We’ve now left the Snowy mountains and have been exploring the South Coast of New South Wales, working our way north.
We’ve discovered beautiful, deserted beaches with pounding surf and even a mountain to climb to view the coast in one direction and the Snowies in the other.
Tathra beach:
Views from Mount Imlay:
Murramurang National Park:
Jervis Bay:
Wherever we go we have to go up the highest mountain, preferably through a snow field. So we hiked up Mount Koskiousku, admittedly with the aid of a chair lift for the first part. The weather looked a bit doubtful, but the summit was clear with fabulous views.
In the evening we found a lovely campsite where we had the place to ourselves apart from the local wildlife!
We collected up some firewood and enjoyed a lovely barbeque.
We awoke in solitary splendour at the camp site we found in Namadgi National Park. Considering this is just 35km from the Australian capital it seems amazing to us that you can be in the wilderness so quickly.
Namadgi National Park is at the northern end of the Snowy Mountains. Without a definite plan, we drove into the park and found the Gibraltar Falls in a picturesque spot at the head of a deep gorge.
Then we found the start of a walk to the Square Rock. We weren’t sure what that was, but we parked the van and set off up the mountain side through swathes of yellow wild peas set against snow gum trees. The Square Rock turned out to be an outcrop of huge granite stones on a cliff edge over a deep gorge. A perfect place to have lunch, admiring the views.
Back to the van for tea and then further down the road was Corin dam, creating one of three reservoirs that provide pure mountain water for the inhabitants of Canberra. It was a lovely spot in the mellow afternoon sun.
The communications tower on Black Mountain dominates the skyline of Canberra so we had to drive up there and ascend in the lift to the viewing platform, giving panoramic views of Canberra and the surrounding countryside.
At the bottom of the mountain is the botanic gardens where we spent a pleasant afternoon wandering around the the various species from different parts of Australia.
Today we ventured into Canberra. We found it very confusing at first since the sat nav said we were in the centre of the city but all we could see were parks and wide roads. The city is more like a huge park containing a large artificial lake with a few government buildings spaced a long way from each other.
The only way we were going to get to grips with place was to go to the visitor’s centre. There we learned that there is a free bus, laid on in this centennial year, that would take us to the main sights. We like free stuff.
We hopped off the bus at the war memorial and the parliament building.
The war memorial is approached down a long mall and is a splendid building which includes an excellent museum depicting Australia’s involvement in wars from the Boer war.
The Parliament building is a modern take on a seat of parliament and we were welcomed to enter the chambers and listen to the debates taking place.
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The modern design of Canberra is based on a triangular design with the lake centre-piece. The war memorial and Parliament building are opposite each other, some distance apart, but visible one from the other.
On Monday, we finally packed up the campervan and left a rainy, traffic congested Sydney with a vague plan to head toward Canberra. We found a superb camping spot about 20km from Canberra on the Cotter river where we could spend our first night in the campervan.
En route we saw our first BIG THING – a giant merino sheep in Goulburn.
Tuesday dawned clear and sunny – a welcome relief from the many days of rain we’d endured in Sydney. We didn’t fancy traipsing round Canberra on such a nice day so we set off on a walk along the Cotter and Murrumbidgee rivers. What started as a gentle stroll became a steep climb to the summit of Mount McDonald under a fierce sun. Splendid views though. On the way up we saw our first kangaroo.
Sunday was a rainy day, so ideal for a visit to the museum.
On the way we visited the Anzac war memorial in Hyde Park.
The Australia museum had a special exhibition about the indigenous people and we arrived just in time for a guided tour.
If you’re wondering from the place names whether we’re actually in Australia then we’re just as confused! Paddington is an area of quaint Victorian back streets with iron lace-work on the balconies. On Saturdays they have the famous Paddington market which we poked around in.
We’re not normally aquarium visitors, but Sydney aquarium is something special! Two of the tanks are enormous and include tunnels under the water that allow you to experience the underwater world as if you were diving. It does at least mean you don’t have to be scared of the sharks.
We then went round to Will’s work. His office is at the top of one of the tallest tower blocks in Sydney, affording amazing views of the city. I don’t know how he gets any work done.
Morgan had been doing a promotion with Rayban and had tickets for a concert they had laid on in Hyde Park. We caught about half an hour of an excellent Sydney band before the heavens opened and we had to rush home.
At last we had time to explore central Sydney. We purchased one-day over-60s transport passes for very little which gave us unlimited travel on the buses and ferries – there are some compensations for advancing age.
Sydney has a stunning setting around the harbour with the bridge and opera house taking star turns.
We took full advantage of our travel passes and viewed the harbour from the water on a ferry to Darling harbour.
In the afternoon we conquered the beaurocracy by getting Will to come to the registry armed with various documents to put the van in his name.
Next we took a stroll around the Rocks area with its quaint back streets.
We all met up in the evening for a jazz gig that Will had arranged – there are some very talented musicians down under! The venue was not as sleazy as the photo might suggest!
We spent the morning battling with Australian beaurocracy attempting to register the campervan in our name, but failed. It turns out that it’s easier to open a bank account here and launder money compared to registering a vehicle.
Later, we went for lunch and a stroll in Centennial park, which is huge with lots of lakes. Armed with a leaflet we attempted to identify various exotic looking and sounding birds that inhabit the parks and streets of Sydney.
James and Chantal have decided to move from New Zealand back to Europe and their journey home coincided with our arrival in Sydney which makes a convenient lay-over on the route. James had booked an apartment for the six of us in Manly which is a resort to the north of Sydney.
So our first trip in the campervan was to pick up James and Chantal from the airport early Saturday morning and to meet up with Will and Morgan at the apartment. It was a lovely place overlooking the beach. It was great to be all together and we spent a happy evening over a home-cooked meal.
On Sunday morning we went for a walk along the coast and had lunch at a Mexican restaurant.
In the afternoon, David and Will went surfing while the others watched from the balcony of the apartment.
On Monday, Will had to get up early to catch the ferry across to Sydney harbour for work. The rest of us packed up the apartment and headed into Sydney to catch a few of the sights and then to meet Will for lunch.
We then took James and Chantal back to the airport and sent them off to their new adventures working a season in the Alps.
