Ben Boyd National Park NSW

We turned off the highway 12 km south of Eden to explore the Ben Boyd National Park.

First stop, Boyd Tower car park and then had a short walk through a burnt out forest to find the tower in the bush on the headland. Originally Boyd had planned it to be a private lighthouse but was refused permission by the authorities so it was used for whale spotting. It is big with 5 levels, can be seen from Eden and from across the bay at the caravan park. Apparently back in the day access to the upper floor was by ladder.



Boyd's Tower overlooking Twofold Bay and the
Pacific Ocean




Every Pyrmont Sandstone brick and every stone carried
 by ship and then bullock cart from Sydney

From the tower we back tracked a little down to the Navy wharf which is a very impressive double highway reaching far out into the bay. The Navy train there and it's also used as a safe haven for other vessels when needed. Today it was being enjoyed by some fisher folk and one lady told us that the gates are only locked when there is a Navy ship at the wharf.

There is also a huge wood chipping plant on the same shore, I suppose having a deep harbour is an advantage for them as well.

We enjoyed our picnic sitting in the sun watching the birds and the water.

 

Taken from the Navy Wharf

 

Next stop was the Davidson Whaling Station, a long walk down to the shore to see some relics of the huge pots where the men extracted the whale oil from the blubber. Now it's a picturesque little bay but I'm sure the men who worked there took little time to admire the view!
Half way up the hill is Davidsons cottage, very rustic and pretty in a beautiful garden. We wandered around before we realised that we were on private property, fortunately the local authorities were not around so we are free to continue our nefarious journey.



These rusted iron pots once used to render the whale blubber to separate the oil




Davidsons Cottage

No trip to the park would be complete without seeing the Green Cape lighthouse and settlement so off we went along the 21Km windy, bumpy road to get there. It turned out to be well worth the drive, the lighthouse and surrounding buildings have been beautifully restored and are now looked after by the State government of NSW so a joy for us all to see. The sea was blue and calm today and we saw 2 container ships passing each other closely, however in the past this place has been the site of many tragedies and ship wrecks, it even has its own cemetery where 76 souls from the ship Ly Ee Moon rest.

 

Green Cape Lighthouse and keepers residence

 




Container ships passing each other, seen from lighthouse

 

We couldn't resist stopping one more time to stand on this platform overlooking Disaster Bay.

 

Viewing platform over Disaster Bay

Pristine beaches of Disaster Bay

Reflections on Shadrack Creek at the Eden Beachfront Holiday Park.

These two beautiful birds were just outside our door.

 

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Eden NSW

We had an enjoyable drive through the hills from Nowa Nowa stopping at a familiar cafe in Cann River for morning tea before continuing on to the Eden Beachfront Holiday Park

From where I am sitting in the caravan I can now see the Shadrack Creek and Legges Beach so it seems to be the perfect place to stop. The kind lady on reception gave us ”the” special rate so it will be an economical stay as well.

 

Shadrack Creek

After waking to another frosty cold morning we were delighted to see sunny skies and as long as were rugged up and out of the wind we enjoyed the warmth.

We met our friends Sharon & Mick, who have recently moved up here from Melbourne, in the main street of Eden. We then followed them down the hill to the Port of Eden for a delicious brunch at the Wharfside Cafe. Its a busy place and obviously a favourite of locals and tourists because of the fabulous position. Sharon and I had lots to catch up with and we all enjoyed chatting for a couple of pleasant hours then we walked along the wharf checking out the boats in the sunshine. Unfortunately no dolphins greeted us, we have been told there are a lot around and they are often around the fishing boats



With Sharon and Mick



On the wharf with Sharon and a cute dog



The FHC girls

Our next stop was to the lookout on the point and after an easy stroll to the viewing area we were rewarded with stunning views over the pristine Twofold Bay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From there we went to the Whale Museum which also overlooks the bay. Its such an interesting but confronting place with many exhibits and memorabilia that are a part of whaling history. And a gruesome history it was too!

 

Old Tom the Killer Whale




Imagine whaling in this little boat

We went back to our caravan to prepare dinner and wait for our friends Rosalyn & Ian to arrive. They were on their way home after their own mid winter holiday. They arrived at about 6 and we had a lovely evening with them as we usually do....our very first 'visitors' in our little home on wheels.



Breakfast in the sun with the Skurries

We met again for breakfast and then after a bit of dolphin spotting...I didn't see any but Rosalyn did (nor fair) we retraced our steps southward along the bay to Boydtown and were treated to a delicious morning tea at the very classy Seahorse Inn restaurant.

 

At Boydtown



Crested pidgeon sharing the chooks breakfast 



Original door at the Boydtown Mansion



Now a boutique hotel

 

We walked along the beach collecting shells, chatting and enjoying our time together.

 

Rosalyn, our own shell expert



Sunlight on the beautiful bay

We have decided to stay on here at the Eden Beachfront Holiday Park, its a gorgeous place and we are waiting for a parcel that Anthony has sent from home. Trev has pumped some bait this afternoon and will throw in a line from the beach tomorrow, I plan to walk, read and relax.

 

A couch completely covered in hand knitted soft toys at the Eden tourist centre

 

Winter Getaway. Sale, Nowa Nowa and Buchan Victoria

Deciding to go away mid winter turned out to be a very good decision, and 4 days into our trip we have seen nothing but clear blue skies and sunshine. Chilly nights of course but we are warm and cosy in our caravan.

We are once again heading up the east coast, this time taking it leisurely and staying at different places and discovering there is lots more to see and do.

We spent 3 days in Sale just pottering around and after many years of just driving through this pretty regional town we were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the stay at the Sale Motor Village. The park was virtually empty with only a couple of other grey nomads brave enough to be caravanning in winter. This park can boast about having great heaters in each shower cubicle so that was definitely a perk. They charged $27 per night plus power, we used $14.50 of power during our stay, fortunately we could afford to be warm and grateful for our little heater.




Catching the rainbow at Lake Guthridge Sale

 

We visited my Auntie, Ilma Bryant (Caple) who lives in Aged Care in the town, we had a nice afternoon chatting and reminiscing about the family and the past. Time has taken away lots of her memories so it was nice to see that she is surrounded by many photos of her loved ones as well as being well cared for.

A wonderful man , a volunteer with a passion for all things aviation was our personal guide at the Sale Armed Forces Museum so a pleasant couple of hours passed there. The museum is divided into 2 sections, first was mainly RAAF and has displays of memorabilia, photos and lots of planes. We viewed all this along with some amazing and touching stories.
The other section contained exhibits from the Boar War to the present day conflicts in the Middle East which was all respectively and well presented.
The Sale Museum was our next stop and by contrast quiet small but did have some interesting exhiits and we did learn a little about the history of Sale.

The historic Swing Bridge built in 1880 was a worthwhile visit. It can be found at the junction of the Latrobe and Thompson Rivers. This unique bridge designed to swing open for shipping to and from the Port of Sale, enabling Sale to become a major inland port. The bridge built of cast iron is 61 metres long with a central swing span of almost 46 metres. The bridge is classified by the National Trust. We were fortunate to be able to see the bridge operating as it has only recently reopened after a vandal attack and a repair cost of $165,000.




The Historic Swing Bridge in fully closed position

 

Bridge open to enable boats to continue up to the Port of Sale

Next stop was to be Bruthen but we missed the caravan park so pushed on to Nowa Nowa and found a very unusual vintage park complete with home made vans and playground toys. It sits beside the stunning Nowa Nowa Gorge and is described in the brochure as a caravan park with personality and million star accommodation. It certainly is a quirky place to stay, the owner and residents are friendly and helpful. I wouldn't mind if the bathroom was a little less vintage however it is clean and functional with lots of hot water.



They really do have a million stars.

 

Old wooden railway bridge over the Nowa Nowa Gorge

 



The Gorge looking towards the bridge

 



 Boggy Creek continues under the main highway
Hanging ropes show where the swimming hole is.

 



We camped at the edge of the gorge

 



Nowa Nowa Caravan Parks camp kitchen

Nowa Nowa to Buchan took us about half an hour so we were in the perfect position. We drove through forest opening up to farmland as we got higher. I was surprised there were so many houses in Buchan, there is also a Hotel and other food outlets there. The caravan park looked ok, it was run by Parks Victoria and there were  quite a lot of people there.

The caves were spectacular as always and will be forever as they are now being looked after and monitored by Parks Victoria so should be accessible to future generations.

Exercise done for today.....

 

 

 

We ended our day with a drive to Lake Tyers and were delighted to see these two beauties cruising slowly across the lake on their way home.

My favourite camper

 

 

South Australia

Penola SA

We drove in through the Coonawarra wine region and saw an abundance of vineyards and wineries everywhere, plan for tomorrow...visit some of them.

After getting settled at the very ordinary caravan park we drove around town to familiarise ourselves with the area and found it to be absolutely gorgeous with the loveliest old world charm. I'm thinking walking and taking lots of photos will be the order of the day for tomorrow.

 

The old railway station, now a private home

Just making sure its really gravity fed water!!!

Old Bond store 1901 with the Presbyterian Church 1870
 spire in the background

Renovators dream...with power laid on

 

Today our walking tour took us through the main street, back streets and lanes around Penola. Wow what a gorgeous little town so full of beauty and history.

 

Adam Lindsay Gordon

Molly is friendly with statue dogs

Al;exander Cameron the founder of Panola

Gourmet lunch

It was so easy to while away the hours here with so much to see.

The local historical society has put together a fantastic museum with both the old and new history well represented.

 

This cocktail dress was worn by
Miss Australia 1963.
Tricia Reschke

Bonus of the day was that the young lady there invited us all in... that is dogs are allowed into the museum, so instead of our usual tag teaming at attractions we were able to go together and spent a lot more time and not worry about leaving the other outside or leaving Molly in the car.

The main street has many old shops and buildings although not many were open on this Tuesday, they are probably busier on the weekends. The shops we did see were great and the people very friendly. One Ladies wear, jewellery and gift shop had been owned by the same family for over 150 years and still going strong.

Leisurely shopping strip

The Royal Oak Hotel can only be described as a gracious elegant old lady and is one of the stand out buildings in the town.

Stunning lace on the verandahs

 

Grand foyer

The highlight of our day was the walk from St. Josephs Church at the Saint Mary MacKillop centre along Petticoat Lane.

 

The stone building is Saint Mary MacKillops first school room

Saint Josephs Church

 

We browsed the tiny houses and gardens, imaging life back in the 1860's and rather glad of all the modern conveniences we enjoy today.

 

Gammon Cottage
4 roomed stone cottage with a weatherboard
detached kitchen

A good day for washing

Sharma's Cottage

Best room

Detached kitchen in the original house

A nice touch for tourists

I think this must be the Butchers back yard

 

We will go back over the border to Victoria tomorrow, we will overnight somewhere before arriving in Geelong on Thursday.

When we leave Geelong sometime next week we will be going home and planning our next trip...WATCH THIS SPACE!