Sydney

Over the next few days we explored Sydney, Darling Harbour was just a short walk from our hotel, from there we booked a ferry trip around the bay.

We saw all the sights and were very impressed by the Opera house and the Royal Botanical gardens.

The ferry took us all the way to Manly Beach where we walked along the promenade.

We had a couple of meals out by Darling Harbour to finish our relaxing stay in this city.

 

 

 

Blue Mountains N.P.

The Blue mountains just outside Sydney are a big surprise in every way.

You drive through the suburbs up to what seem to be highly populated residential area. You enter a car park and walk 200 meters into a vast unspoiled landscape of Gorges, Rain forests, and any idea that you re close to a big city completely disappears.

There are many walks in this area but we chose to do the National Pass and the Grand Canyon walk.

Both are relatively short walks but with difficult climbs and descents. Water falls at every turn and sheer cliff faces.

This was a great finish to our Motorhome tour. After two days we dropped off the van in Sydney and relocated to our Hotel the Park Royal on Darling Harbour for the next three nights.

 



Sea Acres N.P. and Route to Blue Mountains.

Back down to the Coast to visit the Sea Acres N.P. near Port Macqarie.

This small National park is a rain forest with a raised board walk. We saw some great wildlife, Monitors, Land Mullets, Skinks and of course many birds. 



 

 

It was starting to get very busy down on the coast due to the holidays so we got onto the Pacific highway down to Nabiac and then turned inland towards Gloucester going through Stratford on Avon, Yes Really! on towards Dundog and stopped just outside Singleton.

Next morning we drove through the Hunter valley wine region down to the Blue mountains just outside Sydney.
 



 



Wollombi Gorge and Ellenborough Falls

Leaving Springbrook N.P. we head towards Kyogle , through Casino and then towards Grafton.

Our destination was set for Washpool N.P.

Our Sat Nav. turned us off the main road early through a beautiful valley called Coaldale. Unfortunately 60 kms further along this route the road stopped with a gate and a sign saying Road Closed and at that point it turned into a grass track. Our Sat Nav had brought us to the back entrance of the park with no access to the camp grounds. Night was falling and should not be driving after four PM, we turned around and retraced our route, very quickly.

Sarah remembered a picnic site close to the original turn off near Grafton overlooking the Clarence river which we managed to reach shortly after dark.

Next morning we are on the road again heading for Cathedral Rock N.P.

The weather was atrocious again and after a morning parked up in the mist we set off to visit Wollombi Falls and gorge.

The scenery in this area is breath taking and we sadly did not see it at its best.

We found a lovely Highway from Armindale towards Ellenborough called the Oxleey Highway and stopped just short of Yarras in a lorry park due to darkness falling again.

Next day took us back onto dirt roads towards Comboyne to see the Ellenborough Falls.

Fantastic scenery again.

 

 

Springbrook National Park

Next two days we were staying around the Springbrook National park.

The gorges here are amazing with their beautiful Water Falls and unspoiled Rain forests.

We did two walks here, Purling Brook Falls circuit and the Twin Falls circuit.

In the evening we stayed the night at the Best of all Lookouts car park.

There were some wonderful vies of Mount Waring and all the other Volcanic plugs in this area, shame about the distant views of the High rise lined Gold coast, which stayed distant as we saw no need to visit it.

 



Moogerah Peaks National Park

We head ever southwards through some amazing mountain scenery giving Brisbane a wide berth.

Our next night was spent at the Moogerah Peaks National Park at Mount French.

We have already stayed on some very isolated sites but this one has to be the most Spooky.

The weather had deteriorated during the day and by the time we had climbed up the single track road into the park we fog bound.

Not surprisingly we were the only ones on this tiny Campsite.

We woke next morning to see our surrounding for the first time and headed off for a morning walk,

after decontaminating our walking boots at the control barrier.

These early morning walks are great for seeing the local wildlife. We startled a couple of Bush Wallabies who seemed very surprised to see us.

We now head south and enter into New South Wales.

 

 

Lake Cootharada

Next day we started to head south, initially along the coast towards Lake Cootharada and Boreen Point. Then we turned inland again towards the Inbil State Forest for our campsite at Charlie Moorland camping area.

Another great setting in the middle of the forest, but this time the campsite was full of families with children, great to see them all enjoying themselves.