Ellenborough Falls are the highest single drop waterfall in NSW and after a nearly two hour drive from Port Macquarie – the last 45 minutes on a veritable goat track winding up a mountain – the Jimny was happy to stop in the Falls car park, a chilly 10 degrees outside.

Enticing aromas drifted down from the tiny on site kiosk where pies and other delicacies are cooked fresh daily and we decided if we made it back from the 400 metre (641 step) walk to the base of the falls, we would try them out. 

The view from the top was pretty spectacular but you haven’t really been if you haven’t done the hard yards have you?

A well maintained trail of mostly steps with intermittent wooden platforms leads down through spectacular and diverse vegetation including huge bird’s nest ferns growing on the trees and colourful fungi on fallen timbers.

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The real prize though is the view from the bottom. With slightly wobbly legs we stood at the base in a fine mist of spray to admire the spectacular sight.

 

The suggested timing for the climb back up is 45 minutes, we achieved it in around 30 and were very proud of ourselves. Big shout out here to the physios at my post cancer rehab course, I was in no condition to tackle this before completing that prior to our trip. 

Of course we rewarded ourselves with just out of the oven pies and blackberry slice 😉 and then returned home via a different but almost as torturous route but I think was it well worth the trip.

On our last day in Port Macquarie (Port to the locals) we headed north toward the coastal towns of Crescent Head and South West Rocks. We would basically be headed this way the next day but it is far easier to navigate tight roads and parking spots in the Jimny alone, I’m terrified of getting stuck in a dead end street with the motorhome and Jimny on behind. 😁

After a late start it was lunch time by the time we got to Crescent Head and we had what turned out to be one of the best burgers in recent history from Chanchita’s. We ate down at a picnic spot where a couple of kids were surfing the incoming tide in the river mouth

Away from the calm river mouth the surf was huge still, the photos really can’t capture the essence of the forces at play here.

South West Rocks was the spot for afternoon tea as golden hour approached and unfortunately we had run out of time to visit the nearby Trial Bay Gaol.

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We got home as the sun was setting and Russell impressed me with a Sunday roast for dinner, but then crushed me at scrabble afterwards 🤦‍♀️

The following day we set off toward Coffs Harbour but decided to check out Nambucca Heads for morning tea en route. Finding a parking area suitable to turn around with the Jimny on behind was a little challenging but we eventually found a spot next to the Nambucca River which conveniently had a nice walk out to the actual mouth. 

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Our next destination was the Sporties Club in Tuncurry, highly recommended by the trusty FB forum and one of the  many ‘free camping’ options that exist in regional towns (particularly those in the eastern states.)  The cost was $5 per person per night with an arbitrary maximum stay of 48 hours (negotiable in quieter times we found) with an expectation that you will support said business. The fact that this one incorporated a large Bowls Club did not go unnoticed when Russell was helping to choose our next stay

The dedicated ‘self contained vehicles’ car park had about four other rigs parked up when we arrived and we found a nice level grassy spot within spitting distance of  the palatial club (compared to Willunga Bowls) and Russell put his name down for bowls whilst I checked out the facilities.

The two towns of Tuncurry and Forster (pronounced ‘Foster’) straddle either side of the confluence of the Coolongolook and Wallamba rivers and we were to discover are home to many wealthy retirees who seem to play bowls most days of the week.

Over the next couple of days we more than paid for our cheap parking spot with a couple of dinners in the Club and $20 worth of meat raffle tickets for the 42 (yes 42) meat trays on offer five nights of the week! Alas we didn’t manage to win one but the anticipation was well worth it 😂

Both towns afforded multiple fishing spots off wharves and breakwaters and we tossed our lines in one night with our usual results – a pleasant time but no edible results. 

Unusual weather conditions were producing huge surf (which would continue for the next few days as we moved further north) and I managed a couple of walks along the coast whilst Russell was playing bowls, the waves were thundering in, providing a great spectacle. The other really impressive facility that I noticed was the dog training park which is almost adjacent to Sporties. It is fully fenced and contained what looked like permanent agility obstacles within a huge leash free area as well as a smaller one for less adventurous pups. It was being well utilised every time I walked past, wish we had something similar at home.

Our final full day in Tuncurry was another bowls day for Russell and very fortuitously for me, sunny and almost windless. Russell strolled across the car park (so very convenient this spot) and I loaded up the Jimny with morning tea and my drone backpack and drove south toward Booti Booti National Park.

I drove past several access paths to the beach and choosing one at random I parked and walked the 300 metres or so through to an absolutely gorgeous expanse of pristine beach with shimmering aquamarine seas and not a soul in sight.

Given that NSW Parks require 10 days notice for drone permission (!) I whipped it out somewhat surreptitiously but couldn’t see how I could be offending anyone…..

I think it was worth it 😉

I continued on to the beachside community of Bluey’s Beach, stopping at various vantage points along the way, each one affording stunning coastline.

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I think Russell lost bowls but had a pleasant afternoon nevertheless.

On Wednesday we moved on to Port Macquarie where the Moho was to have the washing machine replaced. We found the very helpful but awkwardly situated Caramart Caravans & Trailers (on the wrong side of the highway on a steep corner) but eventually left the Moho in their care whilst we went to find our caravan park. NRMA Breakwall proved to be situated in a wonderful spot, adjacent to the breakwater and a very short stroll into town and we had lunch and a wander around until we got the call to say that the Moho was ready to collect.

The breakwater is lined with painted rocks (we were to see this practice in several other seaside towns) varying from works of art to works in progress but they provided an interesting spectacle as we strolled along chatting to some of  the many fisherman and learned that the bream were running and that mullet is the go to bait.

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Arming ourselves with said mullet, the next afternoon we found a spot on the town wharf where some very friendly locals helped us save Russell’s fishing rod from drowning after a little misadventure… Despite lasting long enough to see a nice sunset after Russell had left to prepare dinner, I failed to catch anything.  I did however go home with a nice bream which my new friend Michael insisted  I take – he “has a freezer full and is after something bigger” – so with teeth chattering I gave up at about 7.30 pm and went home. 

This is why it is called fishing not “catching.”

With bowls on the agenda again the next day, after doing the ‘housework’ (yes there still is some,) I set off to cover a chunk of the local coastal walk.

Big seas had the surfies out in droves and I watched the various levels of expertise on display for quite awhile before reaching Flynn’s beach where I was just in time to get a cup of tea before the kiosk closed.

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Putting washing machine concerns behind us we decided to follow some more Facebook intelligence and drive the hour or so up to Newcastle to see the Anzac Memorial walk. Newcastle and environs constitute the second most populated area of NSW and its history includes a massive ship building industry and steelworks, both of which have ceased in recent years. Despite still being the largest coal exporting harbour in the world it also possesses a spectacular coastline.

The Anzac walk commemorates the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli in 1915 and the commencement of steel making in Newcastle. It was built with 64 tonnes of stainless steel and the silhouettes are inscribed with almost 4,000 family names of the 11,000 local Hunter Valley men and women who enlisted in World War 1.

The memorial is spectacular from all aspects and provides unsurpassed views of the magnificent surf beach below.

We treated ourselves with lunch at Swell Beach Bar where we could hardly hear each other speak the surf was so loud! A few hardy souls were braving the waves but we were content to watch and polish off our excellent tacos 😜

When we arrived back at the Caravan Park we had confirmation that the washing machine replacement had been authorised at Port Macquarie and would hopefully happen late next week so the plan was to head slowly up the coast.

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After settling in (pretty easy as we had a level concrete slab today 👌) we set off for a quick stroll to nearby Bennett’s Beach and quickly became engrossed in a battle between a fisherman below and something big! We watched from atop the sandhills for about 45 minutes until he finally he cut whatever it was loose in the surf. We went down to find out more details – it was a 4-5 foot ray shark, not uncommon in these waters but globally listed as critically endangered. Continuing down the beach we rounded the headland and returned via calmer Jimmy’s Beach, I would have loved to get an aerial shot but it was far too windy for the drone.

The next day delivered much more blue sky than was forecast so we decided to catch the quaint little ferry that operates between nearby Tea Gardens and its much swankier cousin across the water, Nelson Bay. It was a pleasant voyage sitting outside on MV Tea Gardens built in 1944 during WWII for the RAAF Marines division.

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Despite the website advertising commentary and “dolphins seen on 95% of crossings” we had neither, a shame as we passed mangroves with bountiful birdlife and what I assume were mussel beds, it would have been interesting to hear more about them.

Arriving into Nelson Bay marina with it’s vast array of very expensive yachts and retail outlets we ordered a coffee to watch the comings and goings in the sunshine.

After wandering around the shops for awhile we decided to walk around the coast to the Lighthouse and find some lunch en route. We discovered the Little Bay Boathouse which VERY fortuitously had just had a cancellation and now had room for two (we found out later that it is so popular with Sydneysiders that they visit the area just to eat here.) We had one of the nicest meals we’ve had for ages (and a water view) and the personal attention delivered by waiter ‘Sherwin’ was a very nice touch.

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Feeling we had to at least attempt to walk off lunch we continued toward the lighthouse headland and I had a great deal of empathy for the poor pelican we encountered whose eyes were clearly bigger than his belly! He had a large filleted fish skeleton stuck in his gular pouch and was trying to work out the best way to swallow it, every time he almost coughed it up the rest of the pelicans would rush over ready to pounce. We left him still working on it and continued to the next headland.

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Departing on the 3.30 pm ferry the sun was sinking by the time we passed under the Tea Gardens bridge and then docked and we unanimously agreed it would be soup and toast for dinner.

Tomorrow, moving on to the Sporties Club at Tuncurry.

Our last day in Bright was frosty but with a fair portion of blue sky which augured well for Russell’s social bowls game later in the day.

Whilst he was ‘bending the knee’ I set off on the 7km Cherry Walk which took me along the Ovens river down to a suspension footbridge and then back on the other side. It traversed sections of drier eucalypt forest which abounded with birdlife as well as open river views and I stopped frequently for pics.

The next day we left Bright, our next destination wasn’t that far north and once again was a well recommended free camping spot that I had discovered thanks to Facebook friends. Situated on the NSW side of the Murray at Towong it did not disappoint. We set up in an ideal spot and then went back to Corryong, Man from Snowy River country, and grabbed some supplies and a NSW fishing license. In failing light I got the drone up and took some snaps, there were still some lovely deciduous trees hanging on to their autumn colour and to the north east we could just make out snow capped Mt. Kosciusko.

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We stayed here a couple of nights, it was so peaceful (but cold overnight!) I tried fishing while Russell experimented with a vegetarian curry and he had far more success than I did 🤣

On Wednesday we set off accompanied by slightly misty rain along a road that didn’t even qualify as a ‘C’ road on the map but which eventually delivered us safely to Tumut where we had lunch and I purchased a possum fur beanie to replace the one I’d lost on the waterfall hike. Continuing further north we joined the Hume Highway near Gundagai and a little while later arrived at the little township of Jugiong.

Jugiong was initially on the Hume Highway but the ‘new’ road bypasses it and now it boasts a very popular free camping spot at the extensive Showgrounds. Accommodating an arena (used for campdrafting), a polo field, an oval, tennis courts and more, it sits on the banks of the Murrimbidgee River and we were sharing with about 50 other rigs of all shapes and sizes but large distances separated all. I had read about the renovated Sir George hotel across the road and I wandered over to make a booking once we were settled. The gardens have been designed by the owner’s wife, very much in a French style and the whole property was stunning. If it hadn’t been so cold I could almost have imagined we were back in Provence and one of our favourite French rosés at dinner completed the dream.

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With a strategic plan to hit Sydney on Sunday and hopefully minimise traffic, the next day we planned to overnight in Bargo, a fairly unremarkable destination but notable for being one of the last Caravan Parks before hitting real suburbia, about 100km south of Sydney and just off the Hume Highway. The caravan park actually surpassed its reviews, consisting of many permanents but was clean and tidy and undergoing some renovations I think. We had a spacious, level site and I had time to get some washing done before we lost the sun.

Despite generous advice from many we opted to get through Sydney via the most direct (if not the most economical) route on the M7, M2 and then through the 9 km Northconnexx tunnel which would spit us out north of Sydney on the Pacific Motorway. It all went according to plan including a quick jump off the M7 to an adjacent BP truck stop to meet friends – although this may have backfired as I seem to have been charged twice for the M7, a dispute is in progress 🤞

We were booked in to the Big 4 Caravan Park at Mannering Park on the bank of Lake Macquarie – not to be confused with Port Macquarie- and arrived uneventfully to be allocated the site next to the Bouncy Castle but with a promise of a waterfront site the next day. Intending to stay a few nights here we were happy with that and the next day moved to a spot with uninterrupted views of the lovely lake complete with a fishing jetty. The next couple of days were a combination of short trips to nearby points of interest and afternoons relaxing with a sundowner or dropping a line into the lake with varied (but all undersized) success.

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As I write this, plans for our next destination are a little up in the air tonight… Russell enjoyed another bowls game this afternoon and I dealt with another flood! This time the washing machine overflowed and apparently the water inlet valve is faulty which will necessitate replacing the whole washing machine! With Jayco service centres reporting lengthy delays we are still waiting on confirmation of where and when this can be done…. stay tuned 🤦‍♀️