Gundaroo, Bathurst, Denman, Kempsey & Byron Bay, NSW

We have slowed down considerably in the past 10 days and it has been a time where we have been lucky enough to catch up with friends and family.  Lots of socialising!  We left Batemans Bay just a week ago and drove the 150k or so up and over the great dividing range to Gundaroo.  The least said about that drive the best.  Although the road is in good condition, it is both steep and winding with lots of hairpin corners.  Not the best road for towing a caravan!  But we made it in good time to Gundaroo.  We had told Philips brother that we would not be at their place until mid afternoon and that gave us ample time to stop for lunch at "Grazing".  This restaurant has a well deserved reputation for fine dining and it is amazing that they have set up the restaurant inside the old Royal Hotel at Gundaroo and done a beautiful job of restoring the old building.  Gundaroo is just 30 minutes drive from Canberra so the restaurant is popular with Canberrean's. Once we were seated, the menu was explained to us.  We had a choice of a set menu of either two or three courses (we chose two) and there were also a couple of specials that could be added to the meals.  We chose the Duck Liver Paté as our extra and the addition of the apple sauce was a nice sweet touch.  The complimentary Olive Oil & Balsamic was also delicious.

For our first course I ordered the Kingfish Sashimi while Philip chose the Quail.  Both dishes were outstanding and my sashimi was very fresh, which is never guaranteed but is also a must when you are dealing with raw fish.

Our second course choices were Crispy Pork for Philip and Lamb for me.  Both dishes, again, were faultless and the perfect size for me.

Our bellies were certainly full to the brim as we left the restaurant and headed out to "Big Ezi" - Philips brothers place that is around 10km outside Gundaroo.  It might only have been a short driving distance but it is one of the worst gravel roads imaginable.  However it was great to be able to spend two nights here and it was a bit of a talk fest over numerous glasses of wine and some delicious home-cooked meals.  We managed a couple of walks around the property that is about 120 acres.  It is quite beautiful.

We said goodbye to the family on Monday and made our way to Bathurst, a town we have always wanted to visit.  It was Philips birthday that was very low key however I did make him an improvised chocolate birthday cake......

On our second day at Bathurst we drove the short distance to Mount Panorama, the home of the Bathurst 2000 car race.  We drove one lap of the race track before making our way to the museum that holds a myriad of vehicles from cars to motorbikes to drag cars and everything in between.  Everything there has been raced at Bathurst at one time or another.  It was very interesting.

The Bathurst Showgrounds was our camp for the two days that we were here and it was perfect because directly behind us was a terrific walking track that we walked twice on our stay.  The original highway road bridge has been replaced so the old bridge is now a pedestrian bridge that you have to cross to reach the other side of the walking track.

On Wednesday we were back on the road and headed to Denman where we stayed with friends.  We took the long route via Mudgee and it was a lovely drive over fairly flat country that made a nice change from the big mountains we have been driving over the past couple of days.  We arrived at Michael-Lee and Tim's place mid afternoon and it was once again a bit of a talk fest.  They piled us into the car late in the afternoon to take us for a drive around the property.  We loved it.  As well as cropping they run a cattle fattening enterprise and we loved seeing the new state of the art cattle yards that do not require anyone to be in the yards with the cattle.  All gates are opened automatically using an hydraulic system. 

It was late in the evening before we sat down to a delicious roast pork meal with the family and another friend who conjured up Profiteroles for dessert!  We were all laughing at each other as we dived into them with our hands and all of us had chocolate from one end of our faces to the other.  Completely forgot to get photos.....

Next morning we were once again on the road.  After talking with Tim we decided to head down the coast towards Newcastle and get on the M1.  We skirt around all towns going this way and Philip commented that he loves freeway driving.  He can sit in the left lane and drive at his own pace while cars can easily go around him.  I tend to agree.  The only downside to freeway driving is that it can become a bit boring.  Time to crank up the music!

Thursday night was spent at Kempsey.  The only place we could get in was another Showgrounds but beggars can't be choosers.  We never ventured outside the van on our overnight stay.  The temperature soured to around 40 degrees so we cranked up the Air-Con and were very content to stay inside.

Friday we headed to Byron Bay that is where we are now.  It is very busy here on the Australia Day week-end but we are staying at the Sun Villas Caravan park again and we asked to be put right down the back of the park where the sites are large, green and shaded.  We have been for some long walks since arriving.  First day was a beach walk and today we walked to the Byron Bay Lighthouse that is exactly 9km with a huge amount of stairs.  Today is very warm and we were grateful that we made the decision to walk early in the morning.  Storms are predicted for this evening so I just pray that they are not wild ones!

Tomorrow we once again pack up the van and head to Tweed Heads, a short 80km drive.  We will be busy in Tweed as we have to wash the van both inside and pack up as much as we can in readiness to hand it over on Monday and drive away in our (not so new) motorhome.  Excited!

Batemans Bay, New South Wales

This week in Batemans Bay has seen us taking long walks along the beach, doing a couple of scenic drives, eating delicious and healthy meals and watching the tennis!  The weather has not been kind to us with most days being cloudy and showery.  This hasn't worried us unduly because in the whole time we have been away (since April) we have hardly seen a drop of rain.   

Today is our last day here in Batemans Bay and as luck would have it the sun is shining without a single cloud in the blue sky :-)

One of our walks was quite a long one into the town centre - I think around 7km return.  The pathways, as they have been everywhere on our travels, are numerous and usually wide enough for both pedestrians and cyclists so Philip has also enjoyed a few rides around Batemans Bay.  There are interesting  sculptures right along the walkway that runs along side the Clyde River.  

One of our beach walks took us up to Observation Point that would have given us magnificent views over Batemans Bay and further out to the Pacific Ocean but the clouds had other ideas.  We passed a shelter that some clever person/s had built on the beach.  It was one of the best I have ever seen!

On Tuesday we had the car serviced and the courtesy car dropped us off in the city centre where we found a restaurant that served breakfast.  It was the basic eggs and bacon but it sure does taste better when someone else cooks it for you......

Yesterday we drove the coast road from Batemans Bay to Moruya.  This is a designated scenic drive that ducks in and out of many coastal townships that all have magnificent beaches and headlands.  We stopped at Guerrilla Bay and walked the track to Burrewarra Point.  The return walk was easy and took us through Banksia forest and heath vegetation.  The views up and down the coast were breathtaking even on a cloudy day.  We were promised a lighthouse on this walk and when we reached it we both burst out laughing.  It was probably the smallest and ugliest lighthouse we have seen on our journey!

We drove through Tomakin, Mossy Point and Broulee stopping at every scenic lookout.  Many people were out and about but not a lot were swimming apart from a few surfers braving the cold waters.  

Our turn-around point was Moruya where we drove out to Moruya heads and the breakwater wall.  We didn't walk it though as it was starting to rain lightly and neither of us wanted to end up with summer colds!

Our last stop for the day was the lovely village of Mogo.  It is a very popular town with all its trendy shops and many eateries and we had trouble finding a park along the busy Main Street.  We eventually found a spot and walked the short distance to a nearby cafe where we both enjoyed hamburgers for lunch.  I forgot the photo but I can assure you my Beef Patty with caramelised onion, lettuce, tomato and shredded beetroot on Turkish Bread was absolute perfection.  My mouth is salivating just thinking about it!

Tomorrow we leave the coast and head to Gundaroo to have a couple of nights with Philips brother.  We are looking forward to catching up as we haven't seen them in almost two years.  Should be fun.....

Eden, New South Wales

And here we are in New South Wales!  It really does feel like the home run now that we are heading north.  Still a long way to go though :-)

We have just spent three nights in Eden and it is a lovely town on the southern coast of New South Wales.  The walks around the town have been on our agenda, many of them boardwalks.  Across the road from our caravan park is a path that takes you to Lake Curalo and if you continue walking around the lake you end up at Aslings Beach.  It is a gorgeous beach and we did dip our toes in the water but it was still very cold.  Well, too cold for us at any rate, but there were many who were enjoying the ocean.

Yesterday we self drove the "Killer Whale Trail".  The first stop is the Eden Killer Whale Museum that is chock full of interesting reading surrounding the whale industry at the turn of the century.  It is also home to one of the only Orca (killer whale) skeletons in the world.  His name was Old Tom.  Old Tom was quite the legend as he "herded" the humpback whales into Twofold Bay where the whalers in their small boats would harpoon the whale and take it back to shore to obtain the blubber that was rendered down to obtain oil.  A very sad part of our history indeed.  

The next place to visit was the Rotary Lookout that had magnificent views over Eden and out to sea where it is the perfect place to whale watch when the giants are migrating to and from Antartica.

Davidsons Whaling Station was next place on the list and it sits on Kiah Inlet at Twofold bay.  The Davidson family home is still standing and for more than three generations were Australia's longest operating shore-based whaling station.  The "try works" where the whales were slaughtered made me feel very sad.

From Davidson Whaling Station it is a short drive to Ben Boyd Tower.  Standing impressively on the headland, this imposing sandstone tower was built in the 1840's.  Originally designed to be a lighthouse,  it was never approved for such use, but did become a key lookout point for whalers to spot passing whales.

Today we drove north of Eden to The Pinnacles.  This is quite a remarkable place where millions of years of weathering and erosion have left behind the coloured spires of red clay and white sand.  The photo from drone footage taken from a website (thank you) shows clearly the great hollow that has been carved out.

So that has been our time in Eden.  The van park is practically deserted and we have no neighbours anywhere near us.  I think our next stop tomorrow, Batemans Bay, will be a little different.

Lakes Entrance, Victoria

Lakes Entrance has been a lovely surprise for us even though the weather has not been kind to us.  Having said that, although it has been drizzling rain it has not been cold.  Hallelujah!  We are staying at the Lakes Entrance Recreation Reserve and it is packed with caravaners and campers and is by far the busiest caravan park we have stayed at on our journey.  Our site however, is right on the lake and opposite the amenities block so it is perfect.  

 The drive from Phillip Island to Lakes Entrance through Gippsland, is exactly as we pictured this part of Victoria to look like.  The countryside is lush and green and we pass many farms, including dairy.  There are rolling hills in between the townships we pass through and our drive is very enjoyable.  We didn't check into the van park until after 2 pm and by the time we had set up the van and had a bite of lunch it was time to sit outside and enjoy watching the water-skiers and jet skiers zoom up and down the lake.  It was just raining enough for us to stay close to the van and not venture out for a walk.

It rained off and on all Sunday night and Monday we woke to a very overcast day.  I had found a boat cruise in one of the brochures that was a 2.5 hour cruise through Reeves Channel, Bancroft Bay, around the shores of Metung, across Lake King, into the housing canals at Paynesville, around Raymond Island and into Lake Victoria.  This was the perfect thing to do on a bleak day.

We boarded our boat, Thunderbird, at 1.30 and were on our way by 2.  We found a protected seating area upstairs on the outside deck so that is where we positioned ourselves for the cruise.  As we left the sheltered harbour we saw, over to our left, the man-made entrance to the lakes.  It is very narrow and is constantly being dredged to allow ships to pass through.  Lakes Entrance has the largest fishing fleet in the whole of Australia so it is very important to keep that entrance clear.

I had no idea that the lakes area was so big.  It covers 400sq km and is known as the Gippsland Lakes.  As we passed by Petung we commented that it is a picturesque town and if we had more time we would have explored it.  Next time.  My favourite part of the cruise was through the man-made canals where many million dollar homes are located.  Every home has its own jetty and of course a boat or two moored at said jetty.  Some are bigger than others.  This little blue and white vintage boat caught my eye..... 

We passed by the township of Paynesville and watched the vehicular ferry being loaded to take vehicles the very short distance across to Raymond Island.  Raymond Island has a very large population of koalas and is another place that we would explore if we returned.  After we circumnavigated Raymond Island the boat was now heading back to Lakes Entrance.  It was around here that the rain started to tumble down so we made our way inside to the lounge area to make ourselves comfortable for the return journey.

 We were back in port by 4.30 and with the rain still tumbling down there was not much to do except return to the van for a cup of tea and nibbles before early showers and bed!

The rain eased through the night and this morning we woke to a cloudy day, but no rain.  We had been itching to do the "heritage walk" around Lakes Entrance so that is what we did today.  It was lovely and there were many people with the same idea as us.  It is a 6km circular walk that also included a walk across the footbridge to the surf beach.  We were gone for almost two hours with many stops along the way.  

Tomorrow we once more pack up the van and move further north to Eden on the Sapphire Coast in New South Wales where we will enjoy another three night stay.  I need to research things to do........