Shoalhaven - Canberra - Jindabyne

Another week and another 1000km or so.

Monday we woke to a fairly horrible day, so neither of us were in any rush to get out of bed and that had nothing to do with my hangover! Finally we got up, and set out for a drive down to Batemans Bay. We bypassed Jervis bay(which we later found out is part of the ACT, all capital cities need a port and Jervis Bay is ACT's. Little fact that was given to us by ACT's finest!) Drove on down to Sussex Inlet, Swan Haven, Cudmirrah, and Berrara. Backtracked out to Mollymook and Ulludulla. Weather had not cleared at all and was still a horrible wet and windy day, so we had a cafe lunch and called it quits. Never made it any further south. Bought blue plastic skid strips for the boat on the top of my roof, makes it so much easier to get the boat off and on now.

Tuesday, woke to have a cruisy morning of washing and packing up for tomorrows move. Headed out for lunch to shell Harbour to meet up with Toni, Amelie and Ben Smith. Great few hours of catching up and quite a few beers. Headed back to camp to pull down the tarp and pack the boat for easy pack up. Went for a walk down to the beach, and watched some guy beach worming.

Wednesday, New day new place. packed up and left Shoalhaven by 10. Travelled west and hit Berry for breakfast. Berry is an awesome place with a small country town feel. Bought a few things in a little Cuckoo clock shop that had most its items imported from either Germany or other countries around that region. Really cool, but the service was not something to brag about! We left there headed for Canberra. the GPS took us on the most direct route out through Goulburn, but took us on some hairy small windy roads that had us crawling in first gear pushing the cars towing capabilities to their limits. Made it through and got to a few small towns like Kangaroo valley that were very nice. Drove on for a few hours and stopped for a quick pic of the big Marrino in Goulburn, man it has big Nuts! Continued to Canberra and found the park we had booked into in the suburb of O'conner. The site they had booked us on was a drive thru site which was all cement, we tried to get another, but they had nothing that suited us, so we told them to bash it and asked for our money back! NOPE to that as they said there is no refund, so we lost the first nights, accomodation. Went to the south side of town to Fyshwick and stayed in the South Canberra Motor Inn which was a large park, we had a large unpowered area to set up in. Headed down to Tuggeranong to go shopping for the next few days after we finished setting up.


 Thursday, i had my car booked into Nissan in Tuggeranong for the 40000km service. Drove down early and then caught a bus into the city for some sight seeing. Got off in the city and walked about 10 blocks up to the war memorial. Walked around looking at stuff for a few hours and finished off by putting 2 poppies in the names list up top. We scanned through the names, and found 2(although not our real pops) but on a A Barnes, and a W Everett. caught a bus back to the city and decided to head back to Tuggeranong and wait for the car. Did a bit of shopping at the westfield and then caught a movie at the cinema(The Dilemma)which was quite good. Car was complete, $860 later, we headed out and through the city to Black mountain and paid to go up the Telecom Tower. Headed back into the city to have a beer and quick punt at the Casino. Headed back to Fyshwick for dinner and bed.

Following pics from the Australian War Memorial

  Friday, Late start. Did some washing then headed out to have a look at Cockington Greens. This awesome little place makes model houses and scenes from around the world in miniature forms. Amongst it all is awesome gardens and lawns, my dad would be very proud! Headed to Belconnen to do some shopping and look at the local farmers markets.  Had some lunch and headed back for a chill out arvo. 
 Headed down to the suburb of Conder to meet up with friends, Ben,Tamara and little Dominic. Headed back to the city for dinner at the Uni Bar with them and then on for a few cocktails at another bar just around the corner. Headed home at about 10.

Saturday, Woke around 8, packed and set off for a new place to call home. Headed south down to Cooma, then on to Jindabyne. Just on the outskirts of town we pulled in for a look at the Big 4 Holiday park. Looked at the sites before booking in. picked a good site, under a tree, close to amenities, looking down over the lake. We rushed the set up, as it looked like storming any second. A few rain drops was all we got during the set up, but in the arvo, a storm came through with heavy rain and small hail! No damage to anything luckily. Chilled out to dinner and watched tennis, washed down with a few rums! Bed to watch a movie (Brooklyn's Finest)which was rubbish, I don't recommend it!

 Sunday i woke to a beautiful morning, clear skies, no wind, so i got out of bed, made a coffee and headed down to the lake to chill out and soak up the serenity! Life is tough being a nomad on days like this i can tell you! Woke sharna when banging around with breakfast so got ready and headed to Thredbo. The wind had picked up a lot and we headed up the mountain on the chairlift. Temperature felt like it dropped 20 degrees with the wind chill, but after we put on our rainjackets to stop the wind, the walk was quite pleasant and warm. Walked 2km's to Kosciuszko Lookout, where I considered to turn back because the weather looked like it would bucket down any second. We continued on and were extremely happy we did. We walked the full 6.5km walk uphill to the very top of Kosciuszko.
It obviously took a few hours with absolutely no whingeing from Sharna!!!!We got to the top, 2228metres above see level, to be the very highest people standing on land in Australia at that very moment! So now we have ticked off the most easterly point of Oz, and the Highest point, next will be the most Southerly as we head towards Tassie. The return journey was much easier but by the time we got to the top of the chairlift, a much deserved beer was beckoning. Headed back down the chairlift watching mountain bikers riding down the steep decent underneath. We headed back to chill out, and snooze through the 3rd ODI cricket game. Had a nice dinner and chatted to Grant and Lou, who are camping at Port Macquarie with the 3 kidlets.

Monday, Well finally brings us up to date again. Today is another chill out day. Slept in till after 9 and glad that we did the walk yesterday. Today is windy as hell! so we have done the washing and tidied up, and this afternoon I'm going to take the boat out for some trout fishing. There have been quite a few trout being caught very early morning, with a lot of people getting their bag limit by 7am. How I'm even supposed to be up by 7 is another matter. I am really keen to catch some, so bought some lures and heading out for some trolling this arvo, and a real good go tomorrow morning. I'll keep you posted! but you may have to wait another week to find out if i caught any! As Tez said, His money is on the fish, and to be honest, think mine is too!

Oberon or Katoomba down to Shoalhaven Heads

New day new blog. since the last blog we have done a bit.

After the Jenolan Caves, we got up the next morning to a wet horrible morning. We were planning on spending the day in Katoomba exploring the 3 sisters and spending money riding on Scenic world cable car and railway but the cloud cover was so bad that we could not even see 10 feet in front of us. Instead on the way out we decided to head to Lithgow information centre to see what else was on offer. We decidied on a 4 hour round trip 4WDing towards what they call the glow worm tunnel. The trip out in wet conditions didn't challenge us too much but was definately a great day out. The drive, although was wet was fairly simple. We got to the end and had to walk for half hour but it was definalely worth it. Its hard to show pics cause it is all black with a few lights that look like stars. But in this tunnel it was awesome, 400m tunnel, in the centre you couldn't see either end. With the torches we held, it illuminated the worms and once we turned off the torches the tunnel lit up like the night sky, it was full of star like lights up the walls and covering the ceiling. I have seen a few glow worms before but nothing like this. It was awesome.

Once we left and drove back we dropped into katoomba to see if any sights were visible !!!! NOPE! couldn't see 10m in front of you! oh well!  Drove back for the last night in Oberon.

Next day we woke to have a cruisy pack up. With out the tarp it was easier but still took a few hours since we didn't do anything the night before, we started at 8 and left Oberon at 10:30. I drove to Katoomba where we stopped to see if the sights had cleared up........ NOPE!!! just as bad or worse. We bought a post card for what our picture was supposed to look like, but this is what ours did look like.

We continued to drive down to Woolongong then on to Shoalhaven Heads. After pulling into the caravan park that the Navman told me that it was my destination, only to find we didn't have a booking and the caravan park we were book into was at the end of the street, OOPS!!!

Shoalhaven Park is a great little park sitting on the corner of the ocean and the Shoalhaven River. We set up on a good little site overlooking the boat ramp. The only problem there was a fence between us and some serious fish!! It took us about 3 hours for the full set up, just in time for us to catch the 6pm news of the Brisbane Floods. We spent the next few hours watching in awe of our home town, friends houses, City centre, being destroyed and devastated by the worst natural disaster in over 35 years (although there were a few very thankful thoughts of THANK GOD WE ARE NOT THERE RIGHT NOW!!)

Thurday was our planned chill out day of the week at Shoalhaven, and this we did. We spent the first 5 hours of the day watching the news and looking at Facebook, watching the horrors of the Queensland Floods. The afternoon was made up on a chill out shopping run in Nowra

Friday was supposed to be our Fishing day but after what seemed to be a cyclone wind coming through during the night (4am getting up in your jocks just to check if your home is going to blow away) Not exactly the best day to go fishing! So we decided to go for a drive down towards Jervis Bay. We covered towns of Greenwell point, Culburra Beach, Crook Haven, Currarong, Callala Bay and Beach, and Myola. We stopped here for a picnic lunch and a quick fish. We continued on for a bit to Huskinson, Vincentia, and on to the national park of Jervis Bay(very dissapointed about this place, cost us 10 bucks to drive in and nothing to see, half an hour and 10 bucks of our lives we will never get back) Sharna continued on to St George Basin and back through Nowra home. Dinner and bed for us.

Saturday was an early start so we could get up and get traveling towards Sydney. We decided to travel up and see great mates of Nath and Alicia in Manly. We drove up to Woolongong, missed a turn and had to back track to the town of Coalcliff, in this town we have the "Sea Cliff bridge" we got a few pics and before and then drove over the bridge. great sights!

Then we continued on to Sydney, headed to Bondi for a quick look at the historical beach, and Sharna went for a quick celebrity spotting. Nothin!! Headed across to Manly where we caught up with Nath. Met him at his apartment on the esplanade of Manly foreshore. We all walked up for some lunch at the Award winning Hugo's Restaurant. Nath shouted Lunch (Cheers bro, it won't be forgotten) and we headed back to his pad for a quick chat before heading back to Shoalhaven. Sharns cranked up a quick spag meatball dish before we crashed out for bed.

Sunday(today) was out Proper chill out day, the weather was great, the company was perfect and the fishing was on! I woke to a early leak, only to find Sharna keen to sleep in (something different!) after an hour or more sleep(trust me i wasn't complaining) we got up to get set for a day of fishing. We eventually got out only to find Sharna cleaned up in the fishing tally! She caught a flathead, bream, whiting, SNAPPER( in the river! ) and i got a Flounder and a flathead. All up we got 2 flathead keepers and a whiting.
We gave up fishing

 when we had enough so we headed back for an awesome arvo of Drinkin Rum and watching Cricket. I do believe it was a perfect day! Slept in, went fishing, caught enough for dinner, home early in time to watch the first one dayer, sat outside on a lilo for 6 hours drinking RUM and watching The Aussies win what seems like there first win this year! Awesome effort Watto!!

As usual it has taken me 4 hours to write this, so the pics will be coming in the next few days.

Enjoy!



on the track to the glow worm tunnel.





Our first encounter with a wild wombat! for you kids looking, we are pretty sure he was a sleep!





360 degree view of our home without the tarp.





Going over the Sydney Harbour




View of the Sydney Harbour



Our view of sunset from the camper at Shoalhaven Heads

The Entrance to Oberon

Next blog,

Week later and still haven't got around to the next one. Can you imagine what we are going to be like in 6 months time.

From the last post, that afternoon after we finished setting the camper, we headed out in the car for what was going to be a walk though the national park(weather took a rainy turn, nothing like QLD luckily) we headed to Norah Heads for a walk out to the lighthouse and down onto the beach and rocks for a windy stroll. After headed back into The entrance Info Centre and bought our NSW fishing licence

.

On Tuesday the 4th we drove to Gosford To get Pedders to look at my springs, and booked it in for Thursday. Shopped a bit on the way back. Grant, Lou and the kids came down for an overnight crash. I took Brady for a fish with his new rod from Christmas and he pulled in his first fish ever and my first fish for the trip(tiny little bream) After we walked over the bridge to the main town and the kids played around in the playground. Dinner at a cafe called Mojo's then back to the camp for a few games of cards before hitting the hay!

When the kids woke us up it was time to go fishing again. We headed out in the boat this time and it was time for us to try out the boat trolley that worked a dream(until we hit a pot hole on the waters edge and got bogged) We only could fit 4 in the boat at once and only had one kids life jacket so we did 2 trips out to an island in the Tuggerah Lakes. For a few hours we fished and the kids played around in the shallows. On the fishing tally, sharna won with the first to 5 fish wins(once again, no big fish) Headed back in for a late lunch and Grant drove me to gosford to drop my car and headed back to the entrance just in time for the kids to see the Pelican feeding tourist attraction. They headed back to camp for dinner before they left and we chilled out before bed.

 

Thursday was our relax day and we sat around till 2 in the arvo watching a shocking display of cricket and playing cards. Took a bus into Gosford and then got a cab to west gosford to pick up my car from pedders. They inserted 2 extra leaves in both springs and put on new shockies. On the way home we stopped into Erina shopping centre for a late lunch and shop.

Friday we did a big drive down the south coastal towns. We weaved in and out of the bays taking in the small towns and lookouts. We drove through Shelly Beach, Bateau Bay, forresters Beach, wamberal, and stopped at Terrigal for a walk around the headland. Continued on to North Avoca, Avoka, Copacabana where we did a small walk up to Captain Cook Lookout, which was not much of a lookout! Continued to Boudi national Park where we went for a small walk and took some pics over Maitland Bay. Drove onto Hardy's Bay where we stopped for a picnic lunch of sanga's and poppers. After we drove back through Killcare, Daley's Point, Ettalong, Woy Woy and Gosford. That afternoon we walked down to the river edge and fished for an hour or so. Caught a variety of fish, once again, nothing big or legal.

 

 Saturday was my fishing day. We took the boat down to the water and fished for 6 or so hours out on the water. I caught my first fish ever on soft plastic, and still don't know what it was. I think it is a Bass or estuary perch but it was caught in full salt water and those fish are freshwater fish? if anyone knows, let me know? Once again we both caught a variety of fish but nothing large enough to keep until i finally got a flathead that was legal!!!! Sharna claimed the most fish while we were both fishing but she gave up and sunbaked while i caught a few more. had a early dinner of lamb and bbq flathead with butter, salt and pepper! Lush!!

Sunday it was time to move on. We packed our syuff and headed outta town towards the hills. We stopped in at my Aunty and Uncles place in Mt Colah. I hadn't been there since i was about 5 i reckon, so was good to try to see if i could remember anything about the house. NUP!!!! We stayed for lunch then continued on through the home of the mighty panthers and up into the hills of Katoomba. We had a booking at a small town an hour out of Katoomba called Oberon. The park is called Jenolan Caravan park, which is small and not very busy. It has very nice new amenities, but the town seems like a dive! After setting up our home, we headed into town at 8 to try and find a feed!!! NOPE, everything is closed at 8pm on a Sunday!!! so headed back for packet pasta and salad!

Now we have today. Got up and did some washing before we headed down into the Jenolan Caves. It is about 30 or so kms from here. The drive through the country was nice until we hit thick cloud and couldn't see more than 20m in front of us, finally that parted just as we had a deadly decent into the caves. Thank god we decided to take off the boat and didn't have the trailer behind us. The road in was extremely steep, Windy and NARROW. Got there safe enough but the weather was pretty crap so luckily the caves were not wet. We decided to do the Orient Cave purely because it said it was good and the tour was leaving in 5 minutes. The tour went for 1.5 hours and was fairly easy, Sharna was a bit worried when it said it had 400 steps!! We had lunch in the cafe and then did a self guided tour of the "Devils Coach House" and the "Nettle Cave" The last 2 were nothing like the first, but i suppose thats why they were free. headed back to Oberon for some grocery shopping and dinner.

Well that takes us up to date. Probably a bit too detailed, a lot of you may have stopped reading. At least my mum read it all!!!

Christmas and New Years in Newcastle!

Hey Guys,

Been Busy!

Left Newrybar (Matt's Mum and Dads house) on thursday morning (23rd) to travel straight to Newcastle to stay at Sharna's brother and sister in law's house in New Lambton. We arrived late in the arvo after catching up with Dad (Noel) on the way down for late lunch at a servo about an hour out of Newcastle.

We arrived in New Lambton at the same time as Nanna, Doug and Carole (Sharna's folks) came back from the Airport.

For the next 8 Days we ate, drank and chased the little tackers around the house.

Christmas day was a Perfect Aussie day. Clear skys, not too hot and great company! We got up to the noise of 3 Kidlets Yelling and screaming as they worked there way through their Santa sack! We had a nice breakfast of pancakes and fruit then packed our things and took the kids to the beach at Mereweather Baths. After a few hours of playing with the kids in the shallows we headed back for beers and a late lunch of salad and Roast Beef steaks and thick snaggs(good aussie bbq) and wrapped up the meal with a big pavlova, ice cream and fruit. After a few more beers the kids couldn't help but start a water fight with their new water guns. Everyone got drenched,water guns turned into cups, jugs, buckets, hoses, anything that could hold water! Was a great day!

Wednesday the 29th (Dads Birthday), 5 of us travelled out to the Hunter Valley to visit some wineries, chocolate factories, and Cheeseries!!! We stopped at McGuigan, Tullock, Tyrrel, Tempus Two, David Hooks wineries to taste some of the Hunters finest! Tasted heese at both Mcguigan and Tempus Two. Visited and tasted chocolate at Hunter Valley Chocolate Co. and had lunch and beers at the Potters Brewery. Since it was such a busy day I sort of forgot to ring dad! I'm such a bad son! Sorry again dad!!

New Years Eve was a pretty cruisy day. We went to the local pool with the kids in the morning that has a tube slippery dip, 4 different sized pools and  diving boards of different heights. few hours of play took it out of me so i slept with Cory on his afternoon nap for an hour or so. the arvo was pretty cruisy until we all headed into the forshore to watch the fireworks in the park with the kids at 9pm. we headed home, put the kids to bed, and stayed up listening to music, drinking and playing Aticulate board game. Happy new years everyone!



We left Newcastle on the 2nd headed for our first camp spot of our journey - Dunleith caravan park, The Entrance. Arrived 2pm and set up camp (1.5 hours of tarp and basic camper) then headed to town for supplies. First night a storm and heavy rain, awesome! but the set up held out the element no worries and all is clean and dry!
So today, Monday the 3rd, we have had a cruisy morning of doing bugger all, drinking coffee and watching the life of a trailer park!!! We'll set up the rest of the camper this morning and head out for a explore and go for some walks around the local area this arvo.

Later!!

Foo and Sharna

We will add pics later, for some reason it is not letting me, so will work it out and then add!