Advertisement
Published: December 22nd 2013
Edit Blog Post
Monday 16
th We leave today to drive east back to the coast. For an hour or so it’s pretty boring then at Mount Michael we suddenly come down from the mountains on a very steep and winding road and go straight into the clouds. We can’t see a thing as we descend a long twisiting road. Finally at the bottom we pull over to let the brakes cool down !
We finally arrive at our intended night’s stop, Tathra. We walk down to the historic jetty and can’t believe what all the fuss is about. It’s tiny ! We can’t find anything else worth looking at and decide to drive on to Merimbula along the coast.
It’s a nice seaside resort but now we’re back on the coast the weather’s grey and overcast.
We take a walk along a waterside boardwalk for an hour and return to our site. Christine buys some bird seeds and attracts lots of attention from the Rainbow Lorikeets.
With nothing else to do I get my tackle out and see what I can do. I pick a spot on the boardwalk next to three locals and watch as a 9 year
old pulls in small fish after fish whilst I don’t even get a nibble.
I’m on the point of giving up when------------ I get a bite ! I haul in my catch to find it’s the largest caught between us. A 2lb flat head. Another local shows me how to gut it and I take it “home” to Christine for a photo call. I clean it up and it’s a BBQ tomorrow !!
Tuesday 17
th A drive of about 60 miles today and first we stop at Eden and go to the look out. It’s a lovely cove and famous for whale watching in August.
We finally arrive at Mallacoota, another lovely estuary with great views. We find a caravan park on the edge of the shore and get a great spot overlooking the water.
After lunch we take a shore line walk but most of it seems along the road and we give up after an hour or so and spend the rest of the afternoon reading.
In the evening I BBQ my fish ! It tastes ok !
Wednesday 18
th We take a short walk along the shoreline from Buckley’s
Jetty into The Narrows. It’s where the estuary narrows before reaching the caravan park. It’s not that interesting and after about 30 mins we decide to return.
We spend the rest of the day on the beach resting up after the last 2 weeks of great walking. We want to give our legs a rest !
A couple we met yesterday walk by at about 12 and we start talking to them and before we realise it’s 4.45 !
A quiet day.
Thursday 19
th We’re due to move on today but disaster strikes the PC ! It’s turned off my anti virus and it takes me until 11.30 to fix the problem. Surprised I could do it !
We decide not to bother moving and drive round to the beach for the rest of the day. We sit under our cocktail umbrella much to some’s amusement. At least it keeps the sun off !
It’s the hottest day since we arrived in Australia and it tempts us into the sea. It’s freezing ! also big rolling waves batter us. By the time we get back to our chairs, we’re dry ! We rest
up and watch the kids surfing, before I nod off.
Friday 20
th A drive of about 70 miles to Marlo, a township on the coast. It’s smaller than a village ! We park up and have lunch in our site before driving off to the beach. It’s even hotter today and in the upper 30’s.
We stop at Mott beach which is on the Snowy River estuary. We walk down over the sand dunes onto a pristine beach. Four people are just leaving and that means we have the whole 2 K beach to ourselves.
We take a quick dip to cool off and then read under the cocktail brolly for another hour so before the strong wind forces us off. We take a short drive along the coast and don’t see another person. The beaches and roads are deserted.
Back at the caravan park which is also nearly empty we speak to a couple staying for a week. It would drive me mad !
Saturday 21
st We wake to grey skies and drizzle, which eventually clear as the gale force wind arrives. We drive to Lake Tyler and stop to have coffee
as the wind blows. We can’t get out of the van for fear of being blown over. It’s a small little place and not worth more than a passing stop.
We drive on to Lakes Entrance and take a short walk over the bridge down to the beach. We quickly return as the sand nearly cuts our legs off in the wind !
We continue to drive and arrive at Metung. A very pretty seaside resort which has done away with its caravan park to go more upmarket. It makes us feel like “trailer trash ! We picnic in the van and move on again.
It’s turning out to be a a day for staying indoors. Finally we drive to Paynesville. Another very pretty seaside place with lots of boats all desperately holding onto there moorings ! We take a walk into town and try to hold onto our jumpers as we go down to the harbour to find out about the ferry over to Raymond Island for tomorrow. Mission accomplished we hurry back to the van and spend the rest of the afternoon and evening sheltering in the camp kitchen while watching the trees sway above
our van ! It’s been a very rough day.
Sunday 22nd
We wake to cloudy skies but at least the fierce wind has stopped. We catch the chain ferry across to Raymond Island where there is a group of wild Koalas on the nature reserve. We go Koala spotting and at first have trouble seeing any, but then see one. We follow the marked Koala trail and then see lots clinging to the branches while asleep. Eventually we get Koala’d out !
We then take a walk along the foreshore and see lots of contemporay houses in bright colours with great sea views. We stop and Christine sees a bird of prey on a boat and takes a photo. She creeps up to take a close up and finds --------- it’s plastic !
We catch the ferry back to the main land and have lunch next to the yatch club and watch the sail boat racing. It starts to rain so we take a short drive along the shore before heading back to base for the rest of the afternoon.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.09s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 12; qc: 29; dbt: 0.0312s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Ken and Madeleine
non-member comment
Seems you are not getting the best of Aussie summer, must be quite challenging having to stay in your van so much of the time - we\'d probably throttle each other, so are full of admiration for you! Very impressed that you managed to catch your dinner, was Chris attracting the birds with another meal in mind? Could self sufficiency be on the cards when you return, a nice bungalow, a little smallholding, the good life :) Looking very cute as Koalas! We\'ve had heaps of rain, but right now the sky is blue again and the sun is shining - lovely - who needs to be in Aus! Wishing you both a wonderful Christmas wherever you celebrate it, we\'ll raise our glasses a to you when we have our lovely dinner, we\'re really looking forward to the day with all the little ones around, it really brings back the Christmas magic. Love to you both from both of us xx