2020 Blogs

Celebrating an early family Christmas on 13th December enabled us to do a little trip down the south coast of NSW to finish off the year. As luck would have it, that timing also enabled us to leave Sydney before the travel restrictions tightened up again and we were able to celebrate together with family and friends, which would not have been possible on the 25th December due to new Covid restrictions caused by a recent outbreak.

Our family Christmas morning – the present session.

Departed Sydney on the 18th December and spent a few days at Tuross Heads, camped right on the lake. Its a great fishing place which was not the attraction for us. Our initial plan was to be with friends (Chris & Chris), but as they couldn’t be there we spent our time exploring a very nice part of the coast.

Our campsite on the lake (and also next to a busy road).

Our explorations included visiting the Moruya markets, lunch in Moruya, plus lovely beach walks, coffee and lunch stops at Tuross Heads. We decided a good way to support these local communities, who have suffered through the fires and lost most of their tourists due to Covid, would be to eat lunch out as much as possible in addition to caravan park fees, groceries and fuel purchases.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES – same exact place, two photos taken by different bystanders on two very different days. Bright skies and sunshine versus cloudy squalls and wind.

These trees are a key feature of the Tuross Heads foreshore. A cairn commemorates Hector McWilliam who planted the 200 Norfolk Island Pines in the town and owned property in the area. Hector McWilliam planted the 200 trees after being told they would not grow in the area. McWilliam, a one-time real estate salesman, acquired the Mylott property in 1924, attempting, with little success, to sell land in the area and make it a tourist spot. Hector was very generous to the community with his donation of the foreshore land and the distinctive Norfolk Island Pines that adorn it.

After more long beach walks, a good uke practice doing Christmas Carols and a pleasant alfresco meal by the lake, we said goodbye to Tuross Lakes. Getting an early start (thats 10am for us), we headed off to Bombala for our catchup with Chris and Chris. Stopped in Bega for lunch and a Zoom medical appointment. Had a pleasant evening with our friends.

The Troopy (Chris & Chris’ vehicle) and Belle side by side, and Dick doing his balance class.

Lots of talking and planning future trips…..

Then we headed back to the coast and a new camp on Lake Wonboyn, very near the Victorian border, which was still open so there were quite a few people around. No places were full but it was only a few days before Christmas.

Its pretty quiet in Wonboyn – these guys took their time crossing the road as we drove in to the Holiday Park

On our evening walk we met Santa and she invited us to a locals Xmas drinks by the lake. Note the burnt out trees.

We hired a boat and explored Lake Wonboyn. Dick is plotting our course on his phone.

Late afternoon sun ………this picture sums up Lake Wonboyn beautifully for me.

This King Parrot seemed to like me. He hung around our camp a lot.

Exploring in Eden – a lovely cafe lunch and drives and walks along the scenic Eden coast.

Our Christmas day started with lots of family phone calls before we went off exploring Wonboyn Beach. The 5 km trip on a very rough 4WD track got us to a lovely deserted beach. The south coast has a never-ending stream of hidden lakes and beaches to explore. We’d never heard of this area and initially planned to go to Ben Boyd NP but decided to explore Wonboyn instead.

Had a great beach and bush walk. No one else around. More burnt out forests. There was still an eery feeling in that bush.

It was such a beautiful spot we decided to free camp at the beach (instead of returning to the holiday park) before heading off to our next camp in the mountains, Kosciuszko National Park.

A scary 15 minutes during the drive to the mountains. Out of nowhere we were caught in the middle of a dreadful hail and snow storm. It felt like the windscreen was going to be smashed in. We had to stop and wait for it to die down. Ten minutes later we were in sunshine.

Our campsite for three nights in Kosciusko National Park. Good place for walking but not so good for sitting outside as the March flies were ferocious. Good for quiet nights as no tv or internet.

Enjoying the 7km Waterfall walk on a warm 24C day.

One of our favorite alpine walks is the Porcupine Trail. Here is the view from the top.

Lots of delicate and beautiful wildflowers on this 6km walk.

The trees and views are magnificent, and the walk is not strenuous so makes for a pleasant time.

To celebrate Dick’s birthday, we went for a nice lunch in a cafe in Jindabyne. He totally indulged himself in an old favorite (the hamburger) and the cafe staff indulged him with a candle on his cake.

You never know who you will meet driving along the road. As we left Jindabyne, C&C were driving in so we had a roadside chat before we headed off back to the coast.

Our next camp was on Wallaga Lake, between the lake and the ocean. NSW has so many amazing coastal places to visit.

We did a stunning walk along the coast. The mountain in the background was called Mount Dromedary by Captain Cook in 1770 because he thought it looked like a dromedary camel. The local Yuin people call it Gulaga, the Mother Mountain.

In the 1970’s aboriginal people campaigned against logging on the mountains. After years of slow progress the whole area was handed over to the Yuin people and is now jointly managed by the aboriginal owners and National Parks and Wildlife Services.

After a 3km walk along this picturesque coast, we hitchhiked a ride back to Belle. Sounds lazy but we had a lunch commitment.

Almost looks like we could have been in Paris, but it was La Gallette, a crepe/gallette cafe in Tilba Tilba. Lets call it a second birthday lunch for Dick.

For old times sake we checked out Mystery Bay, then drove around Bermagui and did a scenic drive around the coastline stopping at Blue Pool where we saw seals frolicking in the water. All very scenic and a beautiful part of the world. The next day we got home after another nice lunch out in Berry. It was a relaxing time away.

I’ll finish this blog with a note on our family weekend away in early January. Back to the Berry area where we enjoyed just having some time away together; and had the bonus of beautiful weather, a scenic coastal walk, lots of games, good food, and even stargazing in a very dark sky.

A stunning coastal walk, but Maggie, Helen & Anthony’s new golden retriever puppy, had to be carried most of the way, so they didn’t get to do the whole 5 km walk from Minnamurra to Bone Beach.

Lots of inside and outside games, although we all know who the most coordinated ones are. I think the kids were surprised the jenga tower got as high as it did with Dick and I playing.

Our place for the weekend had a great view. With the magic of Dick’s phone we got some nice group photos. That weekend was a lovely way to start the new year.

In a flurry of enthusiasm last November, we booked to do the Three Capes Lodge Walk in Tasmania with Chris and Bob. We’d been trying to do a trip with them for ages and I liked the idea of doing another multi-day walk with Chris since she got me started with my first big walk in 2008. The plan was to train over Dec-Feb to be ok to do the 4-day, 48 km guided walk, carrying a 9.5kg backpack. There was some trepidation about the backpacks, but we wanted to do this version since the lodges were in the National Park, and the food and lodging came highly recommended by friends. Helen did the walk in December, unguided and staying in the public lodges, and she thought we could easily manage the walking!

So much for ‘BEST LAID PLANS’ – first the heat and bush fire smoke eliminated training walks in Sydney in December. Then we went away for a month, back for a week and then off to the Tamworth Country Music Festival where I fell and chipped a bone in my foot. That should have been a SIGN! – but I worked hard at physio and exercises to the point where I could walk ok. That gave us one week of training where we did lots of 10km walks and got pretty tired before we left. During that time I developed a mystery rash on my back so couldn’t train with a pack (another SIGN that I ignored!)

So many beautiful tracks to walk all around Sydney harbour. This was by the zoo looking at the bridge and Opera House.

It was an easy flight and quite nice to visit Hobart again; staying right near the harbor where our walk started on the 28 February. Day one started out with a bus ride that included some scenic stops before taking a small (ie 15 minute) boat ride to the official start of the walk.

An uneventful short boat ride to the start of the walk. Weather was windy and a bit squally.

We ate our packed lunch at the official start of the 3 Capes Walk.

This is the map of the Three Capes Walk with our lodges highlighted. We landed at Denmans Cove and were picked up at Fortescue Bay.

Day 1 was a 6km/2hr walk on well-formed paths along the clifftop. The lodge (Crescent Lodge) was well hidden off the path and an impressive, comfortable building nestled in the treetops. Even the public lodges were impressive looking buildings.

An easy walk along the clifftops, so it was a nice start.

Our group included 8 other walkers plus 2 guides and the group photo was taken when we got to the first lodge.

Our lodge host greeted us with afternoon goodies and a welcome chat in the scenic lodge nestled in the treetops. Fortunately our fellow walkers were a nice lot of people.

Not really expecting such fancy desserts following an excellant dinner.

Day 2 was sunny and nice and we learned a lot about dolarite rocks and enjoyed lovely cliff vistas. The 11 km walk was ok but I was not comfortable with my pack.

Sunshine and a striking coastline all along the 3 Capes Walk.

Our next two nights were spent at Cape Pillar Lodge, and it was the same quality standard as the previous lodge. Finishing the walk at 4pm meant that Dick had time for an afternoon nap before another good dinner and a good sleep.

Sunrise from our bedroom window at 6:46am on Day 3.

Day 3 was a return trip out to Cape Pillar. Chris and I decided to shorten the walk so we just went to the lookout point where we could see Tasman Island and learn about that history, including the rough and dangerous lives of the early lighthouse keepers and their families.

The first view of Tasman Island on another beautiful day.

Hard to imagine living on this island now, let alone years ago.

Chris and I enjoyed a pleasant walk back to the lodge.

Dick and Bob went out to Cape Pillar with the group, so they did about 18 kms and we did 8 kms.

My back was very sore by this time so I followed Chris’s lead and had a massage. The masseuse found lots of sore places I didn’t even know about. Another good dinner that evening and another early night as we had to start walking at 8am the next day.

A final view from the lounge in the last lodge.

Day 4 was a 13 km trek that started with a climb over Mt. Fortescue (490 m), and it was not optional. My back was very, very sore from carrying my pack so Dick carried all of my clothes to lighten it.

Hiking up Mt Fortescue. We brought up the rear so always had a guide with us.

We did go through some lovely ferns and mossy areas. Dick even found a chair to sit on.

Looking back towards Cape Pillar and along the cliffs where we walked. They are the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere.

We made it to the end of the walk, and needless to say we did skip the extra 4 km return walk to Mt Huay.

We didn’t look quite as happy at the end of the walk and all were certainly relieved that it was over (especially me). My days of carrying a pack are done!

This sums up Dick’s feeling about the end of the walk.

On our return to Hobart we were treated to wine and cheese by the tour company, had a farewell dinner with Chris and Bob, and hurried back to the bathtub in our hotel room. Nice view of Hobart harbor from our hotel room.

As we had half a day in Hobart we visited the Tasmanian Museum and Gallery. In contrast to what we had heard previously, we learned that there were Tasmanian aboriginal people who survived the genocide which wiped out most of them. Another sorry story of death and destruction of indigenous people and their culture.

P.S. – My shoulder pain got worse and was diagnosed as tendonitis and bursitis. PPS – I have been known to use ‘SIGNS’ as a reason or excuse to do something we’re debating on. In future I may need to listen to them when they are telling me not to do something, I really want to do.

ISOLATION, LOCKDOWN, PANDEMIC and a new song.

Everyone no doubt has stories of their time in lockdown due to the pandemic. I made a few notes about our experiences as its so easy to forget about how we passed the time of isolation and social distancing. I summed up much of our experience in a song which follows at the end of the blog. From early March our world started to change and as part of the over 60’s cohort, we basically followed government advice to stay home. By 24th March NSW was in total lockdown and the Queensland border closed on 25th March. Strange how easily our life transformed into online classes, Zoom get-togethers & seminars, grocery deliveries, daily walks and more time for ukulele practices.

Not the best time to be selling a motorhome, but in March we put the Lestervan on the market nevertheless. In the end our new motorhome arrived in April and after various in-person and facetime showings we sold the Lestervan on 2nd of June.

Celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary in isolation with a take away meal and watching wedding videos. After 3 hours even we were bored with the videos!

As restrictions began to loosen up in May we began seeing friends and family again. In June we farewelled our dear Hermy who, as the girl’s nanny and a good family friend, was an important part of our life for over 30 years. In between we have had some long overdue repairs done on our property and caught up all the regular medical appointments; but the big focus has been on getting Belle, the new motorhome, ready for an extended trip north chasing warmer weather.

SOON WE WILL BE HEADING OFF FOR MORE ADVENTURES IN BELLE!

PAT’s PANDEMIC SONG – For some unknown reason the new words to this Skyhooks (70’s Aussie band) song just kept going around in my head. Then I found the uke chords in the SCUM Ukulele songbook, so it was meant to be. I clumsily put them together and then asked my musical friend and physio, Catherine, if she would “tidy it up” for me. The result of all that follows. We play it often now, for our own ears only. This version includes the uke cords in case anyone is interested.

All My Friends Are Staying Home. – (With Thanks To Skyhooks and Scum and Catherine)

INTRO: C/// G/// Am/// //// F/// G/// C/// ////

CHORUS

Well (C) all my (G) friends are staying (Am) home now ////

(F) They’re all doing (Em7) what they’re (C) told /// ////

Zoom (C) facetime, skype and virtual cups of (G) tea

(F) E-ven computer lessons for my Uke and (G) me /// ////

It’s (C) hard not-to-(G) hug n-kiss the (Am) family /// ////

But (F) nec-ess-ar-y to keep all safe and (G) well /// ////

CHORUS

Well I (C) looked into the (G) TV the (Am) other night (the other night)

I saw (C) Netflix, Iview, Apple and SB-(G)-S

(F) A movie, a puzzle, or (G) clean up all this (C) mess? (Ha, ha, ha, ha)

And (C) sometimes I feel like I just ne-ver go (G) out //// ////

I (C) wonder (G) now if this will (Am) ever end (Oh, will it – ever end?)

(F) This great big world has changed, there is no (G) doubt

(oh no, oh no, oh no-o-o)

CHORUS

But (C) I’m all (G) caught up in this (Am) virus

Yes (C) I’m all (G) caught up with this (Am) fear

And this (F) house! I’ll (G) never get out of here (C) repeat x1

So (C) no-one is (G) going out, no (Am) drivin’ about

The (C) air is fresh and the sky is (G) clear

(C)Are we (G) fixing up the (Am) worlds’ woes

By (C) just stayin’ (G) home and drinking (Am) beer? //////repeat x 2

Category: 2020 Blogs

The last 2020 trip – NSW south coast

3 Capes Walk plus some isolation musings