The pleasures of Central Coast were fast drawing to a close and we found ourselves reluctantly bidding farewell to the many new friendships made over the winter months through Leecy. Our day of departure dawned to a perfect day and Leecy insisted on taking us out to breakfast - it proved to be an extraordinary good breakfast at the aptly named nursery “Impact” down in Empire Bay giving a luxuriant tropical backdrop to quite the most delicious brekky. How hard it was to say good bye…
We returned to Parramatta to spend our last few days with Shell and Keith in readiness for the Eye Specialist. Shock and horror! On arrival George discovered he had missed the appointment that very day. A senior moment imprinted the previous appointment across his mind… The two sisters escaped on the river cat for a day in Darling Harbour wandering in the Chinese Gardens before heading to The Rocks leaving George to sit beside the school phone over the next two days hoping he’d be squeezed into an overbooked schedule despite his faux pas. By strange quirk of fate he was fitted in on the very day and time that had caused the trouble. With his eye pressure having substantially dropped due to correct medication, we were set free to head north until next February’s check up. We are happy to return for that appointment as spring is busting out all over – yet another grandchild is on the way with Saxon and Paul adding to their family. We heed the request to remain flexible in 2009 and will return to Perth in March to help in the lead up to the new addition. Yay!
It has been wonderful to share quality time with sisters after years of living such separate and far flung lives (virtually from school days) that it was sad to pull out of Parramatta and head north along the Pacific Highway. However, a magnificent day and the pull of the road soon had our spirits soaring and within hours it was hard to believe we’d ever been static. We were fascinated to spot a good many fauna crossings. These safe overpasses were suspended high above the road to protect tree climbing creatures.
It took a long time for us to make road friends and when it happened it happened quickly! While touring Tasmania, four couples unexpectedly came together around a power pole. Six months later we were following instructions from one of the Tasmanian “Pole Gang” and easily made tracks to a caravan park in Belmont set beside Lake Macquarie. Not long after lunch we received a call from Tom and Kim to say they were on their way to show us the best of their home turf. Both born and bred with deep roots in the surrounding area we couldn’t have had better guides to show us the secret and scenic lookouts south of Belmont, hear tales of greyhounds and fishermen as well as see the long line of ships out on the ocean awaiting their cargo of coal from Newcastle. Catho, an old coal mining town that seems to deserve heritage listing and yet is a hotbed of controversy after council approved a new housing estate, caught our attention with all the huge banners slung across homes and anti development slogans daubed everywhere. As we passed Catho Pub which appeared to be an institution in its self, we asked about it and discovered that neither Tom nor Kim had ever ventured in as it had been a dominant hangout for the bikey gangs of yesteryear. On our return, it seemed an interesting enough place to quench our thirst.
High tide prevents us exploring the sea caves of Caves Beach
At nightfall Tom & Kim took us back to their home for dinner where we were intrigued by their collections of clocks, teddy bears, doorstop mice, coke bottles and Bundy bears.
King Edward Park in Newcastle was arranged as a good mid-point place for us all to meet up with pole gang’s third couple, Joy and Barry from Nelson Bay. The heat of the previous day unexpectedly changed to gusty winds, rain and drizzle that we had to quickly change into warmer clothing moments before Tom & Kim collected us. Heading north of Belmont, we sat back to enjoy a stress-less tour up to Newcastle via back roads that took us up and over Redhead bluff, where many unfortunate suicides have taken place from this commanding cliff top position. A gazebo awaited our use for the day along with Joy and Barry. During all the talking we indulged in party food of caramel pie, chelsea buns and lollies making a good walk a necessary requirement if we were to manage lunch! Newcastle could certainly provide that as it is the nation’s only city centre with a working harbour bounded by beaches- which imply flat ground but that, it was not! There were plenty of ups and downs between the beaches. We found the area surprisingly free of commercialism but “our locals” were quite disparaging about crime and safety not to mention how little was done to attract visitors to this run down area that potentially had so much to offer. Weather suited us and in turn kept away any crowding that our table was still free on our return for lunch. In next to no time the clock dictated pack up time.
Team photo of three quarters of the Tasmanian Pole Gang.
Afterward Tom and Kim took us through the city showing us landmarks before crossing to Stockton on the other side of the harbour to take the “shipwreck walk” along the breakwall out to the one visible wreck – Adolphe cast up on the edge.
Thanks to Tom and Kim providing us with such a comprehensive overview of Newcastle and its surrounds we pulled out of Belmont with ease and made our way through picturesque areas of Myall Lake National Park to Seal Rock. We’d had good reports of this area and they matched our expectations with a delightful spot in a camping reserve in contrast to the expense of National Park camping. It seems to us that NSW is doing its-self a big disfavour by charging more than surrounding commercial operators to stay in National Park campgrounds. Our carefully tended grassed clearing, fine ablution blocks and barbeque centre had thick tropical greenery rising around the outskirts with beach frontage providing beautiful vistas that as soon as we were settled we felt drawn to explore this relatively isolated and peaceful village. We made our way towards Sugarloaf Point lighthouse passing a pretty little cove where we stopped to muse over a plaque commemorating the most successful whale rescue ever carried out in July 1992 when 49 false killer whales beached themselves and were transported overland for successful release. Further on, we took a walk through an impressive tunnel-like passage of trees steadily climbing up to the lighthouse. Holiday accommodation has been made out of the old Head Keeper’s cottage (sleeping 6 @ $2,100 per week out of season) and Assistant Keeper’s cottage (has rates for 4 @ $1,750 per week out of season with an additional two guests at $30 per head per night. Prices double in the summer holidays yet, we must be very quick to say, this is quite the most superb setting to remove oneself from the madding crowd. These cottages are perched on a cliff edge overlooking the extensive Treachery Beach and sand dunes melting into Myall National Park. Up the steep incline behind them is the 1875 lighthouse guarding a coastline area that since operation has witnessed 20 reported wrecks making it ‘heaven’ for divers.
The next day we moved a further 25kms to Sandbar/Bushland camps on the recommendation of Mick and Pauline (another member of Leecy’s art class). We chose to stay in Sandbar where we were lulled to sleep by the persistent hooting of a Powerful Owl and particularly enjoyed five brush turkeys roaming the almost vacant campground. One came up and nipped George on the finger while he was photographing them.
The nipper – a male brush turkey
Some time ago we watched a TV doco on the love/hate relationship generated by brush turkeys. Lea’s Dad loved them and spent hours watching these inveterate scratchers either feeding amongst leaf litter or building up their mound nest. Understandably, Gardeners hate brush turkeys for their determined annihilation of flower beds and veggie patches and go to any length to rid their properties of this “pest” a doing what comes naturally. Australian crows (or ravens as George correctly calls them), mynahs, seagulls and cane toads all fall into this dichotomy of sentiment arising from mans quirky unpredictability. We were kept amused watching an elderly man almost have an apoplectic fit whenever a brush turkey had the audacity to venture onto his site, throwing anything and everything after it- even his wash stand!
Our steady march northwards through the Great Lakes region had us twisting and turning between inland coastal waters and large tracts of swampy paperbark and palm thickets before returning to the Pacific Highway, the condition of which generates angst the length and breadth of it with sniping by local authorities and aggrieved public. We hit a section undergoing an upgrade and suffered our first blow-out. Midst all the noise of excavators, bulldozers and the steady stream of road trains we were momentarily stunned by a loud bang that sounded as if something had hit the caravan. Skiv began to shudder and shake on the rough surface and we immediately realised we had a flat tyre. Our hearts sank as there was nowhere suitable to pull off and we could only get off the busy road between barriers into a tiny spot that was far from ideal. We leapt out to survey the damage and found the side wall of Skiv’s back tyre torn in 4 or 5 places and faced with the sloping road verge had difficulty inserting the jack under the axle. One never remembers the camera in tough times and we can only be grateful that we weren’t travelling fast. A quiet road would have been preferable to the pressure of construction and blasting time approaching though! We were pretty quick to pull into a rural caravan park to recover – pity traffic noises reverberated through the night disturbing sleep.
Back down to the coast we took up early occupation of a site in Arakoon Conservation Area just below the historic Trial Bay Gaol built in 1886 on a promontory. On approach, it is a striking granite building with expansive outlooks that probably would distract watch tower guards from their jobs, just a shame the cells are without views. From the sweeping beachside the prison profile is difficult to discern. During the First World War it was used as an enemy internment camp. What interested us was that a public works prison was specifically built to house prisoners for the express purpose of constructing a sea-wall that was never completed. Why a sea-wall was deemed necessary in the first place, beats us.
The tick of approval for Gumma Reserve just east of Macksville had us popping in there despite our Camps Australia saying it had narrow access. That it did, being a narrow dirt road up against Warrell Creek with a few twists and turns between closely set trees that we were glad not to meet any oncoming cars. It was worth the visit and we stayed on for the night in this well kept bush camp overlooking the wide expanse of water. Creek is a misnomer for the sheer width and volume of water being carried along the many waterways we have crossed in northern NSW. We would happily have spent longer here had we not arranged to be in Coffs Harbour to spend the weekend with Charles and Trish. Before arriving at their home we were keen to ascertain whether we could replace our damaged tyre in this big town. A convenient tyre outlet was spotted with easy access for Getaway. They had our size, even better than that… the supplier offered us at a substantially reduced price, a set of tyres with brand new rims that a previous owner had traded in for a pair of fat tackies.
We grabbed the offer and in a flash Skiv, sporting fine new rubbers on the front and good looking rubbers on the back was having a wheel alignment.
Arriving at the home of Charles and Trish we peered nervously up their driveway wondering what difficulties may lie concealed for the parking and turning of Getaway. Charles appeared and assured us all was well. So many years have passed since Lea last saw him as a young lad being bedevilled by the four Howman sisters, that George has never had an opportunity to meet him. His sister, Pippa, stopped overnight with us in Parramatta last month after a holiday in Coffs Harbour before returning home to England. We had barely eased Getaway into a good spot within their extensive garden when Trish had to leave for work at the Base Hospital. After settling in Charles took us on a conducted tour of Coffs Harbour, a popular whale watching, recreational boating venue. He was feeling the after effects of a tough paddle ski race that morning so left us to walk up the steep headland set aside as a mutton bird sanctuary overlooking the harbour town. Brisk afternoon winds made the ocean too choppy for any chance of spotting a whale. We collected the youngest of Charles’s three daughters (the others away at Uni.), Alex from her after school job and returned home for a night of ‘catch up’. This family are all very physical - up very early to pursue their running, swimming and paddling while the Rubber Tramps lie abed, see to (hopefully) the last of their winter laundry and enjoy the bird life that abounds in the garden. Next day, when Charles and Trish returned they hurried us into their car for brunch down on Moonee Beach as it was such a still morning after a night of passing storms. Charles had been paddling with whales and he hoped we would be able to see them from the Moonee Bluff. While he cooked on the public barbeque, we walked up the bluff with Trish and the dogs, to scan the ocean in vain.
Moonie Beach Brunch
The last time we were on this road was with Justine and Daniel and their old rented banger, “Gotushere” named from the relief of reaching each place along the way to Townsville in January 1995. Making the journey thirteen years later was startling in comparison - such is progress! A night was spent at Iluka so that we could walk the World Heritage listed littoral rainforest directly behind our caravan park through this 2.5km little treasure with its tall canopy of riberry and lilly pilly trees, intertwined with strangler figs and on, out to the Bluff and back via a long empty beach to the picturesque fishing harbour and village of Iluka beside the Clarence estuary. We planned to overnight in Byron Bay known for its laid back alternative lifestyle and where Justine and Dan had introduced us to the shenanigans of a Doors concert way back when. Horrors! Byron Bay was now so peopled that we could hardly wait to get out of its congestion! Finding our way to Mullumbimby Leagues Club we were delighted to camp on the river’s bank alongside the sports ground. A golf course had been carefully fitted in on the periphery and fortunately for us, the afternoon winds were in our favour this match day, preventing golf balls putting a dent in anywhere. Further entertainment came from a pair of plovers (masked lapwings) who, in guarding their nest, took great exception and strafed the golfers putting on the green closest to us. No eagles or birdies possible here!
People pressure, urban sprawl and traffic density began to encroach heavily from Tweed Heads that we dreaded crossing into Queensland and the famed Gold Coast for this very reason. Memories of Surfers Paradise had us set on staying slightly inland so that we could enjoy a day with Paula (remember our travel companion along the Ningaloo coastline of Western Australia in 2005 and both our daughters Maidstone teacher?) Paula recently bought flat in Southport and we were keen to see her new abode and catch up before she left for Moreton Island. We settled just inland at Narang- which had sounded rural but was quite the opposite. Worse - we learned it was Hoon Capital (Hoons are anti social youngsters with little regard for safety, tearing up turf and tar with doughnuts and street racing!) according to hot off the press statistics! Glad to say we witnessed nothing of the kind during our two night stay in the middle of town. Once settled in our caravan park we sent Paula a text and set off to find a Visitors Centre when we happened upon a familiar figure with two grandsons in tow. Little did we know how quick and easy the access was to Southport! Paula had arrived to make arrangements for the following day, we’d spend together.
We were in the best of hands when it came to exploring Paula’s neck of the woods as she is a most knowledgeable bush walker. Once again we were able to sit back and enjoy a carefree drive in the hands of our guide up the dizzy coiling road leading to Springbrook Plateau lying within a Range dominating the skyline west of the Gold Coast and part of the remaining ancient links to Gondwana World Heritage Area. The start of the day had prepared us for a hot one but the ancient Antarctic beech forest had us shivering with cold as we walked through this remnant of very cool climate growth to enjoy views from Best of All Lookout over the rugged landscapes around us and beyond to the patchwork of coastal plain land uses. Thank goodness we’d thrown a jumper into our rucksack.
The strange girth of the Antarctic beech
It was needed in this high country and throughout the Twin Falls walking circuit. Up and down the gorges, along the foot of the escarpment and though large rock clefts our track passed behind curtains of falling water belonging to Twin Falls and Blackfellow Falls. In full spate you’d never get near there and all beautiful sheer drops.
Lea and Paula behind Blackfellow Falls
Finally we stopped to look down upon Purling Brook Falls before returning to our picnic spot for lunch. A period of mutual observation ensued between our selves and a very handsome satin bower bird sitting on a branch above our table.
Another route back down to the coast took us into Surfers Paradise and totally changed our conception and understanding of this now bustling and very cosmopolitan part of Queensland’s Gold Coast which forms a long strip of amazing residential waterfront developments around wide canals formed out of swamp ground at the confluence of Narang River and along the inland Broadwaters with a multitude of high rise building and hotels in artistic shapes and colours virtually concealing them from the beach front. We felt a distinct Mediterranean flavour even a similarity to Florida Keys amidst all these buildings with thick, lush vegetation and gardens enhancing the concrete jungle. We were impressed by the radical change undergone here from the ghastly high rise ridden main street, overflowing with holiday kitsch, we had driven into all those years ago.
Paula took us past all the beaches to The Spit, where we were taken aback to find Sea World. This is where our Gee family are visiting just before they meet up with us, in quite the most opposite direction in October! During a walk into the Marina Mirage Centre to see the boats at sunset we spotted the quaintest houseboat chapel. While peering down into it wondering if a wedding was about to take place, two cheery ladies awaiting prospective clients, invited us in for a closer inspection. Small world!
The little Chapel with stained glass windows and bell on the roof was originally built by a South African. A Zimbabwean and South African had recently bought it as a business for weddings, vow renewals, naming ceremonies and receptions – any function as they cruise along. “Celebrations Afloat”- how different and special is that. To add to this story, Deborah turned out to have attended Arundel School but well after Lea.
Celebrations Afloat Gold Coast
Time running out we returned to look over Paula’s home, enjoy her dinner and rush to complete the fast and furious chatter that had taken place throughout the day before she returned us home.
Queensland school holidays and clear blue skies had us decide to avoid the coastal holiday makers and head around the back of Brisbane into Somerset Region’s Valley of the Lakes taking part of a heritage trail up the Brisbane Valley through early 1820’s pastoral sheep farming land and little towns with original streetscapes from this era to Somerset Dam. It suited us well with pensioner’s rates in a spacious, well kept camp ground with mainly boating folk out on the lakes all day. Ravens awoke us, trying to outdo each other with a mournful story. Noisy miners mobbed a goanna in the bush alongside our door. It was easy to stay for the weekend mindful that we need to find an internet to send off our blog before month end if Saxon is to paste it up before their departure to Sydney, 1st October before they join us.
