2010 On the road

Casino, Port Mcquary, New Castle, Penrith, Lithgo, Katoomba-Lithgo, Bathhurst-Cowra, Wodonga.

It has been a month since I sat down and wrote about our latest travel, the East coast has little to offer that we haven't seen, other than beaches and more beaches, mind there is nothing wrong with beaches but you need sun to enjoy them, it is something we haven't had much of, never mind let me tell you what we did see and did.

Casino we stayed at the CMCA Park and met up with Ian and Marilyn once more only stayed a couple of days, we traveled south through Graften where the Jacaranda where in full bloom some of the streets where absolutely glorious,

Grafton park street with jacaranda in full bloom

Grafton it speaks for itself

Grafton the beauty of color in the trees

then headed for Darlington park, we intended to stay for 3 days but the rain set in once more and it was decided to stay, ended up staying for 14 days, Marelyn and Ian decided to join us.

Darlington resort and its tranquility

Woolgoolga beach from Whale lookout point

Did some sightseeing and looked at a few houses in parks as well as in town not much around we liked so the search goes on

Who says only the young ones can have fun

Hi there from the spa at Darlington resort

Coffs Harbour has changed and has become to big for our liking, while there we met up with Crissie and Danny and the three little mites, was nice to see them

The Big Banana We have a few photos like this so one more wont hurt

Visited Numbuca and Valla Park, Valla certainly has changed and is not as nice as it was all those years ago.

Numbucca Break water and its grafiti

Valla Park, the old walking Bridge still there after so many years

Valla Park ocean beach

Leaving Coffs our next call was Port Macquarie for a few days and a look around as I said before if you have no sunshine and warmth, places like Port Macquarie are not atractive but we managed to see a few things like the beach etc,

PortMcQuarie beach and township

A visitor accepting a chip snack

Brother Mountain what a few over the inlet at Northhaven we had a nice picnic here,

Northhaven Inlet from Brother Mountain

Close up of Northhaven Inlet from Brother Mountain

Did a sunset fish and chips cruise on a Chinese Junk through the lakes at Port McQuarie which was great.

View from Brother mountain South

Our Junk departing at Port Macquarie

Enjoying a glass of wine to go with the company on board our Junk

Sunset over the shores of the waterways at Port McQuarie

Next city visit New Castle, here we met up with Bill and Dawn our Friends we met in Cloncurry and traveled with for a while it was very nice to be with them we saw a lot of New Casle and what was once a dirty town certainly has come up in the world with some big and expensive houses on Lake Macquarie, (thanks Bill no more houses OK when next we visit) we also visited Nelson Bay where we had a nice lunch with some great views.

Lunch with good friends New Castle

View from where we had lunch Nelson Bay

Then onto Penrith for a one night stop and we looked up Fleming and his family (we worked together at Katun) had a great BBQ and chat, thanks once more mate.

Onto Katoomba next now this was an experience the road into this town was a good climb into the Blue Mountains but getting into Katoomba , well that was something the fog and low cloud as thick as pea soup and so bad that one could not see beyond 10 meters (no pictures) and trying to drive around round abouts in these conditions is hair raising, the roads are very narrow as well, very hard to judge distances and not knowing if there was a car in the round about, phew glad I got out of there, had intended to stay here but decided to move on for Lithgow instead and made our base there for few days.

Lithgow cp view with the Intercontinental train to Perth in back

From Lithgow we travelled back to Katoomba to do the Steepest Railway and cable cars ended up a nice day as this time the sun was out.

Katoomba the Three Sisters

Katoomba the Blue Mountains

The cable trams Katoomba

The Steepest Railway Katoomba

Blue Mountains Katoomba

Cowra next but not before we raced around Mount Panorama at Bathurst this was great fun especially since we still had the caravans behind us it must have been a sight to think this track normally has speeds of 120+Ks with us it was 20Ks fun all the same.

Conrod Straight Bathhurst

Bathhurst Fujisu corner

Bathhurst stopped on the track

XXXX corner? we are in the race

Left corner and going well

Mount Panorama Bathhurst

Coming to the Straight

Approaching pit lane?

I didn't win a race but it was fun driving the course towing the van.

Next Cowra the town where the camp was that interned the Japanese and where they tried to escape from, during the 2nd World War, very interesting to see and read about this bit of Australian history, there are also beautiful Japanese garden here as a remembrance, a couple of hours walking through these gardens is great and well worth the visit.

Japanese Garden

Leaving Cowra we headed for Wodonga our last stop before the club Xmas rally in Ballarat.

The peace bell in Cowra

Another year has passed and I finish this blog with the ringing of the Peace Bell and hope for peace where ever you are.

Bianka and I thank you all who followed us throughout the year and wish you the best for the season.

Bianka Sig

Rainbow Beach, Fraser Island, Tweed Heads, Casino

A friendly visitor as a start

Well hello once more, this time we are coming to you from Casino no not the gambling place but Casino NSW, we have moved out of QLD without much of a change in regards of the weather and both Bianka and I are getting pretty cheesed off with it, we did have a few nice days but the rain is still persistent, then again so is it every where else, only consolation is it is warmer here than down south.

Since my last blog we stayed at Rainbow Beach where a few silly people tried to drive at the wrong time of the day ie. High tide and this is the result,interesting thing is that there were 2 cars and the next day the yellow van had disappeared

Nissan Patrol and Yellow Toyota Van

This is what the waves can do to a Nisson Patrol

No yellow van and the patrol is being buried

We did a day tour to Fraser Island great day and well worth doing, we were picked up by four a wheel drive bus from the RBB then on to the ferry.

Ferries to Fraser Island

Moving along the beach

Comfortable seating

twenty minutes later then down the sandy beach along the water ( glad it is their bus and not our prado what with the salt water and sand etc.) some good solid sand but also some not so solid, 60+Ks north to Central Station to drop off some people and take some on board,

The inside track on Fraser Island all sand

then into the interior for a walk through a Rain Forrest,

Rain Forrest

Rain Forres

Rain Forrest Mushroom Growth

a swim at Lake McKenzie

Lake McKenzie beach

A joy to swim in crystal clear water,

A paddle on the beach very white sand

and incredibly it is the cleanest clearest fresh water I have swam in, very interesting remembering that we are on an Island sarounded by salt and ocean etc. some interesting facts rain water is collected he high in the hills (and yes there are quiet big hills here all sand) that water can take 60 years to filter through the sand before it will reach some of the lakes dotted around Fraser island or lake McKenzie the one I swam in, it was warm really nice.

Back to Central Station for a nice hot lunch, then 30 more Ks up the beach to an old Cruise ship the Maheno Wreck,

Cruise ship the Maheno Wreck,

this foundered there a long time ago obviously for photo shoots, don't know what they will show once it has rusted completely away and it won't be long.

Stopped at the Cathedrals the coulerd sands

Photo shoot at the colored sands

then for a swim this time at Eli Creek

Tour buses everywhere

Walkways at Eli creek

which runs into the sea again the water was fresh and warm, by this time it was almost 3pm and we had a 90Km drive back along the beach we were lucky enough to see a few Dingoes on the beach,

Dingoes on the beach

back to the ferry, after a great day.

Leaving Rain Bow Beach we headed for Esk and stayed there for almost a week, rain and more rain to the point that lake Wivenhoe nearby

Lake Wivenhoe full to the brim

The gates and Spillway at Lake Wivenhoe

Massive amounts of water being drained

this creates a spray 50 meters high

Spray from the release of water

Almost like having a shower

Spray seen from the road

is the lake that supplies drinking water to Brisbane, the river is so full that the Brisbane river spills over and floods and

Flooding of the Brisbane River with all that water going out to sea

floods outlaying areas, this time with so much rain they managed to controll it, thus some great photo's .

It was here due to a pretty severe rain storm that Ian and Merilyn Dryden lost their awning.

The park in Esk with lots of water

This is what a little rain can do

After our stay here we headed south again for our rendezvous with Judy and Max in Tweed Heads and spent a pleasant week with them sight seeing ie Nimbin, Brunswick Head both Hippy communities from way back and still is today ,managed to catch up with Wanda and Teresa over a nice Bbq.