Day 181 - October 11 - Home

We had breakfast with Judy then we left Eagle Point and drove home.  It was absolutely pouring down and very cold.  We had the heater on in the car most of the way home.  We arrived home at about 2-30 pm and it was really good to be home.  We haven't done much this afternoon apart from washing, which of course I cannot hang out as it is raining - maybe it will be better tomorrow.  Shaz came round with Emma and Corey, my how the children shoot up when you don't see them for so long.  We are going to pick up Laura and Chloe from school tomorrow and then Lily from creche.  We spoke to them tonight, Lily seems quite excited that we are now home.  We are having an easy dinner tonight.  

Thank you all for reading the blog - I hope you have enjoyed following our travels as much as we have enjoyed travelling.  Hopefully we will do another trip next year though we don't have much planned at the moment.  It will be good to catch up with everybody over the next few weeks.

Day 178 - 180 - October 8 - 10 - Merimbula - Eagle Point

Monday (8th) - Staying about 6 km outside of Merimbula at an RV & Motorhome park (628 in Camps 6), it is $20 a night for a powered site and $15 for an unpowered.  There are no facilities to speak of but it is a big paddock and a lot cheaper than the caravan parks in town.   We are only staying one night.  This afternoon we went into Merimbula and had a walk around the shops, we filled the car ready for tomorrow and then sat out in the sun for a few hours.  It was quite warm surprisingly today.

Tuesday (9th) - Staying in a free camp tonight not far from Murrungower Picnic Area which is 20 east of Orbost (Camps 6 / 14).  We arrived here about lunchtime and believe it or not the weather was sunny and we sat out for the afternoon and read our books.  We are the only ones here which is a first for us.  We lit a fire later in the afternoon and sat out till about 8pm by which time we had no wood left.  It was good sitting by the fire for dinner, even cooked the chops and potatoes over the fire.  

Wedesday (10th) - took our time packing up as we were only travelling through to Eagle Point to spend the evening with Bob & Judy.  It was quite a bright day but cold and windy.  We had lunch at Lakes Entrance and had a quick look around.  Then we did a bit of shopping in Bairnsdale before going to Bob & Judy's.  They have set their front up so that they can get caravans on the garden, they have even put power in under the carport.  We spent the afternoon catching up with Judy - Bob was at work at got home around 4-45pm.  Judy cooked us roast pork for dinner - it was yummy and we had cheesecake for desert.  

Day 176-177 - October 6 & 7 - Moruya

Saturday - well what a difference a day makes. Can't remember the last time we packed up in the rain and boy did it rain.   It was the most miserable day we have had since we have been away.  It rained the whole way from Kiama to Moruya and continued to rain once we arrived here and it was quite cold.  Needless to say we spent most of the day inside the van.

Sunday - the sun came out again today but it was very windy.  We decided to stay another day here and have a look around.  We had a drive into Batemans Bay via the coast road.  It was a great drive through Broulee, Mossy Point, Tomakin, Malua Bay, Lilli Pilli and Batehaven.  The coast was beautiful although a bit choppy today, good waves for surfing.  We had lunch at the RSL in Batemans Bay before returning once again down the coast road. 

We are staying at Riverbreeze Tourist Park which is set on the Moruya River.  Our site backs onto the river.

Our site at Riverbreeze

Moruya River

Day 175 - October 5 - Kiama

Not a lot on the agenda today.  We decided as the weather was so good we would stay in Kiama and enjoy the hot weather.  We didn't do much though apart from going for a long walk and reading our books (sorry but somebody has to do it).  

Day 174 - October 4 - Kiama

Today we went for a drive to Gerringong, Mount Pleasant Lookout and to the Saddleback Mountain Lookout.  It was a really clear day and the views from the lookouts were amazing.     We also went down to the lighthouse and blow hole in Kiama itself.  We came back to the van for lunch then we spent the afternoon reading our books, we had a couple of hours on the beach which is down from the caravan park. 

Blow Hole Kiama

Lighthouse Kiama

Rockpool Gerringong Beach

Lookout Saddleback Mountain

Day 173 - October 3 - Kiama

We travelled from Sydney to Kiama via the Grand Pacific Drive.  The drives starts at the Royal National Park and goes through some spectacular coastlines.  The highlight of course is the Sea Cliff Bridge.  We didn't drive through the National Park we started the drive at  the Bald Hill lookout which gives a 360 degree view of Stanwell Park and the beautiful beach.  You can see the Sea Cliff Bridge quite clearly from here.  The bridge has an overall length of 665 metres.  This is now another thing of our bucket list, it really was something we wanted to do and certainly a highlight of the trip.  We are staying in Kiama at the moment and will probably stay here 2 or 3 nights. The weather has been glorious today.

Sea Cliff Bridge from Bald Hill Lookout

Bald Hill Lookout

Driving over the bridge

The bridge from the other side

Day 171 - 172 - October 1 & 2 - Sydney

Monday - We left Port Macquarie with the intentions of doing a free camp but the one we had picked out had been closed and was probably a bit too close to Port Macquarie.  We had quite a lot of heavy traffic during the course of the journey and decided to turn off at Gosford and look for a caravan park as we had by then been on the road for about 6 hours, well there was only one caravan park and it looked feral so we decided we had better push on and see what else we could find.  We called in at the Information Centre in Gosford to be told that unless we wanted to travel about 30 km out of our way towards the ocean the nearest park would be Lane Cove in Sydney - well that's where we have ended up.  We got here at about 4-30pm so it was a long day in the car, we left Port Macquarie at 9am.  Anyway we booked in here for two nights so we can have a bit of a break tomorrow. 

Tuesday - we decided to go and have a look around Circular Quay, we have done it many times before but it is always good to see.  We got the train from North Ryde only about 750 metres from the caravan park.  We were pleasantly surprised when we asked for two senior tickets - it only cost us $2.50 each for a day ticket. It was interesting going over the Harbour Bridge on the train.  We  had a good look around Circular Quay and Mrs Macquaries chair.  The Opera House and the Sydney Harbour bridge are both really impressive sights.  We then had a walk around the Botanical Gardens and over to The Rocks where we had lunch.  Got back to the van at about 3pm - we are both very tired but have enjoyed the day.  

Lake in Botanical Gardens

Mrs Macquaries Chair

Bronze statue in the Botanical Gardens

Day 168 - 170 - September 28 - 30 Port Macquarie

Friday - came through to Port Macquarie and booked in at the Melaleuca Caravan Park.  We set up then rang Carol and Mark who we had met last year in Mildura when we picked up the caravan.  They came round here and we spent the afternoon catching up with them.  We then went out to dinner to a Thai restaurant with them in the evening.  

Saturday - after a late start to the day we did a bit of shopping then we went round to Carol and Mark's to watch the AFL Grand Final.  Well what a nail biter - of course we were thrilled when the Sydney Swans won and had quite a few text messages from different people - Colin and Laura just to name a few.  We then had a BBQ with Carol and Mark.  

Sunday - we went to Dubogan to see where Bev and Paul had bought their block of land.  It was about a half an hour drive from here.  It is a really nice area with a river running through the town and where their block is you can walk over the sand dunes to a really pretty beach.  On the way back we called at a winery and tasted a few wines.  Graham bought a Tawny Port.  We then came back to Port Macquarie and had a look at a display home which is similar to the one that Paul and Bev are building - very nice.  We came back to the caravan for lunch and hung around here for a few hours.  We then got a call from Carol and Mark to invite us round to watch the NRL final which we did and once again were very pleased when the Storm won.  

The Beach at Dunbogan

Black Boy growing in somebody's garden

River at Dubogan

We haven't really seen much of Port Macquarie but it has been great to catch up with Carol and Mark.  We will probably come back here one day and have a better look around.

Day 167 - September 27 - South West Rocks

Well are we glad that we put South West Rocks on the itinery - what a great place.  We are only sorry that we are staying for just one night - we have booked in at Port Macquarrie for the next two nights.  Anyway we got here quite early and as soon as we had set up we went for a look round. 

First stop was Akaroon National Parks which is home to the historic Trial Bay Gaol - the gaol was opened in 1886 as a works prison and it was utilised in WW1 as a German internment camp, closed in 1918.  The gaol was built using local quarried pink granite, which is exceptionally hard.  The walls that are still standing are a testament to this.  It is built overlooking the headland with incredible views from the watch tower.  There is also a caravan and camp ground there.  

Entrance to gaol

Concrete Baths

Rows of individual cells

View from the watch tower

We then went to Hat Head National park where Smoky Cape lighthouse sits.  The walk up to the lighthouse from the car park was quite steep but once up there the view were maginificent and we were once again treated to some whales breaching.    There are plenty of walks around the national park and if more time was available you could spend a day there.  

Lighthouse from car park

View from lighthouse

At the top

After lunch we went to Horseshoe Bay - a safe swimming beach with crystal clear water and white sand.  We sat for a while looking out to sea watching about 15 whales frolicking around.  We have been quite lucky on this trip and have seen lots of whales.  It is so hard to get photographs though, they are so quick.  

Whale at Horseshoe Bay

Whale at Horseshoe Bay

Off Horseshoe Bay

River from Caravan Park

Day 166 - September 26 - Nambucca Heads

We were going to stay in Nambucca Heads for two nights but decided on just one.  We stayed at the Headlands Tourist Park and because we arrived quite early we did the tourist thing in the afternoon and felt that as we hadn't factored in South West Rocks we would go there tomorrow.  We were amazed just how hilly Nambucca Heads is.  You would have to be very fit to live there or have a car with very reliable breaks.  The only flat part to the whole area is when you are driving out of the town.  Once again the beaches were beautiful.  The breakwall at the heads has been open to grafitti and some of the messages on there were very interesting.  There were a few vintage cars around the town, all of which were in very good condition.  Apparently they were on a rally to Byron Bay.

Just one of the many cars

The breakwall

Day 164 & 165 - September 24 & 25 - Yamba

Monday - left Ballina and drove through to Yamba another town that is on the coast though it does not have the miles of beaches the other towns do.  However it does have some nice beaches but what we have noticed more than anything is the river system.  It is huge.  We had a look around the town before lunch then after lunch we were going to go to Maclean but the weather had other ideas.  Once again the heavens opened and we had torrential rain and really strong winds so we decided we would go tomorrow.  It did fine up again late in the afternoon so we just had a walk around the park which is on a salt water lagoon. 

One of the Yamba Beaches

Lighthouse Yamba

Tuesday - drove through to Maclean which is about 15 kms from here.  Maclean is a Scottish Town and is quite interesting.  It was named in 1862 after the NSW Surveyor General Alistair Maclean.  There are a few old historic buildings.  They use the Scottish Tartans all over the town, including in the school uniform and on the power poles where they have different tartans on the bottom of lots of the poles.  Some of the street signs have dual names in English and Gaelic.  It is a very interesting town to look around and is built on the Clarence River.  There is a Scottish Shop which sells lots of tartan things.  

Just one of the street signs

One of the poles with tartan  painted on it

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View from the lookout

Day 163 - September 23 - Ballina

We decided to go to Evans Head today and were pleasantly surprised.  The population here is only 2,600 but it was a much bigger place than we expected for such a small population.  It was very busy with families there for school holidays and the caravan park was packed.  Once again there was endless coastline and beautiful beaches.  We were surprised to see a couple of blue bottle jellyfish in the water near the heads as we didn't think they came down this far south.  There were loads of people in the water and they didn't seemed worried about them.  We had morning tea here then we came back to the van and had a quiet afternoon reading our books.  

Evans River

Evans River 

Evans Head

Caravan Park