Week 2

3^rd – 9^th June

A leisurely pack up in misty rain saw us heading to Mungo Brush today. We left Ellenborough around 10am travelling the Pacific Hwy to Taree.  The NSW government are doing massive road works; it will be excellent when finished.

Mungo Brush is in Myall Lakes, part of the Great Lakes NP.

Tea Gardens was the closest town so as we pass through it was important to look for a venue for State of Origin on Wednesday night. We set up camp on the shore of Myall Lakes. Paperbark trees lined the waters edge, lots of small birds, pelicans and surprisingly dingos.

Over the next few days we walked the beach, through rainforest, over boardwalks that went through swampy areas, very relaxing, but disappointing for fishing. The lake had suffered from a toxic bloom earlier in the year and there were fish floating at the edge of the lake which made an easy meal for the dingos.

Wednesday night we went into town to watch State of Origin at the Tea Gardens Country Club. Quite an experience walking into a room full of blue jerseys, consequently we were very quiet.

Thursday saw a change of plan. While the weather was cold with no rain, it had been cloudy over the last few days so we needed a powered site to top up batteries. We were heading to Nowra on the coast so decided to stay at the Shoalhaven Zoo.

“A great spot “, it was an open area off the main zoo enclosure on the bank of the Shoalhaven River water and power supplied $10.00 per site per night.

Over the next couple of days we explored north and south of Nowra. Jervis Bay, Huskisson and Hyams Beach, believed to have the whitest sand in the world according to the “Guiness Book of Records”.

Kiama, with its famous blow hole.

Shellharbour and of course Dapto with a visit to the Australian Motorlife Museum.

Sunday we moved down the coast through some great coastal towns like Milton, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay and Moruya.  Most had festivals, art and craft shows or street parades on for the long weekend. Then into Congo Beach Eurobudalla NP.  We are here for 3 nights.

WEEK 1

29^th May – 2^nd June

The week has had its ups and downs.  John went to the doctors and dentist on Monday, so we decided that we would leave on Tuesday.  But wait, the tooth he had out on Monday was giving him grief, taking painkillers and having a headache was not a good combination for driving.  So it was Wednesday before we got away.

We had a good trip down the Pacific Highway to Red Rock CP at the southern end of Yuraygir NP near Coffs Harbour NSW.  We meet up with a friend Ken Winders who is going to travel with us for a couple of weeks.

The park was quite this time of year, but we could imagine it as a popular spot in peak season.

Red Rock headland is reputedly the sight of a massacre of Gumbaynngir indigenous people in the 19th century. A memorial has been erected at the base of the headland to commemorate this.  The headland was named Red Rock because the river went red from the blood of the people.

Red Rock

Friday saw us on the road to Ellenborough (Camps 5 #318) a bush camp west of Wauchope.  “large open area which has about 10 other vans here”  We will be here for 3 nights hopefully for John to recover. Saturday morning was spent at the Wauchope Country Hospital, his face now swollen with an infection. “Not a happy chappy”.

The weather is closing in, with a couple of wet days and the nights getting colder.

Today Sunday, we went up to Ellenborough Falls.  Misty rain and unsealed roads took us to the mountain top, where you would not believe there was sunshine and a cafe.  We were the only ones there at 11.00am, went for a walk to view the falls, came back and there were 8 cars in the carpark, with all the homemade pies and pasties that we were savouring over gone.  Barbara behind the counter could not have been more customer focused. She made us fresh vege & cheese pasties and fish & potato pies.  We would recommend a look at the fall if you are passing.

Ellenborough Falls are recorded as the second longest single drop waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere.  The 200m drop can be viewed from Knoll lookout.

Ellenborough Falls

Ellenborough Falls

Back to camp for a rainy night.

Tomorrow we are moving down to Mungo Bush another bush camp just past Taree.