I first started writing this blog partly to capture the wide eyed wonder I experienced whenever I encountered something unexpected in this new, foreign country. Now I have lived here for five years this does not really happen much any more, but I was taken by surprise when we stopped off in Akuna Bay during a recent trip to Sydney. 

The bay itself was absolutely beautiful and really convenient for Sydneysiders who want to keep a boat nearby to use at weekends. I had not given much thought to how much demand there might be for boat storage until I saw the Rack & Stack. It was astonishing, a boat house with hundreds of boats stacked in pigeon holes on top of each other that seemed to go on forever. 

Owners have to call in advance to arrange for their boats to be removed from their pigeon holes by a huge forklift truck and plonked in the water ready for them to set off. It all looked very efficient but I can't imagine what it costs to store a boat there.

Next stop was West Head, just to the north of Sydney in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Ian insists I came here when I visited Australia fourteen years ago but I don't remember at all and I'm sure I would because it was spectacular. 

The park overlooks West Head Lighthouse and the beach below in one direction and the open ocean in the other. Pittwater runs along one side where all the houses are accessible only by boat and it all adds up to make West Head Lookout a very special spot and a must for anyone visiting Sydney. There were humpback whales passing by while we were there on their annual migration to calve in the Great Barrier Reef and you will have to take my word for it that the two splashes in the water are indeed whales. We can actually see the whales from where we live too but it is always a treat.

As we got much nearer to home we took a detour to look at Nora Head Lighthouse which is just south of Newcastle and, according to the information board, placed there because the area was the scene of a staggering number of shipwrecks. Ian took the lighthouse tour while I stayed on solid ground and watched more whales going by. They may have been the same ones I saw earlier, I'm not sure how fast they travel. 

We are determined to set off on another trip shortly but have been busy popping to Melbourne and back since the arrival of the gorgeous grandson three months ago. I have also been busy becoming a proper Australian and attended my 
citizenship ceremony last week. This actually feels like more of an achievement than I expected but tinged with a bit of sadness too as it comes at the same time as our status as 
Europeans looks like being lost to myself and my fellow Brits.

 

 I am sitting at home in front of the fire as a big storm lashes all around us. It is hard to believe that only two weeks ago it was warm and sunny and we were setting off on a little adventure to try out our new car towing the caravan. 

We do not have a new car out of choice, but because one of us (not me) had a slip up with the old one resulting in it being written off. Nobody was hurt, in fact nobody was in it, but it was a write off all the same.

 So we decided to go to Bingara, about 5 hours north and inland from home and, after the usual stop off at Macca's for breakfast we set off along The Fossikers' Way towards Tamworth. We didn't want to drive for too long and there was no need so we stopped overnight at the First Fleet Memorial Park in Wallabadah. 

This is a very popular spot for travellers with hot showers and decent toilets for only a $10 donation. It can actually end up being quite pricey to stay in free or cheap camps because it is the done thing to support the local pub or cafe. By the time a meal and a couple of wines and beers have been sunk, it ends up being way more expensive than a caravan park, mind you, we could always just have a coffee instead.

Bingara was only a couple of hours further on, the road took us through incredibly dry countryside with cows grazing by the roadside on the last available bits of grass. There were some beautiful painted silos on the route featuring a chap who looked remarkably similar to Prince Harry. We came through this area at the same time last year, at that point they had not seen rain since November 2017 and they have had very little since. The drought has really hit hard and shows no sign of letting up, I keep checking the radar to see how far inland the storm we are having today is reaching but unfortunately it is going nowhere near the drought affected towns. 

The tourist information office in town advertised free riverside camping which was as special as they promised. Beautiful riverbanks beside the Gwydir River which comes from quite high up so was still flowing nicely unlike some other rivers around. 

It was gorgeous, only a handful of other caravans there, horses roaming around freely (much to Monty's delight or disgust - hard to tell which) and much warmer than we were expecting in early winter. 

There were no facilities but we are set up for free camping so perfect for us. The only downside was that 6 o'clock was midge o'clock with millions of the little stinkers launching their attack on any campers foolish enough to have a light on, so we finally put up our bug tent that has covered thousands of kilometres with us just waiting for such an event!

 The town was very attractive with striking art deco buildings but sadly, most businesses seemed to be up for sale. While we were having a coffee we spotted a sign for the Bingara Show  which was coming up on the Saturday, our wedding anniversary. Now I love a country show and this one had a rodeo in the evening which was a first for both of us and it was only a short walk from our camp. 

Well, the day of the show came round and it was brilliant. It was the usual mix of small children handling huge show bulls, hundreds of chickens, sheep and cows competing for honours. Flower, vegetable and handicraft competitions, best fleece and of course, prizes for the best baking - my personal favourite categories being Beautiful Biscuits and Man's Cake! 

There were sheepdog trials, stockman championships and the dressage and showjumping kept us entertained for hours.

 After all that excitement, there was still the rodeo to come. Doak Bucking Bulls were a travelling rodeo who brought everything along so we lined up around the perimeter to the strains of Achey Breaky Heart etc and were looking forward to seeing brave men who did this for a living perform for our entertainment. The announcer came out and said, 'We will begin this competiotion with our newest riders THE 8 YEAR OLDS!' We couldn't believe it, parents allowing their 8 year olds on bucking bulls, they were only small bulls but mean little devils just the same. 

By the time we got onto the full sized riders and enormous, angry bulls we had developed huge respect for the Protection Clowns, the men who draw the bull away from the fallen rider, one got a hoof right in his face but just rubbed his jaw a bit and carried on! We walked back after the show trying to decide whether we were appalled or thrilled by the spectacle but in agreement it was the best wedding anniversary ever.
Bingara had been unable to afford to stage the annual show this year because of the hardship suffered by the residents at the hands of the drought so a mental health charity stepped in to foot the bill, and gave everyone a thoroughly good day out to take their minds off their troubles, well done them. 

 My sister Gill was here from London for her annual visit so we decided to go on a little trip. When she was with us last year we went to Broken Hill and the car broke down resulting in a race back in a hire car so she could make her flight home, we didn't want to repeat that so plumped for somewhere nearer home. 

Barrington Tops had been recommended by a number of friends and was only two hours away so, off we set. We drove along The Bucketts Way and stopped for lunch in Stroud, which is a beautiful, historic town. It was a very important town for wool production from 1824 and the location for the settlement was chosen because of its resemblance to the Cotswold countryside in England, therefore the main towns were named Stroud and Gloucester. The crepe myrtle trees were in flower in Stroud at the time of our visit making this well kept place look even more striking.

 Back on the Bucketts Way we turned onto Gloucester Tops Road which soon became unmade and crossed several fords before it delivered us to Gloucester Tops Riverside Caravan Park. The standard National Park charge for camping is $12 per person and the caravan park charged the same but had the bonus of an immaculate amenities block with hot showers for $2 a go. 

There were about 50 permanent sites in the caravan park which were made up of a caravan or motor home with an annex added. Some were very elaborate like a two floor Dutch style arrangement, and others overlooked the river in the woods like the one with a notice on the door saying 'IF NUDITY OFFENDS, PROCEED NO FURTHER' ooer.

 It was a glorious location and we had the whole place to ourselves because it was midweek so even the nudists were at work and would not be arriving until the weekend. The reception sold bags of birdseed and told us we were guaranteed visitors and they were right, as soon as we put the seed out King Parrots, Crimson Rosellas, Satin Bowerbirds, Pied Currawongs, wallabies and even a couple of Brush Turkeys turned up. 

Within a few minutes one of the wallabies and all the King Parrots were happy to be hand fed and, for the rest of our stay they would appear as soon as we came back from an outing and were even waiting in a semi circle for Ian to get out of bed and become the human bird table every morning.

 This was a wonderful place to relax and I could happily have stayed at the campsite surrounded by these wonderful creatures while I revised for my upcoming citizenship test but, we had come for a purpose so set off to find some walks.
18km further up the road we came to the Gloucester River Camp Area where some of the signposted walks begin. The roads were very lumpy and unmade, we have a big 4WD truck so bumpy roads don't worry us but it would not be pleasant driving in a small family car. 

We spent three days taking various walks, some in Gloucester Tops, others in Barrington Tops and they were all different. Honeysuckle Walk was all misty tree tops and ferns with rich, dark brown soil, Gloucester Falls Walk ended early because work was being carried out on the paths but the views were sensational, The Riverside Walk took us along beside the babbling river which cascades over rocks and falls throughout the area. 

 We even came across a walker's cabin, it gets pretty cold up there in winter so this was an overnight shelter for anyone to use, the visitor book showed it had been occupied only the week before. 

The whole trip was a birdwatcher's dream and we even came across a snake, who I think was probably an Eastern Brown (deadly and aggressive), but because I am studying to become a brave Aussie, I managed to keep calm and get a decent picture. 

 I felt that, having lived in Australia for four years now, it was about time I visited Canberra so we packed up the van and headed off on a little trip. We decided to go via Kangaroo Valley where I had been promised I could see wombats, I've seen plenty of dead ones and some in the zoo but never a living, breathing wild one so off we set.
The schlep through Sydney was horrendous as usual (only another year until the tunnel opens) but after that it was plain sailing to Moss Vale Showground. We had wanted to stay in Kangaroo Valley itself but couldn't because dogs were not allowed and we had Monty with us so, Moss Vale it was. We had stayed at this showground before but they had added nice shiny new amenities blocks since our last visit, at $25 a night for a powered site it is pretty reasonable so close to Sydney.
I was itching to get to the wombats so we drove into Kangaroo Valley along beautiful winding roads, there were warnings about taking caravans along some of the routes so maybe it was just as well we couldn't camp there. It is a gorgeous area, very green and expensive looking, it would be possible to commute to Sydney from there so the prices were high in the real estate office windows. We were far too early for wombat bothering as they come out at dusk so we had dinner in the, appropriately named, Friendly Inn - good food, excellent garden and wonderful view.

 When the sun finally started to fade we drove to Bendeela Recreation Ground and there they were, wombats bumbling around everywhere. They are huge and live in massive holes, they don't seem bothered by the people either although we were all keeping a sensible distance away so not to alarm them. Monty had to stay in the car because the recreation ground did not allow dogs but it looked like a wonderful place to camp, really quiet with kangaroos, a lake to take the kayaks on and, of course the nightly wombat show.
The next day we drove for a couple of hours to Bungendore, just outside Canberra. The showground is beautifully kept with shady sites under trees and only $15 a night unpowered. The caretakers were really friendly and told us where we could find doggy day care for Monty when we went into Canberra, then in the middle of the afternoon they brought round complimentary scones and cream for all the campers - what service! 
Bungendore was a smart little town with a few very nice shops and we could have entertained ourselves there for a few days even if we didn't have Canberra to look at.
Canberra was only a short drive away and we dropped Monty at Zonza Pet Boarding, $30 for the day was worth it to know he would be in a nice cool kennel.
 Even if there had been no signs we would have known when we passed from New South Wales into the Australian Capital Territory, suddenly the roads were wonderfully smooth with no pot holes and there were police cars everywhere. We had timed our visit for a few days before Christmas and it really paid off. The car parks were empty and we pretty much had the place to ourselves because parliament had stopped sitting for the holiday and Canberra had almost entirely emptied as the residents headed off to the coast.
New Parliament House was beautiful, modern but thoughtfully designed in a mix of marble and traditional parquet flooring with visitor friendly staff and information boards at every turn. The House of Representatives and Senate Room are built with large public galleries because school groups are encouraged to visit, remote schools are even government funded to make the trip.
 The New Parliament House was completed in 1988 because the growing Australian population required more MPs and they simply outgrew the old building but it is still there and was a wonderful place to visit. It is a white deco building (a bit like the Hoover Building for the UK readers). Again there were free guided tours and helpful staff on hand and I loved it. The whole place has been kept as it was when it was last in use and the overwhelming impression was of how masculine and small the offices were. The typing pools were tiny and there was an ash tray by every typewriter and the Prime Minister's office was decorated as it was when Bob Hawke was in residence, all dark wood panelling and beige and brown accessories, but it was tiny, my office at the school was bigger! 

 Our last visit in Canberra was the War Memorial which is just sensational. It is a huge, peaceful building which looks across parkland to New Parliament House. After looking around we went into the World War 1 museum which is the best I have ever seen and, as a retired history teacher, I have been to a few! All the interactive displays worked, the information boards made sense and the exhibition was huge. We were in there for a couple of hours and as we exited were faced with a door saying World War 2 this way, we will save that for another day.