NSW

Our 5th state, and we're back on the East Coast. Beautiful beaches again, but too cold to really enjoy them!




We stayed in a little town called Eden just across the Vic border. Stayed at an awesome campground with jumping pillow, playground, huge play teepee - and we practically had the place to ourselves. Over January apparently you can only get in by bookings months in advance. The campground also had the cools bikes above which Rob and I had to take turns in taking the kids for laps around the park (they couldn't reach the pedals dammit).


On the way north from Eden we stopped at a little town and found an old wharf (while hunting for the public toilets - which were closed!) We saw whales going past off the wharf and watched them for a while - they were pretty inactive (no big jumps out of the water) but still pretty cool to see them, and another mammal to tick off the list - without having to pay ridiculous amounts to go on a whale watch boat trip. The next day we were told about a guy and his two children drowning off the same wharf, just hours after we were there (dad was fishing, 4yr old pushed 18mth old in a pram off the edge of the wharf by mistake). Really reminded us of how things can go completely wrong at a moments notice, especially where water is concerned.




We headed up to Batemans Bay from Eden. Nice town on the riverfront with about 10 different beaches within 10km of the township. Kind of place I'd like to live, but only if it was warmer! We had some rainy weather here (pretty standard really), spent a morning at an indoor playground - bit of an eye opener for Rob. ("So you sit here with your friends all morning, with coffee and cake while the kids to burn off all their energy - and why don't you want to go back to work?") We did get onto the beach a couple of times, and saw some dolphins go past about 20ms from the beach - freaky to see them that close!

Next off to Sydney (well really north of Manly - no caravan parks in the inner city!!) First day there we went to the Maritime Museum which was good value (ie free), and we got to have a look around a naval warship (not free, but the kids got to play with cannons). We met up with Sally (Rob's sister) and had a nice beach walk and meal in Manly. Next day it was raining unfortunately but we got out anyway, met Sally and headed around some of the city - we rode the monorail, did a wee bit of shopping and had a wine at the waterfront - oh and Rob got to wander around a $300k catamaran - you could say a little bit for everyone!

Ash checks his ticket on the Polar Express at Myers - free train ride and a one-on-one chat with santa, it would've been a cheap day out if we'd stayed away from the kids clothing dept.

The reindeer didnt make too much of a mess eating icecream on the Manly ferry (thanks Auntie Sally for a great day out!!! and the icecreams!)

Next stop Port Macquarrie and we have a weird feeling of having done this all before (oh thats right, we did do a Bris-Syd-Bris road trip only 3 yrs ago.) This time we splashed out and got a waterfront cabin - this was our view from outside the cabin - pity we could only afford to stay one night!

Ruben shows off his new/favourite t-shirt bought at Sydneys Maritime Museum - for a week or two he was wearing this day and night!

We headed back to the wildlife park we visited on the last trip because we knew the kids could pat the koalas and kangaroos for free (a lot of places charge for patting!)

Finally Ash plucks up his courage and feeds a kangaroo.

From Port Macquarrie onto Coffs Harbour, where we stayed at Moonee Beach. The boys went yabbying to get bait (yabbies are like tiny crayfish - you suck them out of the sand with a pump) and did a wee bit of fishing with not so much luck.

We went to the Pet Porpoise Park at Coffs, bit expensive but awesome interaction and show. The boys both got kissed by a seal.

And got to throw food in the pond for the big turtles.

And got to pat a sea lion (Ash refused to pat him because he was 'smelly' - quite right too).

And Ruben got kissed by a dolphin, Ash refused so I got a kiss instead.

AND the boys got to handfeed a penguin.


Then there was the show which was pretty cool too - dolphins, seals, sea lions all performing the usual tricks.

Moonee Beach - our cabin overlooked the estuary (this was underwater at high tide) with beach and headland beyond. Idyllic and we could've stayed much longer than 3 nights.


But onto Yamba - another lovely beachside town, for two nights. Again in a cabin as we've had enough of tenting in the rain.

Ruben taught himself to bodysurf, he was pretty good too. He wants a boogey board for xmas now.

From Yamba to Evans Heads for 3 nights. Look at that face is it cool or what. We won't see this again for another 50yrs. India (cousin) says its venus and mars.

We also had a big thunderstorm with lightening, hail and strong wind thrown in. We almost lost the tent as some pegs pulled out and it lifted off the ground.

Victoria

Next stop Warrnambool before heading down the Great Ocean Road. We went to a fantastic nightshow here where they recreated the sinking of the Lockhardt ship (which travelled from the UK) in a laser light show over a man-made lake. Pretty awesome effects but a bit scary for the kids - Ash had to bury his face for half of the show. We were driven around a recreation of an olden day village by tractors pulling carts, and that was the best part for Ash.

We went for a drive in an old volcanic crater where we finally saw some koalas in the wild, very cute. Loads of emus and kangaroos here too.

This is the blowhole where the Lockhardt shipwreck and bodies washed up. There were only two survivors. This area was named shipwreck coast as a few ships went down here.

And onto the Great Ocean Road. We heard the 12 Apostles were an amazing sight to see, but we found that there was lots of other awesome sights along the way, some of the best were down unmarked tracks rather than the tourist spots.

There were massive crowds at the 12 Apostles, it was very set-up for tourists with a huge visitor centre, loads of carparking and a tunnel under the road to the various viewing platforms.

Some of the 12 Apostles, there's not 12 left anymore. The weather was a bit second hand too with rain on and off, so we had to time our trek out to view it.


This used to be a bridge that people could walk across but one day it tumbled into the sea - luckily there was no-one on the bridge but people did get stranded on the other side, must've been a dramatic experience!

We found this rock off a little 4WD track that ended in a 5min walk. Probably our favourite stop on the road.

And we saw our first echidna on the same day. Kids were very excited to see it. Echidna was not so pleased to see us after Rob manhandled it off the road into the bushes.

We spent two days in Apollo Bay, gorgeous little beachside town, and then headed off to do the end of the Great Ocean Road and into Melbourne. We had lunch in Geelong and wandered around the really cool statues scattered around the waterfront. The last part of Great Ocean Road was picturesque but really windy (with lots of slow tourists) and Ruben discovered car-sickness. He wasnt a happy boy. We spent the next couple of days getting the vomit smell (and lumps) out of the car.

Melbourne was really full-on, we stayed 3 nights and were ready to get out of town again by the end of it. We took a tram into the city and had a look around. Loved the Victoria markets - super cheap, super yummy deli food, meat, veges, fish, coffee etc etc.

So off down to Wilsons Promontory next (the 'Prom', Victorians favourite local spot). Beautiful scenery, bloody cold though - we didnt even consider swimming in the sea, it was cold enough just to venture onto the beach. This is where the aussie Prime Minister Holt disappeared back in the sixties, never to be seen again (amid many conspiracy stories).


And our first sight of wild wombats, although you couldnt really call them wild. They hang around the campsites wanting food. We were told not to leave any food in the tent as the wombats have been known to rip tents open to get into them (and they do have sharp claws). Rob caught one getting into our 'pantry' in the back of the patrol.

The wombats were sure to come around at dinner time too! I reckon this one would've made a great footstool, but he wasnt keen.

Our short beach outing at Wilsons Prom. It was windy and cold but didn't stop the boys collecting up wood and making a seesaw. After two nights here we headed north for NSW. We could've spent a lot more time in Victoria, some of the inland areas sounded really nice but we're now on a deadline to get back to Brisbane for flights out on 13 December so we stick to the coast for the rest of the trip.