Month: June 2024

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

29 June 2024 – Grey Gum to Katoomba via Blue Mtns NP

The drive from Grey Gum Café, via Bells Line of Road, to Katoomba is very scenic as you have farms and then Blue Mountains NP views! There are also multiple small towns that add character to the drive.  

I stopped by Walls Lookout to do the 1 hour return walk to view the spectacular cliffs that the Blue Mountains NP is known for. The vegetation was also interesting- with such varying texture of the plants that survive here- especially the strong winds. The wattles were in bloom -yellow everywhere as well as a few other species that I do not know.

I also did a quick stop in the village of Victoria that has many character buildings. Was hoping for a quick and cheap lunch but when I went into a cafe nothing looked too fab and was expensive too.

Last stop for the day was in Katoomba- to checkout the Three Sisters. Me and approx. 1000 other people 🙁 

There has been a lot of development of these multiple lookouts …and parking was $7 for 30min – oh my word!! View is good though -the amount of people not so much- so I got out quick! 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

28 June 2024 – Hunter Valley continued

I did the drive back to Hunter Valley village from Broke- some 30min to see a few more places that I had not been to yesterday.

I visited Voco- a very fancy hotel- but just for the scenery and to check it out – not to stay for sure 😊.

I then stopped by Hanging Tree Vineyards- named after a tree used for hanging people – ouch!! Or so vineyard legend has it. I did love the gardens here- still many roses in bloom as well as other flowers!

Next stop was Audrey Wilkinson -which is a little out of the way but has amazing views of the valley. Also has a little museum attached.

Id heard from multiple people that the view from the Transmission towers is great -so this was next on the list- and with a 30min one way drive on dirt roads I thought it should be worth it! A little disappointed though as the view should be great but the trees block it nearly from all sides except for the power station!!

The drive was pretty good though -with some glimpses of views along the way

When I got back in to town I stopped by Sabor- a dessert bar- to have black forest cake and coffee for lunch and then had a cider downstairs in the cider house.

I was excited to then leave town as it was getting on a bit in time  and go visit the recommended Baiame Caves . After attempting multiple accesses -all blocked as private entries I gave up. The only entry was through a deep clay filled mud pool which I was not game to get stuck in! So I didn’t see these caves which apparently have aboriginal art in them.

 

I made my way along Putty Road- also known as Route 69. It is very scenic and at the start is through a gorge. Multiple delays with road works though. Very popular with motor bikes. 

Spent the night at another free camp- in the field of Grey Gum Café.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

27 June 2024 – Hunter Valley Wine Tour

Full day Hunter Valley Tour started with a pick up of myself- from the free camp in Broke to the Rydges to pick up life long friends Janice and Linda! They were older ladies and great fun throughout the day.

Out first stop was an organic winery- Tamburlaine – where we sampled some really easy drinking wines. Not many that I did not like- though the Pinot Gris- usually a favourite- was a little dry for me.

Next was Pokolbin Wines- where Linda struck up a great deal for us- to make use of a 120 for 6 bottle deal of the Riesling. This one only stays on the vines for 2 more weeks than a previous sample we had and the sweetness gained in that time is quiet lovely! So, Linda got 3, Janice 2 and I got 1 bottle.

Next stop was Garden Cellars- in the village -and more a liqueur /spirits stop as well as lunch- where we fended for ourselves. By far- my favourite here was the cucumber gin! Really good and will keep my eye out for it in the future!  

After lunch we picked up a half day tour couple- also from the Rydges- to join us. By the stage Linda and Janice were really happy and didn’t like the drinking interruption – hahahaha!!

Together we all headed to McLeish Estate. A small-scale producer of some lovely wines too. My favourite wine here was the granny smith apple tasting Auld Kille white wine. Here I paid back my debts to Linda by purchasing her a cheese plate – which she was kind enough to share.

A very unexpected stop- Vamp- Lisa McGuigan Wines. Décor here is gothic and medieval- all leather and metal. It’s very different than the usual winery vibe!

Next we went back to the village to try some vodkas and liqueurs at Small Mouth. All their products have edible glitter and so they sparkle -nice for cocktails. I made Janice participate so that I could have more of her tastings 😊.

Our last stop was at Fat Cow for a cheese and chocolate tasting. We also started with some garlic virgin olive oil and a balsamic reduction. The cheese was also lovely.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

26 June 2024 – Yarramalong to Broke

Headed to free camp in McNmara Park in Broke . It wasn’t very busy at all and has toilets. This was my base to explore Hunter Valley vineyards.
 
On the way I stopped by a winery in Wollomombi, but it was closed …despite a sign saying the opposite. 
 
Then drove in to Winmark …more for its art gallery, sculpture trail then wine. Interesting pieces as usual .
 
Before setting up camp I stopped by and did a tasting in Nightingale Wines. I actually got a bottle of Verdelho – an easy drinking white wine . I had never had this variety before .
 
In the afternoon I called up a couple of companies to see if they could pick me up for a wine tour the next day – a Thursday – and I found one ! yeah! 

As I hoped to explore Wollemi and Yengo National Parks I noticed that nearly all trails in the park were 4WD only. I thus got hold of a local 4WD club to see if it was at all possible to join them on any outings on the weekend -but unfortunately none were planned . Two of the guys from the club did get hold of me however and provided a lot of good local info- which was super of them!! 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

24 25 June 2024 – Newcastle to Yarramalong

The morning was pretty foggy, and so I gave up trying to dry anything and headed to Halies place … just over 1 hr away.
 
I did some shopping – had to get a mouse trap for the hidden creature eating my food !! Also some groceries and finally also got a small set of binoculars. 
 
I stopped by Caves Beach on the way, but it was high tide and thus not possible to explore any of the caves- I just had a walk on the beach instead. 
 
I met Halie in PNG as we worked on the same project- she stays in Yarramalong on a small property with her folks. I was excited to meet the people and animals she spoke of ! Especially Jess and Paco- the doggies!! 
 
We spent a few minutes catching up and also calling people on Teams meetings to surprise them, which was fun. While Halie finished off some work I unpacked and also got to updating the blog. 
 
The next afternoon Halie took me around the hood so to speak and we went to Wollombi for lunch at the pub. As we came in 3 guys were leaving in their helicopters !!! What!?!? 
 
The village is very small and full of character homes and stunning stone buildings !
 
We carried on down the road towards Cessnock to check out Halie’s newest property and renovation progress. Hopping directly across the street we went over to Halie’s brothers place to meet the family . 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

23 June 2024 – Newcastle

It was a very rainy and windy night … more than 20mm had fallen. Luckily I put my tent up on a little , tiny hill… because there were giant puddles of water all around me when I woke in the middle of the night.

 
The day was also filled with intermittent showers. I was hiding from one of them, speaking to an ex- PNG colleague – when I see another ex- PNG colleague walking up the road… I thought about it and thought I was going crazy. 
 
I messaged him later, after having had a pizza and cider at the Grain Store and low and behold…it was him. He just moved a week ago! We had a quick catch up, as he had some plans later … what a small world ! 
 
I went up to Fort Scratchley and did a self guided tour as I again avoided the rain! The fort was built in 1881. It was used to defend Newcastle once … from a Japanese submarine attack in 1942 but never again.  
 
After this I headed back to Stockton on the ferry over the Hunter River. I watched another huge coal ship coming in to harbour…so huge !! Very impressive ! 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

22 June 2024 – Myall Lakes NP to Newcastle

It was good timing in terms of packing up, as it just started to drizzle when I finished. The dark storm clouds chased me all the way down the coast to Newcastle.  

 I managed to be able to convince the nice reception lady at the caravan park to let me pitch my tent at 10am … to have it up before the rain probably came down ! 
 
Success!
 
I walked down the breakaway and then to the wharf to catch the ferry from Stockton to Newcastle. I managed just over an hour of walking around the city before the rain came down. 
 
I enjoyed all the old architecture up and down the streets . There are still several terraces that are restored as I noted while I hauled myself up a steep hill. It was worth it -to get up to the Anglican Cathedral – which is rather magnificent.  
 
After several hours of walking around I headed back to the other side via the ferry. 
 
Did a cook up in the camp kitchen … attempt nr 8 at a cook top that worked though !! 
 
Glad I did that early as heathen children overtook the place later. 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

21 June 2024 – Myall Lakes NP Neranie to Mungo Brush camp

I awoke to a tent that was wet with condensation…so had to take some time to deal with it…but no sun around. 
 
I headed off southbound to my new campsite on the other side of the lake, when I saw a street sign to the biggest and grandest tree in NSW …so I turned in to the dirt road and headed into a forest some 5km. This is a huge Eucalyptus tree though I think that I preferred the character of other trees I’ve seen. 
 
I headed through Bulahdelah and stopped by the tourist info to check that the ferry at Bombah Point was operational and picked up some great maps! 
 
The ferry trip was scheduled every 30min …so I had a 15min wait . Pulled all my coins together for 6.50 fee. 
 
Mungo Brush isn’t far from here , so I headed to camp to lay out everything to dry before setting up my tent. While I waited , I went for a walk towards Tamboi through an interesting mix of paperbarks and palm trees ! 
 
My 45min or so away helped dry out most things. Once I set up , I headed off for a short walk -10min – to the beach. The narrow land strip here has a gorgeous lake on one side …and the sea on the other ! Lots to chose from for any water lover ! 
I went to explore Dark Point – an aboriginal site some 6km down the road. It’s a 15min or so walk through sand dunes . There isn’t much to see except some middens from a distance . The location is great though – the dunes so light coloured and Broughton Islands in the background . 
 
On my way back I noticed a dingo , sitting on his haunches up on the dune… luckily he was no trouble ! 
 
After this stop I also stopped by the Hole in The Wall picnic site – lookout over the sea. 
 
After warming up some veggies for early dinner I got ready – on a rock – to watch a lovely sunset over a calm, still lake – the colours were great …and in the distance… some drama with rain falling. 
 
So glad that tonight is the longest night and the days get longer by a few minutes from here on in !! 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

20 June 2024 – Myall Lakes NP

As I had two nights at Neranie Campground I wanted to spend today exploring the area around Seals Rocks. There is really only a caravan park and a few dwellings around here …what would have probably been an old fishing village. Now though, many houses are rather high end!

The walk around the Seal Rocks headland is closed for maintenance,  so I make my way to Seal Rocks lighthouse.  This precinct also includes the original lighthouse keeper and assistant lighthouse keepers cottages that have been refurbished and all look fantastic ! The final, super steep climb to the lighthouse is rewarded with superb views – down Lighthouse Beach and out to the ocean – where today many whales can be found!

There was actually a tram to transport goods right up the the lighthouse – probably mostly kerosene back in the days.

As I went up the steps of the lighthouse I noted a pod of dolphins playing close to the rocks.

After spending about 30min observing the whales i drove out to Treachery Rocks to do the headland walk there. Overgrown in many places- especially around knee height – I was glad it wasn’t full summer – snake wise !!

The views were great and I sat on some rocks… in the sun… checking out a few whales that came closer in to the bay…the pod of dolphins on the other side and the fighter jets that zoomed past several times !?!

It was a very entertaining hour or so !

I headed back to Seals Rocks and had lunch at the lookout – watching some more whales and also dodgy magpies who wanted my lunch.

Two young guys nearly had their pies stolen from their hands, as they ate, by thieving birds . They got pretty aggressive !

I took a short drive to Smiths Lake … I was after all in the Lake district of NSW … and spent most of my time by the sea. The lake was real peaceful …just a couple of fishermen in kayaks out on the water .
The art on the public toilets was also fabulous – birds !

In getting back to camp I first did a short  but pretty overgrown hike up to an informal lookout . You could see over Myall Lake with beautiful,  still reflections ! The walk was very saturated …muddy underfoot at the first few 100m or so .
It also, interestingly, past a cemetery.  There are maybe 8 or so headstones left . I should find out who these people were … why a cemetery here ?

In getting back to camp… and it being warmer… a little …that yesterday… I decided to take a half quick dip in the lake. It was refreshing … though def too cold to swim for me!

I was in awe the rest of the afternoon just how still the water had become ! Yesterday it was pretty windy …and thus little wavy . Today – just bliss !!

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

19 June 2024 – Crowdy Bay NP to Myall Lakes NP

I spent a few hours this morning mainly waiting for my tent to dry from all the condensation. Headed out of the NP at approx 09h30…so fairly late. 
 
I set off to Forster -Toncurry to do my laundry. I didn’t realise how busy these two combined towns would be! The bay though was lovely and tranquil…so still …no waves. 
 
As I had finished around lunch time I decided to have a fish and chips… which included calamari rings. This was really tasty.
 
Next planned stop was the Cape Hawke Lookout. However I couldn’t get all the way up the hill as the road was closed due to helicopter moving equipment around in the national park. 
 
With that mission aborted I carried on driving through the lakes area. The lakes around here are really rather large . As it is neither summer nor weekend …pretty quiet too. I set up camp at Nerine Campground and am the only one here for the night. My tent is only some 30m from the water. 
 
I take the rest of the afternoon to read my book. 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

18 June 2024 – Crowdy Bay NP

I had a bit of a chill day planned . Started it off with a loop hike – 4.3km – called Diamond Head Loop. Great views along the headland – of some rock pools and an arch . Only saw some 4 whale blows. 
 
When I returned to camp, I tried again to get the 12V starlink up and going but despite reconfiguring it …still no internet connection ! I got pissed off for sure ! 
 
Packed that shit up and went for a longish walk on the beach before doing an early veggie cook up for dinner. 
 
I also planned the next few days out …as I can see some campsites already booked out for the weekend. 
 
Spent the evening reading a book.
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

17 June 2024 – Hat Head NP to Crowdy Bay NP

A surprisingly cold night – considering I was by the coast …feels like -1C. 

I had breakfast and left the tent to try and dry in the wind while I walked around the sand dunes . This was not adequate in terms of time … so I grabbed to car to drive to Killick beach and go for a walk there. 
I picked up rubbish as I walked … and turned around when my hands were full. The tent was still not dry ,so I stripped it , threw the cover on a bench and that did the trick more.
 
Having mainly done Connors walk yesterday…today was Korogoro Walking track time. This track goes around a headland in Hat head. It was a good walk … amazing scenery of some dramatic coastline and long beaches. The whales were further out today, so the viewing was not that exciting. 
 
Once I finished I drove 1.5 hours south to Diamondhead campsite in Crowdy Bay NP.
I set up and went for the 1.4km return walk to Mermaid Lookout. No whales at all here , but what was delighful is the amount of tiny flowers blooming in the heath. They were mostly really tiny bit beautiful ! 
 
When i got back I heated up some soup for dinner and then did a quick trip to the beach for sunset … which was subdued as it was relatively cloudy , when drizzly. 
 
I spoke to my parents for quiet a while.. then eyed out someone who looked like they wouldn’t mind sharing their fire ! Tonight I met Simon – from Sydney and we chatted about travels and Europe – past and future trips. I left Simon so that he could cook dinner and I could take note of some of the places he recommended. 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

16 June 2024 – Urunga to Hat Head NP

Having a kitchen I decided to make crepes for breakfast …so that was different and lovely ! 

 
I headed to the wetlands as a first stop – for a short walk around . I learned that this was actually an old mine processing site which was not well rehabilitated at all and caused metal leaching into the soil. There are engineered cells that are containing the soil that can’t be rehabbed , but it looks rather successful ! 
My next stop… or drive really… was to and around Yarriabini NP. Did a short walk at the picnic area – through the rainforests. I learned that a wasp actually pollinated the strangler fig flowers ! It is the only species that pollinates these figs! 
 
A further, steepish, drive up to the lookout was rewarded with a superb, clear view of Stuart’s head and some mangroves… even from this distance you could see the crashes of whales breaching !! 
I stopped by in Kempsey to refuel … as I had seen a station here with fuel for 183c per liter … whereas many of what I had passed was 206c!!! 
 
Made my way through the slow windy roads along the MacLeay River again…just today with beautiful sunny weather unlike yesterday and headed to my camping spot for the night in Hat Head NP- Hungry Gate.
 
After I set up camp, I drive the 1.2km to a parking area in Kemps Corner- to start Connors track. It was about 2pm. 
 

The walk started out with a nice wide path and then got pretty overgrown and narrow! I was thanking my lucky starts that it wasn’t summer as snakes would have been a large concern in those tall grasses/ bushes and not seeing too much of the path!

 

The whales were great though- and pretty distracting from the walk! Several were quiet far away in the distance- but a few delighted me with their breaching- multiple times even! Great fun to watch them.

 

As I headed in to camp – it was just 3 of us camped out for the night. I went over after dinner to say good day to Ian. He had a fire going and I found out he was going to go start his lap around Australia in august- when his superannuation / pension came in.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

15 June 2024 – Point Plomer to Urunga

The weather forecast had it raining from 4am … and up to 20mm was due to fall…but luckily it gave me a bit of a break to pack up. I opened up the awning of the car for cover and got everything packed away without getting the tent wet … which was good news ! 

 
I brought over some butter to the guys …so they could have it on their fish and corn . They had just come back from another successful fish and were pretty wet. 
 
I set off…somewhere north … with the hope that the weather would settle. It was somewhat hit and miss.
 
As I neared South West Rocks the rain slowed , so I turned off to the lighthouse. The cottages next to the lighthouse were really well restored and can be rented . Nice to see a whole complex like that. I didn’t hang around too long to see the whales that I spotted as the cold , wet , wind wasn’t too fun.
Had a coffee and phoned around a bit to see if I could find reasonable accommodation in cabin or similar. Not too easy as it’s weekend… eventually found a cabin in Urunga. As the rain intensified I figured I’d just go straight there and see if the weather improved further north.
 
The scenic drive through the McLeay River Valley – Tourist Drive 12- is through farmland. It also closely follows the full looking Belmore River. Perhaps it’s better that it was raining or I would have had 30 more photos of old farm buildings ! 
 
As the rain sort of eased in Urunga in the afternoon , I went for a quick walk along the boardwalk. It’s an impressively long structure and passes through the mangroves – all the way to the beach. There are also little access stairs where you can walk around in the shallows during low tide. This would all be a bird watchers paradise in the right season and conditions ! 
 
I bought some ingredients for mushroom risotto and did a cook up when I got back.
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

14 June 2024 – Port Macquarie to Point Plomer

After another chat with Gary and Ingrid at breakfast – we headed off at about 9am. I was off to Limeburners Creek NP. I went North, via Kempsey and stopped by and had a walk around many lookouts and beaches before arriving at Point Plomer camp site. 

It is a very large campsite- no camp allocations – you just pitch your set up wherever you find space. It was very busy- not my ideal national park experience- but each to their own. 

As I spoke to several people I noted that this was very popular with the locals- all within 100km. 

As I walked up to Point Plomer Lookout I was warned by a fisherman that I would be walking past a snake in approx. 50m on my left. I thanked him for the heads up and came across the snake as it began to cross the path. I was relieved that it was fairly small and luckily sluggish -it should after all be sleeping. 

Walking further down the path there were many birds . i sat down on the bench and had a whale fully breach twice – directly in front of me- though a bit far away. 

My attention was then drawn away by the fish eagles that were gliding on the currents in the gap. 

It was getting cool- so I headed back to camp to get dressed a bit warmer, then went to the beach again (1min walk) to see 4 x grey nurse sharks in the shallows- right where the waves were breaking!

So many superb species- all in one day! WOW! 

As I sat in the dark, on the bench, a fisherman came to clean his catch. I approached him to ask what he caught- Taylor. We chatted a bit and I got an invite to dinner- or fish starter at least:) . I gladly accepted and joined Nicky and Mick -high school friends away for the weekend- at their camp fire for dinner, chats and laughs. I went to sleep at 11pm!! 

 

 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

13 June 2024 – Port Macquarie

My second day in Port Macquarie started with a trip to Watonga Rocks. I was keen to do a walk but the cold , strong winds that started the afternoon before didn’t make it too pleasant. 

I then headed to Tacking Point Lighthouse- and ended up staying for over an hour as there were some whales around -but more importantly – a whole pod of 20-30 dolphins that were keenly feeding and fun to watch. 

Before doing more of the coastal walk, I popped into an outdoor shop to get another warm jacket for that southern winter! 

I ended up spending much of the evening speaking to a couple from Shoalhaven who were headed up the Queensland to see their kids. We had many laughs in the camp kitchen. We were also site “neighbours” and wondered why we were put together when all the other sites were free??? To top it off- another couple were put on the other side of me that evening 🙂 – why- oh why?! 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

12 June 2024 – Mummel Gulf NP to Port Macquarie

I was hoping for a bit more night life in the NP …so to speak …but except for the gusts of wind that stirred the forest up regularly…not much animal life that I heard. 
 
I had to protect all my food from the damn crow that was also a bother with last night’s dinner … such a cunning creature ! 
 
I looked forward to a.highway drive after all the dirt roads … though what I was unaware of was that the Oxely Highway is called the 300 bend highway … it was scenic but damn it was also twisty ….avg speed was about 45km/hr …hahaha… so much for highway .
 
As I take my time on these roads and enjoy them I generally let drivers pass me at opportune . One of the cars was a yellow Lotus sports car … funny thing was that I was then parked right behind him at all the road works …so I don’t think he got too much speed . Though the road workers heads were definitely turned ! 
 
I stopped temporarily in Wauchope, just to figure out where to stay in Port Macquarie and what to see while there …
Bottlebutt tree was on the list ! 
It is a strange looking tree and so unusual that it is listed in the national register of big trees AND international register of wide girth trees ! So as a tree …it’s  going places …hahahaha. it has a girth of 16m at its base ! 
 
I had lunch at the picnic spot here and then headed to the caravan park near Flynns beach that I had called earlier .
Upon arriving and setting up the tent I had to get changed out of my winter clothes as it was 22C !! Pulled my shorts out of another bag and was ready to go walking .
 
First beach, within 5min I spotted my first whale . It was having so much fun and slapping its tail against the water multiple times …then another that was slapping its fins around… and from there on I walked the coastal walk and just gawked at the amount of whales and how active they were ! 
 
The joys of being along the sea during this time of the year ! Reminder …must get binoculars ! 
 
Dinner was also at a great Asian place that Matt and Christo recommended from when they were here a few weeks ago.
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

11 June 2024 – Armidale to Mummel Gulf NP

As I went outside to pack the car I noted how it was rather covered in ice !! The next few days inland are due to be like that …clear skies = icy temperatures.  

After defrosting the windows I headed south through Uralla and in to Walcha. 
I wanted to check out the sculpture trail in this little town and it was a great diversity of mediums and artists from around the world.  
 
Once I was finished me stroll through the town I headed to my final of the Oxley Wild Rivers National Parks waterfalls : Aspley Falls. I did the Oxley trail – which has several great lookouts – including to the 2nd , even taller waterfall which is not seen from the first viewing platform .
 
The falls and walk were great… and I was the only there who did the walk too.
 
I read some info boards and one that really caught my attention was how 3 men, back in 1902 built a zig-zag staircase down to the base of the falls !! That is incredible when you see how steep the sides of the gorge is!! They did this to bring more tourists to the area. These men were from Walcha. 
Getting back on the Oxley Highway ,I drove to Mummel Gulf NP- my camp spot for the night. It was approx 50min from the falls, including 12km of dirt road. This is a free campsite but has all the amenities – tables, fire pits and a toilet . As the only person at the site I got to pick my spot.
 
After setting up camp and warming up a late lunch a went for a short walk around the area and to a simple lookout.
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

10 June 2024 – Tourist Route 19

I decided late yesterday after reviewing the tourist info brochures that this area warrants another day of exploring.

I headed south out of Armidale and stopped at Palmerston –  a winery and guesthouse. I wanted to check out the old architecture and had a short walk around the property. It was grand. This home was originally finished being built in 1912.

I loved the road through Dangarsleigh with great old shearing sheds and other old farm buildings before hitting the Dangars Falls picnic site and many great lookouts. These falls drop 120m, and together with the ravine they have cut out, are breathtaking. I did the walk to the falls Lookdown as well as Rock Wallaby Lookout. Short 1.1km one way.

The drive to Gostwyck was also through dirt roads and past farms. The farms around here are mainly sheep stations -with some angus beef cattle. Just before getting to Gostwyck I noticed a most wonderful shearing shed- Deeargee Station. It was built in1872- after a fire destroyed the old one. It is multi story and octagonal in shape. So fabulous and visually interesting!

Just around the corner and over the bridge my breathe was taken away by the quaintest little chapel in the middle of 3 road intersections as well as an elm lined driveway into Gostwyck Station. The 200 elm trees were actually hand watered during drought times! There was a man who came from England to plant these trees! It really has a wow factor! The chapel is covered in Virginia creepers- though leafless at present due to the season. The bricks used to build it were fired at the station next door.  

Once I took in the detail and overall loveliness of the location I headed to Uralla. I thought that the whole place would probably be closed due to the Public Holiday- however I was pleasantly surprised.

My first stop was McCrossin’s Mill – which houses the local museum. The primary display is paintings and descriptions that depict the last days of Thunderbolt- the last NSW bushranger -who once get out of Cockatoo Island Jail by swimming back to Sydney! He is a local legend despite being a thief in essence 😊. Some backstory here.

I then walked around the town with a fantastically informative Heritage Walk Guide. There are a huge number of historic buildings with interesting histories- now many of which are privately owned.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

9 June 2024 – Wollomombi NP to Armidale

It was a nice surprise that the temperature didn’t drop as much as before. I was just getting to sleep last night around 9pm when a possum decided to squeal extremely loudly next to me . That woke me up one shot !! Bloody stupid creature ! Their vocals are terribly disturbing ! 
 
Needless to say that sleep then didn’t really happen .
 
I was out of camp by 8am and headed to the very nearby picnic area, where I headed out on the 4km , return, walk to a few of the other lookouts onto the falls and then right at the end- on to Chandler Falls too. 
 
The lookouts have great views of this deep and steep gorge – it is so impressive ! A little disappointing that the sun didn’t make much of an appearance. It was however warmer than the day before and I stopped mid track to pull off my thermal layer … stripping down …hopeful that no other walkers would come along. Luckily I was on the trail alone the whole time. 
 
I had a final look at the Wollomombi & Chandler Falls from the primary lookout and then hopped in the car to head to Armidale. 
Armidale is a university town and was pretty quiet …I arrived on the Sunday of a long weekend . 
As the New England Regional Art Museum was open I spent a little time exploring the art. Most of the works were centered around an Australian art collector named Hinton . He collected work from all over the world.
Also had some fun, 3D Prints called ‘Canyons’ where the base of the canyon structures had a short phrase that could be read in a mirror image. 
 
Was excited that the tourist info was open and had GREAT info , maps, a self guided walking tour pamphlet …which I definitely took and used . I also found the national parks map that I had been looking for in Grafton !! A little late but grabbed in for the 2 still relevant to me.
 
I did the walking tour , through a very quiet city centre …quaint none the less and no people getting in the way of my photos.
 
The only thing that wast open is Hannah’s arcade. 
It was a nice walk especially as the sun had also come out !
I drove to the University of New England campus to see Booloominbah – a grand building . It was originally a privately owned mansion !!! Then the first university building and now still part of the uni. It is however closed to public at present. I got some photos through the windows. 
 
The campus is also lined with deciduous trees but unfortunately nearly all the trees had already lost their autumn coloured leaves. 
 
I was excited about this day because I had booked a room !!! Yay !!! It was even better as I got a free upgrade to a studio apartment…complete with washing machine , drier and a kitchen !!! Winning !!
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

8 June 2024 – Cathedral Rock NP to Wollomombi NP

Cathedral Rock NP to Wollomombi NP incl New England NP
Hike : Cathedral Rock loop
And a few short ones around lookouts 
 
I didn’t want to get out of the tent this morning as I was cuddled up in 2 sleeping bags , 4 layers on top, 2 layers at bottom socks and beanie as it was the coldest night I’ve had so far .
 
Temp was 0C but feels like was a few degrees cooler .
 
The weather didn’t look either too good nor too bad so I decided to head out on the loop track and perhaps go further to woolpack rock lookout point. The walk was rather undulating , between varying sizes of granite boulders . The cold, strong , wind continued blowing …despite the trees surrounding me. These forest were very much more Eucalyptus than what I’ve seen the last few days . About half way in the clouds came in, with the wind and also a ever so slight drizzle …which made it cooler still. This made me decide that the loop was enough …just in case it rained harder .
 
I did enjoy all the different lichens growing on the granite rocks…its like mini forests ! 
 
As I was walking down one of the downhills, a superb lyrebird jumped in front of me to cross the path. Unfortunately I couldn’t find him again between small boulders and shrubs. I wouldn’t have thought in this entirely different environment I would find them here too. It’s different vegetation and nearly double the altitude ! 
 
The hike took me about 1.5hours and was 4.2km .
After I was done here I bumped into a lady that also spent the night and we had a 15min chat and then I took off to my next destination… Point Lookout in New England National Park . I had hoped to spend a night or two here but so many tracks were closed that it didn’t warrant it. This is so unfortunate as it was rather out of this world… with lichens draping from the trees. this NP was set up to protect the Antarctic Beech. Would have looked stunning in fog! Just surreal !
 
After this stop I headed out to Beech lookout … no as dramatic but still see a lot of national parks 
 
 
As I drove passed a trout hatchery I got a half tour and also brought some smoked trout fillets for a few meals … yummy!! What took me by surprise is how much more difficult brown trout is to farm than rainbow trout. They are notoriously fussy fish. They also tend to mass suicide and jump out of their ponds on days that are consecutively not sunny . The reason for this is unknown … depression ? 
 
After I was done around these parts I headed another 20min or so down the road to Wollomombi NP, where I would spend the night , so I again set up camp.
 
I had some of my trout for late lunch in a salad and headed off the the very nearby Edgar Lookout which has great views of the ravine and then grabbed the car to the Wollomombi Falls lookout and short walk.  
 
These falls are the 2nd highest in Aus … 220m -with a100m single drop and are rather breath taking …especially with the dramatic ravine into which they fall . As I walked from the first to the second lookout a lyrebird jumped across my path again …but this one I got a better glimpse and video of. Also recorded some of it’s birdsong …very complex really …a large range !! 
 
Once done here I headed back to camp , made early dinner and dived into the warmth of my sleeping bag
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

7 June 2024 – Dorrigo NP to Cathedral Rock NP

I made some great scrambled eggs for breakfast and headed out back to Dorrigo NP for the part of the Wonga Walk that was open …7.4km return.
 
Even though this is within the same national park and within the same 3.5km of trail; the forest changed alot from giant strangler figs to more tallowwod. 
 
It was also different from yesterday. 
 
I bumped into Kira again about 2km in and she gave me a tip that she spotted a male lyrebird and approx where … I looked forward to hopefully seeing it ! We chatted a bit more and I continued towards the first waterfall … Tristania Falls. It’s pretty , with a bridge built over the top of it . You can also see the columnar lava that it flows over .
 
I continued quietly to hopefully spot the lyrebird … and eventually it ran across above me …then down to the stream where it slowed to drink water and back up the trail where I came from .
It has great tail feathers … long and a few colours ,patterns and textures .
The second waterfall – Crystal Shower Falls – is one you can see from a suspension bridge and walk around the back of ! The water also runs down groupings of long bunches of roots .
 
I didn’t see the lyrebird again but kept my ears abd eyes open … 3 times getting false hope from common bush turkies ! 
 
Then something caught my attention … a black flash within the base of a strangler fig. I looked more carefully and noticed 2 black kittens !! They were very healthy looking but are no good for wildlife …so I reported them to the rangers when I finished the hike. That I did not expect to see !
After a quick lunch I headed to Griffiths Lookout , which looks over a number of National Parks . View was complete with local grazing cows .
 
Hopped back in the car and enjoyed driving through the rolling farm hills – very green and the cows are fat!
 
My next stop was Ebor Falls . The area has clearly been newly upgrade and looks very flash … and is accessible for all! I ran back from the lookout though as the temperature had dropped so much since my lunch stop. I put on more layers and headed to the lower car park view point. This was stunning as you can see the lower, much taller falls too!  
 
As I drove the temperatures dropped more and more … until 5C at 2pm ….when it should be the hottest of the day.
 
Needless to say I was cold!! 
 
I quickly made it to my Campground for the night in Cathedral Rock National Park – Barokee. I quickly grabbed the tent as it looked like it was gonna rain soon!! 
 
Set it up and threw in my sleeping gear and decided to have a quick dinner before rain. Luckily it didn’t rain and an hour or so later the last bit of sun came out too. 
 
When I checked the temp again … it stated feels like 1.1C … crap ..and this was at 17h00!! 
 
I had really good signal , despite being in the middle of nowhere !
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

6 June 2024 – Platypus Flat Campground to Dorrigo

Platypus Flat Campground to Dorrigo 
Hike Rosewood Circuit and Red Cedar Falls in Dorrigo NP.
 
 
After another quiet night without tent camp friends I packed up after coffee and breakfast and headed out through the state forest and national park roads one last time , towards Dorrigo National Park for some hiking.
 
I did the Rosewood Creek Circuit with the additional track to Red Cedar Falls . I was lucky in that these walks start from Never Never picnic area which had only just re-opened as there was roadworks and upgrades occurring for a few weeks before then.
 
The track was moderate but great to see the giants of the protected Gondwana Rainforests as all these national parks are set up for. The brushbox trees are huge !! 
 
I then decided to head down , to see the largest waterfalls in this park . The sign warned it was a steep zig zag track … they were not wrong ! At the beginning – long zig zags and towards the end sharp and short and even long rock stairs ! The waterfall was pretty pleasant – as was the view down the valley! 
 
I was there for some 15min when another young lady joined me . She was much fitter than me for sure ! I headed out to slowly get back up the now steep…BUT ALL UPHILL track to join the other track.
 
It took me twice as long to get up…40min but slow and steady got there ! 
 
I was just having some water at the intersection when Kira came up the hill. We chatted some more and decided to walk the next 2km or so back to the parking lot while we shared stories. Kira is from New Zealand and is travelling around Australia…she is 2.5 months in to her trip.
 
We farewelled and said we’d probably see each other at the Wonga track the next day.
I was excited to get to the small caravan park I was staying … especially to have a hot shower ! I first put up my tent , hit the shower and then the kitchen … it was 3pm and I hadn’t had lunch. 
 
It was great timing that I was in the kitchen , hall area when a storm passed through in the afternoon – lightning , thunder and even small hail! 
 
Dorrigo is.approx 670m above sea level and overnight temp was 5C …as it has been approx throughout this week.
 
Categories
Australasia Australia New South Wales

5 June 2024 – Platypus Flat Campground to Platypus Flat Campground

Despite a similar overnight temp I must say I got a bit cold…so I engaged my fleece sleeping bag liner . Just in general didn’t sleep well.
 
Made a coffee before heading out to Bostobrick which looked like a small village where I hoped to get signal. It was a 30min drive via the dirt single lane roads but at least there was signal. It was really just an intersection of three roads rather than anything else but I could set up on a picnic table and there were even some toilets !!! Yay !! 
 
The presentation went well and we also had to score others in the group. Finished by 10h30. I decided that I would try resolve my Starlink issues while I had signal to Google for some help. It took me over an hour before I eventually got the router going . But for it to work you need the inverter from the car – 240V . 
Try as hard as I might I couldn’t get my 12V converted router to work . So a bit of a wasted morning but I must try and sort these issues out. 
 
I gave up on the darn Starlink stowing itself in the right position too … and put it in the car the way it was .
 
I decided to head towards Dorrigo – a short 15min drive to see Dangar Falls.
 
It was a pleasant 20min walk to the bottom of the falls but the lookout from top is also good. These falls sit on the Bielsdown River. 
The falls drop 30m . One can also see columnar lava to the left of the falls .
I then drove out to Dorrigo National Park to see what’s open in terms of tracks and how busy that keep me . I thought it warranted a night stop over , so organised some camping so I can do some walking without much rush. 
 
I stopped by a very short track – 600m – Red Cedar track . Close to the camp site but at higher elevation . Some great red cedars , hoop pines and also blue gums. Eucalyptus trees don’t grow in rainforests but these probably got in during clearing by large forest fires. I heard some beautiful bird song but no luck in spotting the actual birds. 
 
I was too keen to get back to camp as I had been hangry for a few hours now…having skipped lunch . I warmed up some frozen leftover bobotie and rice that I made a couple of weeks ago … this went down a treat ! 
 
I also had a better look at some more info from tourist information I got in Dorrigo to better plan next few days .
 
Categories
Australasia Australia New South Wales

4 June 2024 – Grafton to Platypus Flat Campground

Ultimately a waste of time – waiting for the tourist info to open at 10am as I could not get the more detailed maps of the national parks, south of Grafton, that I was hoping for . My road atlas is quiet detailed enough for my liking – esp. where there is no phone signal.
 
After checking out the art gallery at the info offices , I headed off , with Google maps…into the bush … and boy was it an interesting, dirt road that ultimately was only leading me to a point on a map …not an actual place. 
 
I spent hours driving around the logging roads of Wild Cattle Creek State Forest park until finally found a national parks sign – with a decent map. So I took a photo of it and headed off in a better known direction.
 
I stopped to do a short walking track through the forest – Mobong track – and was surprised how cold it was in the rainforest . 
 
I got to the campsite a couple of hours later than I hoped , got set up and pit my phone on charge via the USB on my fridge and noticed it was off. Oh crap! 
So I did some quick investigation and noticed that it was a cable that came completely loose at the Anderson plug. I tried a few ways to keep in intact but it wasn’t working . I thus headed out to the only other people in the campsite – Jason and Lisa from Newcastle as I would find out – and asked them if they perhaps had a soldering iron or crimping tool. They had neither however they came over to lend a hand.
 
After a bit of bush mechanic work, Jason seemed to have set the cable into the lug again and further duct tape should help it hold … I was just thinking…come on …Day 2 and I have fridge problems !?!? 
 
They invited me over to their campfire later , which I was flat for … for warmth and toasting a couple of marshmallows ! 
 
Once the fridge was fixed I tried to get the Starlink going but to no avail ! This is disappointing as I needed to get logged in to do my final pitch presentation for my certification course I’ve been doing through University of British Columbia since start of the year. Which means that another plan had to be made in the morning …driving to signal.
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

3 June 2024 – Brisbane to Grafton

Brisbane to Grafton
Price of diesel 1.97
Overnight temp 5C
Odometer start 134501 km
 
Headed off on Monday morning after traffic had cleared down the highway . Was good to finally get going after holding back as there was major rain forecast over the weekend. Ultimately only Sydney was really badly affected. 
 
The driver was going smoothly until I got stuck in traffic approx 45min south… which must have occurred just a few minutes after I left home.
 
My plan when I hit Grafton was to head to the tourist info center to get some local info and be ready for exploring the area … alas… it is closed on a Mon !
 
So after a quick shop I travelled a little down south and free camped in Bom Bom State Forest Park. No amenities here but did the job. I was also the only one here for the night .
 
Luckily the sleeping bag was warm enough …so that’s good news !