01 April 2011 - Towanga - Alpine area south east Victoria

 

Day 1:
32km ride to Mangans Bridge, fairly easy ride this morning, then back for lunch.  In the afternoon Stu & I drove to the little village of Mt Beauty, named after one of the lovely mountains in the area.  It's a gorgeous little town, so tidy & picturesque.  Do wish their autumn trees would change quicker as it would be spectacular then.  The population is about 3000 but it's really only a village much the size of Waipu with a supermarket & most other services needed.  Also a little hospital at the end of the main street (no excuse for not visiting a sick relative).  It was very busy this weekend as there has been a big mountain biking competition on so lots of broken bones etc.  We were tempted by the excellent ice-cream shop there which proved to be a good choice.  There is also a great outdoors shop so Stu bought us a good little thermos flask which will fit in our bike water carrier, plus some lovely little s/s mugs which are very light, to carry in the backpack.  He makes a good little 'burro'!  Late afternoon nibbles & that red stuff he likes is a regular, then our lovely after dinner session around the fire where we swop stories of one kind or other,  & get our programme for the next day.  Ruth is a great organiser having done it many times before.

Day 2:
This morning is supposed to be a 'rest day', but most people did some cycling.  Stu & I plus our friends Lyn & Kevin, decided to ride into Mt Beauty for lunch at the bakery/cafe there.  GREAT vanilla slices & coffee!  Most of the rest of the group went out for a banquet lunch at an italian place not far from here, but we four opted out.  We cycled back via the little local airfield where there were about 4 gliders in action, coming & going, taking paying customers up.  Lynne & Kevin had done it years ago some other location in Oz, & although Lynne was terrified, they both thought it was fantastic.  I don't think I could even sit in the seat & have the lid shut down on me & they only take the pilot plus one passenger, so without Stu to hold my hand it's a NO GO.  I'm slowly getting fitter, but also discovering it's a good idea to have a 'lay day'.  Works wonders.

Day 3:
Lots of long rides planned now, so today Stu & I decided to do some walks in the area.  Headed off in the car to some recommended, Stu with map in hand.  The first one was terribly overgrown with long grass etc which I didn't feel comfortable in at all, so was quite happy when we discovered that it had been washed out about halfway, so we turned back after precariously crossing a creek looking for the other end of the track.  Thought we'd stop & have our lunch on a nice log which was not ON the ground but actually above it.  Not a good idea.  Within seconds we noticed a bull ant nest in front of us, & the next thing I had been bitten 3 times up under the leg of my 3/4 pants.  Naturally we shifted, walked further back & found a picnic table which we sat right up on in case of other 'critters'.  Once back to the starting point we thought we would try another track, but first found a little 500m deviation round the creek which was quite lovely with ferns etc, & we thought we were back home.  We finally found a nice big wide track, followed that for about an hour, then started our return home.  Since I saw the snake some weeks ago, I have been 'allowing' Stu to take the lead, but halfway back I suddenly saw a black snake lying across the track & had to stop him before he walked on it!  It wasn't in a hurry to move from it's sunbathing, so I shuffled my feet & it slowly slithered to the side of the track into the grass, not before I took a photo of it.  There really shouldn't be many around now as it's getting too cold, but I guess these lovely sunny days are keeping them out & about.  My eyes are like mine-sweepers as I walk, but all in all as long as it's a nice wide track I am OK.

Day 4:
The experienced riders are attempting 110km ride today - naturally we are not including ourselves, but neither are some others.  There is talk of a big downhill ride tomorrow from the top of the ski slopes so I decided if I am to do it I wanted to see firsthand what it would be like.  So Stu & I decided to drive up.  A lovely drive up a very winding, steep road, all sealed but although two lanes, not especially wide.  Nice warmish day for it.  Took  about 40 minutes to drive up, & it was cooling off rapidly by the time we came down.  It looked  a bit scary so I kept putting off the decision to put my name down, as we would be getting the 'bus-a-bike'
again to take us to the top & naturally it had to be booked.  That night I had nightmares about my brakes failing & so my first question on waking was 'what would I do?  It's either go over the very long drop on one side, or crash into the banks on the other!  Stu was very reassuring, advising me that my bike was brand new & the brakes would not fail, & anyway, I may as well worry about a wheel falling off!  As you can imagine that helped HEAPS.  He of course is very keen to do it.   Anyway it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon,   Wonderful views of the valley below & the misty mountains all around.  And by the way, the 4 who attempted the 110km very steep ride achieved their goal.

Day 5:
Well the day for the big downhill run has dawned.  I still had nightmares last night, but have decided I am committed now so will have to go through with it.  I am nervous, but am sure I will be fine once I get started.  It's very cold this morning but my dear friends have made sure I have the appropriate clothing like gloves & thermal as going so fast downhill will create quite a chill factor.  We left at 9.30 for the 45min drive up again & we all had to have a caffeine fix when we got there.  I have to say it didn't fix me at all as it was the worst coffee I have ever had in my life & cost $5 - no competition on top of the mountain!  It was just like warm milk, in fact there might have been a bit of water as well, but DEFINITELY NO COFFEE.  Then the moment of truth arrived - time to take the plunge downhill.  There were 9 of us & I said I would go last, but Stu protectivly went behind me.  It was a bit hairy at first as the top is the steepest & therefore the fastest, but I used my brakes a fair bit till I got my courage up a bit.  The thing is that you have to be careful not to use them too much or they start to burn, so I was very conscious of that too.  Anyway, after a short time I got into the rhythm of going round the bends (not too fast) & before I knew it I was passing a couple of the other ladies who have been cycling for years.  We had about three uphills, one quite steep which I didn't think I would make, but I did, so I am definitely improving.  We had stops now & then to make sure everyone was OK & made it down to the bottom in about 90 minutes all safe & sound, no scrapes, NO failed brakes, & no puntures.  I must say it was really exhilarating with the wind whizzing past & a great feeling to have done it.  Great grandmothers can do ALMOST anything!  We had a lovely packed lunch  in the park at Mt Beauty in the sun, then had to cycle another 8 km back to the caravan park.  A good day had by all.  The day ended as usual around the campfire, swapping stories, some quite hilarious.

29 March 2011 - Myrtleford Alpine Area, north east Victoria

Day 1.- Myrtleford area.

Up at 7.30am, breakfast outside, a little cool but OK.  First ride today & although they SAY it's not hard, it may well be for me.  Suggestions have been made that Stu & I drive halfway, then cycle to Lake Buffalo to meet them all for lunch, then cycle back to the halfway mark & take the car again.  However, you know Stu.  He at least was positive 'we' could do the we could do the whole thing.  So off we went, mostly flat to start, on the road which is quietish except for the odd logging truck which luckily was going the other way.  It is the usual thing for the group to wait for the stragglers now & then, so we didn't feel bad from that aspect, & in fact were not always last.  Then came the hills.  Stuart of course had no trouble, & though I can't say it was easy, I made it up them all.  Am learning to use my gears better all the time which is a great help.  Finally made Lake Buffalo for lunch - what a relief!  Then of course I worried about how I was going to do it all again to get back.  Anyway, I got some nice shots of the lake & the wonderful reflections.  Stu cycled round it a little further to get a good shot of the surrounding hills as well.  Then inevitably we had to set off on the return journey again.  Stu reckons I got my second wind, as I seemed to be better going back - probably feeling a bit more confident.  It was a little easier I must admit, till we got to the very last hill & it beat me.  However I am very proud of myself - 47 kms is a fair old stint for a GREAT grandmother who has had little cycling experience.  Expecting some sore muscles tomorrow.  Dinner in the great outdoors back at the camp, then a nice brazier camp fire in the dark.  The stars are amazing here, seem so much closer somehow.  It is very dark which helps.  Instructions for the next days ride are always given at this point before we all drop into bed.  Tomorrow is another 43kms but most of us at  are being taken by van & trailer to the top of the rail trail at Beechworth & will ride down, while a small group of hardy types will ride UP the trail & then down the road (really scary as it is so fast & no room on the sides in places).  Stay tuned in for Day 2.

Day 2.- Myrtleford area

Very surprised to wake with NO sore muscles - except for the slightly sore rear end.  This is considered an easy day, so when we arrive at Beechworth it's coffee time.  LOVELY coffee at footpath tables - delightful little shop (very tiny) with gorgeous old chairs of all descriptions.  There is a big bakery opposite which many patronise regularly on their rides here but we were very strong.  Anyway off we set off,  lovely downhill runs, so exhilarating.  Their railtrail is all sealed, so it's a breeze really.  The scenery doesn't change a great deal, but it is very green after all their rain, most unusual at this time of the year.  Again the worst hills seem to come at the end when you are tired, & we had been warned by the others that this was the case.  We stopped a couple of times to take photos so got a bit behind the group, & I was feeling a bit tired towards the end & commented to Stuart that I was finding it very hard pedalling considering we were on the flat & how was I going to manage this big climb called Taylor's Gap when I came to it.  Was almost delighted at his reply, 'Actually you are already climbing it'.  I was almost ready to give up as we got higher & higher, then  saw all the orange shirts ahead round one last bend so of course had to keep going as if it was no problem at all.  The really great thing was that in another km or two, we were to stop at a little local winery for lunch!  Lovely platters of cheeses, pickles, olives, cold cuts, etc, & a glass or two of very nice wine as it was only 8 kms back to camp.  Beautiful setting with the blue hills in the background, & great company too. 

Day 3 - Myrtleford area

We have chosen to take an easier ride this morning, as the experienced folk are doing a really strenuous one.  So we are doing another section of the rail trail.  It proves to be really flat & pretty boring though we did find a lot of apple trees along the way, so Stu filled his backpack.  This area used to be a big tobacco growing region, till the government pulled the plug on their subsidies some years back.  It all looks pretty sad now & all the  old drying sheds neglected.  There is still big hop growing  though, which looked quite interesting.  We were puzzled at what the vines were growing up big poles a bit like kiwifruit, till we came to the sign giving us some information.  We cycled to an old railway station where we had our morning munchies (for energy), & luckily while we were there a very big group of high school students on cycles arrived from the way we were to return, which meant we had a clear run again.  Stopped at a little collectables/book shop where Stu bought a book to read ???  Arrived back for a late lunch after 30kms, & the others arrived back about an hour afterwards.  My rear end is even sorer now but I guess it will be getting 'hardened' (is that the term?)  Stu  of course wasn't content with a 30km ride, so was keen to do a walk close by up to a lookout.  It wasn't a short, easy stroll as it turned out, & even he started to flag.  It was a nice walk/climb nevertheless & a nice view at the top, although we discovered a carpark at the top, so we could have driven to the top & got the same view.  Most of the group went out for dinner at a local place, but we chose to do our own thing, so no campfire tonight.  Tomorrow we shift camp to a nearby region for more rides.

Day 4.- Myrtleford - Towanga

Everyone packed up, most of us heading to supermarket to stock up for the next 5 days, some to get vehicles checked due to small problems, others back to the winery for lunch.  We were in the first lot, plus I needed BADLY to get a haircut & was lucky enough to find a hairdresser who could do it there & then.  As there were 5 of them in this little town it was a fair bet.  I now feel presentable again, though cycling helmets do nothing for your hair when you wear them day in & day out.  Anyway, nice drive (45 mins) through lovely hills & valleys to our new camp.  What a debacle it turned out to be.  Our organiser had booked the group in but the guy manning the office reckoned she had only booked 2 sites.  He couldn't work the computer & was in a real tizz because he said he would have to go & mow some unpowered sites for us.  His wife normally did the office thing, so he became rather irritable & the whole thing became quite chaotic with no-one knowing where exactly where we were supposed to camp.  It's a huge camp with lots of empty space plus powered sites, cabins etc, & certainly not busy, so it should not have been a problem.  However we all plonked ourselves down in the area we THOUGHT he wanted us to go to, & had lunch & time to calm ourselves down.  The group have been here before but these are new owners or managers, so they were a bit disappointed to find it so different.  Anyway, it is a nice camp right beside a river & we probably could have had a powered site beside that, but we opted to stay with the group on unpowered sites - quite a lot cheaper anyway.  It also looks out on the highest mountain in Victoria (Mt  Bogong) which is a ski area in winter, so obviously gets very  cold.  Luckily for us the days have been lovely.  Have just had a lovely roast chicken dinner, camping style.  Rotisseried chicken from supermarket, vegetables done in the frypan, packet gravy & frozen peas, followed by homemade apple crumble which I made last night & shared with four others.  All good tucker.  So no cycling today, so hope tomorrow when we go out again my rear end will have recovered a bit.  We really are having a lovely time & hope to do some nice walks in the next couple of days while the others do some really long cycles.  We are here for 5 days so it should work in OK.

Day 2 Towanga

27/28 March 2011 - Canberra - Myrtleford, North East Victoria

Hit the road again on a sunny morning, only about 4 hours to drive today along the Hume Highway which flows from Sydney to Melbourne.  Stopped for morning cuppa (from the van), at the little old town of Yass which has certainly seen better days & looked a bit depressed.  However it did have some wonderful  old buildings like the Oddfellows Hall, Post Office & the Courthouse which was magnificent, all still being used & in good condition.  On from there to Gundegai - some of you may know the old song 'On the road to Gundegai' which has a monument of a dog on a tucker box. It used to be in the centre of the main road, but sadly the highway now bypasses it.  Apparently it has been suggested that it be moved but the locals have fought that idea, so now there is a sign on the highway to direct people to the site.  I guess unless you knew what it was, you wouldn't bother.  Apart from that historical feature there isn't much of great interest in the town, but we were to meet up with our four friends there who were the organisers of the cycling tour.  We stayed the night there in a lovely little caravan park by a river & beside a couple of very old historical railway bridges.  Stuart was very taken by them.  Our friends told us that in years not too far past it was possible to walk over them, but they are now in a pretty bad way, so have been locked off.  We were very amused by the sign which stated 'This is a managed ruin!'    Victoria is trying to use all the old railway lines are rail trails, so it's a shame they weren't able to be saved for that - would be marvellous to cycle over provided they put rails on the sides - pretty scary otherwise.  See photo.

Next morning we all set off for Myrtelford separately as we intended stopping to look at a few things & the others had done the route many times before.  As usual by 10am we were looking for a stopover for the 'cuppa' & came across this little town called Holbrook with a giant submarine in a park as you enter the town.  Naturally we stopped to find out why there would be a submarine so far from the sea.  Apparently Holbrook was named after a local family, one of who in recent times was a navel commander of the said submarine HMAS Otway  built sometime in the 60's. It certainly makes people stop - there were busloads of people leaving as we arrived so it is obviously good for the town.  Next stop was Albury right on the NSW/Victoria border, a very large town, so we filled up with diesel & continued on, not being town lovers.  It was quite a long drive, nice blue mountains in the distance, very little traffic which seems to be normal here once you leave a township.  It must cost billions to keep all these highways maintained & we have seen lots of construction through every section of our trip so far.  And when I say construction, it is BIG!  Fascinating to see how they do the concrete highways & the machinery they use.  The other aspect we noticed is that rather than hold up traffic to improve the highway, they often just make another alongside. 
After turning off the Hume Highway  toward the alpine region, the roads became much more winding & hilly, & the little townships much more historic & attractive.  We stopped at Beechworth which is gorgeous.  The old shops are all in beautiful condition & when you step through their doors it is almost like going back in time.  Many of them have windows which  have original signage & some of them are quite tiny inside.  There are several oldfashioned bakeries, &  lots of cafes but they all have an old fashioned air about them apart from the modern coffee machines & modern cuisine.  It's just a marvellous atmosphere & we intend to revisit as it's not far from where we will be based for the next 4 days.  Finally made Myrtleford , another nice little town, about 1.30pm & lunched at 2pm, so it's a miracle Stu didn't expire on me - you probably all know his habit of eating at specific times.  Anyway it is a marvellous little camp, very laid back & owned by a lovely friendly couple.   It is absolutely full of cyclists, young & old.  There is a rail trail here, but many of them do road cycling as well & I understand we will do a bit of both.  I'm feeling nervous to be in a group of 14 experienced cyclists, but nothing is compulsory & there are also walks, so although there is a programme, there is also free choice.  I'm glad I had some training with my 35kms around Canberra which should help.  Time will tell.  We were the first to arrive, then our friends, & slowly the rest of the group, all really nice & 60+, some 70.  Stay tuned for the first days cycling tomorrow.

26 - 27 March 2011 Canberra, ACT

 

Left Jervis Bay after a cool night & a cool morning , passing through lots more little coastal places on side roads, too numerous to stop at them all.  Also lots & lots of lakes.  We were heading  for Bateman's Bay further down the south coast where we stopped for morning tea.  Again there is a connection to the navy in this area in that they have holiday cabins here for naval staff.  It's a pretty little bay with a river running into it on the edge of town, & is very popular for fishing, both recreational & commercial.  Consequently it has a little 'port' which had a number of quite sizeable fishing boats at anchor.  Just a little south of Bateman's we turned inland onto the Kings Highway in the direction of Canberra.  The surrounding landscape changed quite a bit to rolling hills not quite so green as we had earlier experienced.  Obviously not so much rain in that area.    Despite our research, it was very difficult to find a caravan park in Canberra, so we opted to head for Queanbeyan, about 5  minutes south-east of the city.  However, on arrival we discovered there was 'no room at the inn'.  In actual fact we were both quite pleased as we weren't very impressed with it as it was in the middle of a residential area & very small with difficult access & small sites.  After several phone calls we found a vacancy at another park about 20 minutes north of the city.   This proved to be a much better option as it was very rural, nice family park, very quiet & good facilities at a reasonable price ($25 powered site).  Next morning we drove to the i-site on the outskirts of Canberra to get information about what to see, hoping that we could cycle rather than drive.  It is a marvellous place to do just that, with cycle tracks on almost every road in the city, plus many offroad tracks for recreational cycling.  At first I was very nervous about cycling on the road bit, but it really is a breeze & quite safe.  The driver's are all very cycle conscious & most polite, so give way to you if you are crossing a road where there are no lights & they are turning.  We visited the National Gallery of Australia  which was really interesting, some amazing old paintings by some of the old masters like Matisse, Gaughin, Monet etc.  Also a lot of VERY modern abstracts, which we were rather scathing about, but our favourites were the Australian landscapes which were very good & also the indigenous art. All a matter of taste of course.   Next to the Gallery was a lakeside park full of the most interesting sculptures by artists around the world, including a 'fog' garden  & I found it lovely to watch the passing children & their fascination with it.  We felt we had done our 'cultured'  bit by then,  so next was the political bit, when  we visited  Capital Hill.  Next was the recreational part, so we cycled right around Lake Burley Griffin, a distance of 35km which I enjoyed until the last quarter which became quite hilly though Stuart had no problem.  Most of the ride was gently shaded by autumn trees which were just changing into their autumn apparel.  Apparently they are a bit late this year as it's been so warm in this area.  It had become quite hot by then after a very cool start to the day.  The nights here are quite cool too at present.  Canberra  really is a lovely city, so pristine, but all very new looking so no real character in our opinion.  However, it has parks everywhere & so many people cycling & Lake Burley Griffin is obviously a wonderful water playground.  We saw dragonboating, yachting, pedalboats, kayaks, & dinghies.  They are obviously very fitness minded, as all around the lakes there are exercise 'posts', some for situps, pushups, stepups, body curls, etc, etc.  Naturally we did them all!!!    All in all we had an enjoyable day & had we not had a commitment to get to join our cycling group, would like to have stayed longer & seen more.

24 - 25th March 2011 - Wollongong - Jervis Bay, south coast NSW

Left Wollongong in sunshine - Glory be!  Lovely drive down the coast, then a little inland to Berry , a lovely little heritage town with some lovely old buildings.  Had a nice lunch there in a very old pub, then continued back along the coast to Kiama.  This is a really nice seaside town, with amazing rocks along the shoreline & crashing waves I could watch all day.  There is a beautiful white lighthouse on the  head overlooking a great blowhole which luckily was performing beautifully that day.  Got some great shots of both plus a couple of lovely old churches.  We were heading for Jervis Bay which took us about 6 hours with sightseeing stops.  The countryside was of  rolling hills clad in Irish Green thanks to all the recent rain.  Arrived at Jervis Bay & the Booderoo National park camping area.  Although it is in the Australian Capital Territory, it is actually surrounded by NSW.  I assume that is why it was so expensive.  All the national parks here charge you to even enter with a car, so we had purchased a pass when we first crossed the border into NSW.  Great, that will save us some money, but no - it didn't apply for this one.  They sure know how to charge for national parks in this country, not like good old NZ where they are cheaper than private caravan parks.  So $10 per day for the car plus $30 per night camp site.  It is a lovely national park though, with lots of walks to other bays through lovely bush trails &  the navy has some sort of base in the area.  On our morning  walk on the second day, we had our first encounter with a snake.  I was very bravely leading the way & suddenly saw it by the side of the track, about 1/2 metre long & black.  By the time I said 'STOP' Stu only managed to see the end of  it's tail scuttling into the undergrowth.    It's strange really because I now feel better about walking here .  I think it's an experience I had dreaded from the moment we arrived in this country & I coped really well, so I don't dread it so much now.  Not that I want it to happen again of course.  We are careful to always wear good footwear when we walk which is quite important, & have read up on the first aid required if the worst should happen.  That's about all you can do really.  Of course we keep to the trails which are usually quite wide & well trodden, & make lots of conversation & noise.  I've had a bit of a cough since I arrived, so that's quite handy too.    Anyway, the one hour walk  took us to a gorgeous isolated bay flanked by high cliffs & backed by steep sand dunes of an unusual colour for the area.  There is no vehicle access & only about 6 people there.  The sea was the most amazing azure colour & there were lots of rollers breaking close to the shore of  golden sand in contrast to the very white sand of most of the beaches in the area.  In the afternoon we visited a botanical garden owned by one of the local aboriginal tribes, all natives plants & trees & the only ones owned by aboriginals in Australia.  They are jointly managed with the Government's Director of National Parks.   It was lovely, with a little lake full of  long necked turtles.  We were lucky enough to see one though he was too shy to poke his head out for us.   The weather was nice & sunny & warm for the two days we spent here.

SYDNEY 16 to 22 March 2011

As you can see, we had the best of weather for our stay in the 'big smoke'!  Luckily the time was spent visiting friends and family, so we were indoors most of the time.    The first day or two were OK, but as you can see from the photos, it was pretty terrible at times, and very scary on the roads  Initially we stayed at St Ives showgrounds, north of Sydney.  nice spot with water & power & ablutions for $20 per night.  It was quite central for all our visiting.  Had 4 nights there, then shifted further south nearer more friends and relatives.  It was great catching up with everyone.   The photos were taken around the Wollongong area, south of Sydney on the coast.  It was really scary driving on the roads, - as you can see visibility was almost nil  but we survived though we did see a few cars lose control not far in front of us.  Luckily no-one was hurt.  It is an extremely steep, winding piece of road called 'the Bulli Pass', & even in the best of conditions needs careful driving.  Luckily we did not have the caravan on the back at the time.   They also have another amazing coast road down there, see photo also.

15 March 2011 - Budgewoi, Central Coast NSW

Sorry to leave our little wildlife camp at Crowdy Bay, - left at 8am again.  Heaps of caravans on the road today in both directions - Stu has developed an automatic wave everytime a van comes towards us going the other way, & it's nice that most wave back.  Lovely big concrete highway in parts, then absolutely disgusting parts in some areas. Rolling hills & quite a few cane fields, with quite old houses, some with rusty old corrugated roofs.  Passed through the Manning Valley, population 47,000 - makes you wonder where they all are as there are so few houses.  It is mostly farming, at present really green.  We couldn't believe the number of very, very large rivers & bridges we passed over,  all salt water.  Some cute little river settlements alongside.  We also saw an area of mangroves, reminding us of home on the Kaipara back in good old NZ.    Stopped for morning cuppa at one of the many rest areas along the highway.  They actually have signs telling you how many rest areas in the next 50kms or so, & what distance to them which is really helpful.  Most of them have shady shelters & toilets, some with BBQ's.

One other aspect which kept us  amused along the way was the number of funny names many  which conjured up comical images - e.g. Blackbutt, (explanation not required)  Cheesetree (which variety - ? Edam, tasty or Gruyere?), and my favourite, Bulahdelah (Bull a dealer).  I always thought it was the dealer who did the bulling???  Also passed through the Hunter Valley which of course is a wellknown wine region & would you believe that Stu didn't want to stop?  Further down I had a touch of nostalgia as we began to pass signs to places I recognised from my childhood when we used to travel from Sydney on the overnight train to stay in the country with a much older sister for the school holidays.  All such a long time ago it surprised me that I did remember, but suddenly it didn't seem so long ago after all.

We arrived in Budgewoi about lunchtime & managed to find our way to the caravan park our friends suggested to us,  thanks to our dear friend Mrs GPS who we couldn't do without with so many highways crisscrossing each other at times.  She does make the odd mistake & we get the giggles occasionally at the number of times she utters that word 'recalculating, but it's not her fault that they make new roads or alter the landscape.  Anyway, the camp was huge & so is Lake Munmorah on whose shores it rests.  It was very quiet , but in the summer holidays would be like a little town of it's own (180 sites)  Lots of permanent caravans with permanent annexes attached &  beautiful cabins, all with covered verandahs  ( about 150 of the 180 sites).  All beautifully set out with named roads (fish, flora & fauna), playground for children of course, & lovely ablution blocks, stainless steel BBQ's & stainless steel sinks attached, & a HUGE opensided but covered kitchen / dining area.  It was $29 per night which we thought was quite cheap but of course it wasn't peak time.  Next door to the camp is a beautiful public park, again with a very large covered & decked picnic area with tables & seats.  They really do things well here in that respect. Every morning someone comes along with a leaf vaccuum to clear the paths & roads.  Most of the caravan sites had large concrete pads which you park beside so that you can step out of the van onto that, usually covered by your awning.  We love our awning which goes up so quickly, just pull out the supports & it unrolls & goes up.  Gives great shade & can be kept quite low to the ground if required, giving privacy or protection from sun or rain.  Once we were settled in we contacted our friends, the purpose of our visit to this area.   They used to live in NZ when our children were small, moved to Perth many years ago, & to the central coast about 6 years ago.  We were invited to have breakfast at their house next morning, so we were collected at 8am & given a lovely cooked brekkie (fancy Stu not having his muesli, toast & marmalade!)  Naturally it was a rather long breakfast session with all the catching up to do as we last saw them 6 years ago in Perth.  Later in the day they took us on a wonderful beach walk where I wasted a lot of time standing on a monsterous slab of rock with large waves breaking, trying desperately to get 'the shot'.  Just as well we don't use film anymore or I would be broke with all the dud shots I took.  It was quite bracing & the best wave was so good I had to run from it instead of getting my photo of the day.  Stu & my friends were way back studying sea life on the rocks, & thought I had turned to stone I stood there so long with the camera to my eye - Stu doesn't call me Paparazzi Jan for nothing!  Oh well, we all have our little quirks - don't we???
On the way back from the beach we called into a quaint little pub at Catherine Bay (or Catho as the aussies say).  It's a tiny little settlement with very small, old cottages  like the old NZ baches.  Like many places at home, they are fighting a fierce battle to try & stop development, so the whole area is covered in signs declaring their feelings about it.  I took a photo of the pub & a couple of aussie guys remarked that it would cost me $10 for taking their photo, to which I cheekily replied that I was going to charge them $10 for making them famous - they were quite amused luckily.  Everyone was friendly & typically aussie.  In the evening we went to the local Bowling Club, where we got a lovely meal for $8, the cheapest thing we've had since we arrived.  Of course it is all subsidised by the gaming machines of which there were many, complete with TAB screens with all the horse racing happening around Australia. 

 Before we left this morning we took an early morning walk where I chatted to a couple of elderly guys fishing on the bridge - very convivial.  They were catching blackfish which they assured me was lovely to eat.  Seemed to be plenty of them there (fish that is).

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our time on the Central Coast, & it's always nice to catch up with old friends.  Hope we make some new ones along the way as well. 

We arrived in Sydney to catch up on more old friends & relations, so there will probably not be any sightseeing as Sydney is my old home town & is a double edged sword for me - I love it but can't wait to leave it again.  Cities are not our favourite places although the Sydney area is quite beautiful, especially where we are on the North Shore.  So much bush, water & rocks.  We are camping at the St Ives showgrounds.  Nice & quiet, only $20 per night, quite a few caravans, buses, etc.  No limit on how long you stay & some have been here for weeks. 

No blog now till we leave Sydney to head south en route to Victoria.  Stay tuned & thanks for your comments.