Category: New South Wales

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

09 Aug 2024 – Eden

Still based in Boydtown I went out later than usual to explore Eden- just 10km away. I didn’t get a chance when I drove through a couple of days ago.

Also did a small grocery restock and refuel.

I visited the Eden Killer Whale Museum. A museum, that at inception, was dedicated to Old Tom. Old Tom was the leader of group of Orcas that helped lead whales into Twofold Bay so that they can be hunted by humans.

I had never heard of this technique before. It was developed by the aboriginal people originally and then together with the Davidsons, used for commercial benefit. The orcas were left to feast on the lips and tongue of the killed whale, before the rest of it was hauled and processed.

After the museum I grabbed a lunch special at the Chinese place and walked around town a bit. 

The weather was lovely so I did a walk down Aspley Beach and the Quarantine Bay.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

08 Aug 2024 – Beowa NP

A fairly long day of exploring today- dirt road driving with stops for points of interest.

This area is actually a well-known whaling area. Thus, the first stop was Davidson Whaling station. This was started by brothers and continued into the 1960s. The hut remaining here is still very true to old. The actual whaling artefacts have been taken and some are in the Eden Museum.

 

Pretty nearby is Boyd’s Tower. The original intention was to use this as a lighthouse but permission was never granted for this. It thus became a whale spotting tower. Boyd is an important entrepreneur of the time and owned large sheep stations in the area as well as businesses in town. He was also unfortunately known in trading aboriginal people for slave labour in these stations.

 

While I was at Boyd’s Tower I did a small section of the Light to Light Walk from here. Not all of it was open -and it is a multi-day hike.

Saltwater Creek was a campsite where no one was camped at. The creek hadn’t flown into the sea yet. City Rock wasn’t much to write home about at all.

The wind was pretty strong at Green Cape- and the lighthouse. The cottages are very nicely restored though, and I had 2 great wildlife experiences.

The first was an echidna who tried to cross the path, then hid when he saw me …and came out a little later. He waddled all the way down the hill! The second was a couple of wombats who were out feeding on the way back from the lighthouse. Usually nocturnal -I’m glad I got to see them.

One of my favourite and most dramatic lookouts is Disaster Bay -its just magnificent! The Wonboyn River comes in to a headland and out to see.

The last stop for the day was Bittangbee Bay.

What I came home with that I didn’t want to though- ticks!!!! I asked one of the guys who’d been camping out and I had spoke to the day before for help it removal. Jeff is his name. Unfortunately, my tick bite was on my side and just under my bra. I couldn’t clearly see it nor remove it. So he was it! We froze it a couple of times and removed it… I then also noticed 2 more bites during the following days ☹.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

07 Aug 2024 – Merimbula to Boydtown

As the caravan park was on Long Point I had a walk down to the beach and loved how calm the seas were again.  A lot of dog walkers out and some surfers.

I didn’t have far to go- often like that – but would spend much of the day exploring Beowa NP.

I stopped by The Pinnacles first. This is a short loop walk to colourful clay cliffs. White and orange with the beautiful sea in the background and blue skies- makes everything pop!!

I then drove all the way to the most northern point of the park- Haycock Point. The views here are also punctuated by maroon geology. There are shags sitting on the rocks …with a lost heron 😊.

Because the weather was so nice- and wind non-existent- I spent some time tanning at Haycock Beach – I was all alone which was great too!

I had a quick stop in Eden to get to the tourist info (and knew id be back for longer) and then drove down to Boydtown (10km away). The powered sites here were a very reasonable 18pn.. and very spacious! I stayed a while as you’ll see.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

06 Aug 2024 -Gillards Beach – Merimbula

Still in the same national park – Mimosa Rocks- I drove “down the road” so to say to do a short walk at Wajurda Point. It was a short walk. To my delight as I neared the bay and the lookout I saw something floating in the water- it was a southern right whale!! I watched it for a long time playing in the bay- rolling- slapping of its fins and tail. Was superb!!

 

Driving through Mogareeka and rivers in more inlets was lovely. Stopped by to enjoy the peace.

 

I had been told good things about quiet Tathra and enjoyed my time walking around here. Also spotted a whale out in the ocean- which actually came so close to one of the small fishing boats on the water- incredible!

Chamberlain Lookout looks out over the boat ramp and was quiet stunning too!

 

Driving to Turingal Head picnic area was through a rather pothole filled dirt road. Mainly caused by causeway flooding I think. I was hoping for more viewing areas around the lake but didn’t really get that.

I did do the walk down to the beach though.

The evening in Merimbula was spent at a caravan park.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

05 Aug 2024 – Naroorma to Gillards beach

Unfortunately I didn’t pay enough attention when booking my stay at Discovery Park. It is right along the highway … so earplugs were def necessary during the night.
 
Lots of condensation last night and no sunshine this morning …so I packed everything up wet. 
 
First stop today was the historic village of Central Tilba. It’s filled with heritage listed buildings and has little description boards of their past lives. Tilba Tilba – just down the road didn’t have anything open . 
Next activity to stretch the legs a bit more was a 4km walk – Murunna Point Scenic Walk. It is coastal and has great views . Much of this area has many inlets, lakes and wetlands . I saw black swans driving past several of them. It is literally a water lovers paradise ! 
 
I stopped in in Bermagui around lunch time. I was pretty excited to discover a restaurant that was open and had a european menu. I had a Hungarian goulash for lunch. Was good and warm ! 
 
After lunch I stopped by Blue Pool , a tidal pool that started nearly 100 years ago. The most fun was watching several seals in the water and on the rocks near the pool.
 
I drove passed many inlets and creeks and good views to get to Mimosa Rocks NP. I set up at Gillards Beach. It’s a large campsite but not many people as it’s a Monday.  
The afternoon was relaxed and an early evening rainfall drove me into the tent earlier than usual. It had been overcast the whole day bit didn’t actually think it would rain. 
 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

04 Aug 2024 – Congo Creek to Narooma

Always happy to wake up to sunny days ! 
 
Still wasn’t sure where I’d be spending the night … would see what the day brings … this wasn’t out of the ordinary .
 
I stopped at Bingie Bingie Point . It was a great walk out to the point where there is a cool geological intrusion as well as part of a washed up shipwreck. Lots of shags on the jutted rocks as well as a heron. 
The drive to Tuross Heads was also great – more waterways and views across them. My stop here was the super quaint lookout known as One Tree Point as it has one Norfolk Pine growing there. Good views all around ! I haven’t seen any whales since the seas have calmed again.  
 
As I drove through Bodalla I just had to stop. The few buildings around were great … esp fond of the dairy here . It’s really large and I did a cheese tasting . So good that I purchased 2 cheddar – Tasmanian pepper Berry and Queensland lemon myrtle . I also had a coffee thick shake as lunch ! I could never go vegan !! 
 
I diverted back to the coast and Potato Point but wasn’t thrilled. Didn’t take long here and hit the road to Narooma. 
I wanted to do the Mill Boardwalk and keep and eye out for the alleged rays around.
 
I did a fair bit of a walk… which was in shade … I was hoping for sunshine ! 
It was not until the very start again that I caught a few glimpses of a ray as it played near the boat ramp. 
 
As the afternoon was drawing on I struggled to find the entry to Glasshouse Rocks. Eventually I noticed an unmarked path on the opposite side of the cemetery where I was parked . I had a great walk across multiple beaches and check out some grand geological folding. With the low tide you could really get through many of the rock structures and across beaches. 
 
I decided that I would stay the night in Narooma and set up camp at a caravan park. Glad for shower and also got the laundry done . 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

03 Aug 2024 – Merry Beach to Congo Creek

With the still night and clear skies the stars were beautiful but the tent was full of condensation on the outside and inside ! 
 
I left it up, hoping the sun would help but it didn’t really . So I packed it up wet. 
 
My first stop today was at Pebbly Beach …which isn’t pebbly !!! Hahahaha. The last bit of the drive down is an awesome steep and narrow road where you are in the trees ! 
 
I went walking along the beach to check out all the shallow rock pools that were created as the tide went out. I also got fairly close to 2 sooty oyster catchers and a heron.
I carried on South, into Batemans Bay where I did a small grocery shop. I stopped at Batehaven for a walk on the beach and to check out the 1000s of shells that had washed up. I didn’t collect any but did take several photos of great textures . Lots of people were collecting shells and were excited by the choice .
 
I also had lunch at a picnic table here and threw out the tent to dry in the sun. 
I drove along the coast in to Congo Campground in Eurobdalla NP. There are many lovely beaches along this coast . Some with golden sands and some Rocky and rugged! 
 
The campground was a little busy as it was a Saturday but not too bad. It is situated alongside a creek and near 2 beaches … or 1 if it’s low tide .
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

02 Aug 2024 – Merry Beach

Glad to say that it seams the seas have calmed dramatically but lots of sea sand missing off the beaches !
 
Went for a walk to Snapper Point and to Pretty Beach. Good paths and only 3km return. Merry Beach is right next to a national park so my plan was to come back from my walk and explore the further bits by car . Turns out though, that the road I planned to use was closed. The only other way was to go 45min one way, down a road I intend to travel tomorrow anyway. 
 
So, instead, I hang around Merry Beach, got my IT team to clean up the work laptop, which took a long while ! Mainly due to my connection speed. 
I then started doing my tax for the last FY.
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

01 Aug 2024 – Meroo NP to Merry Beach

A pretty chill day today.

My first stop was grabbing a coffee and loaf of sourdough in Bawley Point. Just so happen to notice an elderly couple getting into their vehicle and noticed that they had a flat back tyre. I offered to help change it. The older man says he will go to a service station. I said, no worries, I can pump it up for him with my compressor. He was well impressed that I was that prepared and could send him on his way quickly. There was a station nearby.

I then did the loop walk around Murramarang Aboriginal area. I could not really see the middens that this was all about but there was some interesting info about way of life on the info boards.

My stop for the next two nights is a caravan park in Merry Beach. Luckily not busy at all. 

I took advantage of my powered site and charged up all I could with all on low batteries without having done mush driving. 

 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

31 July 2024 – Meroo NP

Day started with a coffee …but for a change … the 2nd one was made by John …in his role as group barista … lucky their pot holds 5 cups 😏!  
 
Low tide was at 10am so that’s when I did the short walk to Sunburnt and Tambourie beaches. I didn’t spend too long at Sunburnt walk in campsite as I didn’t want to get stuck. Low tide was still really high ! 
 
With all the spare time I did a check through the car and also changed out an air valve for one of my airbags that weren’t inflating . It worked !! Yeah !! 
 
Later in the afternoon I also walked down to Lake Termiel . The campsite is really well located -2 beaches and a lake !! During high tide the lake and sea are connected and no access to the beach then. 
 
I did see a few very pretty small flowers during my walks – always exciting to find these gems. 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

30 July 2024 – Booderee NP to Meroo NP

Booderee NP Botanical gardens were my first stop. They are fairly rugged and more forest trail with a few bitumen paths. 
Unfortunately the Lake Trail was closed due to damage , as was their long boardwalk. Disappointing as this isn’t marked at the entrance – you just keep hitting closure signs.
 
Stopped by a café for breakfast in Sanctuary Point . The idea was to charge up my laptop and eat something nice. 
 
I ordered an eggs Benedict and was sorely disappointed…for the 2nd time today. No hollandaise sauce and just muffin, 1 piece ham and egg on top …20 bucks !?! 
 
 
Next there and back detour was Bendalong to hopefully see some sting rays . They are known to frequent the beach area here . 
 
Disappointment nr 3 for the day … there were any and I wasn’t game to walk in the shallows as the water wasn’t too clear with the wild seas . I didn’t want to step on one by accident and get jabbed !! 
 
Ulludulla is a large town so I stopped to get some groceries and tourist info. The lady there was great and sorted me with maps for the next few weeks !! 
 
I also did 2 short walks – to check the marina and also to the lighthouse and around some lookouts here to stare around the wild waves some more ! 
 
I got to my campsite at Termiel Lake at approx 4pm , set up and cooked Bolognese.
 
I noticed a fire at nearby camp so i went over to visit and spent the evening with John, Di, Chris & Shabohn ! Good times and laughs. 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

29 July 2024 – Booderee NP – Circuit Trail

I had a kangaroo bother me during breakfast this morning … being all grunty at me and nothing really deterred it. So I packed up my stuff and moved to a different picnic site at another beach. These animals are getting too beggy with humans feeding them and petting them etc…all for their insta …MFs!!!
 
I drove to the start of the Circuit Track. This is the longest hike in the park. At about 16km with all the side trips to beaches and lookout points.
 
I did about 14km. 
 
As there are several hazardous surf and wind warnings all along the coast it was wild every time you near the cliffs . The sea was wild ! Waves were huge and they broke along the coast and foamed massively ! It was like a washing machine !
 
The views were pretty good ,though a bit of a shame that there was a marsh pit at St George’s lookout and you couldn’t get very close. 
 
The terrain was undulating, 4WD track and fairly sea sandy.
 
Exciting to spot another wild orchard – same type as on the other walk. 
 
I had a good shower when I got back to camp and hoped to catch up on the blog but only enough laptop battery power for 1 days worth.
 
I decided to heat up my food at the gas BBQ provided by the park. It was very quickly disturbed by 2 kookaburras that attacked me in turns . Swooping like magpies ,and then when I sat down to eat , one hovered around my face and plate in the hope that I’d probably drop and run … I ended up eating my dinner in the car … what a shame !! 
 
Not much luck with the animals today !! 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

28 July 2024 – Booderee NP

A cold front came across in the night , leaving the temperature at feeling like -1C !! Thats a change from the last few days! 
 
After my morning coffee and before breakfast there was a small rain shower . I thought that I’d do a day trip up to Greenwell Point and then head down the coast again.
 
The points that I stopped were pretty ,but the wind strong and cold ! Unfortunately I couldn’t spot any whales either, so kept moving. 
 
Had a pie in Huskisson – way too touristy for me and busy as it was Sunday – and did a bit of blog updating. 
 
Last stop was Hyams Beach – whitest sand in the world according to Guinness World Records ! 
 
When I got back to the NP ,I checked if my spot was still available and booked one more night. Tomorrow is supposed to be gale force winds across the south coast and thus probably not much point moving. Considering doing 16km Circuit Trail hike if the rain sort of stays away .
 
As I still had some daylight I detoured via Caves Beach . Not much cave exploring happened though as the tide was coming in. 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

27 July 2024 – Booderee NP

The weather was supposed to be sunny today , and if as warm as yesterday, I was hoping for some tanning ! 
 
This wasn’t going to be the case with and overcast and just slightly rainy start. So I went with walking the 5km Murray Trail first off. 
 
Starts through forest where there were a few cool birds to see and then along the coast – where the rain clouds gathered across the ocean .
 
Great views of some cliff caves towards the end of the hike and then I spotted a gorges little wild orchid. From what I’ve gathered it belongs to the spider orchid family .
The sun appeared and so I headed to the beach for my tanning. There was no one at Iluka Beach- bonus. Though after 1 hr of chill winds I gave up and did a drive to some other points of interest in the park !
 
My first stop was at St George Lighthouse. This lighthouse had some interesting history in that it was blown up to be destroyed as it was considered ineffective . It was made of sandstone and thus the sunlight reflected off it in the day and during full moon,the reflection also posed a problem .
Also, many horrid deaths were described on the info board. From both shipwrecks and people living at lighthouse. 
 
The few of us that were there also spotted quiet a few whales – though they were a little far away. 
 
Next stop was Moe’s Rock and Stoney Creek. Short and sweet though,and the whales couldn’t be spotted again – unfortunately. 
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Australasia Australia New South Wales

26 July 2024 – Killalea Reserve to Booderee NP

The weather was glorious today- calm and sunny! 

My first stop was in Gerringong. Went to the whale watching platform and checked out the next door cemetery which has one of the best eternal views!! 

The next stop was Seven Mile Beach NP – where I did a walk along the beach and also spotted a white bellied sea eagle. 

I went a little inland for lunch- in Berry. Great pub special- delicious chicken schnitzel , chips and salad for $15. I walked around the little town and checked out a man doing glass blowing. He makes all sorts of animals and things. I bought a few Australian creatures : echidna, kangaroo, platypus and an emu. It will be one of my around Aus souvenirs. They were very fairly priced too! 

In the latter part of the afternoon I got to Green Patch -one of the campsites in Booderee NP. The plan was to spend 3 nights there. At $19 pn now vs $70pn in high season for same campsite I wanted to see everything there was. 

Interestingly this NP and Jervis bay is in its own territory – Jervis bay Territory! Their own car registration plates etc. I need to check out more as to why this is. 

Sunset on the beach- with the whitest sand in the world. 

 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

25 July 2024 – Kiama

Today was due to be a more relaxing day. The first plan was to do laundry. I was shocked though – 10 AUD for a small wash and 6 AUD for a dry!! That’s ridiculous really!

As the closest laundry was in Kiama – I spent most of the day in the area.

Went to the Big Blowhole- but the wind direction was in the opposite direction to what was required to have it blow. I spoke to the tourist info ladies and they let me know that the Little Blowhole faces in the opposite direction -and so would be blowing much better. Instead of driving there I walked- its about 5km return.

It’s a nice walk around the coast- and I was partially accosted by an elder, local man who was walking his dog.

Little Blowhole did a good job blowing, and upon my return to the car, I headed to Bombo Quarry- now no longer mined but a tourist attraction. The remaining lava columns that have not been mined leave like a curtain between the land and sea. It looks pretty cool.

I spent a fair bit of time sitting at a picnic table enjoying the stunning blue fairy wrens and red finches play. I also waited for a meeting with South Africa that didn’t happen. I thus finished the day off with a walk along Bombo Beach.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

24 July 2024 – Tourist Routes 9 & 15

Lots of exploring packed in today. Took the road through Jamberoo to my first stop- Minnamurra Falls section of Budderoo NP. I thought I could do the walk without the visitor centre being open but I was wrong.

So I waited at the gate for 30minutes – and sorted out some old info and maps in my car. Was good to be the only one I the park for the first part of my walk. The walk to the falls was steep! 3.6km return on a good path.

I enjoyed my time on a bench listening to some lyrebirds before they finally surfaced and I could see them. They scrambled and one chased the other one down the road so to speak. The birds were singing a whole lot too.

The falls themselves were a bit small- only 25m drop can be seen, the further 50m drop down a chasm is not really visible. Glad that the rest of the walk was then downhill though 😊.

Next stop was Carrington Falls. These were impressive at a 90m drop! The walk is also short.

 

About this time was lunch time -just as well that I was passing through Robertson and the famous pie shop. I got a chicken, camembert & leek pie. Was tasty! There was quiet a few options to chose from.

 

Going through Robertson I continued to Fitzroy Falls- these are spectacular really- and very close by- Twin Falls.  Fitzroy drops 81m off sandstone cliffs and into a dramatic valley below. I did the walk to Twin Falls lookout. On the way back I had a very close encounter to a lyrebird who was scratching around and then also some red parrots. Somehow no people passed at this time, so they weren’t spooked!

 

My intention was to stop at Macquarie Pass NP and do a short walk to the cascades there. The Pass is very windy -as are most of the roads that go up the mountains. As I followed the GPS it wanted me to turn into this dingy road that I did not believe was maintained recently at all- so I continued and went home.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

23 July 2024 – Coledale to Killalea Reserve

After refueling I took time to walk on Corrimal Beach. A nice, rather quiet golden sand beach. It also has a sea pool for good measure with one keen swimmer!

After this I drove to Port Kembla lookout Hill60. It overlooks Five Islands Reserve and beaches. This could all be viewed from the search and rescue tower balcony as it is open most days. The water looked so calm and inviting everywhere!

Reddal Reserve caught my eye on the drive south. So I did a short walk and photographed a few nice statues along the paths.

I stopped Shellharbour for the Tourist Info and Thai lunch special . 

Second last stop was Minnumurra lookout. This has a whale watching platform- albeit small and great views across the beach and reserve where I would camp for the next few nights.

 

As it was low tide I wanted to check out Cathedral Rock but couldn’t figure out how to access. Had an attempt from The Boneyard Beach -a pebble beach- and rock hopped until I couldn’t anymore. Then I drove up the road and followed a path and got stopped on the rocks even quicker- impassable…maybe it was from Jones Beach? But I was over it by now!

 

Then came to set up camp in Killalea Reserve. The tourist info lady had told me that there was much discussion over the last few years to stop development that was to go on here and remove the campsite all together. Glad that was the case and camp site still stands!

Only 1 other couple here from down the road as their house is getting painted 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

22 July 2024 – Royal National Park

It was many years ago that I flew in from South Australia to Sydney and did a short 5-day road trip down a bit of the south coast. However when it came to driving over Sea Cliff Bridge I couldn’t see anything due to fog. Today was much better and the views were great.

I drove all the way up to the north of the park and did the 1km downhill, 1km uphill Winifred Falls fire trail. Tiny cascades which would be mainly good for summer swimming.

Then I drove to Bundeena to do part of costal track to Big Marley Beach via Wedding Cake Rock. This was a 8km return walk approx. Mainly flat though a few series of steps. The views were mainly coastal- which is lovely.

The Wedding Cake Rock is a white rock that has been fully fenced off as there is a large crack that borders its rear and it will probably drop soonish. However, people really liked to get their Instagram photos ON this rock- and hence all the fencing.

As I sat down overlooking Big Marley and Little Marely beaches I thought that it was disappointing that I didn’t see any whales. It wasn’t a few minutes later when a mother and calf surfaced nearby. Then I saw another 3 – all coming fairly close to the cliffs. Very exciting!

The whole hike you could see the large aeroplanes circling to land at Sydney airport. The skyline could be visible from the cliffs- as was the smog from the city that went far out into the ocean.

On my way home I stopped by several lookouts to enjoy the view of Sea cliff Bridge from various angles so to say. The ridge took 18 months to build- not bad considering simple road works south of Brisbane have not really been anywhere near completion in the 3.5 years I’ve lived there ?!?!

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

21 July 2024 – Blue Mountains NP

LITHGOW – started very fresh 3C, felt like -5C but at least mainly sunny- though strong cold wind still in the morning. I had already travelled through this area and would be doubling up a bit through the Blue Mountains NP – but lots I haven’t seen still -so I could check out places that I had not before. There would be one exception- and that it the Wentworth German bakery!! I def went back there!!

 

In Blackheath I did the short walk to Govett’s Leap lookout. The views of the valleys and sandstone cliffs is great -and Bridal Veil Falls is the cherry on top. I walked further to the falls, but it was not a good view of falls, rather of hanging swamp. Which is a rather interesting feature – I imagine that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon would have had a similar beginning.

Next stop was across the way so to speak: Hargraves lookout. A few kilometres of dirt road which I had to myself – even for lunch- before like 6 cars got there one after the other!

As I ate my takeaway black forest cake I was trying to figure out where to next and how to give Sydney a wide berth. My conclusion was to head south to Coledale for 2 nights. 

That night it was sooooo windy I thought that my tent would blow away for sure!! I put in a few more pegs and tie downs. It was still very loud and moved drastically the whole night.

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

20 July 2024 – Glen Davis to Lithgow

Terrible weather was forecast for today – though the day started out ok. Rained at night but stopped when it came time to pack up the tent and so I thought maybe it won’t be as bad as forecast- has happened so many time before. The skies had cleared pretty nicely even. I was to-and fro- between just staying here one more night if the weather was bad – its free and place to hide if need be. However, with the weather clearing I was merrily on my way.

 

This didn’t last too long and by the time I got to the main road- approx. 35km – it was raining -and didn’t really stop for the rest of the day.

 

I side tracked through Portland to see the painted silos. This work is known as “The Foundations” by Guido van Helten has several past cement workers painted on them. The work was completed in May 2018.

With the weather getting ever wetter and wind ever stronger I didn’t stop until I got to Lithgow. I did think of going to the Glow worm tunnel but this particular weekend all access shut off due to roadworks.

I stopped by the Lithgow Tourist Info -mainly to get a photo of the awesome giant miners’ lamp that they have as a cornerstone of their building! Also to find out if there were any free camps around that I had maybe missed.

As I sat in the car and it got moved around due to the wind- and then it started to sleet – I looked for a room quick smart! I got one for 60- single- above a pub! Really not a bad deal considering that several caravan parks have quoted my that price or like 55 for a powered CAMPING site!!

 

I got to the put early- had a lunch special and waited for check in! I didn’t bother leaving as the weather got windier and colder !!! weather forecast had a feel like min of -6C !

With the party going on downstair for nearly the whole night- I slept with my earplugs firmly in- but at least was warm and dry!

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

19 July 2024 – Hill End to Glen Davis

I started the day with having a look at Merlin’s Lookout- where a famous “ants nest” photo of all the miner’s claims were taken by a photographer. Great view down the valley and some old workings. 

 

In the same direction is the Bald Hill Mine Entry (you can go underground on organised mine tours). I went for the short Bald Hill walking track. Again- good explanation boards of the dams and stamp battery set ups for the gold mine. Loads of erosion gullies from the water reticulation used for gold recovery. 

After the walk I drove to the other side of town- to go to Split Rock lookout. It is named after the very thing-hehehehe- a huge split boulder. 

I headed north to check out Golden Gulley- more erosion gullies as well as the Cornish Roasting pits- about 9km out of the village. Incredibly- 1 year after construction was completed the whole site was shut down due to uneconomic ores and squandering of money!. 

I got to take a few more photos of the road between Hill End and Sofala. Its pretty scenic and the sun came out too!

The road to Glen Davis is also scenic- though not great condition and has a fair bit of road works happening. 

Glen Davis is a community- not large enough to be a town-and is at the end of a dead end road. It has breath-taking sandstone cliffs surrounding it and farmlands around. Its previous claim to fame was the first place in Australia where a huge plant was set up to get oil from shale. The government put in a lot of money into this endeavour during war times but ultimately it was not sustainable and the town shrivelled. 

The infrastructure was impressive though- based on the photos. 

I stayed in the free (by donation) campground. -toilets and showers provided as well as a free community library/ book swop that was well stocked! 

I walked around town twice to get a look at the cliffs- the second time when the sun came out during golden hour and really made the cliffs spectacular! 

It was a surprisingly warm night- no socks -no beanie and only 1 sleeping bag! 🙂 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

18 July 2024 – Hill End

It looked like there was rain on the way -so I packed up the tent etc before making breakfast. I decided against a longer walk -and just as well as the day turned out to be fairly filled with patchy rain. 

I drove towards Bylong and the Bylong Valley Way- between Bylong (just really an intersection rather than a town 🙂 ) and Rylstone. This was a little larger and ahs some lovely old heritage buildings.  The Drive itself is also pleasant with farmlands and then some lovely dramatic sandstone cliffs. 

I tried -for quiet a while to book a NSW NP camp spot for my next destination- Hill End but the signal was really playing up and took me waaaay too much time1 Frustrating!. 

The first stop before Hill End is Sofala- also a small- nearly abandoned mining town. It was set up with some fun ärt” and signs. I had a short walk around the town and took some photos.

I loved the set up of Hill End- a historic site that has been looked after by NSW NP. Many buildings have been renovated and there are boards explaining what the town /building was like back in the gold rush days of 1850/ 1870s .

There are two camping areas and you can also rent some of the cottages that have been restored. 

I also met the artists behind La Paloma pottery and Kim explained to me that they are living in their cottage under a lifetime agreement with NSWNP. They will not own the property when they die but they are the live in caretakers in essence. 

They also make their own clay on site and have several kilns to fire the pottery.

The campsite was pretty busy and I was hopeful it wouldn’t rain as my camp spot was more a little bit of flat ground between two spoon drains !! Aaargh! luckily it didn’t rain!. 

After a lot of walking around the village, I ended the day with a red wine at the bar- much better price than in the city and love how heavy handed the bar lady was :). 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

17 July 2024 – Goulburn River NP

After staying in Parkes longer than I had originally planned I finally left this morning. Worked out well in that I missed travelling through school holidays and some crap weather and looked after all the animals ! 

The 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 chicken, 6 ducks, and the neighbour’s Guinea pig all survived when I house sat for Linda ! Which I’m glad about !

I headed out to Goulburn River NP, which is no where near Goulburn . It was a fairly long drive … approx. 3 hrs. I was disappointed that I only noted that pretty much all the walks were on the western side of the park – and were not mapped on my downloaded map! So ultimately I just stayed there the night . It was nice and not too any people around – just 2 cars in Spring Gully camp site . About 6 cars at Big River camp – just 1km down the road.

 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

14 July 2024 – Cowra

This morning I decided to head south to explore Cowra – approx. 1.25 hours drive from Parkes. 

Cowra is known for a few things – but the Japanese Gardens and Cultural Centre  is probably tops. Would look amazing in the spring summer too I’m sure! 

There are several bear trees but also a fair bit of colour! 

The reason behind the Japanese Gardens was actually as a symbol of goodwill, reconciliation and peace between Australia and Japan. This was specifically in relation to a breakout that occurred in early August 1944 when Japanese prisoners of war- housed in Camp 12- just a few kilometres away- broke out of the POW Camp. 

The Japanese military men decided they would rather die in battle- or trying to get out of prison- than face the humiliation of being captured. 

1,000 Japanese prisoners escaped -231 lost their lives that night and about 100 were injured. 

The outdoors POW camp has good information boards and some remaining foundations of buildings. The tourist info centre in town also has a good summary hologram show about the breakout. 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

12 July 2024 – Goobang NP

Still located in Parkes at my friends place and having decided to look after all the animals while the family goes on a longer weekend away I did a day trip to explore. 

PS: the animals are 2 dogs, cat, 4 ducks, chicken and the neighbour’s guinea pig :). 

 

Goobang is half accessible by tar road and the other half by decent dirt roads. Approx 1 hr drive north of Parkes. 

 

I did the Burrabadine Peak track- steady , rocky uphill track. 4km return -approx 1.5hrs. 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

10 July 2024 – Sculptures down the Lachlan

Sculptures down the Lachlan – or SDL- is a driving art sculpture trail between Forbes (30min south of Parkes) and Condobolin. The installations are rather large and impressive with explanatory boards near them.

The Goanna- a most impressive sight- is also near several bird hides which are good for some bird watching. Especially fun was a falcon trying to steal what two pelicans were fishing for. 

When I reached Condobolin I was pleasantly surprised to find some very fun painted utes- “Utes in a paddock” as the exhibition is known. 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

9 July 2024 – Parkes

From Orange I drove to Parkes- to visit a friend from South Africa that I last saw 16 years prior! I also went to do a mine visit. 

On this day though I had to go and see the sight that Parkes is probably most famous for- “The Dish”. 

The Dish is a CSIRO radio telescope that has assisted with communications to several space missions- including the tele signals for the moon landing. 

When it is not used for this then it is used by scientists to study radio frequencies of far away starts and pulsars and other space related matters that I cannot hardly begin to understand. 

There is a 3 in 1 ; 3D movie to explain some of the wonders of The Dish and also a museum that includes mind puzzles. 

 

Parkes is well known for its annual Elvis festival- every January. There is therefore a lot of Elvis statues, murals and all sorts of other Elvis themed “things”. 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

4 July 2024 – Ophir

I spent the day exploring around Ophir- NSW’s first gold mining area. There are 2 tracks to choose from- i did track 1 which weaves its way between adits, shafts and old workings. There is a bit of signage around to describe what was there in the past.

In the afternoon I went to do a wine tasting at Highland Heritage- on the eastern side of Orange. 

Had a taste of a “flight” of Rieslings. This was from 1 year old to 14 year old to experience how the taste develops over those years . The young Riesling is very easy drinking but the 14 year old definitely had a depth of flavour to it. At the same price for each vintage i decided that I enjoyed the 14 year old the most and bought a bottle.

I also then had a taste of several dessert wines- which they are well known for. One of these tastings was also in a “flight” where you can taste the orange blossoms change to toffee flavours over the years. 

 

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Australasia Australia New South Wales

3 July 2024 – Orange

Today was set aside to explore the western areas around Orange. First stop was Mt Canobolas – at the summit. This is a volcanic peak. There are several walks from this peak which i decided to give a skip of as the wind was very strong and damn cold! 

I stopped by Pinnacle Lookout- about 30min return- all stairs up- but then at least the downhill is quick! 

The next stop was Lake Canobolas- with a short walk around the lake perimeter. 

I should’ve had lunch but decided to keep going and did a wine tasting at Seesaw Wines. They do $15 per tasting session and let you try many of their better range wines. This is not usual for the area. 

Some great light wines – but overall a little too dry for my liking. 

I did also try the Gamay- a french grape that several wineries are trying out – that is expected to do well with the increasing climate temperatures over the next few decades. It tasted like cranberries. 

I figured that as the Borenore Caves were on the way to the final stop for the day I would stop by. I only had a chance to walk to the Arch Cave and not to do the 7km return walk to Verandah Caves. 

The final stop for the day- and last opportunity for a pub lunch- was Molong. Got a schnitzel, chips and salad- and was lucky enough that they made it as a last dish just before the kitchen closed! 

Molong is also a small historic village with a heritage listed main street.