Foggy Blue Mountains

Day 31 - Katoomba

We woke this morning to a big fog - the type where you can't see more than a couple of metres in front of you. Here's the view from Echo Point, where normally you can see the Three Sisters and right across the mountains...

This of course meant trying to see any of the scenery at the Blue Mountains was not an option today.  Luckily, we had another alternative up our sleeves...the Jenolan Caves.  Doesn't matter what the fog is doing down there.  We were looking forward to this adventure since we missed our previous attempt at seeing some caves...

There are several caves to explore at Jenolan and we decided to go with the most popular - Lucas Cave.  It was truly spectacular, and very interesting.  The caves are formed from limestone so we saw a lot of stalagtites (holding on 'tite' from the ceiling) and stalagmites (they 'mite' reach the top)...

There was also a broken column, where the 'mite' had reached the 'tite', but then a landslide caused the column to break...

Our tour guide was Scott who was very patient with the kids and some of their questions.  Stewie had the question of the day, or rather, it was more of a statement than a question.  When asked if they had anything they would like to ask, he piped up and said "I love my Mum and Dad".  That's our boy!

One of the most exciting things we saw (according to the kids) was a wombat skeleton...

Over the years, many animals have found their way into the cave and then been unable to get out.  As a result, there were lots of skeletons left.  Unfortunately, most of them were taken before the caves were protected.  This wombat skeleton was actually bought in to give an example of what happened.

When we emerged from the caves and headed back to Katoomba, there was still fog around and no sign of it lifting.  So we just hung around the caravan together.


Day 32  Blue Mountains

Another day of fog confronted us and the temperature was a little cooler.  I think I may have underpacked the warm clothes!

So with no views to see again, it was time to have a train ride on the Zig Zag Railway at nearby Lithgow.  The railway was built in the 1860's and now is only in operation as a tourist attraction.  Here's a little bit of information...(click on the photo for an enlargement)...

Everyone was very excited about this ride as we were riding in an original, old fashioned steam engine...

Here's the big black 'steamie'...

It was run on coal and we had to take on water halfway through the trip.  There were over 200 people on the train, but only our kids got to have a ride up the front as well.  They got to feel the heat of the steam fire, watch the coal being shoveled into the boiler and hear the noise of the engine (Maggie found it a little too noisy)...

The train wound its way down the mountain and we got to ride over some viaducts...

After the ride, we had a quick bite to eat in Lithgow and headed back to Katoomba.  Finally the fog had lifted enough to see something, so we went to a lookout within walking distance from our van park.  This gave a great view of Katoomba Falls.  Maggie explored the top of the falls...

 

and we could finally see The Three Sisters...

Day 33  Katoomba to Sydney

Finally we woke to a clear and beautiful day in the Blue Mountains.  This was our chance to visit the Scenic Railway and really take in the spectacular views of the area before heading to Sydney.

We visited Scenic World where you can do three different rides - Skyway (in the background of the picture above), Cableway and Railway.  They all give a different perspective and view so we decided to all three.

The first was the Skyway which takes you across the gorge and gives a view of the Katoomba Falls not only through the windows, but also through a clear floor (a bit freaky for those who don't like heights).  We gave the Skyway the thumbs up...

 

When we arrived on the other side of the gorge, there was a walk around the side of the mountains to Echo Point.  This point provides the best and closest view of the Three Sisters (we discovered our camera was out of battery on the Skyway so we didn't get any close up photos).

Once we walked back around to Scenic World, it was time for the Railway (and we quickly got my mobile which has a back up camera).  It's only a very short track and very steep...

 

 

and we had to sit in little cages and hold on tight...

From the railway there was a rainforest walk which weaved past the old Katoomba coal mine that used to operate in this area...

At the bottom of the walk we caught the cableway back to the top which gave another perspective of the mountains...

 

 

Now we'd finally seen the Blue Mountains in all its glory it was time to leave and head for Sydney.  On the way we had a few detours to make, one was to visit the Lewers Bequest (yes, it involves relations) at Emu Plains...

Gerald and Margo Lewers (great uncle and aunt) were renowned Australian artists who used to live in this area and on their passing, their children donated the house and property to the Penrith City Council "to create a centre of excellence for the presentation and appreciation of art for the community".  Gerald was a sculptor and one of my favourite pieces is his pelicans...

 

 

Next stop was Jayco to get a new bathroom hatch - the other went missing somewhere.  Still not sure where??  From here, we headed to Narrabeen and our home for the next 10 days.

We arrived, set up, then quickly had a look at the beach and lake before it got to dark.  We're very happy with the location and look forward to our time in Sydney.  

 

The final excitement for the day was Sissy (my sister) arriving from Melbourne to spend some time with us over Easter.  My cousin Anna (who I haven't seen for 15 plus years) met her at the airport and bought her to us.  It was wonderful to see them both and catch up, but there will be more of that during our time in Sydney.  More on that next time.

Mines and More Wines

Day 28  Dubbo to Mudgee

Today was set to be another travelling day, but we knew there would be some interesting stops along the way.  The first place we stopped was Peak Hill (we actually hadn't planned this one), where there is an "Open Cut Mining Experience".  As we can't resist an 'experience' of any kind on this trip, we had to stop.

The open cut mine stopped operating several years ago, however it has been preserved to allow people to 'experience' what an open cut mine looks like...

We trekked around the area and could view all the pits and the kids had a great time looking for gold while we walked around.  They picked up lots of 'gold rocks' so they could do their own mining later on.  Here's their stash...

From Peak Hill we headed towards Parkes and the infamous 'Dish'.  The Dish was all that we'd hoped for - big, interesting and quite mesmerising.

It sits in the middle of a plain where there is little wind and interference for the radio waves.  As a result, it dominates the landscape for many miles and no matter which direction you arrive or depart from, you can't miss The Dish. 

After having lunch in The Dish carpark, we headed towards Wellington where there are some caves you can visit.  At one stage we could hardly see the road for tumbleweeds.  It was amazing how many there were...

Unfortunately, the cave tour was leaving too late for us, so we had a quick look around and learnt about Diprotodons - they're a bit like giant wombats...

Time to head towards Mudgee for the night and it was my first drive of the caravan.  I got plenty of 'useful' instructions and haven't enjoyed so much attention in a long time - the kids had forgotten I know how to drive!  We did manage to arrive in Mudgee safely with the caravan still attached, so I did OK.  But I must say, I'm glad I don't have to do the driving all the time (and Wack/Steve is happy he doesn't have to feed and entertain children while travelling).  It was a nice little role reversal for the afternoon.


Day 29  Mudgee to Dunns Swamp (Wollemi National Park)

As we are people who like our food and wine, we couldn't resist exploring some of Mudgee's offerings this morning.  Mudgee Gourmet gave us a chance to taste most products the area produces and after the kids had tasted nearly everything in the shop (breaking all the health and safety regulations with their "double dipping") we purchased a good selection and headed to the wineries.

With only a limited time we only visited a couple.  The Small Winemakers Centre was a great spot and we were greeted by the very hospitable Johnny Furlong.  Here he is with the kids (and his wines are great)...

The kids were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed looking at a replica of Ned Kelly in the attached gallery, especially Mitch who has developed a fascination with Bush Rangers...

One other winery we had to try was Robert Oatley, which is the oldest in the district.  We weren't disappointed and consequently left Mudgee with even more wine for the (caravan) cellar.  I think we now have more wine than food!

Once the wineries were done, we swung back to the caravan park, picked up the van and started towards Dunns Swamp in Wollemi National Park.  As we drove into Dunns Swamp, we knew it was going to be a beautiful spot and we weren't disappointed.  Here's the scene down by the water...

 We managed to find a spot for the van (it is quite popular) that would allow us to have a camp fire in the evening and after a quick setup we headed down for a swim in the lake.  It was very cold, but refreshing.

After the swim, the kids and Steve headed back to set the bait trap for the night.  In the process, Maggie managed to lose our last remaining fish net.  She's now lost all three of our nets and thankfully she hasn't touched the bait trap or that would be gone too!


They also tried to catch some yabbies with fresh meat - no yabbies, but they did attract the attention of a couple of turtles.

Day 30   Dunns Swamp to Katoomba (Blue Mountains)

This morning we started with a 'weir walk' to explore Dunns Swamp further.  Stewart dressed himself accordingly - pens in shirt and sandals with socks (Disclaimer:  His parents had no part in this outfit)...

Part of the beauty of this area is the large rock formations called rock pagodas.  We climbed into a few of these and there were lots of nooks and crannies for little people to get lost in...

Steve and I took turns to climb to the top of a lookout (a bit too treacherous for the kids) which gave fantastic view of the whole area...

When we finally got to the 'weir' that dams the water for local irrigation...

On the way back from our walk we stopped and checked the bait trap, and guess what...we'd actually managed to trap a few freshwater prawns.  So, the boys decided to have a quick fish...

while Maggie braved the cold water and went for a swim...

and I got THE tangle of the trip to date...

Unfortunately there were no fish caught today, although Mitch did have a brown trout (?) that got away (he knows this from reading fishing books).

After a quick lunch and pack up, we turned the van out of Dunns Swamp and towards the Blue Mountains for the next leg of the trip.

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Wine and Animals

Day 25

Today was a day for Mum and Dad - wine tasting in the Hunter Valley.

The kids were equipped with new activity books to keep them happy and off we all went.  We decided to try a few new wineries we haven't visited before and found lots of good whites, but the reds were disappointing.  Apparently they haven't been able to pick the red grapes in the Hunter for the last three seasons.  As a result, they have had to use grapes from elsewhere and the wines are not up to their usual standard. 

Not to worry, we still managed to restock a little and Steve and I had a nice relaxing day (probably more in my favour as I wasn't driving!).  Although for others it was not so exciting...

Mitch did get to see the stage at Hope Estate where we saw Eric Clapton last year.  He was very excited and we got a few odd looks when he ran off to stand at the front of an empty stage (like Father like Son!).

Day 26  Cessnock to Dubbo

A driving day today with not a lot to see on the way, just lots of beautiful Australian bush.  Here's a typical view...

We did make a quick stop at Arrowfield Estate Wines on the way out of Singleton and managed to find some red wines that weren't overpriced and tasted OK.  The wine cellar is now well and truly restocked!

The only other stop was for lunch and then straight to Dubbo.  The van park at Dubbo is probably the nicest setup we've been in and with an ensuite (our own shower and toilet block next to the van), it was very civil.  Steve and the kids enjoyed a quick swim plus some time on the 'jumping pillow' - a huge pillow that is set in the ground for hours of jumping fun.  This helped to burn off the excess energy that had built up on the car ride.

Day 27

Our main reason for coming to Dubbo was of course to visit the zoo and today was the day.

The zoo is one where you can drive, ride or walk - whatever your preference.  It's about 5km to trek around and see all the animals.  We opted for bikes - the kids already had theirs and Steve and I hired a couple for the day.  A chance to exercise a few more muscles that have been dormant for a while. 

The zoo certainly didn't disappoint.  The way it is set out the animals are basically in areas that mimic their natural habitat.  Although they can't get out, the fences are minimal and there are other structures (moats etc) used to keep them contained.  The animals all looked incredibly healthy and happy - unlike some zoos - and we had a ball.  The ride did get a bit long for little legs as a lot of it was an upward slope, so a little help was needed...

There were lots of great animals but our favourites were the Simbiangs.  These monkeys make incredibly loud noises, swing wildly on the ropes, play with each other and generally 'monkey around' and put on a fantastic display...

Other favourites were 'Marty' - the zebras...

the Galapagos Tortoises - these guys were HUGE...

...actually we liked all of them.   Unbelievably, the kids still had energy when we got back to the park for a quick swim and jump.  They then proceeded to catch grasshoppers, which seemed to be in plague proportions, with some neighbouring kids.

 
 All the grasshoppers were contained in the bug catcher to use as bait in the near future.  Let's hope they survive the journey!

Finally some fish!

Day 21  Port Macquarie to Booti Booti National Park

We left Port Macquarie and headed south along the highway in the general direction of Tuncurry-Forster.  Along the way we stopped at Crowdy Head, another gorgeous beach.

It sits opposite Harrington which is on the Manning River and was our lunch stop.

Driving through Tuncurry-Forster, the water looked beautiful, as good as we've seen.  Crossing the main bridge between the two towns over Wallis Lake looked so sensational we knew we would have to spend some time there. But not this time, we headed further south to Booti Booti National Park.

After checking out a few options for the night we settled on the Ruins Camp, a bush camping site which is quite popular and sits right next to the beach.   Once we were set up for the night, we headed to the beach for a swim. Unfortunately the beach was quite dangerous and unpatrolled so ankle deep was as far as we went.

It was time to try fishing again, the eternal optimists we are!  So we headed off to nearby Wallis Lake (it's a huge lake).  After trying a couple of spots, it seemed our luck was still out but the kids had fun throwing their lines in over the jetty edge.  Mitch fed the toad fish around the jetty,  Stewie just dropped his bait in and out of the water and Maggie has a float now and she's not allowed to reel in unless it goes under the water (otherwise she reels in constantly).  Even though the fish weren't biting, there was at least mud to play in (that's Stewie having a great time).

Day 22  Booti Booti National Park to Halliday Point

Today we backtracked north again to find some good surf and hopefully some fish.  The caravan park at Halliday Point looked good so we headed there.  When we arrived, the inital site they gave us was a nightmare as it had a huge slope, so we reallocated ourselves and got setup.  Then straight to the beach which was much better than yesterday and everyone had a great surf.

The beaches here are as I remember them as a kid (having spent the first 10 years of my life in NSW/ACT) - lots of rocks and consequently rock pools to explore.  They are quite different to Queensland beaches, but still beautiful.  I love rockpools and we've had a lot of fun discovering all sorts of creatures living in them. The day was finished with $10 pizza night at the local tavern - we've missed our pizzas!

Day 23

Steve and I declared today a rest day, so nothing too strenuous happened, apart from a quick shop and swim in the pool.  Even the kids enjoyed having a chance to just slow down a bit and potter around and do their own thing.  Here's a shot of the beach at Halliday Point:

Day 24  Halliday Point to Forster to Cessnock

Following a 'rest' day, today was always going to be a big one.  After packing up, we headed straight to Forster where we'd hired a boat for half a day to try our fishing luck on Wallis Lake.  Wallis Lake is filled with oyster leases...

and is truly spectacular water - clear, blue and full of sea life.  And guess what - today the fish were biting!  Happy days at last.  Everyone got a piece of the action and caught a fish, some bigger than others.  We initially used our new red fishing net to pull the fish into the boat, but it went the same way as our yabby net.  Again, thanks to Maggie, it disappeared into the blue beyond.  Here's the net on it's first and last outing...

Mitch caught the fish of the day, bagging a mighty flathead all by himself.  It was fantastic to watch his face light up as he reeled it in.  There is nothing like catching your first big fish and we have no doubt this catch sealed his 'fishing addiction' already inherited from both parents.  Here's his catch...

Maggie also chimed helping her Dad catch a flathead (a keeper) and pulling this one in herself (a bit undersized)...

Stewie caught a little beauty too. We're not sure what it was but we sent it back to grow up a bit more...

We could have stayed out on the water all day - with such beautiful weather and fish biting it was pure heaven for all of us.  However, we had to turn back eventually and driving the boat is serious business...

Once we'd cleaned our catch (total of 2 flathead), it was time to say goodbye to this part of NSW and head inland again.  Plus, the wine cellar is running low.  Hunter Valley here we come!

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