Day 1
So we got up pretty early and packed for our caravan adventure to Melbourne (as that was all we had decided at this point in time). We left rainy Sydney and headed for the open road....this took us a while as the traffic in Sydney is quite bad most of the time. We headed on the Princes Highway (which follows the coast of NSW South) to the first town which was Wollongong, it was an ok big town with good beaches we stopped at the Lighthouse and the Wollongong City Beach for a spot of lunch which was the traditional fish and chips...including the seagulls...I was not amused.
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| Wollongong Lighthouse |
After a look around we headed back in our campervan which was doing ok and running fairly smooth, Neil was getting used to the Tom Tom and began to listen to it's instuctions rather then shouting at it. Neil was also getting used to the way Aussie's drive...firstly we are reminded by signs that they also drove on the left hand side of the road and secondly (this one to Neil's annoyance) they overtake from both sides fo the lane and lastly seem to drive right up each others aӣ$s (again this annoyed Neil).
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| Neil at another lighthouse |
The afternon we spent driving along the Pacific Highway which curved along the coast and reveled stunning scenery of isolated beaches, coves and cliffs. We stopped often to take pics and enjoy the scenery and weather. We went to Kiama (a lovely little fishing town with a famous blowhole (see pic) and then headed to Nowra a lovely little town again beautiful scenery and a real sense of village life and friendly Australians...it is a lot less posey then Bondi. As it late afternoon we decided we should find somewhere to camp for the night.
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| The blow hole |
We found a place called Shoalhaven Caravan Park that gave us a spot for the night which was powered, this means we can us our fridge, kettle, microwave and toaster (luxury I know). As it was our first night we had to learn how to change over the power, connect the water (was unable to do the water) pop up the hood to give Neil an extra foot or so and get the portable gas stove out so I as duitful wife prepare dinner for my husband who had been driving for around 3 hours of the day. I prepared a curry....mum you would be proud and rice, gave Neil a bottle of beer and we chilled out with the mozzies and birds in the dark....thank god we brough our head toruches from the Inca Trail as we had to use then to get to the bathroom at night.
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| Our cosy Caravan of Love |
Day 2
We woke up early the next day....Neil made breakfast of beans on toast (a campers favourite) and then we packed away and was back on the road. Again following the Pacific Highway we travelled the coast enjoying the hot weather, listen to my selection of songs on the Ipod and took in the amazinhg scenery and coastal houses (which we both dreamed about living in the future). We headed to Jervis Bay and stopped mid morning at Huskisson, we went for a walk along the bay and along the isolated small beaches their.
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| Neil at Jervis Bay |
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| The view as we walked along |
Back on the road and singing to Isley Brothers...seems fitting due to the sunny weather we headed to find a place to stop for lunch...suddenly their appeared a empty, white sandy beach called Mollymook beach and we parked up, put our swimmers and headed down. We stopped here for a few hours, soaked up the sun., paddled in the sea (it is still cold and the current a little too strong to swim) and had some lunch.
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| Mollymook Beach - A good place to stop for lunch |
After a long and lazy lunch we went back on the road and headed to Batemans Bay. On the way Neil suddenly pulled up and said “Get the camera out” I was wondering why but then I looked over and saw KANGAROO'S loads of them by the side of the road....we snapped a lot of pics, took a video or two and screamed with excitement as we saw them in the wild rather then a Zoo and tried to get their attention but referring to them as Joey's, we have no idea what they call a lady Kangaroo...if anyone knows please comment and let us know.
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| Skippy the Bush Kangaroo |
As it was getting on we decided Batemans Bay would be our stop for the night and after seeing Corrigans Beach (which was full of fat bald misarable men) we headed to find a caravan park, we found Casey Caravan Park which had a pool...so we hopped in for a late swin before dinner, this time it was a joint effort of “snags”, potato salad (home made) and salad all washed down with cheap Auusie beer which is extremely hard to find as it is so heavily taxed.
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| Snags for dinner |
Day 3
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| Another stop for lunch as a beautiful beach |
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| Helps us to know when to look out for them |
Last night we had planned where our next stop would be as it sounded like heaven (Eden) So we packed up and headed back on the road through Narooma (nice town) and Bermagui (cute little village) where we stopped at the beach for lunch and again soak up the sun (I think your getting our routine by now) and then headed straight to Eden to get some time there. On the way we also tried to do a spot of Wombat watching...no luck only roadkill I'm afraid. Arriving we found a caravan site (due to the great informations centre every town has) got a powered site 1 minute from the beachfront and quickly set up before spending most fo the afternoon on the beach again reading, tanning, paddeling and enjoying the empty beach. At night I cooked up dinner a lentil curry (Neil was missing it) and again washed down with beer.
Day 4
It was Saturday and the night before I had planned that we would be stopping a Lakes Entrance for the night (this is because Neil drives and I plan where we go and what we do) the reason for this was because it sounded like a lovely place in the guidebook and their was a winery there and so because it was Saturday night we thought we deserved a treat. We drove straight their to enjoy the time we had. At this point we were crossing from New South Wales into Victoria, at the border there are huge signs saying no friut brought passed the border, but like rebels that we are we took our fruit and veg with us to Victoria.....looking and feeling a little guilty as we did. We arrived at Lakes entrance in the early afternoon and walked up along the lake and enjoyed the weather, looking at all the fishing boats and cruises thinking how nice it would be to live here too.
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| Lakes Entrance - lots of boats |
After finding a place to park up fro the night at Eastern Beach Caravan Park which again gave us a nice spot close to the Ninety Mile Beach (yes that's right it is nighty miles long)
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| Part of the Ninety Mile Beach |
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| Me on my first glass...honestly |
we got on the phone and booked our wine, cruise and dinner evening with Wyanga Park Winery (the oldest in the area) and got oursleves to The Corque boat for our evening to begin. Once aboard we were met by Jeff (an old man with a white beard and a glint in his eye...like an alcoholic) who once we spoke said to everyone on board “We have some Pommies here.” Once settled down we were given a menu to choose our 3 courses from (this all happens in the winery) and then he came round with 2 glasses some wine and began to chat to us about where we were from, what we did, how long we were over for and using some terrible chat up lines with all the ladies...he used the same ones for all of us.
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| Neil enjoying the red |
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| On the cruise |
There were a couple of Sheila's who were getting very drunk and flirting a lot with Jeff and he seemed to throughly enjoy it, especially when we sat on their lap and they pinched his bottom! Now me and Neil are no wine tasting experts so we were a little worried when we got on that we would have to spit in a bucket, swirl around the glass and take small sips. God love the Aussie's as we were told the grape and how sweet or dry it was and then we drank as much as we wanted. After a 50 minute cruise to the winery and around Lakes Entrance....beautiful place we then got on a bus up a very small road to the Wyanga Winery where we got to try even more wines...but the end everyone was pouring what they wanted into their own glass while Jeff chatted ot the guests as Viagra, his life and showed us all the maps where people from the world had come from...even from Ilford and Whitley Bay!
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| Jeff and his wines |
We then had a 3 course dinner which was lush, Neil had the Chicken Kebabs, Salmon and followed by a white choc Pavolva and I had the Prawn pot, Salmon and Sorbet. All was served with amazing home made bread, more wine and then to end it with port or muscat which the winery makes aswell.
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| Lush Salmon |
Full and a little drunk we headed back onto the bus and this time down the narrow and dark road and onto the boat for our 50 minute crusie back. Thought late at night the whole place was lit by the full moon and made the place even more beautiful. We watched the glow worms pass the boat and the full moon hit the lake (romantic I know) and enjoyed the time on the cruise before it was time to hop off and walk back to our Caravan of Love for a good night sleep.
Me and Neil would like to say a huge Thank you to Andy, Suzie, Jemima and Rory for their wedding present as we put it to the cruise, wine and dinner tour and had a fab time. A postcard is winging it;s way to you as I write this.
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| Cheers Timlins! |
