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S*xing up Sydney's history through true crime storytelling, unique urban explorations and a passion Hustlers of history. Seekers of secrets.
JOURNEY WALKS - Culture, Crime & History Tours
Tellers of tales. Exploring Sydney's sights & stories. Social, fun, engaging & nerdy. Perfect for Sydney locals & visitors
Walking journeys for the modern explorer.
And then there was almighty Almeida.
While travelling through Portugal, we were lucky enough to find ourselves in the unique star-shaped fortress town of Almeida during its annual history festival, commemorating one of the most dramatic episodes of the Peninsular War.
In 1810, during the third French invasion of Portugal, Marshal Masséna’s forces advanced across the Spanish border towards Almeida, one of the great fortified strongholds standing in their path. On the other side was the Anglo-Portuguese army under the Duke of Wellington.
More than two centuries later, Almeida brings the historic battle that would follow back to life within the fortress itself.
Military camps fill the town. Soldiers march through its ancient gates. Locals dress as the villagers who once lived within the fortress walls, while the streets fill with taverns, traditional food, merchants and characters from another time. Old ri**es fire from behind the fortifications and cannons blast across the battlefield as more than 800 military reenactors in full uniform recreate the events of 1810.
For the weekend, the whole town seems to step back in time and, in our case, there was one particularly enthusiastic visiting nobleman ready to join them.
needed very little encouragement to dress for the occasion and spend the day wandering the fortified village looking remarkably at home.
Watching a full battle unfold within and around the extraordinary star-shaped fortress was one of the most spectacular historical experiences we’ve ever seen.
But what made it particularly special was the setting. You’re not watching history recreated on a stage or in a field chosen for the occasion. You’re standing inside the fortress that was built to defend this border, walking through the gates soldiers once passed through and watching the story unfold within the landscape where it actually happened.
For two people who spend an unreasonable amount of time thinking about how to bring history to life, Almeida was something very special indeed.
26/09/2026
If things have been a little quiet around Journey Walks lately, there’s a reason.
For the past few months, we’ve swapped the streets of Sydney for some considerably older ones, travelling through Europe and, perhaps predictably, spending an unreasonable amount of time inside castles, fortresses and ancient towns.
Portugal has been particularly good to us.
At Tomar, we traversed a medieval stronghold built by the Knights Templar. Just outside town, the incredible stone Aqueduct of Pegões stretches across the landscape, built centuries later to carry water to the Convent of Christ.
At Peniche, we explored an enormous fortress rising above jagged cliffs from the ocean. Originally built to defend the Portuguese coast, it eventually became a political prison under the Estado Novo dictatorship. Political prisoners risked their lives in daring escapes over its high walls.
Further inland, along Portugal’s old frontier with Spain, places like Castelo Rodrigo, Castelo Mendo and Sabugal allowed us to reimagine medieval battles and hilltop lords defending their borderlands from within granite castles throughout the centuries.
And then there was Almeida, a remarkable star-fortress town where we somehow found ourselves in the middle of an enormous Napoleonic battle reenactment involving more than 800 military actors. That one deserves a story of its own.
Portugal is one of a kind and in many ways it feels like the land that time forgot.
And while the quaint cobbled streets and charming buildings might be what catches your eye at first, spending the time to dig deeper into when, why and how these old towns were built, and who built them, has turned each location into a kind of historic treasure hunt, revealing so many hidden layers and a greater understanding of the country.
Apparently taking a break from telling history in Sydney just means we go looking for it somewhere else. It’s a true obsession!
Here are a few glimpses from our European travels before we return home and get back to bringing the fascinating stories of Sydney back to life.
The faces you avoided after dark.
Gangsters, pimps and prostitutes of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, 1920s–30s.
S*x, Drugs & Razor Gangs: join us for the stories behind the mugshots at on Tuesday, 12 & 26 May.
Kings Cross is often remembered for its nightlife.
The clubs. The characters. The stories that played out after dark.
But there was always more to it.
How people lived.
Where they shopped and dined.
The buildings they moved through, and what they were before they became what we see today.
On our walks through the Cross, we go beyond the obvious; into the details that shaped everyday life, and the layers that still sit just beneath the surface.
A century ago, Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs carried a different rhythm.
Co***ne moved quietly through hidden networks.
Brothels operated behind closed doors.
Razor gangs carved out territory in the night.
Not just the names you already know but the others.
The figures who moved between worlds and kept the undercurrent alive.
Guido Calletti.
Snowy Cutmore.
Frank Green.
Fay Watson.
Nellie Cameron.
Norman Bruhn.
S*x, Drugs & Razor Gangs brings their stories to the table over dinner at Tequila Mockingbird.
Tickets are already moving quickly.
17/04/2026
Kings Cross rare imagery 1950/60s: the streets Vs the clubs
Every glass tells a story, every street hides one.
This season, invites you to dine where history lingers: , , , and .
A little crime, a little w**e, a whisper of wh***ey, and a lot of Sydney. History never tasted so good!
**edinecrime ***ey
28/09/2025
Today’s article in about Sydney’s crime bosses of the 1920’s and 1930’s.
Read the full article here https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-28/1920s-razor-gang-crime-bosses-that-wreaked-havoc-on-sydney/105749468
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