Watagans National Park

We camped in the Olney State Park for a week so we could explore the Watagans National park so will just use excerpts from my diary for this post.

Monday

We went for a nice walk this morning to the Pines Picnic area

which is about 3 kms from our camp site and did the Pines Walk which winds down around Dora Creek and was very pretty.

Tuesday

Was foggy and drizzling with rain when we got up this morning but decided to risk it and go and check out the Watagans National Park. Our first stop was Boarding House Dam,

it was the site of a logging camp in the 1850’s. The only thing left is the dam wall which was built in 1952. There is a really nice walk along Boarding House Creek.

It crosses the creek and winds thru the forest before recrossing the creek where you walk back beside the creek along the most amazing rock wall covered in moss,

it is so straight and even you would think it was man-made instead of by Mother Nature. The walk was really beautiful with lots of fallen trees and rock outcrops covered in Ferns and Lichens in the most beautiful shades of green.

Back in the truck and onward and upward to a series of lookouts where sadly the only thing we could see was fog and rain as the weather had changed from fine drizzle to torrential downpour.

Decided to call it quits and leave the park and head for home, found some covered picnic tables in the park at Cooranbong so stopped and had lunch before getting fuel and fresh bread and returning to the van

Rain had eased off so Fred decided to light the fire and cook a lamb roast but the rain came back with a vengeance and he struggled to get it cooked. He cracks me up sitting huddled over the fire with an umbrella keeping the coals dry.

By dark the rain was torrential again.

Must say I am over the wet need the sun to shine, everything is getting damp and smelly. Ugg. 

Thursday
Poured all day

Friday

Had blue sky this morning so packed a picnic and headed out to explore the Watagans again.

First stop was Gap Creek Falls,

the walk is medium/hard and as with most waterfalls its fairly easy walking down and a hard slog walking back up and to make todays walk even more fun Fred had one of his funny turns and was giddy for most of the walk back so it was a long and at times worrying trudge back to the car but I did find some nice fungi while he was resting.

Thankfully after a coffee and something to eat he felt ok again.

Back in the car and it was onward and upward back to Monkeyface and The Gap Lookouts which are 5 minutes apart and look down opposite sides of a mountain whose name I have forgotten. We were able to see the views today as it was fine. Then on to Heatons Lookout where we stopped for lunch. The views from here were excellent.

By this time the weather had changed again and it was raining once more so we headed for home.

I did all the driving today

Sunday

Drove down to the Basin Picnic and Camping  Area and did the Rock Lily walk.

It was a really nice walk. The first part of the walk was along a ravine with the rockface on one side and with the valley falling away on the other. There were heaps and heaps of rock lilies growing on the rock face.

The walk will be stunning in a few weeks when they are in flower. The walk eventually wound its way out into open forest and it was then an easy walk back to the car.

Home for lunch then Fred lit the fire and we cooked scones for afternoon tea.

Finally had a fine day and a bit warmer I got down to just a skivy instead of the 3 jumpers that I have been wearing.

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Grand Ocean Drive

The Grand Pacific Drive is 140 kms long from Royal National Park near Sydney south to Kiama. 

We of course did it in reverse started at Shellharbour with our first stop being the Port Kembla Lookout which had really good views of the Port Kembla Harbour and Steelworks

and looking south along the coastline to Shellharbour and Kiama.

The next stop was Flagstaff Point and the harbour in Wollongong. This area was very busy with people everywhere and several tour buses parked.

This point is one of only 2 places in Australia to have 2 lighthouses (can't remember where the other one is). There is a small old one and a large modern one.

Back in the car again and continuing north to Thirroul and lunch, from there the next stop was the Sea Cliff Bridge.

The bridge is built around the cliff-face butting out over the ocean. We stopped and walked across the bridge as that is the best way to appreciate the magnificence of the bridge structure,

but oh Lordy I thought I was going to die it was soooo cold and windy, but me being me we persevered and did the walk. The return walk across the bridge is approximately 2.4 kms.

Next stop was the Lawrence Hargraves Lookout where we stopped and watched heaps of Hang Gliders taking off and landing. There were some really tame Rosellas here that were walking around our feet, guessing they get fed titbits from people all the time and are now reliant on us for food.

From the lookout we entered the Royal National Park. Had a look at Garie Beach and Governor Game Lookout and Wattamolla Beach

and then decided to call it a day as it was getting late and it was a long drive back to Shellharbour.

Nan Tien Temple

While in Shellharbour we went for a drive up to Berkeley to visit the Nan Tien Temple.

It is the largest Buddhist Temple in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been built on a hill and is surrounded with beautiful gardens.

We had a lovely afternoon wandering around and came away feeling very calm and free of stress.

Tapin Tops

Another day of scenic driving, started out from Taree

First stop was Wingham and a walk around the Wingham Brush Nature Reserve.

There is a boardwalk that goes thru the forest looking at the trees and listening to the Grey Headed Flying Foxes.

You can imagine how thrilled Fred was at this stop as he detests Flying Foxes and the fact that they are protected, but on the up side there were heaps of Bush Turkeys scratching around and he loves watching them.

Then in was onward to Tapin Tops National Park. First stop Potoroo Picnic Area and a walk along the edge of the creek with a bit of rock hopping to Potoroo Falls

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The waterfall was only a small drop but the pool under the falls would be fabulous to swim in when its hot.
Back to the truck and on to Dingo Tops Picnic and Camping Grounds.

This area used to be a forestry work camp and is really nicely set out and well kept with some really beautiful trees. There are 2 walks here and we chose to do the Red Cedar Walk, it was quite rough and pretty steep in places but had some really nice Fungi. (for those who don't know I am fascinated by Fungi)

After lunch and a well earned coffee it was back on the road and Rowleys Rock lookout but the road was closed and we didn't fancy the long hike in so gave it a miss and headed for the Blue Knob lookout which is a forestry fire tower, the views were stunning.

The roads in the park are all dirt and in places very steep, narrow and some really sharp corners.

We then left the park and made our way to Ellenborough Falls which is the 2nd highest waterfall in Australia. It has a single drop of 200 metres. The walk to the bottom of the falls isn't for the faint hearted, its 641steps to the bottom and then you have to walk back up, but its well worth the effort as the waterfall is stunning and you don't get the full effect from the viewing platform at the top.

We then headed for home. It was a long but very enjoyable day 

Port Macquarie continued

Today was an excellent day.

Spent the day scenic touring. Took the coastal road down the coast to Lake Cathie. Was quite interested to see Lake Cathie as mum and dad almost retired there instead of on the Tweed, was a lovely little spot but I imagine its a lot bigger now than when the oldies retired.

From there it was onward thru Laurieton to Dunbogan (could live here just because of the name) and Kattang Nature Reserve where we did the walk out to Perpendicular Point Lookout.

The walk its very easy and well marked with a few side detours to lookouts out over the cliffs.

When you get to the point you have fantastic views both north back to Port Macquarie and south to Diamond Head.

Lunch and then it was back in the car and on to Dooragan National Park and the lookout on North Brother Mountain. Its a steep winding drive up but well worth the effort as the views are spectacular.

Back in the car and on to Middle Brother National Park. Once you leave the highway its dirt road thru the forest into the Bird Tree Picnic area and a short walk in to a viewing area to see 2 Coastal Blackbutt trees that are 300 years old. The Birdtree is 69 metres high and has a girth of 11 metres the other tree is called Benaroon and is a tidge smaller.  Both were awe inspiring.

We have spent a week in Port Macquarie, its a lovely town and well worth visiting. We spent a couple of days exploring the history of the place.

We spent Tuesday in the town centre visited. 
Wesleyan Chapel, the old Courthouse

and while I wandered thru the Museum Fred went for a walk and looked at the water and found people to chat to. 

Stopped for a coffee in the shopping centre before going on to St Thomas’s Church

which was built by convict labor, the church was really lovely and quite unusual in that the pews are all fenced in little areas where the worshipers can’t see each other, it was built this way so that the hierarchy couldn’t see or be seen by the convicts.

They even allowed people to climb up into the belltower where we had a really great view of the whole of Port Macquarie.

I had to fight my inner devil not to pull on the ropes and ring the bell.
I have been really impressed by the enthusiasm and friendliness of all the volunteers everywhere we went.

Tuesday 

This morning we explored the Old Town Cemetery

and did the nature walk around Kooloonbung Creek and Nature Reserve. The walk was 5km thru bushland around the creeks.

It was a combination of boardwalks and well formed track.

Then drove out and had a look at Settlement Point then onward to the Old Hibbard Boatyard where enthusiast are restoring old wooden boats

and a bit of nostalgia taking us back to Tumbulgum when we used to cross the river by ferry as we watched a small ferry taking cars across the river.

 

Wednesday

Today we went to Tacking Point Lighthouse saw a few Whales and a pod of Dolphins.

Next stop was SeaAcres Nature Reserve we didn’t bother doing the Forest boardwalk at $7 per person we figured we have walked thru enough wetland tracks for free and seen similar flora and fauna. 
From there we went to Nobby’s Obelisk which was a really nice walking track to a memorial Obelisk out on Nobby’s Point and great views of the coastline.

On to Macquarie Nature Reserve where we had a look thru Roto House which is a restored homestead of one of Port Macquarie’s early settlers.

The reserve is also home to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital which you can walk around and look at the facility and any koala’s they have in residence.

Also had a very pleasant picnic lunch here.

Then went to Lilypond Reserve to do another walk this one was a bit disappointing only took 5 minutes as it was a small park, sounded much bigger in the brochure.

From there to Flagstaff Hill and a walk out to the point.