40 - May 2021 - Port Macquarie

 #40 - May 2021 - Port Macquarie

It was time to visit big brother again in Port Macquarie so I spent some precious points and got in a flying  machine or two and landed in The Port. Lovely place.

I had acquired a telephoto lens so we went out to Tacking Point Lighthouse (I think) to try it out and compare it with his micro 4/3 telephoto. That was interesting. 

The clouds were gathering out at sea.

Next day we headed north to South West Rocks and the Trial Bay Gaol. Interesting history.

Then back along the river to Kempsey and a very nice piece of fish at the RSL.

And that was then end of another very short enjoyable trip.

39 - Apr 2021 - Port Fairy

 #39 - Apr 2021 - Port Fairy

This was a very short excursion. My big idea was to walk the rail trail from Port Fairy to Warrnambool via Koroit. I had bought some swish walking boots, trained around our 9km local route, and felt ready to rock and roll.

A bit of a scheduling tango to avoid Easter and the school holidays then off I went, calling in to see favourite daughter in Ballarat, then continuing to the coast.

Stevie’s luck running to form the weather decided to get angry, in fact the angriest it had been for a while. The rail trail walk went out the window (which was closed to keep the angry weather out) then I found out that the Griffiths Island bridge and walking track were closed for maintenance. So I placated myself with some serious comfort food from the excellent fish and chip shop opposite the CP.

In between the clouds crying and the wind trying to topple the van I made my way down to South Beach to see what I could see, and came away with some snaps that I hope captured the mood.

And that was it for that trip.

38 - Dec 2020 - Hay - Lake Cargelligo - Nambucca Heads

#38 Dec 2020 Hay - Lake Cargelligo - Nambucca Heads

By the time the very long Melbourne lockdown ended I was getting a bit edgy and keen to be off, somewhere, anywhere.

I conducted a thorough survey and the consensus from my sample of one was Nambucca Heads. 

Out came the maps and I plotted la grand route. Straight up the Northern Highway to Echuca, across the Murray and continue north on the Cobb Highway through Deni (alas no muster that year) and on to Hay. Pause to catch breath, turn right then onwards through Griffith and turn left to Lake Cargelligo. Another breath-catch, then zig-zag through Condobolin, Tullamore, Tottenham, Warren, Collie and Gilgandra to Tooraweenah. Another rest then north through Narrabri and right on the Killarney Gap Road through Bingaran and Warialda to Inverell and Glen Innes. Yet another rest then continue east on the Gwydir Highway across the tableland, down the steep descent and hairpins through Jackadgery and Grafton, through Coffs, and finally arrive in Nambucca Heads.

So after a special shower and cuppa I waved goodbye to the boss and the dogs and set off. The trip was uneventful and largely forgotten apart from some highlights at my favourite spots.

My favourite tree at Hay.

The Hay Plains.

The road between Rankins Springs and Lake Cargelligo

The milky softness of sunset looking east over Lake Cargellico

The morning greeting from a couple of magpie larks

Then nothing else until Nambucca Heads - a couple of long drives so not much time for photos. Some white knuckles and a bit of sweat going down that steep descent to Jackadgery (more through unfamiliarity than real difficulty) otherwise I just enjoyed the enormously varied drive. Oh, I did take this photo of Sawn Rocks in May 2018 on my way through to Emerald.

On my first day or so I did some laundry and recovered from all that driving (45 years behind a desk was no preparation for 1500-ish km of driving with a caravan on the back.)

Day 2 I went for a wander from the excellent White Albatross CP. An old boardwalk had been closed

I don’t know its fate now after another couple of years and floods.

Then over to Shelly Beach. At the time I thought the trees were more interesting than the sand.

Then back to Indicator Point just across from the CP entry, to watch the sun go down.

Early to rise and along the V-Wall to the Pilot Lookout

Then around the adjacent beach to Wellington Rocks

Some breakfast then back to the V-Wall to see what was happening on the sand banks across the river.

That was it for Nambucca Heads so I pedalled hard to Port Macquarie, stayed a day or two then continued south to the NRMA CP on White Tree Bay.

Not my cuppa, so I saddled up again and cruised south via Dubbo and Wagga, to home, the boss, the dogs, and the “lawn”.

37 - Feb 2020 - Sydney

 #37 - Feb 2020 - Sydney

Feet still itchy I set off for a brief interlude Sydney, still caravan-less - partly because the expert had not finished with the van, and partly because I have this dread of driving a caravan through back streets of major cities. Particularly Sydney.

So I booked a nice abode in Coogee and rocked up the Hume via Goulburn and settled in for a few days.

First up was coffee with a colleague in Balmain. So hop on the excellent bus to Circular Quay …

Then on the F4 ferry service across the harbour to Milsons Point and McMahon’s Point then Balmain East Wharf. 442 bus up the hill, colleague coffee, and back down the hill to Balmain East Wharf.

Then back to Coogee for more photography phun …

Met some great friends for more "coffees" then that was it for my Sydney interlude.

36 - Nov 2019 - Beechworth

 #36 - Nov 2019 - Beechworth

The shortened trip through Cowra and Lennox Head in October 2019 (blog entry #35) was truncated due to bushfires in NSW and I felt somewhat dissatisfied - incomplete, as it were.

So this short trip of a couple of days in November 2019 was intended to scratch my still-itchy feet. “Begone!” said the boss so I was gone.

The caravan was having some maintenance so I booked a cabin in Beechworth and pootled up the freeway to take some photographs.

So in no particular order …

Spring Creek in the Beechworth Historic Park, down Gorge Road past the Powder Magazine.

I’m pretty sure this is Jensens Track, off Lady Newton Drive, off Buckland Gap Road. Either Jensens Track or West Dingle Track but I think the former.

And finally this is looking south west from Murmungee Lookout, on Lady Newton Drive, off Buckland Gap Road. Beautiful place.

And that was it, short and sweet. Back home for the Christmas season and some local seasonal flora.