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East Coast Australia July 2018East Coast Australia July 2018
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  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 19

    Whales and Sydney Harbour

    July 25, 2018, Tasman Sea ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Our first full day in Sydney took an early and unexpected turn. We breakfasted courtesy of the RACA and their "continental breakfast" was easily the most impressive spread we've had so far, made all the better for the impressive harbour views.

    Heading out, we wandered across the street through the botanical gardens and around the Opera House for some photos. On the quayside we got to discussing whale watching and eventually decided to sign up for an 11.15am departure from Darling Harbour. We wound our way across through the Sydney shops to get there - a mish mash of victorian-age buildings sitting in and along side modern skyscrapers, with little rhyme or reason.

    Our rigid and very fast boat headed out through the harbour and into the open ocean. Almost immediately we were treated to a whale breaching (where 60%+ of the whale comes out of the water). We followed - at a reasonable distance - the pod north up the coastline for nearly an hour, watching them breach, dive and blow. A fantastic view!    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 19

    The rest of Sydney

    July 25, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    From the whales watching, we headed for a brief exploration of Darling Harbour and the Maritime Museum (rather expensive so we gave it a miss), and south to Paddy's Market where we grabbed lunch. Tracking back north, we climbed too many stairs to be able to get to the Sydney Observatory, which is somewhat like a mini-Greenwich both in appearance and execution. It was nonetheless interesting and a worthwhile stop. It sits just west of the Harbour Bridge so we took the opportunity to walk the bridge, or at least half of it and back again.

    We rounded of the day with Art After Hours, a late night session at the Art Museum of New South Wales featuring wine, a fascinating lecture on John Russell and a rather funky band. The Australian and European artworks were interesting, and they did have a brilliant Asian art gallery, but the comtemporary art was rather odd. All in all great night rounded off with a beer in the Members Bar.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 20

    Outdoor Sydney

    July 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    As with yesterday, today did not go as planned. We anticipated spending the day in museums however in an early walk through the Botanic Gardens we saw a sign for a free garden tour at 10.30am. So, we popped briefly (and disappointingly) into the New South Wales Parliament and the Sydney Mint both of which were rather underwhelming in their displays. Then we headed back to the Botanic Garden cafe near our guide Barbara.

    The 90 minute tour was excellent, with bits of botany woven with the history and geography of Sydney. As well as beautiful flowers and towering trees, we saw teeny-tiny stingless bees and a harlequin beetle, Pearl White butterflies and an eel. We spent some time in and around the park afterwards, visiting the 'green wall' pollination exhibition, rose garden, fernery and herbarium.

    Heading south towards Hyde Park, we popped into the Barracks but again being underwhelmed decided not to go in. Instead, we wandered through the park, had lunch at Cheers before heading back to the hotel to rest our aching feet!

    In the evening, we wandered around the Rocks and the City enjoying the ambience of the nightlife and stumbling across a brilliant (but sadly closed) art gallery.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 21

    Bondi

    July 27, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Our final morning in Sydney, we drove out to Bondi Beach. We didn't expect much, it being so hyped, but it really was beautiful and, being winter, the beach was empty. So we plodded along the sands across the full length of the beach, getting our trouser legs rather wetter than intended in the wake. Back at the south of the beach, we walked part of the walk to Bronte Beach along the cliffs to take in the views from up high.

    In order to get from here to Newcastle we had to pass back through Sydney. So on the way back through a stopped at the art gallery that we found last night to purchase a brilliant piece of an emu, koala and kookaburra. This also meant we got to drive over the Harbour Bridge before continuing up the spectacular coastline across thin spits of land and over bridges towards Newcastle.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 21

    Newcastle

    July 27, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We got into Newcastle in mid-afternoon and checked into our hotel, in the rooms above a large pub. Kit dropped, we drove into the city centre aiming for the fort. The city of Newcastle is truly beautiful - industrial heartland sits alongside tourist surf beaches and both gleam under the low winter sun. It was incredibly, almost unnervingly, quiet, feeling more like a heritage museum in places than one of the ten biggest cities in Australia.

    On the walk up the port road, an announcement of a the loud speaker of the beach announced a pod of four whales was passing the bay. The view across the bay - the lighthouse at one end, across the beach and fort down a long coastline - is spectacular and to see more whales breaching and dolphin playing in the surf so close to the bay was brilliant.

    The fort itself was an interesting visit, being the only Australian fort to fire on enemy forces in WWII. From here, a stroll in to the city passing some fascinating heritage buildings including the facades of a demolished block seemingly being preserved to become the front for some new buildings. The local brewery, Foghorn, allowed us to try some more locally brewed beers and have a lovely late lunch. By the time we got back to the car, the sun was setting across the harbour and the full, super-moon was hanging brightly over the fort. We spent some time watching the sunset (and taking photos!) before driving back to the hotel for beers and bed.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 22

    To Billabong!

    July 28, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    We headed to the port/marina for breakfast at the Wickham Boatshed. Expecting it to be as quiet as everywhere else in Newcastle, it was absolutely rammed! The Wickham Poke Bowl (?!) took Ben's fancy, with a huge slice of salmon on spinach, sweetcorn, potato, poached egg and 'avo'.

    Into Newcastle proper, we briefly perused the shops on Darby Street before hitting the Newcastle Museum which explored huge swathes of the area's heritage but sadly little about it's links to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. And, randomly, a camel outside. We drove out of Newcastle through the vast coal distribution machinery, being the largest coal exporting port in the world.

    We drove up the Pacific Highway to Bulahdelah, where we ventured into the Myall Lakes National Park to Bombah Point. The four main lakes that make up the park are huge and vary from apparently about 98% fresh, to brackish, to joining the sea. At Bombay Point, the lake was like glass, only disturbed latterly by the ferryman zipping across and the occasion pelican...which are *huge*. The road to get to the point wasn't always sealed (something which occurs with annoying/alarming frequency, even on signposted "Tourist Drives") so we returned slowly, going through Bulahdelah to Boomlahbayte and our accommodation.

    The B&B was more like a homestay, and so we were very grateful that the people booked into the ball tent had cancelled, meaning we could have it! It included an electric blanket so no worries about the cold nights. We had 'dinner' (toasties) in Bulahdelah after a beer in the *very* local (and only) pub before retiring for our first night in the tent.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 23

    Forster-Tuncurry

    July 29, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Overnight, the bell tent admirably withstood a barrage of rain, only the second time we've seen rain since we got here. We headed out north for the day, up the coast towards Forster-Tuncurry. The single road ran with the sea immediately to our right and the lakes to our last, and through both Myall Lakes and Booti Booti National Parks...beautiful. We stopped at a couple of pull-ins on the way to take in the view (and chat to a random Australian chap who appeared to be doing the same). A brief stop at Smith's Lake down to the lake's edge and a wander out on the beach spot where the locals houses we perched high on stilts amongst the hillside down to the sea.

    We briefly wandered the shops at Forster but being a Sunday and out of season it was rather subdued. So we popped over the bridge to Tuncurry and the rock pool - a netted off ocean swimming bath. We splodged about in here as the dolphins played in the waves caused by the break wall inlets just the other side of the net. At the cafe, we had a fish and chip lunch and with the cooler temperature and slightly overcast sky we could have been at a British seaside resort (albeit a marginally warmer sea!). We strolled to the end of the northern breakwater after lunch where more dolphins were playing just metres off shore.

    On the way back, we stopped first at Elizabeth Beach for a little bit of rockpooling, looking at the bright red starfish on the rocks and a bit more splodging in the sea. Passing through Booti Booti on the way back, we took the 431 steps up to Cape Hawke lookout. It have a huge vantage over Elizabeth Beach and the whole coastline but was a rather knackering incline.

    On the strip of land dividing sea from lake, we stopped on Seven Mile Beach, most of which we impressively had to ourselves with beach stretching off in both directions. I took the opportunity to go swimming and dragged Ben in too 😊 probably cold by Aussie standards, it certainly wasn't freezing and once you'd been in for a while was actually very pleasant. The beach was littered with vibrant purple shells and a few rocks, but nothing else.

    The final stop of the day was Seal Rocks and Sugar Loaf Lighthouse. Recommended by just about everyone and every book, no one mentioned the 600 metre walk to the lighthouse finished in a ridiculously steep incline. The view afforded was indeed spectacular but to be honest the coastline is so vast and (being winter?) so free of people that the other views we had had today were easy rivals. The 'Dingo Advice' did make the walk somewhat more anxiety-ridden however!

    Back at base, we set a camp fire and enjoyed smores under the occasionally cloudy sky and huge full moon.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 24

    Diamond Head Beach

    July 30, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    After breakfast in the tent, we retraced some of route from yesterday and left for Port Macquarie through Forster. A brief detour on the drive through Tall Woods village (one of the many housing estates which seem to have great views but few, if any, amenties), we detoured again into a national park and onto Diamond Head Beach. Much like the other beaches we've visited, we had seemingly miles of coast and golden sand entirely to ourselves, so we once again took the opportunity for a swim. The undertow was stronger here but aided by the fact the sea was very shallow for ages. At waist depth, the swell would rise to head height meaning there was little opportunity to get used to the water temperature gradually!

    In the way into 'Port' we passed some camels and lots of beach before pulling up to what looked like a suburban house. In fact we were staying in the equivalent of a granny-annex, beautifully decorated and just a five minute walk from the beach. Ed, the owner, was hugely welcoming and could talk for England! We promptly availed ourselves of the nearby beach with a little bit more rockpooling.

    Driving into the main town, it appears Monday is the town closure day for Port Macquarie with only a few shops and restaurants open. We had a bimble through what was open before driving to Settlement Point for the sunset. Failing to find a pub serving any beers we hadn't tried, a drove to the Tacking Point Tavern out of town for a quick drink and a Domino's order before returning to the Beach Serai to watch a bit more Australian Ninja Warrior.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 25

    Scott's Head

    July 31, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Ed kindly furnished us with freshly baked croissants for breakfast, after which we disappeared out to Tacking Point Lighthouse to whale watch as they migrated north. Apparently they come in so close to shore here to avoid the East Australian Current and we saw at least two pods passing by (as well as Ben making friends with a local who just wanted to tell him dirty jokes!)

    We decided to travel up the coastline instead of the highway today, which meant getting the ferry across from Settlement Point. We stopped briefly at the beach here, although advice to 'leave snakes alone' meant the stop was rather short (and the advice rather unnecessary!). Continuing on we reached a warning that the road was no longer serviced and the council would not accept liability for accidents. So we doubled back and took a more westerly but parallel road...which also descended into gravel madness! With no other route though, it was either gravel road or the ferry back...and as we had a hire car, we opted for the latter. Bloody Australian gravel roads.

    Further up the Pacific Highway, we stopped at Scotts Head for a coffee and wander in the sea (on a beach that actually had people on it!) before heading on to Coff's Harbour.    Read more

  • TravelerEast Coast Australia July 2018
    Day 26

    Coff's Harbour

    August 1, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Coff's Harbour has to rate as one of the most sedate and un-noteworthy stops; certainly, it was pleasing that we were staying in a holiday park on a beach north of the centre, rather than in the centre itself.

    We had a brief walk through both shopping districts of Coff's, with the harbourside looking particularly sad in winter - it had the feel of any off-season UK seaside town, sleepy, rusty and a little careworn. So we headed to our accommodation on Sapphire Beach in a little chalet for the night. As with the other beaches, it was of course lovely. So we splodged about and went into the sea for a little bit which was considerably warming than the bloody sand! We popped out to buy dinner (sushi, lime pickle, naan bread and chocolate mudcake!) and breakfast (bacon rolls) before settling in for the Grand Final of Ninja Warrior!

    We set the alarm early for the morning to enjoy a beach sunrise, and thankfully the weather was with us allowing brilliant views of the sun breaking over the horizon and the sea. Now, we're en route to Byron Bay and have, for the first time, crossed an earlier stop on our trip as we pass through Grafton (near our Ulmarra stop).    Read more

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