Advertisement
Published: January 10th 2010
Edit Blog Post
Firstly the long adventurous drive to Sydney
We started out from Brisbane at just after lunch with the hope to arrive in Sydney somewhere around 11 hours later for 4 days of Sight seeing and fun in Sydney and Bondi... little did we know....
What was supposed to be a 11 hour coastal drive from Brisbane down to Sydney suddenly took a turn for the worst when we drove straight into flood water at Coffs Harbour, we were sent on through by the road traffic personel and told to follow closely behind the large truck infront of us so we would be driving in the clear as the truck would split the water. This however wasnt entirly true as we found out with all our feet getting wet as we went along. As we emerged from the large bed of water we realised we were passing a long line of these trucks all at a stand still on the outside lane. But we carried on regardless until the car infront of us turned around and started to head right back towards us.... on our side of the round(there was a barrier seperating our side from the other direction). When he
passed he told us he had spoken to the lorry drivers and the road was flooded out no one was getting through now so we turned around and headed straight back the way we came. (on the wrong side of the road also). When we got to the roundabout we had just come off just after the 1st river flooding we realised we couldnt go back that way either so we parked up in the petrol station for the night with our sleeping bags we slept on the benches with a bunch of other people whom were also caught in the flood water. At 8am we had been told there would be a news update that would tell us we could go through but at 8am this didnt happen we were just told that the road was completely closes and would remain so for a while longer.
At this point we decided to follow the route via the New England Highway through the Mountains Rainforest and Bushlands, we were glad we did as the road remained closes for the whole week and all the lorries were there for along time, as were a number of other cars.
We followed the
road carefully up and down the mountains almost being hit by a falling tree narrowly missing us, and having to assist in the removal of a number of others too. We decided to take the road down to Port Maquaire and travel the coastal the fest of the way but the weather had other ideas and as we reached the the bridge just before we re joined the main coastal road the river was washed over before our eyes. rendering it unable to cross. we waited for a short while and watched on as some people in their 4x4s tried to cross (only one being able too the others turned back to safety) we also watched as a man walked across as he said he new the river and bridge well and was ok to do this. he made it and a few minutes his wife came down to pick him up leaving his truck on our bank he left to get a nice hot drink... lucky fellow. by this time we were all cold, wet, tired and all a little bit grumpy from being stuck in a vw beetle for 2 days plus. Elvie on the other hand was
holding up well and was enjoying the cruise and unexpected sight seeing.
We turned around and one again we made our was 5 hours back up the road to the junction and carried on down the inland New England Highway to Sydney. We stayed in a Motel for the night at dinner and Relaxed before our early start in the morning,
SYDNEY FINALLY
Then up early and off again we finally crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge late in the afternoon very tired and also very excited we had made it. We booked into a hotel on Bondi beach and showered and freshened up and then went out and got some dinner whilst seeing the sights of Bondi, knowing that tomorrow would be the only day we had to explore sydney itself.
We got up early Walked around Bondi watching the surfers and then hopped on a bus to Sydney we spent the day exploring and went on the ferry under the bridge and past the opera house, we went to the wharf, and saw some aboriginal street performers. We then booked for a paddleboat evening Cruise past the Opera House and under the bridge with a 5 course
meal and live entertainment. It was fantastic. the cruise was amazing as was the food and entertainment.
BLUE MOUNTAINS ABORIGINAL WALKABOUT
The following morning we packed our stuff together and headed out to the Blue Mountains to do the Aboriginal Walkabout tour we had booked on to. This was a super day we learnt so much about the Culture and area and enjoyed the walk so much (what was advertised to be an 4 km walk was a 11 km hike up and down the Blue mountains) but worth every second of the walk it was beautiful and the guide whom himself was a desendent from the early aboroginals was so knowlegable and was showing us many of the art works, rock carvings, and how to make the most of the natural sorrounding plants and wildlife, aswell as teaching us how to use some of the aboriginal pieces we had seen in the shops as souveneirs.
THE RETURN TO BRISBANE AND THE KOALA SANCTUARY
After this hike we were all so tired but know we had to drive some of the way home back to Brisbane and as we had heard the roads were now open
on the return side we decided to take the coastal road to return home. After only travelling a very short way we were all to tired to go any further and booked into a motel for the night leaving early the following morning to continue on the road home. In the morning we got to Port Maquarie and saw the sign for the Koala Sanctuary we decided or break may as well be enjoyed. The Sanctuary was owned by a couple and there children who had emergrated from the UK years before. The sanctuary was wonderful it was so natural all the aminals were running around and we felt it was truelly on a wild nature theme. The man spent some time telling us about how they got alot of babies left at the door and how they always took them in. We saw so many Kangaroos and we were able to feed them and we saw a joie baby in the pouch who kept trying to get out but the mother was very protective and was keeping him safe. We also got to hold a Baby joie whom had been hand reared due to the fact his mother had
been killed and he was left at the door. This Koala Sanctuary was the best Zoo/sanctuary we had seen as they really made an effort to keep it wild and natural.
We left there and slowely made our way up the coastal road back to Brisbane finally arriving at the house in the very early hours of the morning. Totally happy but exausted.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.088s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 12; qc: 26; dbt: 0.0653s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
sophie
non-member comment
exhausted
well i am exhausted just reading that blimy what an adventure