heritage listed - has been converted into a modern campground with toilets, a cafe and a cashpoint by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.

The island offers "rugged" walking paths, as well as a "timeless view at a knock-down price", Mr Adair said.

Cockatoo Island's prison buildings have been nominated for World Heritage status and according to its official website, a bar is due to open soon for campers spending a weekend on the waterfront.

It can be reached by ferry from the centre of Sydney within ten minutes.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office recommends that anyone going abroad should take out a comprehensive travel insurance before setting off, as overseas emergencies could prove expensive if a holidaymaker needs to return to the UK unexpectedly.