(Umbrella is for sun protection, not rain!!)
Road trip 2 in Australia was to join up some dots on a map from our previous trips to Australia. We left the Gold Coast and had just 4 days to drive to Sydney. Our plan was to visit smaller, out of the way places, do some walking, and stay in air bnbs in rural areas. Our first stop was Fingal Head causeway, named after Fingal's cave on the Scottish Island of Staffa, and Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. Why, because they all share a geological feature with very few places in the world...natural hexagonal pillars of basalt formed when rock cooled after a volcanic eruption. We had a good walk out to the head and suddenly emerged from the Bush to find gorgeous sea views, wild surf and impressive columns.
Next, on to our air bnb which was in a beautiful house on a Creek in South Shores. David was our host - his wife Cathy was away, - and he made us really welcome. We sat on his deck watching an assortment of birds flying over to roost, and the sun setting. Breakfast saw some colourful visitors on the feeders! His cat left no one in doubt who was in charge.
Next morning we set off for a 4.5 hour drive south. A quick stop to see the Surf at Brunswick Heads and the town of Byron Bay, once a hippie/ surfers paradise. Those shrewd hippies brought land here, and are now millionaires! Byron Bay House prices have rocketed, and it is being taken over by corporate hotels and clubs. So we whizzed through and made a pit stop at the Big Banana!!! A landmark on the road since 1964 when it was built to encourage people to stop at the owners shop and cafe. Now it is a mini theme park, but it was a useful 10 minute halfway stop for us!
As we neared Urunga, we turned inland, up into the semi tropical rainforest at Dorrigo. At the rainforest Centre, there are lots of walks, or Bush trails, and a super Sky Walk built out over the valley with stunning views.
Then on to Dangar waterfall. In contrast with the west coast, this part of Eastern Australia has had a wetter than usual summer, so the waterfalls were quite spectacular.
Back to the coast, and our next air bnb, tucked away in the Bush, and close to some of the most beautiful, unspoilt coast near Urunga.
That night we went out to a restaurant on the Kalang river, The Anchors wharf. We had a super dinner and watched another sunset!
Our accommodation was in the house of David Bromley, an artist and illustrator who has had work featured in the British and Australian newspapers, adverts on the London underground, He is known as a top Australian artist, and has recently done these murals in Urunga, and a fake wall which he then designed 'fake' posters, which are fun.
He has a deep interest in wood and lino cuts, and has some lovely antique printers in his studio, which he showed us round.
A work he was very proud of was being asked to illustrate the front cover of the Sydney Herald special edition for the Bicentennial celebrations.
Again, tucked away surrounded by nature, a great example of an unusual air bnb, that gave much more than a bed for the night! That's part of the fun.
In Urunga Town, we did 2 great board walks. One was through a wetland reclaimed from Antimony mines which were riddled with toxic chemicals. Since 2011, this has been excavated and buried in a massive sealed pit. Then the area was regenerated into these beautiful wetlands.
The second board walk goes over a mile out across the bay to the headland and the beach. These were pelicans flying overhead. What a super area.
A quick stop in Bellingen which is a pretty colonial town with a beautiful old fashioned store in it's centre and lots of nice antique and craft shops. We had a snack lunch in a coffee shop where we discovered the rare sight of 2 young people reading books, not phones, and the slightly alarming Ageing Information Centre!
Heading south again we again drove to the coast to visit Trial Bay Gaol. There were big plans in for this area to be a safe port halfway between Sydney and Brisbane, and a breakwater was built by convicts to facilitate this. So, from 1873 the convicts built their own gaol on the cliff top. It was a stark place in contrast with its beautiful surroundings.
It was used until 1903, but was abandoned when a storm breached the breakwater, and the port plan was abandoned.
It was reopened in WW1 to house Germans living in Australia who were perceived as a threat and interned here. Many were professional men, and they created a theatre, library and sports clubs from the sparse surroundings. Outside the gaol were warning notices about what to do if you encounter Kangaroos. We thought it was a strange place to put them..... and then encountered 3 very large ones inside the gaol!! As instructed we gave them a wide berth! In the middle picture, the roo on the right has quite a large joey in her pouch.
 A few miles away is Smokey Cape Lighthouse. A stiff climb up was required but the views were stunning. More vast empty beaches! There are a few coastguard cottages available to rent..and they seemed to come with resident Kangaroos! We encountered an enormous spider here.. it would have dangled its legs over the edge of a side plate!
We also got chatting to an Australian couple on a break at the coast from their farm, many hundreds of miles inland. They farmed a mere 2000 cows and 2000 sheep! They were desperate for rain inland. Our accommodation was a little self contained unit deep in the Bush. It was lovely, apart from the large spider who appeared during the night!! Luckily we didn't see him until morning or I might not have slept much!!
We went out for dinner to a restaurant on a campsite. There were kookaburra and one swooped down and stole food from a neighbouring table! The campsite was full of Kangaroos! I would not have fancied this in a tent! Great meal and sunset!
A 5 hour drive today took us south.
This is not a photo of a line, but a wildlife bridge over the motorway, built mainly for possums! Our first stop was the Koala Hospital in Port Maquarie. Some very sad statistics about how many of these gorgeous animals are injured or killed each year, by traffic, dogs, and increasingly bushfires. Here, they rehabilitate them when they can, or give them a permanent home if not.
Next door is Roto House, a very well preserved example of a Colonial house built in 1891 of red mahogany weatherboard style, and lived in by the Flynn family.
Next on to Morpeth, a very pretty colonial town which, from the 1820s, was a thriving inland port based on the transport of coal, agricultureand other commodities. With pretty houses, an excellent museum, and interesting shops and tea rooms serving excellent tea and scones this is a good place for a stop!
Morpeth was also the home of Arnotts biscuits, founded here in 1848 by a Scottish family and makers of TimTams, a legend in the Australian biscuit world!
Next we drove to an air bnb in Killarney Vale, just an hour north of Sydney. We stayed in very well travelled and friendly Lyn's house, in a bedroom filled with objects from Penzance, Tintagel, Looe and many more because her mother was from Cornwall. A lovely walk along the lake shore rounded off the day.
Our last full day was spent driving to Ku-ring- gai National Park, the second oldest in Australia. We did 3 Bush walks here. The first to see the views at West Head, where we also encountered this huge Goanna blending in so well to the tree.
The others were to visit different sites of aboriginal rock carvings which may be 1000 years old. The photos aren't great, but can you spot recognisable people shapes? A striped snake, a hand print and a fish?
This beautiful lake is also in the park, and its water was so clear.
We then drove through the middle of Sydney, including driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and headed south to Rose Bay, where we had a great lunch at Doyles on the Beach with a view back towards the city. (I last visited here 20 years ago with Peter and David!)
Then off to drop the cases at our last air bnb, a room in Johan's spotless apartment, just a 15 minute walk from Sydney Airport International terminal where we would fly from early tomorrow morning. We really enjoyed this road trip, and the coast and wildlife were outstanding. The map roughly shows where we drove this holiday in red, and our previous road trips are in blue!
We may have to come back to join more dots, as we do love Australia!
