Summer 2018 - South Coast and Snowy Mountains

This trip was to take us south, through Sydney and on to the Princes Highway as far south as Mallacoota in Victoria. There we travelled north to the Snowy Mountainss at Bombala, Cooma and Tumut, then Harden, Canowindra and Gulgong before stopping at my daughter's farm near Dunedoo and then travelling through Newcastle back home.

Sunday 25 February 2018

We had a late evening start, having to pack up in rain, but left right on 9pm. It rained heavily the whole way through Sydney and just stopped as we reached the 7 Eleven service centre at Pheasants Nest. Here we were able to find a good spot to stop for the night. We didn't even hear the trucks - too much.

Monday 26 February 2018

We slept in until 9am and then had a leisurely breakfast before retracing our steps a few kilometres and turning on to the Picton Road down to Woolongong. After Woolongong we stopped at Kiama for a look at the blowhole that was working well in the large swell. We stopped at the cafe there for lunch before heading on to Ulladulla, still in rain.

After we got everything set up we walked down to the beach in sunshine.

Tuesday 27 February 2018

We walked into town to get all the bits I needed to fix the burned cables (from a short) and eventually got them by visiting three shops. I had to post a letter to the tax office (only mail was acceptable - interesting) so I went to the post office to buy a stamp. Years ago I would have had a book of them. Amazing how things change. We walked back via the jetty and wharf. After lunch we walked across the bridge to the northern headland and followed a trail, "one track for all" that had great carvings on wood showing life before and after white settlement.

Wednesday 28 February 2018

We had a quiet morning while I fixed the cables and then after lunch we drove to Meroo Campsite and walked to Nuggan Head along a totally isolated beach were were the only footprints were our own. We stopped to do some shopping on the way back. Just after we went to bed the wind came up, so I got up and took down the privacy shades and the awning, so I could go to sleep not worrying about damage.

Thursday 1 March 2018

Early start as we packed up for the drive to Bermagui and the sun came out for us leaving. This two and a quarter hour drive was along the Princes Highway, a poor cousin to the Hume and Pacific Highways. It was very twisty and bendy, but had many overtaking lanes which meant I wasn't holding up any traffic, and funnily enough I caught up with all the traffic that had overtaken me at a set of roadworks. We couldn't book in until after 2pm, so I drove into town and stopped in a great caravan rest area next to the beach. After we booked in and after several attempts we found a way to get the van into the site. Not much room to play with, but we were right on the water's edge.

Friday 2 March 2018

We drove into Bermagui to walk around town and also get a downlight for above the stove. Nobody in town stocked that size, so it will have to wait for a bigger town. We bought some stuff at the supermarket and headed home for lunch. I heard some water flowing and found a leak in the pipe to the external tap, obviously caused by a flying stone. Another job to do. It got rather grey in the afternoon, but we drove to see some of the other interesting sites, including Camel Head Rock.

Saturday 3 March 2018

It was a grey overcast day, but in the afternoon I went for a paddle around to the causeway and then back past the caravan park around the headland to the other park. From there it was across some rather choppy seas to the island. It is an aborigional sacred site so I didn't land, but circumnavigated the island and then returned to camp.

Sunday 4 March 2018

The weather was still a bit ordinary, but Di and I went for a paddle before the rain started.

We enjoyed watching the pelicans fishing.

Monday 5 March 2018

Guess what? It was raining while we packed up. We drove down to Bega and parked in the sports ground car park, along with some other caravans and headed of to do some supermarket shopping. It was rather heavy load to walk back to the van. Further South we took a walk around Eden before heading for Mallacoota. The Princes Hwy is still as twisty as it always was. The 200km from Bermagui took over three hours. Once we had settled into Shady Gully Park in Mallacoota, we walked into town, but again couldn't get the parts we needed.

Tuesday 6 March 2018

We decided to drive the hour back to Eden to get the bits to fix the water tap from the caravan place there. Got everything except the downlight. We had lunch at the cafe at the wharf. Nice meal. Then we drove back to Mallacoota.

Wednesday 7 March 2018

We walked the Mallacoota Loop Walk. From the van park we joined the Casuarina Walk south to the Heathland Walk to the coast. Then a two kilometre walk eastwards along the beach, where the wind was rather cool. At the boat ramp we joined the Pittosporum Walk back into the town, and then the Shady Gully Walk back to the van park. A good 10 km.

At Bombala we selected a very nice drive through site under some beech trees. We took a walk into town and then back via a walk along the river.

Saturday 10 March 2018

We drove out to Myanba Falls for a walk and a look at the falls. The track in was good with some viewing points. Late in the afternoon we drove out to the Platapus Viewing area, but after two hours and darkness approaching we give up and headed back to town.

Monday 12 March 2018

We drove to Thredbo and after finding somewhere to park (we didn't realise that it was a public holiday in ACT) we took the express chair lift to the summit and then walked to Mt. Kosciuszko Lookout. Great views and a beautiful day.

Wednesday 14 March 2018

As the weather was great, we decided to drive to Perisher and Charlottes Pass. We had lunch at at a cafe near Perisher at the end of the T-bar. Quite a few people there, but probably not as many as during the snow season.

We then walked into Rainbow Lake. This was really nice, the views were great and the walk only 3km.

Thursday 15 March 2018

Although we had planned for a quiet day, because of the continuing great weather, we drove the 50km east to Tuross Falls. The walk in was 2km, but the falls were great. Quite a surprise. Back in Cooma we did some supermarket shopping, filled up with diesel and then went to the lookout at Mt Gladstone, a few kilometres out of Cooma.

Friday 16 March 2018

We slept in until 8am and after breakfast we started to pack up. The 150km drive today was to take us back into Mt Kosciuszko National Park, but on the road to Tumut, stopping for a few days free camping at Yachting Point on Blowering Dam. We picked a nice site shaded by trees, but with a view to the lake. Lovely evening.

Saturday 17 March 2018

Beautiful morning so we went for a paddle. Took a drive into Tumut to fill up and also take a look at the dam wall - where there was a wedding going on. In the evening we had another short paddle in the chop.

Blowering Dam is famous for being used to set the world water speed record at 464kph in 1977 and then 511kph in 1978 by Ken Warby. This record still stands.

Monday 19 March 2018

We drove across to Young in the morning and visited the museum there. Stopped to chat to one of the volunteers made the visit longer than expected. We then came to the Chinese Tribute Gardens. These were beautiful.

We did some shopping at the supermarket and got back to Harden mid-afternoon.

Tuesday 20 March 2018

Beautiful morning to pack up and head back through Young to Cowra and into Canowindra, stopping at the caravan park.

Wednesday 21 March 2018

We took a walk around the town after taking a drive north and then around to Cowra.

Thursday 22 March 2018

Started raining just as we finished packing up for the 200km drive up to Gulgong for the night at the showground. Gulgong is an old gold mining town and was on the Australian $10 note for many years. It has one of the best regional pioneer museums we have ever seen and the whole of the town is really quaint, with plenty of places to eat.

Looking at Facebook in the morning I noticed that one of my friends was staying at Mudgee, just a few kilometres from Gulgong. We ended up joining them for dinner in Mudgee.