Today I would like to focus on one of the most amazing trips I've ever been on and definitely a most important one.
Concrete plans for a trip along the east coast of Australia with diving on the reef, appeared somewhere around August. Such first glimpses that maybe it's time for a vacation, that we've already settled a little in this place, we've explored around almost everything we can, so it's time for a bigger party. The plans started to develop when three of our friends from Poland decided that they would be happy to join us and go with us. Three months before the trip the real organizational frenzy started (which I will spare you the details, because it is a separate chapter).
So yes, on 26/12/2019 the Scoots airline flight from Singapore to Sydney landed and we were all togheter and ready to set. All five of us ready for adventure. The meeting was of course traditionally, conscientiously celebrated (very). Everyone talked, enjoyed, danced, laughed. Party till dawn. Neighbors hate us.
On the second day, it was necessary to explore a little bit of this famous Sydney. Of course, one day is definitely not enough. We are living here for almost three years and maybe we saw 1/3 of the cool places. Sydney is a one big park nestled in the hills from which you can walk down to picturesque beaches and coves. Fortunately, the residents of this city came up with a great idea, which is the transport by water ferries and already sightseeing becomes an even greater attraction. Near our home there is a ferry wharf, from which in an hour you can go to the city centre and Opera. With the transport city card for only $7 and on weekends even less! And thanks to this, not only do we get to see the city from the most attractive side, i.e. by taking a fast ferry right through the middle of the city on the Paramatta River, but we also have fun from the ride.
Of course, we took a walk along the oldest district The Rocks, under the Harbor Bridge, around the Opera House (with the obligatory photo on the steps), and then we changed to the next ferry and drove to one of the most popular beach - right next to The Bondi Beach - the Manly beache to say hello to the Pacific.
There is no need to write about Sydney. The are pleanty of guidebooks, blogs and video blogs about this city. The city as the city. It has its charm. You may like it or not. It's huge, colorful and vibrant. But this entry is not about Sydney.
Day 1 - Beginnings, Port Macquaire and animals.
The day of departure has come. Packed to the brim, campervan like a gypsy caravan. After all there will be 5 people travelling in this car. And we packed everything, literally everything. Tents, mattresses, pillows and sleeping bags, a table, 5 chairs, two gas cookers, a fridge, three water cans, all the kitchen equipment for 5 people, 2 beach umbrellas, a makeshift awning (because the original one was not delivered on time), an off-road shower, diving equipment, Polish and Australian flags, tons of sun cream and insect repellent, hats with fly nets, food, drink and personal stuff! A gypsy wagon! And all this over the next 10 days was fliped back and forth 40 times all around the campervan.
It would seem that travelling 2.500 thousand kilometres in three or four days should not be a problem for skilful travellers. Especially, when you have your home actually with you all the time. And a professional driver - Hubert is on board. After all, it's like driving a distance from Warsaw to Barcelona or Dubrovnik, where some people do it all at once, or with two drivers. Yes, but the motorways in Germany or France are not like the motorways in Australia. They remind me a lot of Polish motorways from 10 years ago. The highest speed you can reach here is 110 km, the roads can be rough and suitable for very popular here 4x4s or UTEs. In addition, breaking the traffic law here is punished with high fines and penalty points, which are doubled during the holiday season. The policemen do not patience, they catch where they want, how they want and when they want. There is no discussion. And the last thing. Kangaroos. From about 5 p.m. until early morning, somewhere around 6 a.m., kangaroos are on duty. Avoiding the heat, they feed during these hours. At that time they also really like to jump in front of your car. Which is very dangerous. It can be compared to jump out onto the road a wild boar or a moose (depending on whether we are talking about those small wallaby kangaroos or those big ones) and it involves more or less the same risk. From wrecked cars to fatal accidents, not only for the kangaroos. In fact, travelling around this country, the first 50 kangaroos you see will be the dead ones on the side of the road. True story, bro. And quite shocking at the beginning. But back to the topic. Driving after dusk or at night is practically impossible. I mean - it is - just not the most pleasant or safest. This means that the time of driving during the day gets shorter, longer at night and the kilometers decrease very slowly.
OK, so we made a plan to go as far north as we could. And so on the first day we drove 600 km.
We sprinted through the picturesque Central Coast, famous for its beautiful vineyards stretching all the way to the horizon and equally famous for delicious wine. Tthen through the port city of Newcastle with the largest dock I've ever seen in my life. And after a few dozen miles we spontaneously bounced down the coast to Reflections Holiday Park Seal Rocks for a little break and lunch. Lunch under such circumstances was very enjoyable. We finally felt a bit of the wild. The view of the open ocean was breathtaking.
As we approached Port Macquarie I felt full of apprehension. The Fire Near Me app indicated that the town was surrounded by several fires. I felt terribly sorry for the residents. We were in this port about six months ago. The town is actually very cool. And not poor, so to speak. The two of us went there to visit the koala hospital, which has been there since 1973 and helps all animals in need through a non-profit foundation. The hospital is small (although I'm afraid they have a very large number of residents there now), the caretakers are volunteers and they try to get the animals - those they can - back into the wild as quickly as possible. Koala bears and others in need get a name from the person who found such a poor thing and from the place where it was found. Such person is nominated to be honorary caretaker for the rest of their lives. The hospital is supported by the generosity of visitors and donations. If you want to help I invite you here: https://www.koalahospital.org.au/act-now/donate
The city is also worth visiting because it is famous for its beautiful promenade, where everyone can paint their own stone as they see fit. This promenade ends at the point where the Macqaurie River flows into the ocean, which has an amazing effect where the river pushes waves one way and the ocean the other way.
This is also where the hiking trail of fancifully painted Koala figurines begins. And there too, I saw river dolphins for the first time in my life! We went for a canal cruise just to meet them and let me tell you, it was worth it!!!! I don't think I have to say that dolphins are awesome!
But unfortunately, we hadn't time to explore. We decided to go around the Port by ring road. To my relief, I didn't see any fires or even smoke, just a few burnt areas along the road.
The plan was to get at least as far as Bayron Bay is laying - probably the most party and popular place on the east coast. And the easternmost point of the country. However, you have to know few things. First of all, camping is, after cricket and rugby, the most popular sport played in Australia. Aussies love to spend time in their caravans, motor homes, tents and campervans in nature. As early as November, booking a campgroound borders on the miraculous. Many of them have restrictions, e.g. you can enter only with a four-wheel drive, you can put up your own trailer but not a tent, you cannot sleep in national parks and you can rest at rest areas only sitting in your car. And we - a campervan with two-wheel drive and two more tents, in addition 5 "Polish onions" (synonym of being poor Polak and desire to save on everything) on board. So the number of places where we could spend the night was quite limited. The second thing to remember is that along the coast, where the green areas are marked on the map above, fires were raging. Many roads were closed, as well as parks and campgrounds. So all the tourists had to fit in somewhere on that narrow stretch between the fires and the ocean. Looking for a place to sleep on the following days became a part of everyday spontaneous decisions forewarned by a shout:
"Oh! Stop! There is a place!"
We have already experienced it at the height of the Gold Coast. There were no places. So we decided to get as close as possible to the mountain village of Nimbin, which by the way, also has an interesting history.
That evening, when it was already starting to get dark, we stopped at a rest area and in the name of my husband's professed principle: "If it's not forbidden - so it's allowed", we set up camp right next to the road, where there were already a few cars, two tents, a compost toilet, one roofed table and a rainwater tank. We quickly set our manchurian camp, ate some sandwiches and fell asleep like children. During the night we were accompanied by the sounds of wild Australia - squawking, crackling and stamping. In the morning the birds sang, the parrots shrieked and the "laughing birds" - very loud kukaburras and wild rabbits scurried between our legs!!! Yes, rabbits! Not hares - just fluffy, soft wild bunnies!
This is how our second day began!