Glowing Water? Not Today…

Before turning inland, we made a final stop at Jervis Bay, Callala Bay, known for its bioluminescence. We were hoping for a glowing, otherworldly shoreline, but the phenomenon didn’t make an appearance that night. If you’ve never seen it, I recommend looking it up — it must be extraordinary in person.

Dinner was simple: homemade wraps and chocolate cookies. Or it would have been, had we not given the cookies to a young boy whose enthusiasm for them was impossible to ignore. His parents were mortified, apologising profusely as he demanded more after promptly dropping the first one. We, on the other hand, were quietly relieved — the cookies weren’t that great anyway.

We took a last stroll along the beach, still hoping the bioluminescence might change its mind. It didn’t.

Driving out of town late that night, we stumbled upon an unexpectedly extravagant Christmas light display. Music played through a speaker set up for passing cars, and the entire house was transformed into a glowing spectacle. We weren’t the only ones who stopped, momentarily stunned by the sight.

Two more hours of driving followed before we reached our campsite in the Bendeela Recreation Area in Kangaroo Valley. Although advertised as free, it required online booking — something I hadn’t been able to access anywhere. By the time we arrived, deep inland on a gravel road with no reception and no realistic alternative, turning back wasn’t an option.

There were staff checking bookings at the entrance, but after hearing how far we’d driven that day, they waved us through. Kindness goes a long way. It was late, dark, and we still had a tent to put up — sleep had become the only goal.

On the bright side: The campsite was alive with wombats and kangaroos, wandering calmly through the area!

Pic quality is... Mediocre at best, but you can make out the kangaroos and just trust me when I tell you pic 2 shows a wombat. ^^Read more