Bermagui, NSW

20-22 December 2016

Bermagui Holiday Park

Bermagui Beach

Bermagui cliffs

The Blue Pool

Snorkelling Blue Pool

Camel Rock

Camel Rock beach

Waves

Behind Camel Rock

We had another great view at Bermagui overlooking the wide bay and just around the corner was a beautiful ocean pool, called the Blue Pool.  It was a great place for a swim even tempting Tina in on a fairly cool day.
We went for one drive around to Camel Rock which did actually look a bit like a camel and had a lovely beach.

Batemans Bay, NSW

Riverside Holiday Park

Batemans Bay

Our sunset view

Batemans Bay

Guerilla Bay headland

17-20 December 2016

Our spot at the Riverside Holiday Park was awesome, right next to the water and just a short walk across the bridge into town. The highlight of our stay was going to see Rogue One, we had pre-booked our tickets expecting it to be busy on Saturday night and we even got there early to make sure we got a good seat.  We needn’t have worried as there were only about 25 people there!
Most of our time was spent admiring our view or walking around town although we did go for a drive along the coast stopping at a few beaches and taking a walk along the headland at Guerilla Bay.

Depot Beach, NSW

14-17 December 2016

Depot Beach lookout

Depot Beach kangaroos

Depot Beach

Depot Beach rock shelf

Pebbly Beach

Pebbly Beach

North Durras

North Durras

The weather wasn’t the best for our time at Depot Beach, it rained every day and was so cool that we needed jumpers.  The day we arrived we went for a walk, finding a lookout then went down to the beach and around the rock shelf at the base of the cliffs.  There were lots of very relaxed kangaroos on the grass behind the beach, one of them was fast asleep only lifting its head when we got close to it (which was reassuring as we were concerned it might be dead).  We timed it well because just as we stepped back under our awning it started raining.
The second day it was drizzling with rain for most of the day so we put on our rain jackets and headed for the beach walking around to Pebbly Beach which was amazing, at first the pebbles were tiny then the further along the beach we walked they gradually got bigger and bigger with so many different colours.  There were lots of large shells on the beach too, don’t think I have ever seen so many large shells.
On the final day we timed it well again deciding to go for a drive to North Durras and heading onto the beach there for a walk just as the rain stopped, the water running out of Lake Durras was moving at quite a pace cutting a twisting path through the beach sand.

Jervis Bay, ACT

11-14 December 2016

Cape St George Lighthouse ruins

Stony Creek

Cave Beach

Cave Beach

Cave Beach

Green Patch Beach

Green Patch

Murrays Beach

While in Jervis Bay we stayed at Green Patch Campground in Booderee National Park.  It was so nice to finally get back out into a National Park after lots of caravan parks.  We went out to yet another lighthouse, although this one was ruins as they built it in the wrong place, they had to blow it up as even after they built a new lighthouse in a better position this one was still causing confusion even unlit.  We went for a short walk on the beach at Stony Creek which had a sheltered channel through the rocks before meeting the rough seas.  Cave Beach was a lovely long beach with squeaky white sand set off with turquoise water and a couple of caves in the cliffs to one side.
Of course the first time in weeks that we have been camping without power we had a stinking hot day so had to survive without aircon.  We drove down to the nearby Murrays Beach, it was beautiful and calm down there. We walked around to the cliff top lookout at Governor Head where we were close to Bowen Island which apparently has 1000s of Little Penguins on it. We went back to the beach for a walk then sat in the shade for a while before heading back to the van. Shane went down to the beach for a snorkel but wasn’t out long as the visibility wasn’t too good but he did see a Port Jackson shark and startled a ray hiding in the sand below him.  Most of the afternoon was spent at the beach where we could cool off in the water which ended up being not only a haven from the heat but also from the hordes of flies.  We had a nice long walk on the beach although discovered a no trespassing sign marking the start of the naval base on our way back which we had missed on the way out, explained why that section we had to ourselves, oops.
We had a few visits from the local wildlife, when we were sitting outside the van what we think was a king parrot land on the awning cross bar and just sat there looking around for a while. On our last night we both woke in the early hours to the sound of something climbing onto the front of the van ringing the bike bell as it went over the bikes and onto the roof.  Shane raised the blind of the window on his side to discover a possum hanging upside down from its tail looking into the window, it was cute until it started scratching at the fly screen.  We jumped up and closed all our windows as we didn’t want it wrecking the screens, after that it padded around on the roof for a while before heading off.

Kiama, NSW

6-11 December 2016

Easts Beach

Bombo Headland

The Boneyard

Minnamurra Headland

Blowhole Point Lighthouse

The Blowhole

Little Blowhole

Fleet Air Arm Museum

HARS – Carribou

HARS – F-111

We actually went past Kiama after leaving Corrimal to take the van to Nowra to get our washing machine and some blinds replaced, they were done quicker than we expected and then we headed back to Kiama.  We had a nice beach view from our site in the van park, there were lots of ducks around which we thought were nice until they pooped all over our groundsheet.
A day was spent checking out some of the landmarks around Kiama, we took a walk around Bombo Headland to the Boneyard, a former quarry with some impressive rock formations, Minnamurra Point was lovely overlooking the river mouth, beach and Stack Island.  At Blowhole Point we checked out yet another lighthouse and the blowhole which every now and then was sending water spurting a few metres into the air.  We also stopped at Little Blowhole which was actually more impressive than the bigger one as there were a few blows that were around 4 metres high.
There were 2 aircraft museums in the area so of course we had to visit them.  First up was Fleet Air Arm Museum, which had Navy aircraft so lots of helicopters.  We also went to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society museum which was probably one of the best we have been to.  We were able to board a lot of their planes, on the Neptune we had to crawl through it as there is so little room and it is designed for a crew of 8, we also sat in the cockpit of an F-111.  A couple of the planes were flying too so we watched a DC3 and a Carribou take off and land.
A tour of the Bluescope Steelworks at Port Kembla was enthralling, we had to wear long trousers and closed in shoes then had to put on a high-vis shirt, safety goggles, gloves and a hard hat.  They drove us around some of the different areas in the huge complex before we went to the blast furnace. The crane was moving down the building to pick up a massive container of scrap metal as we entered, when we moved through to the control room we saw the scrap put into the furnace and then the molten iron which was so impressive. They blast liquid oxygen into it which had it bubbling over looking almost like a waterfall running down the sides of the furnace. Apparently putting the scrap metal in is the most dangerous as the furnace is tilted over and if there is any moisture in the scrap it can explode, luckily as the furnace was actually tilted straight towards us there were no problems (we were also behind 2 panes of bulletproof glass). Once it was safe enough we left the control room and felt the heat coming from the furnace as it was still bubbling away just 12m from us. Following the process we moved to the Continuous Slab Caster where molten steel is poured into casting machines then we walked to where the slabs come out, crossing above them and feeling the intense heat as they pass underneath still glowing red. A short trip on the bus to the Hot Strip Mill, where a slab passed through the rollers going from 230mm thick and 12m long to just 4mm thick and a kilometre long in just 7 or 9 passes. From there it was cooled and wound into a coil. An awesome and very interesting tour, it was a shame that we weren’t allowed to take photos as we were walking around.

Corrimal Beach, NSW

3-6 December 2016

Corrimal Beach

Sea Cliff Bridge

Sea Cliff Bridge

Bald Head Lookout

Mt Keira Lookout

Corrimal Beach holiday park was next to a beach so we had a walk on the beach each day, we didn’t feel like swimming though as there were lots of bluebottles (stinging jellyfish) washed up on the beach.
We took a drive back up the Grand Pacific Drive so we could walk along the Sea Cliff Bridge which winds around beside the cliffs. From there we went to Bald Head lookout which was very busy especially with motorbikes, a great view but it was very hazy.
The day we went into Wollongong was so humid, we had a quick look at the lighthouse then spent some time in a shopping centre enjoying the air-conditioning.  We did drive to the lookout on Mt Keira which had a fantastic view even with the bad smog. We walked around to a neighbouring lookout only to find it was closed because of a rock slide underneath it.
The area around our caravan was invaded by around 60 boys from The Scots College luckily they only stayed one night, they were using the bbq area just a few metres away from us as their kitchen and managed to disconnect our power twice.  We were very pleased to see them go especially Shane who was sick of having to queue for the loos.

North Narrabeen, NSW

28 November-3 December 2016

North Head Sanctuary

Palm Beach

Barrenjoey Lighthouse

View from Barrenjoey lighthouse

North Narrabeen Beach

North Narrabeen Ocean Pool

North Narrabeen Ocean Pool

Lapwing chick

We have only stayed in the CBD when we have been to Sydney before so it was nice to get out a bit further to the northern beaches. Although we couldn’t skip the CBD altogether so caught a bus in and had a wander around the shops admiring the Christmas tree covered in thousands of Swarovski crystals in the QVB.  To get out on the harbour we took a ferry to Neutral Bay walked around to the next stop and went back to Circular Quay before getting another ferry out to Manly and getting a bus back from there.
We went to North Head Sanctuary where there was a good walk passing some lookouts with great views of the city and the cliffs and through military fortifications which were integral to Sydney’s defence in WWII.
Palm Beach was another spot that we hadn’t visited before, we got a shock at the cost of parking ($4 an hour) just so we could walk up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse.  It was a steep walk but had great views across Broken Bay and out to the ocean.
The holiday park we were in was next to North Narrabeen beach so we went there a few times and went for a swim in the ocean pool down there on a hot day.  There were a few families of lapwings in the holiday park, the young chicks are very cute especially when they want a rest and snuggle up under Mum. It is surprising how they survive, the ones near us had 4 chicks and the tiny little things wander around all over the place, the male was quite aggressive though and regularly chased off cockatoos that flew anywhere near.

Katoomba, NSW

23-28 November 2016

Katoomba was all about the walks, we were staying in a holiday park right next to Katoomba Falls so we could do some of the walks without having to drive anywhere.  We did the Prince Henry Cliff walk, Grand Canyon, National Pass, Govetts Leap descent, Undercliff Track and the Federal Pass, all great walks with some amazing views and hundreds of steps.

Prince Henry Cliff Walk

Prince Henry Cliff Walk

Prince Henry Cliff Walk

We actually did part of the Prince Henry Cliff walk twice as it was a convenient and scenic way for us to get to Echo Point passing several iconic lookouts. It was also the busiest walk as it passes some of the major tourist attractions.

Grand Canyon Walk

The stairs down

Waterfall we walked behind

The track above the stream

Through the gorge

The Grand Canyon was not what you would envision from the name, instead the walk goes down into the base of a narrow gorge, a lot of it part way up the cliff as a stream runs along the base of the gorge, there are some caves too. At one point we had to walk behind a small waterfall which was lovely.

National Pass

Empress Falls

National Pass

National Pass

National Pass

The Grand Stairway

View from the top

Probably the most impressive walk in the mountains is the National Pass, we started at Conservation Hut winding our way down into the Valley of the Waters passing some beautiful waterfalls, at Empress Falls there was a group abseiling down the waterfall.  The first person down had a bad start going upside down as they went over the first overhang and taking what seemed like forever to get back up the right way.  Past the waterfalls the track is built into the side of the cliff with spectacular views before crossing Wentworth Falls and then the worst part climbing up the Grand Stairway.

Govetts Leap Descent

Govetts Leap

The track down

Hanging swamps on the rock face

Base of the falls

Govetts Leap was a tough walk with the track clinging to the side of a vertical cliff face.  The cliffs are covered in hanging swamps with water droplets falling from the moist moss clinging to the cliff face above.  Once at the base of the falls it was interesting to see how much the angle of the falls changed depending on the direction of the wind. We spotted a small lizard on a boulder hunting the bugs buzzing around, a couple of times it leaped into the air to catch something ending up in the pool of water below.

Undercliff Track

The Undercliff Track had a couple of good sections although as it was above the National Pass track the scenery was familiar but not as spectacular.

Federal Pass

The Three Sisters

Katoomba Falls

We started the Federal Pass at the Three Sisters descending the Giant Stairway of almost 900 stairs and then walked through to Katoomba Falls before climbing back up the Furber Steps with several different views of the falls as we went.

We may have overdone the walking just a little as we both left Katoomba with very sore knees.

Bateau Bay, NSW

18-23 November 2016

Bateau Bay

Terrigal

The Skillion

The Skillion

Norah Head Lighthouse

Lighthouse beach

Dockdogs

Dockdogs

It was a relaxing stay at Bateau Bay, we were right on the beach so had lots of good walks we also spent time finalising where we were going to stay over the school holidays.
We took a short drive to Terrigal where we walked around to the Skillion, a distinctive narrow headland, stopping at a few different lookouts over the rocky shoreline. The views at the top of the Skillion were worth the walk up the stairs. There was a group of people creating a giant white ribbon on the side of the hill which was pretty impressive especially from a distance.

Just for something different we visited another lighthouse, there are so many of them along this coast. This time was Norah Head lighthouse and as can be expected from most lighthouses it had great views along the coast.

Something that we had never seen before was a Dockdogs competition, a big swimming pool was set up and the dogs have a long jump competition to see who could jump the farthest into the water.  The dogs all seemed to have a great time, some were so enthusiastic their trainers had to drag them to the back of the stage so they actually had a run up instead of jumping straight into the water.

Hunter Valley, NSW

15-18 November 2016

View from Len Evans Lookout

Len Evans Lookout

Hunter Valley Gardens – Formal garden

Hunter Valley Gardens – Oriental Garden

Hunter Valley Gardens – Story Book Garden

Hunter Valley Gardens – Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Hunter Valley Gardens – We’ve shrunk

Hunter Valley Gardens – Candy Land

Hunter Valley Gardens – 12 days of Christmas

Hunter Valley Gardens – 6 White Boomers

Hunter Valley Gardens – Xmas tree

We were very restrained in the valley only visiting 2 wineries.  First stop was at Constable Estate which has the Len Evans Memorial Lookout in memory of the cousin of Tina’s Dad who was a leading contributor to the Australian wine industry. After a walk through the gardens and to the beautiful lookout we dropped into the winery to taste some wine, all the wines were good but we treated ourselves to a couple of bottles of the Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.  We also visited Roche Estate for a good lunch and tried some of the wines from Tempus Two.
Most of a day was spent at Hunter Valley Gardens, over 60 acres of international display gardens which had loads of jasmine, magnolias and roses so it smelled as good as it looked. We spent a few hours wandering through the different themed areas, the storybook section was fun as we joined the mad hatter’s tea party and shrank like Alice in Wonderland. We returned in the evening for the Christmas Lights Spectacular with millions of lights spread throughout the gardens, the lights got better and better as it got darker.