This Adventurous Age

Adventures travelling and working around Australia.

Monthly Archives: February 2017


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1999 Travels March 10

WEDNESDAY 10 MARCH     TATHRA

It was quite a warm day, with clear, blue skies.

We got up about 9.

I have found that I can get the Melbourne Age newspaper here in Tathra. It is great to be able to do so and read news that is slanted to Victoria, again. However, it is more expensive to buy than the NSW papers – even though we must be just about equidistant between Melbourne and Sydney.

After an early lunch, John went to bowls. He enjoyed the afternoon.

I walked to the top shops, via the steps up the big hill. Didn’t set out to do so, but I was seeking some frozen broad beans for a salad. There was no such thing to be had in Tathra!

Tea was soup, salads – without beans! They included the leftover fish salad. Rockmelon.


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1999 Travels March 9

TUESDAY 9 MARCH     TATHRA

Today was moderately warm, with beautiful blue skies.

John worked all day on letters to various people, after quite a sleep in.

I drove to the top shops to get the paper. I should have walked, for the exercise, but the path up the incline is SO steep! One must really be in the mood.

I read papers that had accumulated over the past couple of days. Sewed. I had a cooking session after lunch, making a batch of soup – spicy tomato, using barley instead of the rice called for in the recipe. Also cooked some brown rice and smoked cod, both to cool for later.

About 5pm we went for a beach walk. It got to be shorter than intended, as John decided to stop and watch the Surf Life Saving Club Junior training. All these young kids were learning to battle the waves, swim in surf and the like. It wasn’t easy for them, but character building, I should think.

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Tathra, from the beach that is across the road from the caravan park

Tea was the soup, which John loved – anything with barley in! Salad of brown rice and smoked fish. Rock melon.

There was nothing decent on TV, so I sewed and John played with some demo games discs that had accumulated from the PC Gamer magazine that he gets each month.


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1999 Travels March 8

MONDAY 8 MARCH   SUSSEX INLET TO TATHRA   278kms

We didn’t set the alarm, but were up at 8 and away at 9.45, heading south.

There was rain, on and off, through the day, and it was cooler than yesterday. Much better for driving.

This was a slower leg than I had anticipated. The road was bendy and hilly and quite often narrow. Driving required considerable concentration. Hard to believe that this is Highway 1! But it was a very pretty and varied drive, some of the way through green grazing farm country, some through forested parts. Occasionally we came close to the sea – or could see it in the distance.

Some small villages, like Mogo, are highlighting their history, to attract visitors. We were not really in stopping mode, with the van on the back, for most of the time.

But we did stop in Ulladulla to refuel – 74cpl.

We found a place to park the rig in Batemans Bay, and walked to the shops by the river, hoping to find a fish co-op. We found a river front, tourist oriented fish shop that was selling flake for $5.50 a piece! I thought it was a per kilo price and was about to buy a kilo, but John was a wake-up, luckily. So we left the shop, fish-less. There was a fishing boat docked behind the shop and John asked a lad on it – he said the nearest fish co-op is Ulladulla. We have already been through there.

Bought a focaccia loaf and ate it, in chunks,  as we drove along, for lunch. But before leaving Batemans Bay we did pick up some good tourist information at the centre there.

We stopped in Bega and did a grocery shop, to maybe save a trip in later.

Left the Princes Highway after Bega, to drive to Tathra, on the coast. This is a village in two parts – the main shops are at the top of a headland, but the caravan parks and a few more shops are  at the sea level – down a short, very steep, very bendy bit of road. Interesting! At least, we have driven this before – though not with the van – and knew exactly what it would be like. Needed low gear and a crawl down.

We booked into the Big 4 Seabreeze Caravan Park, for a week.  $13.50 a night, after discount, with the seventh night free. We had stayed here before, in 1997, in a cabin, on our way to S’s wedding in Sydney. We had to take a grassed site, as those with slabs were all occupied. It is ok, although the park feels rather crowded, overall. There is a nice pool – if it ever gets warm enough to use it! It is quite cool today.

After setting up, we went for a long walk along the beach, which is essentially over the road from the caravan park. Walked all the way to the Mogareekah Inlet mouth, which took us almost an hour and a half. The beach had a steep slope, in places, and the sand was a bit soft. There were several people fishing near the inlet. One man appeared to have two big salmon. We walked back along the walking/bike path beside the road. Much easier, but of course, not as pleasant, although there is bush on both sides of the road for much of the way.

Tea: soup, leftover curry and rice for John. I had salad. Then fruit.

Phoned K to report our whereabouts. He thinks V is in Melbourne, having flown over a week or so ahead of her husband, but he has not heard from her.

We only have a couple of TV channels here that have any sort of a picture. The park does supply cables one can hook into a relay – but John does not want to pay $2 per day for one.

03-08-1999-sussex-inlet-to-tathra


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1999 Travels March 7

SUNDAY 7 MARCH   BEROWA TO SUSSEX INLET   259kms

John set the alarm for 4.45am, wanting to leave early. This was far too early, in my opinion! There was morning fog about when we woke. It was about 6.30am when we got away, so we had dawdled getting ready. By then it was barely daylight – just enough to see a little by.

It took us a couple of hours to get through to the south of Sydney, but the traffic had been very light. We probably had about as good a run as it gets, ever.

John wanted to take a “straight line” from Berowa, through the maze of ordinary streets in Sydney suburbs and over the Ryde Bridge, to the road south. But we went this navigator’s way – via the signposted South Coast route: Cumberland Way, Western Freeway, Heathcote Road, Princes Highway – all easy to find and follow!

It was raining as we headed south. The steep descent for 6kms on the Mount Ousley Road down to the Wollongong bypass made John tense, but it all felt very much in control to me. It was a pretty extreme piece of road – we probably will not do too many others like that.

We needed a toilet stop in Kiama – don’t think it was related to that prior nasty descent! Had to go right into the town and it was not easy to find our way around and out again. Had a coffee stop near Nowra and then proceeded on to Sussex Inlet. Had to turn off the highway and take a minor road for the last 15kms or so, to get there. Along the Princes Highway we were passed a few times on double lines by crazy drivers – the NSW drivers seem very bad about observing double white lines!

There were several places along the coast we could have chosen for this overnight stop – this one was chosen rather at random because it “sounded nice”. Sussex Inlet has a busy little village centre, but we went to Snappy Gums Caravan park, on the Springs Road – rather out in the bush.

The park cost us $15 for the night. It has a rather run-down air – gardens of weeds, a non-working phone box, lots of permanent holiday vans, a handful of permanent residents. We were able to leave Truck and van hitched up and parked on the grassy sites at the back of the park, in solitude. It was quite pleasant! The amenity block was close. Here, were many insect bodies on the floor and spiders in the basins – obviously not used much at this time of the year. But under the debris, the surfaces were reasonably clean. One had to put 20cents in a meter for a shower – but at least the meter was IN the cubicle, unlike at Evans Head.

There was very little setting up to do. Had lunch, watched the Grand Prix on TV – an interesting race as only eight cars finished.

After that, went for a bike ride, though it was quite hot and humid by now. The bikes were a way of having a look around the area, without unhitching. We rode further down the Springs Road, to Swan Bay and Cudmirrah. It was not a huge ride – about 8kms, but there was one big hill on the way back, that was not fun.

At the Swan Bay inlet, which is currently closed off from the sea by a sand bar, we walked to the ocean. There is quite a good looking caravan park there – Swan Bay Caravan Park. It is listed under Cudmirrah, rather than Sussex Inlet, and is better looking than any of the others we saw. They all seem mostly geared to permanent holiday structures.

I am not sure we would want to come back to this spot. There have got to be more pleasant places along this stretch of coast. It did occur to me, in the heat, that it would not feel a very safe place if there were bushfires about.

I got my bike speedo working again! Pressed the little white button on the back, and all the other buttons simultaneously – not easy to do – and voila.

Tea was soup, beef mince curry and rice and fruit.

TV reception here is good – surprising in the midst of the bush.

It is a relief to be clear of Sydney – that was rather hanging over our heads, the past few days. We wanted to follow the coast home, rather than go through the hotter inland routes, at this time of year, and have a stay at one of our favourite places – Tathra. So – Sydney was the price that had to be paid!

03-07-1999-berowa-to-sussex-inlet


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1999 Travels March 6

SATURDAY 6 MARCH   HAWKS NEST TO BEROWA   194kms

We were up at 8 and away at 9.45. Again, we’d left taking down the awning roof until this morning, so we were pleased with the time taken to breakfast and pack up everything, hitch up, and so on.

The day was fine, with clear blue skies, but rather too hot for a driving day.

The run south was uneventful. John was somewhat apprehensive about the gradients on the Newcastle Freeway, after his experience of this section of highway, on our way north last year. But he is much more experienced, now, with towing the van, and felt in control all the way. He was much happier this time!

We had one stop – at the Wyong service point, half way between Newcastle and Sydney, where we had coffee and John had a rest from driving.

We were at La Mancha Caravan Park at Berowa by 12.30. Had no trouble finding it, following the sketch map in the Big 4 booklet. It is very nice, and only cost $18 for the night. We were able to leave Truck and van attached – very convenient. The amenities block is right behind us – nearly as good as having an ensuite.

Spent the afternoon reading the paper, bought at Hawks Nest on the way through. John wrote a letter and watched Grand Prix stuff on TV. It was quite humid as well as hot, and the park pool looked most attractive, so I went for a long swim.

This park would be a good base, one day, for exploring these northern parts of Sydney.

There are many, many TV stations – John is very pleased!

Tea: soup, leftover salmon cakes, salads, fruit.

We have deliberately timed this move so that we get to pass through Sydney on a Sunday morning, as this should be the least traffic volume, and hence pressure. I am not all that confident of my navigating through the built up area here.

03-06-1999-hawks-nest-to-berowa


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1999 March 5

FRIDAY 5 MARCH     HAWKS NEST

John had to make sure he was up at a reasonable hour, in order to go to morning bowls.

I walked to the shops, bought some fresh foodstuffs and withdrew some cash. Then I walked on the beach and took some photos. It was hard walking as the sand was very soft. There were quite a few people on the beach, as today is Newcastle Show Day and thus it is a long weekend for people from those parts.

03-04-1999 Yaccabah Headland.jpg

Yaccabah Headland and the sand spit that joins it to the mainland

John did not win at bowls. He’d topped up the diesel on the way back – 79cpl.

We lazed around camp after lunch as John wanted to read. I did the layout and cutting to start the first of the eight Hardanger placemats I am making for S.

I phoned J at Rubyvale. She received the ring, it has been repaired and is on its way back to our home. Also phoned a caravan park on the Sydney outskirts and booked us in for tomorrow night.

We went for a short walk on the beach. The hard going in the soft sand mitigated against a long walk.

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The outlook from Hawks Nest Beach

Tea was soup, salmon cakes, fruit.

A year ago was John’s farewell dinner from his school community. I can’t believe how fast that year seems to have gone!


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1999 Travels March 4

THURSDAY 4 MARCH     HAWKS NEST

In the morning, I walked to get the paper – about a km each way.

Then I did the washing, which had built up over our wet time at Crescent Head. After carrying the washing basket quite a distance to the laundry, found that I had to walk even further – to the Office, for tokens for the machine. She could have mentioned this when we checked in! The tokens were only $1.50 each – but there is only a cold wash on offer.

We drove back across the Singing Bridge to Tea Gardens, where John found the Bowls Club and booked in for a game tomorrow morning.

Then we went to the Information Centre. Found out that the Singing Bridge is so called because its design makes it act like a wind harp in strong winds. The name of Tea Gardens is presumed to come from a failed attempt to grow tea in the area, in the 1850’s. Hawks Nest? Well, there was a big old tree that hawks used to build nests in, near the old hotel site, and that became a landmark for shipping – so the name stuck.

After lunch, we went driving, to the north, through Myall Lakes National Park that starts just north of Hawks Nest. The road runs between the ocean and the Myall River for a while, then skirts the Bombah Broadwater – one of the fresh water lakes of the Myall Lakes system.

We passed some tracks to the ocean beach – there were glimpses of big dunes and a couple of 4WD beach access points.

We stopped at the Mungo Brush camp ground, which was a bit crowded, but we found a place to park, and walked the 1.5km Rainforest Track. Most pleasant. Saw a white eared honey eater.

The Bombah Broadwater is just beautiful. A house boat holiday there, one day, would be wonderful! There were large schools of fish evident, and BIG ones jumping. For a while, we watched two azure kingfishers “fishing” quite close to us – excellent.

03-04-1999 kingfisher mungo brush.jpg

Azure kingfisher looking for lunch

Drove on round, following the Broadwater shore, to have a look at the Bombah car ferry. We saw quail scurrying across the road, and a big red-bellied black snake.

There were some very attractive camping spots along the lake shore, tucked in amongst the big paperbarks of the area. Not all had toilets, though. None of the National Park camp areas have power, of course, and here it is BYO water.

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The Bombah Broadwater – Myall Lakes National Park

We did not go across on the ferry, not wanting to do a big loop drive to get back to Hawks Nest. Went back the way we had come. Decided it was a great place and definitely worth a return visit one day. We drove about 65kms.

Apparently the Myall Lakes system is a declared Ramsar Wetland area – significant for wetland conservation.

For tea, we had soup, then crumbed veal with a lemon caper sauce. Very “gourmet”, followed by fruit.

During the day, the sky had grown steadily darker. There was a pretty impressive thunder and lightning display after dark, but no rain.


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1999 Travels March 3

WEDNESDAY 3 MARCH   CRESCENT HEAD TO HAWKS NEST   256kms

We got up at 8am and were away at 10. We had to pack up the awning roof and everything else, so it wasn’t too bad a time.

It was a pleasant day for travel – not too hot and the rain had stopped.

We had a straightforward run south, down the Pacific Highway, without any stops. Turned off the highway to take the road to Tea Gardens township, then crossed the rather impressive Singing Bridge, across the Myall River, to the Hawks Nest village.

The Hawks Nest Caravan Park advertises itself as “beachfront”, but there is a substantial belt of parkland between it and the beach! It is quite expensive, at $16 a night. No pool. No Visa or Eftpos either. A bit poor, we thought. We booked in for three nights.

I had chosen Hawks Nest as a place for a few days’ stay, because of the interesting name, and the fact that it has both river and ocean frontage – this seemed to promise a picturesque place.

After setting up, and some lunch, we went for a long beach walk. It is a lovely beach, with islands offshore to add interest, and the big Yaccabah Headland.

We walked south along the beach, and then across some dunes, to look at the entrance to Port Stephens, which is a huge waterway/bay, extending inland. The town of Nelson Bay was across the other side of the entrance.  The views here are certainly excellent.

We gathered some shells as we walked. By the time we got back to the van, we both had sore legs, from walking in the soft sand of the spit that connects the Headland to the main coast.

When we were booking in, the lady on Reception told John there was a bowls club behind the caravan park. So, of course, John went looking for it. The lady obviously did not know the difference between bowls and golf, because there is a golf course!

Tea: soup, pasta and tomato sauce, fruit.

02-28-1999 to hawks nest.JPG


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1999 Travels March 2

TUESDAY 2 MARCH    CRESCENT HEAD

We decided last night that if it was still raining, we would declare it too wet to move on.

When I woke up, it was still raining, so I decided we were definitely staying put, rolled over and had a sleep in. It was that sort of morning – wet and grey and unappealing.

Eventually, I got up and went to the office to pay for an extra day.

A local guy hires out duckboard panels to campers. On an earlier walk we had seen them all stacked up outside a house, and couldn’t quite work it out. Enterprising man, though. He came through the camp ground this morning, with a trailer full, and did a roaring trade! The tent campers next to us were customers – their whole living area is a waterhole. Serves them right for intruding into our site! We have been lucky enough to have selected a site that doesn’t form a pool.

The rain did lessen off through the day.

We drove to Kempsey to do a food stock up. Found the fruit and vegetable prices in Woolworths very expensive. I wondered if there were any competitors at all, in the town? The rain was quite light in Kempsey.

Late in the day, we went for a final walk on the beach – there was hardly any rain by then.

Tea was soup, corn cobs and fruit.


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1999 Travels March 1

MONDAY 1 MARCH     CRESCENT HEAD

It is the first day of autumn. As if to underline the point, it rained steadily all night and then all day today. There was not much chance to look around, after all! I am certainly not taking the cameras out in the rain to photograph the beach, which I’d hoped to do.

We did go for a drive to Point Plomer, to the south, for the sake of something to do. It stayed raining, and the track was rough. We found camp areas at both Point Plomer and Delicate Nobby. At Point Plomer, there is much green growth on the rocks, down from the camp area, which looks ominously like organic pollution. The area seemed to smell a bit unpleasant. There was a new looking amenities block, though. No power, of course. For future camping, Delicate Nobby might be nicer, though we did not investigate thoroughly, due to the rain. The biggest draw of these places is the bush camping, I guess, though it is hardly cheap – $12.50 for the first night at Point Plomer, $5 a night thereafter.

It was only a little drive – 40kms in all.

On the way back to the van, fuelled up in Crescent Head. 75cpl.

For tea, I peeled the prawns I’d bought in Coffs Harbour. They were tiny and fiddly and by the time I’d finished I did not feel like eating the rotten little things! So John had a feed of them and I just had soup and salad.

There are road warnings out for points to the north, and water over the highway in the Ballina area.