Here is a bridge with an iron clad theme crossing Throsby Creek, Tighes Hill, just beyond the harbour (or port).
In the world of bridges it is no behemoth! Behemoth is my new word which coincidentally was also heard on the entertaining MythBusters on SBS TV.
Quite often that program seemed non-American and surprisingly the reason is that Discovery Channel, UK and an Australian company, Beyond International, are behind the production (discussed on the ABC Science Show).

Moving on past the dam into the remote 'badlands' a 'serpent' crossed our path.
This cool suave animal is probably a brown snake and is a deadly creature with extremely poisonous venom.
It is said that most snake bites occur when we attempt to kill them or do something silly. It is always best to leave them be.
Pressure bandage and immobilisation as first aid is very effective in preventing a fatality.

Lostock Dam is an hour and a half drive NW of Newcastle and is one of several dams in the region.
In 1971 it was built on the Paterson River by the state government and backs-up covering 220 hectares into willful, away-from-it-all, hilly countryside with farmhouses dotted here and there.
A small spillway has a large grassy picnic area nearby and a caravan park is not too far away with rare access to a picturesque little river bank, well, I imagine its at its best in a good season, at least.
There's fishing and boating on the dam and Australian Bass are stocked on a regular basis and Catfish and Eels are other catches according to a web site. Watersking and jetskies are banned.
The inbetween months are probably the best time to visit there.

A diminutive obelisk marks Macquarie Pier A D 1818. The graffito is as follows:

I love sleeping on the beach & dancing in the waves & cooking on an open fire, watching the horizon & trying to ignore the city lights.

Every town needs heritage. Even a small amount can do wonders and save the society, save the economy and save the tourism industry. It saves the institutions from taking on new and imaginative responsibilities and spending money on matters that the people desire. It won't save the Sunday drivers from gridlock at the foreshore.
(Just to be clear, irony was attempted by the preceding words. Also, mildly interesting distances measured along the pier were printed in The Herald but they are not to hand just now.)

Meet Hydro Dog! For the pampered pet, a mobile dog wash is waiting for the next appointment for a shampoo. It's one way to make a living and cope with 'mortgage stress'. The removalist van in the background (unrelated) happens to be there as a result of repossession of the house.

Festival at Brunswick Heads (far north coast). It's holiday time and wanderlust is around. From the past is a prosaic photo but the Fish and Chips Festival was anything but - with a name like that.
The Woodchop carnival was for talent of all ages, gender or nationality, for example, a New Zealander, Sheree Taylor, was All-Round Lumber Jill title winner at the Lumberjack World Championship in the USA.
Guess what? A fishing competition was the other attraction. (Byron Shire News)
The timber blocks for the wood chop are of plantation timber and are of a certain standard and are covered and dampened with water before the events.
Brunswick Heads was bursting with holiday campers and caravaners and appeared to be in the style of a holiday town with an original flavour complete with a hugh tent run by the evangelical church folk who seem to appear, hear and there, during the holidays, to reachout to young people. The town is not far from the deep North.
In contrast, Byron, the next port of call, is nice but is a different kettle of fish.

At Newcastle Show.