Cape Banks Bunkers.

There’s something about these local bunkers that scare me to the bone, yet continue to intrigue me. Chloe and I decided to adorn ourselves in Souths gear from head to toe and embark on a walk to Fort Banks. Nestled deep in the New South Wales Golf course, Cape Banks is another historic time-warp into south-east Sydney, between the wars.

The artillery housing and groups of underground tunnels are located on the north-easterly point of La Perouse, with panoramic views overlooking the Tasman Sea. At the time, you could understand why the Australian Defence Force would choose this sneak rear-end to Sydney as a strategic watchpost during the wars.

As you reach the 2 hour mark on your walk through the bush, you might come to a sudden jolt when you find a bunker nestled in the bush. Continue along this road and you will soon find the main battery with sweeping views of the ocean before you. At the height of pre-war paranoia the main battery was built to look like a rock. Very little of this housing remains on the structure, but there are a few clues that let you know that there was something there.

Photo Courtesy: The Australian War Memorial

 If you're game enough to take a stroll inside these fortifications you will discover some underground systems that would've been vital if Sydney Cover was under attack. A plotting room, underground powder and shell magazine, hydraulic pump room and short tunnels which link the bunkers together. I didn't see a single soul on the entire journey that day, it made it difficult to imagine how busy the area was when it was in full operation.