Our travels for 2013 are basically complete

We have now arrived back in Melbourne.  We lived in Lower Templestowe and Box Hill from 2000 until mid 2011 and then over the last two years have travelled to many parts of Australia (which we have shared on this blog) and also spent a few months each year in New Zealand.  Being in New Zealand gives us time to spend with our close and extended family which is wonderful.

We are uncertain of our plans yet for 2014 - we have lots of ideas but nothing definite as yet.  It is time to put a finish to this blog and we will commence a new blog for our further travel. (we will link it to this one)

It is hard to sum up the last two years - we have loved travelling this amazing country.  It is so large it is difficult to estimate the distances and the variety.  It has taken months of travelling - from the white beaches, amazing reefs, waterfalls, gorges, red sandy desert to the tiny outback towns and the small and major cities.

We have driven some incredible dirt tracks and roads, through rivers and over rocks, deep sandy tracks and four wheel drive areas and even some bitumen roads!  We have stayed in our tent, in our caravan, in motels and resorts, and with the generosity of home owners completed some awesome house sitting assignments.  We have free camped and stayed in caravan parks.  Every experience has been different and we have enjoyed them all.

We have travelled throughout Australia for over two years now and seen far more of Australia than a lot of Australians.  Have we finished - no never.  There is always more to see and places to go and we still have a desire to do that.  This is such a great country with such great wildlife, natural settings and experiences to be had.  It doesn't need to cost the earth - we have proved you can experience it with a variety of cost effective accommodation and it is not always necessary to go on tours to see an area.

During the writing of this blog we have shared some of the costs - we have got a bit slack with recording fuel costs and accommodation costs of late.  We have tried to buy locally as we have travelled rather than carry huge stocks of food - this way we are supporting the local businesses and this is particularly in the areas where free camping is available.

Our advice to anyone who has the time and health, go and see the real Australia.  There is something that will interest everyone.  Along the way other travellers are keen to share their experiences.  Our advice, don't plan a definite itinerary but be prepared to make your travel plans as you go along as you will want to visit some places you won't even know existed prior to leaving home.  Go and enjoy!

We hope you have enjoyed checking out our blog and perhaps travelling with us.

Until next time.

Gill & Peter

Our time in Port Macquarie comes to an end

Wherever we visit we always seem to find a market on at least one of the days of the week-end to visit.  It is always a good time to mix with both visitors and locals and of course there is the added advantage of fresh produce (normally) and the opportunity to view the handiwork of various local crafts people.

Port Macquarie was no different and on the second Saturday in each month there is a farmers and artists market on the foreshore.  The market commences at 8 a.m. but we are never out of the house that early (it is lucky if I am out of bed!) so we made our way to this market around 11 a.m.  The market is situated behind one of the sports clubs in town and has the marina behind it.  There were lots of people about and although it was a huge market it was interesting to wander.  It was a much cooler day and the wind was blowing so we didn't stay too long.

 Market and marina behind

Later in the evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner out at The Stunned Mullet above Town Beach.  This restaurant is a highly regarded dining destination in Port Macquarie and an early booking was necessary.  The food was beautiful and we really enjoyed our evening.

Before we knew it our time in Port Macquarie had come to an end, have our last breakfast on the deck and it was time to say good-bye to Penny and Cleo and briefly met the home owners on their early morning return from Darwin.  We had had a great time, but it was time to move on with only one night before we were due in Stanhope Gardens in Sydney.

  View from deck

We left Port Macquarie around 11 a.m. and drove to Forster/Tuncurry where we arrived in time for lunch.  We had previously camped next to a couple from this area and they had said how picturesque the area was so it was good to have time to visit.  Forster and Tuncurry are actually two separate towns with a long bridge joining the two towns.  It is a popular holiday area, four hours drive north of Sydney, with popular long beaches.

Forster is the larger of the two towns and is across the bridge from Tuncurry.  We drove out to Cape Hawke where there are stunning views, and again people were watching out for the whales (but we didn't see any).  We continued walking along the track and down the stairs to very sandy One Mile Beach - we could only but imagine how crowded this beach must get in summer.  There were quite a few swimmers out in the waves, surfing as well, and the ever present sunbathers.  Unfortunately we had some camera difficulties and all our photos from this area were not on the disc - just have to have that beach recorded to memory.

Back into Forster and we went to Main Beach and found a very popular cafe for lunch - it is five years today since my diagnosis with cancer and the commencement of my treatment.  However great it is to be able to have that period of time behind me and to be well enough to be out enjoying life with Peter and indulging in our shared passion for travel.  I will be forever grateful for this second chance.

Main Beach, Forster

  Cafe at Main Beach, Forster

We continued on the Central Coast Highway and stopped overnight at The Entrance.  We visited this popular holiday spot last year when we were travelling the East Coast.  We stayed overnight in a motel and next morning we were able to spend a couple of hours enjoying the waterfront park, with lots of cafes and restaurants.  There were lots of people about - mainly those in similar age to us with time to explore.  Fortunately we were just ahead of the school holidays - it would be much busier next week when all the local schools are closed for the holidays.

Koala Corridor

You may recall that when we visited the Koala Hospital in Port Macquarie (which was only about two kilometres from the house we were staying in) we were told that the area around the Koala Hospital was a koala corridor and that over the years if a koala could not successfully be rehabilitated to its original area but was able to remain in the wild it was released in the area around the hospital.

As the road passes the koala hospital there are signs of koalas warning drivers of the possibility of koala in the area.  Now we have seen those signs in many areas as we have lived and travelled throughout Australia.  Have we seen a koala previously in the wild (not taking into account our visits to Pound Bend in Warrandyte in Victoria when we specially went looking for them knowing they were in the area)?  No, no, no.

So when Peter was sitting at the dining room table in the house working away at the computer and said to me that there was a koala in the tree opposite I said to him, "don't be stupid, that isn't even a gum tree".  He was determined there was a koala, and I was just as determined he was making it up.  It sounded too similar to the "there are whales out there" that he often commented on as he picked up the binoculars to confirm his statement, but I still hadn't seen any whales.  So to prove him wrong, I said I was going out to see, so out I went. (Goes to show I was Probably right about the whales as well :-) )

I have to say I was wrong - now that is a big statement for me!  Sure enough, in the frangipani tree opposite (and definitely not a gum tree) was sitting a koala.  How Peter saw it from inside the house, but he was definitely correct.

Now how impressive was that - not only was this koala in the wild, but it was directly opposite the house we were staying in.

I then got concerned for it (of course after I had to call my apology to Peter who wasn't going to be happy until I had).  Was it in danger, had it got lost, it was small had it separated from the mother?  All I could think of was "should I report this to the koala hospital?".  There was no one about so I decided to knock on the door of the house where the tree was and see if anyone was home.  Sure enough there was a lady home, she had not seen the koala but came to check it out.

She didn't go near the koala, as they are wild and have very sharp claws, but considered that the koala was okay.  As this is a koala corridor they periodically get a koala moving from tree to tree or wandering up the street and said that one often spends quite a bit of time in one of the trees in the garden of where we were staying.

The koala was tagged with a yellow tag so was known to the hospital (as all animals who have been treated are tagged for future reference),

While we chatted the koala came further down the tree, and before long when it thought we weren't watching it jumped down and scrambled off down the street towards another tree.  It was quite safe, there were no cars around, and did not show any distress at all.

It was a wonderful encounter with a koala going about its normal day and a real treat and a superb memory of Port Macquarie.  And yes, Peter was right!

Finishing the coastal walk

We decided that as our time in Port Macquarie was fast coming to an end that we had better complete the coastal walk without delay.  Of course any mention of the word "walk" and Penny was not going to be left behind.

Penny in car waiting

We drove to Nobby's Beach which is very close to where we were staying.  This is the only beach on the coastal walk where dogs are allowed on the sand and Penny knew she was back at one of her favourite places.  We commenced our walk at the Nobby Head Obelisk and we were quite surprised to see some guys down on the rocks below fishing with the waves breaking around them.  Keen fishermen obviously.

Fishermen near Nobby's Beach

We walked towards Shelly Beach.  Here we had to leave the track as the track took walkers along the beach and signage made it very clear that dogs were not allowed on that section of the beach. Although there was no one else on the beach, we respected the no dogs rule and made our way back up to the roadway.

Shelley Beach

We continued our walk along the road until we came to Harry's Lookout where we again could enter. This spot is just a lookout point but possibly a very popular one especially with weddings parties. There was some interesting structures which would have made for unique photos.

Harry's Lookout

We finished our walk at Miners Beach and of course from there we had to turn around and repeat our walk back to the car.  Still it was really pleasant walking so we weren't unhappy about that.  The trees along the way were in flower and very pretty.

Variety of plants along the way

We had now completed the coastal walk, albeit in stages, from Town Green in the city all the way to Lighthouse Beach.  It is certainly a great asset to the area.

Coastal views

Continuing the coastal walk

We had walked the start of the coastal walk from Town Green on the foreshore along the breakwater to Town Beach a few days earlier.  On Sunday afternoon we took the car to Town Beach and parked up and started our walk from that point.

Town Beach

It was a lovely afternoon and there were many people on the beach and even some in the water - certainly not warm enough at 28 degrees for me as the water would have been cold, I am sure. Instead with Penny along for the walk we commenced and walked from Town Beach to Oxley Beach.  The walkway is mostly bitumen at this point and meanders up and down the coastline hills.  It is easy walking and in some of the steeper areas there are steps.  Of course, because we had parked the car at Town Beach we had to walk both directions, not a hardship as the views were amazing.

We kept an eye out to sea as it is whale migration time, but the whales were obviously well away from the coastline.  Although a number of people stood and pointed saying they could see the whales, neither of us could.  You could say this is poor eyesight, age or whatever, but we clearly missed out.  I am still not encouraged sufficiently to get on one of the whale boats - there were far too many white caps for me to venture off shore!

However, we did see some wildlife - some geckos were interrupted from sunning themselves as we walked along.  They can certainly move fast when they want to get out of the way of human or dog traffic.

 Gecko

The coastal walk is about nine kilometres long and is quite a rocky coastline in parts - we had walked less than half the distance from the town end so it was just as well there were more days ahead of us to continue.

Coastline

A visit from friends

When you are away from home as long as we are (it has now been over four months) we do miss family and friends.  We were delighted to hear from Melbourne friends, Jocelyn and Greg, that they were staying in nearby Tamborine Mountains in their caravan.  We invited them to come to stay with us at The Gap for a few days and it was great that they took us up on that offer.

They arrived on Saturday and stayed through until Thursday morning.  They enjoyed their first experience of "house sitting" and particularly enjoyed sleeping in a lovely comfortable bed after the single beds in their caravan.  After travelling for a number of weeks they enjoyed just being able to "stay home" for a while without being on the constant move.  So Saturday was spent catching up while enjoying the lovely surroundings in the outdoor lounge area.

On Sunday we went into the city by bus and made a visit to South Bank Parklands.  It is situated on the south side of the Brisbane River and is seventeen acres of parkland.  This area has been beautifully developed and was the original site of the 1988 Expo.  One of the areas has lovely tropical plantings and apparently was one of the Expo pavilions which has been redeveloped.

We got off the bus in the centre of the city and walked down the main shopping precinct and across Victoria Bridge to South Bank.

Our first stop was at the Wheel of Brisbane but no one was that keen to ride so we kept walking.

From here we joined the Sunday afternoon crowds and wandered along the riverbank until we got to
Streets Beach.  This is a man made beach lagoon with sandy foreshore, rock pools,  and streams and is a very popular spot.  As it was a very warm afternoon there were lots of people in swimming and lounging around.  The beach, with its varying depths which are well sign written, is patrolled by lifeguards so very popular.  We certainly didn't have bathers or a picnic with us but we made a stop for an ice cream instead.

We continued walking through the picnic areas to the Queensland Maritime Museum.  We decided that visiting the museum wasn't on our list for the afternoon.  The museum is housed in one of the original pavilions from the World Expo and includes an exhibition of models from historic sailing ship, early cargo ships through to modern container ships, tankers and cruise liners.

After lots of walking we decided it was time to cruise the river so made our way down to the closest jetty.  The City Hopper was the first boat to call in - this is a free service that stops at about eight different terminals heading down stream from the city and operates on week-ends and public holidays.  We climbed on board the very full boat and soon we were passing under Story Bridge which is a well known heritage listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the river.  It provides vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians access between the northern and southern suburbs and is 74 metres high.   There is a very popular tourism Bridge Walk available which would certainly provide a different perspective of Brisbane but none of us wanted to be starters.

City Hopper

After travelling for about half an hour we got off the City Hopper at one of the stops and decided to take the City Cat back upstream.  The City Cat are catamarans and operate seven days a week and are the commuter service on the river and stop at some different terminals to the City Hopper.  We stayed on as we passed the central business district and headed further upstream to the last stop. There are sixteen major bridges that cross the river and they are all unique in design.

We were surprised at how fast the City Cat travels and is certainly a fun and inexpensive way to see the sights of the city.  There are a number of stops upstream and we travelled all the way to the last stop being the University of Queensland.  Here the attendant on the Cat explained that during the 2011 floods the water was over the height of the second roof level (at the top of the ramp) of the terminal.  This certainly gave us a good understanding of the devastation caused during these floods. Apparently many of the private jetties have not been replaced as yet.

On arrival back at North Quay we disembarked and walked back along the city streets to the bus to return to The Gap.  We were somewhat surprised to see some of the locals resting

Of course, the kangaroos were statues but from a distance they certainly looked authentic.