Cairns part 2

We’ve had a lovely visit with lots of playtime with Ayla, lots of smiles and cuddles too.  We have enjoyed some chilling out time with her, Craig and Sara - watching the Winter Olympics and movies. So gratefull Sara keeps us updated almost daily with photos and videos when we are not here.  All ready planning our next trip back.

Bestest little smile !

February in Cairns

Now we remember what humidity is like!  A quick visit to Cairns and baby Ayla, now 3 months old, in February is all we needed to appreciate the cooler southern weather (excluding the days when Finley is in the mid 40s). We have had tropical storms daily, and the normally tranquil bay over at Fitzroy Island looked like surf...so no snorkling this trip, and just glad a cyclone hasn’t formed.  Craig Sara and Ayla are doing very well, and Lucy has calmed down a lot and is taking advantage of Nan and Pa being here.   “Who me?”

Fitzroy Island ...not quite paradise this time!

Holbrook, NSW - Submarine Town

Always looking for a different route back to Finley....this time was over the Alpine Way, criss-crossing along the NSW/VIC border which was some of the more scenic reaches of the upper Murry River which defines the border, then up through Holbrook.  Locals wanted to attract people to their little town.....so they got a submarine....as you do!  HMAS Otway 1966-1994.

Jindabyne View

Great last day relaxing by the lake.  Just happy to soak in the view all day before a late afternoon walk.  Old Jindabyne still lies beneath the lake to the east. Another casualty of the Snowy Mtn Hydro Electricity Scheme which took 25 years to build, and supplies power to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Mt Kosciuszko Summit Hike

The pictures say it all. I have wanted to do this for a very long time. It is a 13 km return hike from the top of Thredbo Chair lift in the Snowy Mountains. Almost every step going up is an incline, and the tired feet when we got back to Jindabyne where we are camped for 3 days, was all worth it.  For a few minutes we were the only people at the summit, such a great feeling being at the top of Australia, and all alone.

    

Thank you for following......

Day 3 Narooma, NSW

What can I say....it feels like we are living in a Marine Park or aquarium.  We could have spent all day watching seals frolic and stingrays swish by near the boat ramps all day. The Mill Point boardwalk was lovely and took us to the harbour breakwater, swim beach and surf beach on the north side, and then had some serious geocaching to do at the Cemetery which overlooked Montague Island and then on the beach at Glasshouse Rocks to find an Earth Cache called V Fold (geological rock formation only 450 million years old). We had a fabulous day, bought some fresh local seafood, as Narooma is known for its oysters, and sadly sat and soaked up the last of the view before sunset as we ate our dinner. Off to the Alpine region tomorrow.

9

We are sad to be leaving the South Coast of NSW, we understand why it is called the Sapphire Coast.  Thanks for following us.

Montague Island, NSW

Our 36th wedding anniversary, so a special day out.  The island is just of Narooma and caretakered by the National Parks and Wildlife, and our tour guide resides on the island. Today we went across to the island with Wazza and 14 others, starting off with a very fast boat ride across, and then Derek had 1 1/2 hour snorkel with the New Zealand Seals. Awesome.  The water was crystal clear and the most beautiful blue we have ever seen.

The tour of the island and climb to the top of the lighthouse was equally inspiring. There is accommodation for the lighthouse keeper and his family, plus 2 assistants and their families. Previous light house keepers did it tough with supplies only arriving annually in the beginning. As it is all automated now, you can stay on the island in their homes for about $1000 per night. The island is one solid granite rock, and the lighthouse was carved from the islands’ rock by hand and took 3 years to build. Completed in 1881. The island is home to one of the smallest penguins, called Little Penguins and in September to December there can be over 8 thousand breeding pairs on the island. We managed to see 1 lonesome one sitting on a rock near the small wharf where we went ashore.  Most are now breeding, and in their burrows, so we were extremely fortunate.

Postcard from Narooma, NSW

So far the scenery along the Grand Pacific Drive/Princes Highway has been stunning. Small rural historic towns, rolling green fields and ocean vistas to die for.

The view from our apartment for the next 3 days is over the harbour, and again we get to sleep listening  to the sound of waves crashing on the rocky coastline.  The water is crystal clear and we couldn’t wait to go exploring. With a walk along the breakwater to where it opens to the sea we saw 8 fur seals basking on the rocks, and  small dolphins heading down river towards town,  and also explored the iconic Australia Rock.

Tomorrow we go over to Montague Island.

Postcard from Durras, NSW

After a short drive down the coast and lunch at Jervis Bay, we had a quick one night camp between lovely, secluded Lake Durras and the beach, amongst the sand dunes, kangaroos and birds.  Today we did a quick stop in Batemans Bay for a blanket as the nights are getting cool, and will probably be cooler still when we get into the Alpine district of NSW later in the week. We were surprised to drive right past a historic quarry, (still in operation) the one that supplied the granite for the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons and fasade, so we stopped, read the info boards,  managed to fossick for a small sample of  granite from near the entrance to the quarry and then we were back on our way to Narooma situated on a small inlet.

Seriously? #6

Unadulla, Princes Highway. Sadly I don’t think these 6 people will be getting much Rest in Peace. The footpath meanders around their graves, up to McDonalds.

They are:

Agnes Walter 1821 - 1862

William Walter 1820 - 1868

Mary Millard 1875 - 1875

Helen Mary Millard 1872 - 1876

Mary Millard 1844 - 1883

Anne Ridler Millard 1867 - 1885

Day 2 Kiama, NSW

Quarry Workman’s cottages....now Heritage listed

Geocaching to the extreme.....a mystery cache....we could have ended up anywhere in Kiama Harbour

We had visitors for dinner.

Postcard from Kiama, NSW

Such a fabulous, historical and picturesque little coastal town.

Homeward Bound

We had an uneventful crossing of Bass Strait....which in nautical terms means....calm, non sickly.

The cruise entertainment for the last day was awesome..the popstar final, comedy entertainment, plenty of quizzes and trivias, movies, song and dance show and the final night party where all the entertainment crew take turns singing rock/dance music, plus finished my book, and squeezed in a work out in the gym.  Hard work cruising,

Disembarked early and before we knew it we had picked MaDric up from the car holding yard and were off on our road trip down the south coast. Our first stop was along the Grand Pacific Rd at Sea Cliff Bridge.