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McDermotts Travel Oz
McDermotts Travel Oz

McDermotts Travel Oz

We haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on our list. Les mer🇦🇺Sydney
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  • Narooma Summer 2024

    Central Tilba

    10. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today we stepped back in time to explore the quaint village of Central Tilba, with its perfectly preserved colonial heritage buildings and colourful old world shops nestled amongst a forever green landscape.

    We sampled some cheese at the cheese factory and enjoyed some amazing pies from the bakery, before letting the kids loose in the old fashioned lolly shop! 🍬

    We walked away with jumbo bullets, choc covered jelly babies, watermelon bon-bons, coffee creams, gum-balls and the most hideously sour suckers imaginable 😝    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024

    Oyster Farm & Brewery

    9. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    When in Narooma, the oyster capital of the south coast…

    A fancy afternoon at ‘Oyster Farmers Daughter’ - a funky shipping-crate cafe on the shores of Wagonga Inlet offering not only offer a beautiful waterfront location to sit back and enjoy an afternoon socialising, but also some of the best local produce in the region - including the famous Narooma Oysters 🦪

    Followed by a stop at Narooma’s brand new Breakwall Brewery to further unwind with some local beers and cocktails.    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024

    Seals

    8. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    In spite of the weather we ventured down to the harbour to witness the fur seals that reside on the Narooma Bar breakwall, colloquially called Seal Rocks.

    Despite their cute appearance and playful nature, the fur seals are a topic of controversy in the local community, with local fishermen claiming they’re eating too
    much of their fishing stocks.

    Us tourists on the other hand found the wide eyed mammals simply adorable 😊    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024
    Cookies & Cream

    Bodalla

    8. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ 🌧 22 °C

    El Niño letting us down again 😬

    Another uninspiring beach day spent getting our cheese on at the Bodalla Dairy. We tasted several locally produced varieties before walking away with tonight’s happy hour selection - a delicious creamy cheddar and pepperberry cheese.

    On account of the weather we decided lunch in Bodalla’s top rated pub seemed like a good idea, before returning to the Dairy for a round of ice creams and thick shakes. Yummo 😋    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024

    Freshwater Bay

    7. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    After a lazy start to the day we headed down to Narooma Marina for an afternoon on the water, BBQ boat style.

    As the wind came up through the main channel we dropped anchor in the sheltered water of Freshwater Bay where we enjoyed jumping off the back of the boat and indulging in a culinary BBQ feast.

    A nervous moment as we lost connection with Dan’s drone which had flown well out of sight around the end of the bay. The boys were dispatched on the SUP in the faint hope of retrieval should it return to home and land at its original take-off point, now approximately 50m away as we’d drifted with the wind.

    Fortunately connection was restored in the nick of time and we all breathed a sigh of relief as Dan was able to manually land it on the deck of the moving boat! #skills

    Thanks for the overhead shots Dan 😁    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024

    Bar Rock Lookout & Australia Rock

    7. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    Bar Rock lookout captures a spectacular ocean view over the breakwalls and out to Montague Island, and in the opposite direction a lovely outlook over to Bar Beach and the Wagonga Inlet.

    On the southern breakwall is a hole in the rockface known as Australia Rock. When viewed at just the right angle, the hole in the rock bears a resemblance to the shape of the Australian continent (without Tasmania) - so they say (imagination required).

    There are various explanations for how the rock formed into this continental likeness, including that it is simply a natural result of thousands of years of erosion of the ancient chert and shale headland. One of the more interesting tales is that the hole was created inadvertently when a ship was moored to the heads with large chains. In heavy seas the chains wore away the rock to create the familiar shape seen today.    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024

    Dalmeny

    6. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Now this is more like it!

    A beautiful beach day at Dalmeny, complete with fish and chips from the Blue Octopus (a local favourite).

    Anth, Dan, Helen and I enjoyed our obligatory holiday ‘happy hour’ while the kids played an extended version of their beloved Settlers of Catan game. What would we do without it 😁

    We ended the evening with a highly competitive game of Trivial Pursuit - kids vs adults - which the kids will tell you they won convincingly. Either we taught them well or the questions were rigged - nothing to do with the preceding happy hour 🤪    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024

    Narooma

    5. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Another uninspiring beach day spent exploring the town of Narooma itself. We walked the disjointed Main Street acquiring a bunch of ‘classic’ DVDs from Vinnie’s (in anticipation of more unfavourable weather) before stumbling upon a fabulous artisan bakery - Honour Bakery - and the best ever sausage roll with tomato chilli jam sauce 😋

    Lachie was very keen to try his luck fishing, until we realised we brought the rods but not the tackle box 🤦🏽‍♀️

    We therefore spent the rest of afternoon playing games before welcoming Dan, Helen, Claire and Michael to join us for the rest of the holiday. Let the fun begin!    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024
    Dalmeny

    Happy Birthday Lachlan

    4. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We officially have 3 teenagers in the house!

    Not even an invitation to sleep in stopped the newest 13 year old from waking excitedly with the anticipation of birthday fun. And he certainly was rewarded.

    We got in early before we left home with his signature teenage gift of a Trek Roscoe 7 bike. Then this morning he received a further bounty 🤩

    Being an uninspiring beach day we explored around Narooma and Dalmeny before somehow finding our way to the new Narooma Mountain Bike Trails. Something tells me we’ll be back… 🤦🏽‍♀️

    As the sun attempted an appearance we headed to the beach, only to very quickly conclude that wetsuits are most definitely warranted (another reason we usually head north). The pool on the other hand was entirely pleasant.

    We ended the day with a special birthday dinner at the Narooma Hotel with its ‘million dollar view‘ over the Wagonga Inlet and Bar Beach.    Les mer

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  • Narooma Summer 2024
    1

    Let the holidays begin

    3. januar 2024, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    A very long 377 km to Narooma, mostly spent navigating the 15 km or so from Lake Conjola to Ulladulla - a serpentine of crawling traffic reminding us why we usually head north! The stunning scenery a saving grace as the sun made a brief appearance.

    The fabulous Discovery Park Narooma Beach will be our base for the next week or so as we explore this part of the south coast.    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Bonny Hills

    7. oktober 2023, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    It’s official, I think we’ve found the best ‘glampsite’ in Australia at BIG4 Bonny Hills. Complete with our very own double sized astro turf site, ensuite, spacious private deck, fully stocked outdoor kitchen (including complimentary tea, coffee, milk and biscuits), TV with Netflix, dining table etc. It’s awesome!

    Plus the park is pretty fabulous too - with heated pool, waterslide, splash park, coffee cart, games room, jump pad, putt putt golf and plenty of shade - all right beside a beautiful beach, with a great surf club and a general store/takeaway food just opposite. We’ll be back for sure!    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Currumbin & Coolangatta

    6. oktober 2023, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Our final day on the Gold Coast spent exploring the southern beaches towards the NSW border.

    First stop, coffee at Elephant Rock with its spectacular views back over the Surfers Paradise skyline and south towards Coolangatta.

    At the Coolangatta beachfront we spotted a bike shop advertising ‘Fat Boys’ for hire. They had our names all over them! An hour later we had cruised the length of the coast from Coolangatta to Currumbin and back. Anthony and Ryan scored the turbo charged models while Josh, Lachie and I got the driving Miss Daisy versions 🤣

    A fun day ending with a swim back at the caravan park, and a lazy cook ourselves dinner.    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Sea World

    5. oktober 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Saving the best for last… Day three of Village Roadshow Theme Park madness: Sea World!

    We all agreed Sea World was the best of the three parks, with rides that were genuinely fun and plenty of other entertaining attractions. We especially loved the Affinity Dolphin show and Seal Guardians presentation. Our favourite rides were the Jet Ski Rescue, Storm Coaster and Leviathan 😁

    We celebrated the successful completion of our three park ‘Escape Pass’ with a seafood platter on the Surfer’s Paradise beachfront 😋    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Wet ‘N Wild

    4. oktober 2023, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Day two of Village Roadshow Theme Park madness: Wet ‘N Wild! (mixing it up on account of the weather 🌦️)

    Very different to yesterday, with respectable queue lengths - we conquered 4 rides in our first hour! I may even have been convinced I had fun at a theme park 🤣

    Hoping the weather holds out for SeaWorld tomorrow 🤞🏼    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Movie World

    3. oktober 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After years of casually responding “one day” we’re finally making good on a long awaited (never forgotten) promise to the boys - Gold Coast Theme Parks! 🤦🏽‍♀️

    Day one of Village Roadshow madness: Movie World. Despite the lengthy queues, the boys bravely conquered ALL the major attractions and managed to come away smiling (I might have chickened-out on more than a few). Their favourites included the Joker (DC Hyper-coaster), Superman and Green Lantern rides.

    Not sure crowds or adrenaline rides are my thing, but looking forward to SeaWorld tomorrow all the same. I think penguins and polar bears might be more my style 😁    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Brisbane

    2. oktober 2023, Australia ⋅ 🌩️ 20 °C

    Today we explored Brisbane, including South Bank with its markets and lagoon pool, a ferry cruise along the river and under the iconic Story Bridge, and of course an obligatory drive by the mighty Gabba and Suncorp Stadiums 🤦🏽‍♀️Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Surfers Paradise & Broadwater

    1. oktober 2023, Australia ⋅ 🌬 25 °C

    A lazy Queensland day spent by the beach and exploring along the coast towards Broadwater where we met up with friends for happy hour and a BBQ to watch the NRL Grand Final.

    Once again our record of jinxing the local team prevails - go Panthers! A mighty come-from-behind three-peat.

    Poor Brisbane, losers in both the AFL and NRL 😂    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Tallebudgera Creek

    30. september 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We’ve made it to the Goldie!

    After checking in at Tallebudgera Creek Tourist Park, Burleigh Heads, we enjoyed a beautiful spring afternoon at the beach, followed by a casual dinner at the Tallebudgera Surf Club, where we’re now honorary members.

    I reckon we blended right in with the Turf Games competitors from the fields across the road 😅

    Oh, and not to forget somewhere in between watching Collingwood defeat the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Grand Final. Our tradition of jinxing the local team continues!    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzGold Coast 2023Reisende

    Macksville

    29. september 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Happily we’re escaping north again for the school holidays, destination Gold Coast, along with half of Sydney it would seem.

    After a slow journey up the freeway we’ve made it to Macksville - the only place on the entire coast that would take a one night stay!

    We’re at the Nambucca River Tourist Park and truth be told it’s not that bad (or at least we’ve stayed in worse). There’s a basketball court, a beautiful sunset and a group of oldies having a ‘70s themed disco party in the camp kitchen, complete with glitter ball and roller skates. What more could we want 😂    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzWA Road Trip 2023Reisende

    Number Crunching

    9. mai 2023, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Total distance travelled (including side trips):
    14,154 kms!

    Total cumulative driving hours:
    225 (9 x 24 hr days)

    Time away:
    7 weeks, 5 days

    States travelled through:
    4 (NSW, VIC, SA and WA)

    Favourite place:
    So hard to say. This is such an amazing and diverse country it is hard to pick but we all loved the isolation and beauty of WA. Special mention also to the Bunda Cliffs (Great Australian Bight)!

    Places we missed:
    So many! There is definitely not enough time to travel Australia. We have a long list of places to go back to one day.

    Best ‘swim with’ experience:
    Whale Sharks (Exmouth)

    Best boat ride experience:
    Utopia (Coral Bay)

    Ultimate highlights:
    WA; Bunda Cliffs – Anthony
    Turquoise Bay; Bunda Cliffs – Fiona
    Rottnest Island; Bunda Cliffs – Josh
    Sea Lions; Pinnacles – Ryan
    Whale Sharks; Quokkas – Lachlan

    Best caravan park overall:
    BIG4 Riverfront Renmark; RAC Esperance

    Best site:
    Kalbarri Red Bluff Tourist Park

    Best ensuite/amenities:
    RAC Esperance; Broken Hill Outback Resort

    Best breakfast:
    Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort

    Best lunch:
    Lobster Shack, Cervantes (WA seafood platter)

    Best dinner:
    Foreshore Hotel, Ceduna (SA seafood platter)

    Best bakery:
    Mt Barker; Naranderra (hot cross buns)

    Best pie:
    Green curry chicken pie (Mt Barker Bakery)

    Worst pie:
    Big Joes Breakfast Pie (Coral Bay); The Spud (Hyden)

    Best coffee:
    Gino’s Cafe, Fremantle

    Worst coffee:
    Windmill Roadhouse, Regans Ford

    Best pre-trip purchase:
    WA All Parks Holiday Pass

    Worst roads:
    NSW by a country mile

    Most expensive fuel:
    $2.70 per litre, Nullarbor Roadhouse

    Biggest oversized load:
    7m wide (between Streaky Bay and Port Augusta)

    Most played games:
    Settlers of Catan; Dugong Wars

    BIG things:
    *Big Windmill – Penong SA
    *Big Galah – Kimba SA
    *Big Whale – Eucla WA & Nullarbor Roadhouse SA
    *Big Kangaroo – Border village SA
    *Big Lobster – Dongara WA
    *Big Whale Shark – Exmouth WA
    *Big Prawn – Exmouth WA
    *Big Nugget – Widgiemooltha WA
    *Big Hole – Kalgoorlie Super Pit WA    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzWA Road Trip 2023Reisende
    Everybody loves a BoganSnow!1

    Home Sweet Home

    7. mai 2023, Australia ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    A very chilly morning, just 6 degrees in Cobar, as we began the long drive home.

    Leaving Cobar, ironically despite being in our home state we somehow felt more isolated than anywhere else on our trip so far. There’s just no one out here. At least across the Nullarbor there was always a road train or grey nomad not too far away.

    We motored onwards through the country towns of Nyngan, Narromine (stopping briefly to check out the statue of Glenn McGrath), Dubbo and Mudgee, before finally crossing the Blue Mountains and descending into Sydney. But not before a bit of excitement climbing the hill out of Lithgow… at just 2 degrees it started snowing, really putting the MUX (and my nerves) to the test. I’m pleased to say both car and driver handled the conditions marvellously - although it was reassuring to have 4WD!

    After driving towards what appeared to be heavy rain for most of the day, we never quite found it and eventually arrived home to a beautiful, albeit chilly, evening 🥶

    As we round the last corner into Hartigan Avenue we reflected on the amazing adventure we had, the near perfect weather we were blessed with, the fabulous company we shared, and the forever family memories we will cherish for a lifetime.

    Now for a long hot shower and a good night sleep before tackling the mountain of washing and cleaning tomorrow 😬    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzWA Road Trip 2023Reisende
    Now that's a schnitzel!

    Cobar NSW

    6. mai 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The moment the boys waited more than 13,500 km for…

    In 2018 we stopped here in Cobar on the way home from our SA road trip (Adelaide, York Peninsula and Flinders Ranges). We chanced the most memorable pub dinner ever at the Great Western Hotel, for no other reason than the meals were enormous. I’m talking schnitzels and steaks hanging off all sides of the plates, piled high atop a mountain of chips and veges. The boys have talked about it ever since. We couldn’t not attempt to repeat the experience - even if it meant sitting in the Bistro watching the Coronation of King Charles III 🤦🏽‍♀️

    Predictably, the memory exceeded reality. Not that it was bad. In fact I’d say the quality has improved. It was actually very nice. But it just wasn’t the huge meal that had wowed us the first time. The boys’ disappointment was easily overcome with icecream 🤣

    Tonight we’re at the Cobar Caravan Park. We had a lovely conversation during happy hour exchanging travel tips and advice with a friendly grey nomad couple behind us. We now have at least another three more trips worth of places we need to visit! We also received some ‘interesting’ caravan hacks and ‘how to’ advice from a well-intentioned but socially inept fellow traveller missing all but two teeth. They’ve got all sorts out here!

    Fun Fact: The Cobar Great Western Hotel (1898) in the Main Street is the most interesting and the most prominent building in town. The pub's timber veranda with cast-iron balustrades and lacework balcony is 100m long and, as such, is reputedly the longest cast iron veranda and balcony in Australia.    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzWA Road Trip 2023Reisende
    500 year old giant Red Gum at Orroroo measuring 10.4 m in circumference1

    Broken Hill NSW

    5. mai 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Driving out of Port Augusta this morning we saw our first sign to Sydney - via Broken Hill. It’s a welcome call to home after nearly 8 weeks on the road but also a sad reminder that our awesome trip is coming to an end.

    As the highway wound its way towards Horrocks Pass we admired the graceful rotations of the wind turbines at the foot of the Flinders Ranges - so much nicer than the coal fired power stack that accents the Blue Mountains from the west at Lithgow. Urgh!

    We cruised through the historic railway town of Peterborough and on through some very barren grazing land before crossing the border back into NSW, landing in Broken Hill. East of the border almost instantly the road quality deteriorated, the surface became bouncy and potholed and the shoulders narrowed and crumbling. Not good - up your game ‘Premier’ State!

    We had already spent a few days exploring the highlights of Broken Hill on a previous trip so this time we tried something a little different - the nostalgic Bells Milk Bar, a Broken Hill icon for over 100 years.

    Bells is known as one of the longest continuously running businesses in Broken Hill. Originally it was called Fenton’s confectioner and cordial maker in 1892, and has endured several major renovations over the years, now preserved in time with 1950s decor and memorabilia.

    The boys were in milkshake heaven with over 50 flavours to choose from! They eventually decided on Choc Turkish Delight (Anthony), Butterscotch (Josh), Bells Signature Malted Vanilla with Nutmeg (Ryan) and Coconut Rough (Lachlan), while I had a Bells Signature Sundae with Cherry Ripe topping 😋 You know they’re good milkshakes/thickshakes when the straws stand up by themselves and were so big not even the boys could finish them!

    Tonight we’re staying at the Broken Hill Outback Resort on the site of the original Mount Gipps Hotel, just east of town. After years of neglect, the heritage building has been restored to its former glory and is now the centrepiece of the caravan park, which incidentally has perhaps the best layout of amenities we’ve seen (LOL small things excite us in the outback).

    We enjoyed a lazy evening on the veranda as the sun set and the full moon took its place between the big old gum trees growing along the creek.    Les mer

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  • McDermotts Travel OzWA Road Trip 2023Reisende
    Massive oversized load - 7m wide!Flinders RangesNo. 1 restaurant in town according to Trip AdvisorUpper Spencer Gulf

    Port Augusta SA (return)

    4. mai 2023, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We’re back at the ‘Crossroads’ - an uninspiring yet unavoidable stop-over on our return trans-continental journey. The only positive in having to repeat a stay here in Port Augusta is that approaching from the west you get to appreciate the stunning backdrop of the prehistoric Flinders Ranges.

    Today exemplified the sheer size of our country. We’ve been driving for 6 days since we left Perth and yet only just reached the halfway point! Another round of happy snaps with the Big Galah at Kimba and we can all officially now claim to have driven halfway across Australia.

    Despite retracing our steps for a big part of the day it wasn’t all the same. This morning as we left Streaky Bay we stopped to check out Murphy’s Haystacks, an ancient rock garden as old as time itself. Of course they’ve nothing to do with haymaking and are in fact great examples of weathered granite inselberg formations (German for “island-mountain”). Gradual weathering over the past 30,000 years has unearthed and shaped the granite to reveal the weird and wonky pillars and boulders that now stand proudly in a paddock overlooking Sceale Bay.

    This afternoon as we pulled into the same Discovery Park as we stayed at on our way to WA, we were ushered to the exact same site as we had last time. What are the chances!

    Tonight we’re ‘dining’ in Port Augusta’s No.1 restaurant according to Trip Advisor - KFC 🤦🏽‍♀️ At least the boys are full and happy. And in a nod to the class of the town there’s a queue at least 10 cars long for the drive-through.    Les mer

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