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We left Canberra and took a slow trip down the mountains to the coast arriving at Depot Beach in the Murramarang National Park. Both Depot Beach and Pretty Beach are in the National Park and have powered sites but only Pretty Beach has views to the ocean from the campsites.

Pretty Beach

The camping areas are full of animals. Kangaroos, parrots, possums and kookaburras. We had six kookaburras around us at one stage. One posed on the fence in front of us and I got so close to take a photo I didn't realise that two more had flown in to have their photos taken as well, so friendly. Click on the photo below and you will see another one that found a perch on the back of our caravan.

How about this shot below, he just sat up as we drove past and waited for me to get the camera out and take a photo. We didn't get to see any but the kangaroos are supposed to swim in the surf along here. There are many photos in the tourist papers with pictures of the swimming roos.

Cute Roo

Over the next few days the swell caused by the cyclone caused lots of damage along the coast. The sea pool at Ulladulla which was emptied for winter, stands three metres above the ocean. Overnight this Olympic size pool was filled to overflowing by the enormous waves coming into the bay. We drove north along the coast and were amazed as we watched these six metre high waves at Mollymook in the photo below. Around a hundred spectators watched with us as a few surfers attempted to ride these massive waves. The caravan park at Lake Conjola was flooded and a lot of the campers were busy trying to dry out their camping gear. According to a local couple we were talking to there was a fenced sand dune, four metres high, set aside for nesting birds, along the coastal entrance to Lake Conjola. Three quarters of this dune, about 200 metres, had disappeared overnight with the onslaught of the sea. Another local remembered this happening once before about thirty years ago. This night we had drinks while watching the high tide and waves wash up to the Ulladulla boardwalk and top up the sea pool again.

Mollymook cyclonic waves in action.

We had run out of time as Easter was upon us. With no bush camping in the area we finally found a caravan park at Nowra with a site available to us where we stayed until after Easter. We took some day drives along the coast and found a lovely campsite at a place called Honeymoon Bay which is on Navy Land in Jervis Bay. You can camp here on Friday and Saturday nights only. Other towns like Huskisson are located in beautiful spots along the coastline. Outside holiday times the park rates would drop down to more realistic prices.

Point Perpendicular Lighthouse on Beecroft Peninsula built in 1834

We went to the Kiama seaside markets which is located around the natural fishing boat harbour. The markets were the same as all the others and the beach was all black rocks with no sand. Still it is a very scenic place to visit.

Navy Air Museum

I was spoilt in Canberra with free entries or free entry the next day if I didn't see everything on display at the various attractions. Not so at the Naval Aviation Museum at Nowra. I was there for 3 hours when they turned out the lights and asked me to leave as it closed at 4:00pm. I asked if I could return the next day for an hour to finish it off and they told me I would have to pay another $12.00 entry fee!

If you ever get to Nowra, try the Services Club on the Highway. We were told that the Buffet meal was good value and it was. All you can eat seafood (prawns, oysters, crab and fish), roasts, asian foods and deserts galore, only $16.50 a head. Yummy.

Werri Beach near Kiama
put mouse over picture for closer view

We planned to go to the Sydney Caravan and Camping Show and booked into a park in Rouse Hill. The next morning we arrived bright and early to the show at Rose Hill. There were no new products that caused us any excitement but we still spent the whole day wandering around. We did pick up a discount voucher for the Tassie ferry that saved us $200 when we booked our trip for November. Brisbane's show that we went to three years ago appeared to us to be far bigger and better than this one at Sydney. Kedron had produced a new van "Top Ender" which was quite impressive and maybe the only one we would consider updating to. It was packed with features galore and included such luxury as leather upholstery. The show price was under $100,000 which is still far too expensive by our standards. Other manufacturers had so called "Unmade Road" packs that only consisted of off road tyres and raised suspension!

Still heading North trying to find some warmer weather we stopped at Gosford to pick up a new sink tap for the caravan. As we were backing out the stub axle on a caravan wheel snapped. Only 30 minutes before I was doing 100kmh down the freeway. LUCKY!!!!  We had previously booked into a park in Belmont about 60km away so we had a nervous trip with the van only having 3 wheels. The trailer shop in Gosford has ordered us a new trailing arm from Preston Chassis in Melbourne so now were just waiting for that to arrive and be fitted then we will head north again.

Late breaking news. Preston Chassis are finally going to send the new component, 6 days after it was ordered. Now we have to wait three more days for it to arrive. Narara Trailers and Towbars are going to bring it up to Belmont when it arrives and fit it for me at the caravan park. Good old fashioned service.

Well that's all for now, see you next month.

Peter and Sandy