Bega and Cooma

Monday, Dec. 22

We couldn’t drive from Tathra to Cooma without calling into the Bega Cheese Co-Op visitor’s centre for some free samples. We tried their grilled slices and picked up some cheese to take for Christmas Dinner.

Bega Cheese Visitor Centre


Bega Valley

When then drove onto Cooma in search of a Van Park. (No BIG4’s) in Cooma so we hit the tourist info centre and found some options.

Snowtel Van Park Cooma

Tuesday, Dec. 23

Today we had intended to head into Hanging Rock in a national park between Cooma and Bowral but it was raining all morning and neither Sally or I wanted to break camp and pack all our gear up wet. We have decided to stall in Cooma an extra night hoping that tomorrow is clearer. This means that we will have to miss Hanging Rock and drive straight through to Bowral tomorrow, around 380k. We’ve done worst. So in the afternoon we took in the sites of Cooma. This involved a counter meal at a pub and then a tour of the Snowy Mountain Hydro Electric Museum. We then ascended Nanny Goat Hill to look over Cooma.

Nanny Goat Hill


Cooma from Nanny Goat Hill

As you can see there are still storm clouds building, but we have our fingers crossed that tomorrow will shine.

Bournda NP

Friday, Dec. 19

We drove through Tathra and picked up some supplies (after last night we were running low on VB). Then it was onto the Bournda NP were we got an excellent site at Hobart Beach.

Colin and Sally at Hobart Beach Campsite

We walked to Bournda Lagoon and back along the beach. What started as a 2k stroll turned into a 7k hike. An excellent beach and now we’re armed with NSW fishing licenses, we’re looking forward to some beach fishing tomorrow.

Bournda Beach


Saturday, Dec. 20

Once we had reach Bournda Beach we were no longer protected by the sand dunes separating Hobart Beach from the coast, the easterlies really hit us. Sally was content to watch as I braved these horrendous conditions. After I cast and returned to our possie, Sally observed that my hair had taken on a life of its own. Something like Kramer from Sienfeld.

Colin, Windswept



Colin Fishing on Bournda Beach

We chucked the fishing in after an hour and returned to camp for a cold one and gourmet sausages and mashed spuds for tea determined to give the fishing another go tomorrow.

Sunday, Dec. 21

In the morning we took a short walk threw the park to Scott’s Hut. The walks threw the park are very pleasant even though the mercury was touching on 28 in the sunshine.

Walk to Scott’s Hut

The hut itself is a wooden slab construction built in the early 1900’s. There use to be two, but the one remaining, that was used as a kitchen and dinning area, is full of the rustic charm of that by-gone era. (Pardon the cliché).

Scott’s Hut (Not Antarctica)

In the afternoon, we decided, this time, to drive to Bournda Lagoon and try our luck fishing in this beautiful lagoon.

Bournda Lagoon

Although we saw lots of fish jumping in the lagoon, probably tarpon, we caught nothing and packed it in after a couple of hours.

Colin and Sally Fishing Bournda Lagoon

With Mike and Jan (http://themikejancolandsalbigtrip.blogspot.com/) going to Melbourne for the Christmas break, Sally and I have decided to return to Bowral to spend Christmas with Ron and Sheila and all Sally nieces and nephews, no to mention Marion and Adam and their family. So tomorrow we are heading to Cooma.

Colin (A Pig in Sh*t)

Mimosa Rocks NP

Thursday, Dec. 18

We were heading to Tathra, east of Bega, planning to base ourselves there for a couple of days so we could explore the surrounding National Parks, however, after stopping to checkout Aragunnu at Mimosa Rocks NP we decided to camp out. We moved down the park to look at Gillard’s Beach and opted for this location. So we setup camp and settled in for the night. Luckily, as after we lit the fire and settled done for dinner, the heavens opened and we were hit with a mighty done poor. About an hour later, the sky cleared so I was able to sit outside, enjoy a beer and listen to the end of the cricket.

Sally and Colin at Gillard’s Beach Campsite


Gillard’s Beach

Murramarang NP

Monday, Dec.15

We stopped at Ulladulla to pickup supplies. We had decided to call ahead to see if there were any powered sites available at Murramarang NP so we could recharge our batteries. Happily there were some at Depot Beach so that’s were we headed. Found ourselves an excellent site so settled in and then ventured down to beach to check it out. An awesome beach with a wine glass shape and rocky headlands at either end.

Depot Beach Campsite

Depot Beach in the Distance

Very friendly wildlife with lorikeets and kangaroos galore.

Campsite Visitor

Tuesday, Dec. 16

After a big night we started late. We decided on a driving tour of the park with some short walks to check out the coast line. We headed north to Pebbly Beach and then onto Pretty Beach. This section of coast is similar all the way along the park. We then headed to the south to the township of Durras. We drove to the Wasp Point picnic ground and took the short walk to Wasp Head overlooking Wasp Island.

Wasp Head Looking North

Friendly Natives

By now we were walked out so headed back to camp. Mmmmm, Sally’s doing a roast in the camp oven tonight.

Wednesday, Dec.17

Moruya Heads Big4 van park to avoid pending storms.

Booderee NP

Saturday, Dec. 13

After yesterday, we were pleased to see the sun come out. Exploring this peninsular is our priority. We hit the road a drove to the Cape St. George Lighthouse, built, I believe, in the 1830’s, however, as maritime Skippers complained about its location, another was built across the bay some thirty years later. The light house still caused problems often being mistaken for the new lighthouse because of its reflective smooth sandstone finish and was dynamited some years later.

Cape St. George Lighthouse

After the lighthouse, we drove to Moe’s Rock (not Moe’s Tavern) and then to Stoney Creek. This was a picturesque inlet but we walked the long way in requiring plenty of rock hopping. All very worthwhile in the end.

Colin and Sally at Stoney Creek

Sunday, Dec. 14

Today was more excursions of the park. We headed to the Botanic Gardens in the centre of Boogeree NP. As we walked into the park we could hear traditional Aboriginal music being played in the distance. I’m not talking Didgeridoo, I’m talking Country and Western. It seems we have stumbled into a concert in the park.

Marquee at Booderee Botanic Gardens

Sally and I, not being big fans of C&W skirted around the edge of the gardens towards the fresh water lake. We were in hunt of turtles, but our search was fruitless. The gardens, however, we literally peppered with plants of all descriptions. This garden was once and extension of the Canberra Botanic Gardens featuring there selection of non-frost resistant flora catalogue. They have hundreds of clearly labelled plant varieties.

Booderee Botanic Garden Fresh Water Lake

After visiting the garden, we continued on the road east to visit Cave Beach. We stepped out to the lookout where Sally decided to pull the pin. I ventured on alone walking past the backpack camping ground witnessing the schoolies plying frisbee (if they still call it that) on done to the beach. There were lots of grommets in the water playing in the wash.
Cave Beach
Now back up the beach and past Ryan’s Swamp to Bherwerre Beach. This is a classic hiking track through the back of the sand dunes. Lots of noisy bird life to keep me company.

Bird

The Beach was exceptional and it appeared I was the only human there in, at least, four hours.

Bherwerre Beach

As I’d told Sally I was only going to be about half and hour, I thought I’d best head back to the car park. Though, seeing a new track I’d thought I’d better take a different route back. It turned out a little longer but on the way I stumbled upon a heard of Echidna on a grassy plain behind the sand dunes. I’d never seen so many in such close proximity before. There must have been five in an area no bigger then a hundred square metres.

Echidna

Needless to say, I was late back to the car. My punishment was to put the kettle on for a cuppa tea when we returned to camp.

Booderee NP

Friday, Dec. 12

Packed up and ready to roll, we headed south with no particular place to go. Everything on the coast is close to Nowra so we diverted towards the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Not knowing what to expect but having read good reviews, we blundered our way in.

Fleet Air Arm Museum

We headed towards Booderee National Park but with no advance booking we did not if we would stay there or not. The weather is still atrocious but we are hoping this will be to our benefit. We were not overly concerned because Booderee is only about half an hour from Nowra and if we can’t get in we will venture further down the coast. As luck would have it, the staff at Booderee advised us that they have had some cancellations (weak as p%ss Sydneysiders) and we score an excellent site at Greens Patch.

Greens Patch Campsite

Yes it was very wet but we were hoping for a westerly tomorrow bringing on dry hot conditions. Either way, this was and excellent campsite, the only question being 2 or 3 days?

Campsite Visitors

Kangaroo Valley

Thursday, Dec.11

Driving out of Bowral the weather was looking very average. We drove through Kangaroo Valley stopping at the village of the same name for lunch. We passed the Fitzroy Falls and stopped for a Kodak moment and then crossed the Hampton Bridge. Opened in 1898, this bridge looked like it belonged in medieval Britain and not in Central NSW.

Fitzroy Falls


Hampton Bridge

Because of the inclement weather we pulled into the local Big 4 van park at Nowra to grab a cabin hoping that the storm front would pass allowing us to hit the National Parks tomorrow.

Nowra Cabin