SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE
SYDNEY TO JERVIS BAY
After one month of work for me and a tiring month for Helen being a kept woman, we decided it was time for another road trip. As most of the folk we have gotten to know in Sydney were doing family related Christmas and New Year things either out of the city or country, we decided to head south for the festive period.
With a slightly heavy head from the night before, due to popping round to the neighbours to ask them to collect the post and subsequently guzzling cheese and wine with them till past eleven, we awoke bleary eyed, loaded up Vanwell and headed west out of the city. The plan was to swing past a place called Direct Factory Outlet and pick up a cheap wetsuit for the cooler southern waters. Unfortunately it was all too fashion focused with Ripcurl and Billabong just knocking out cheap tshirts and boardies. However Helen picked up some cheap swimwear though so all wasn't lost.
We hit the road and headed south along the coast, we managed to find the crazy stretch of road that swings out over the sea that we had driven a few weeks before on the way back from Fairgrounds Festival in the village of Berry. We stopped at a long strip of beach just out of the town of Thirroul for lunch and checked out the local surf / art / coffee shop called Finbox to ogle at some expensive boards that we could never afford.
Just off the highway we spotted a giant Buddhist temple rising up out of the woodland. It reminded us of our Asian adventures, so we made a quick detour to have an explore.
In the late afternoon we aimed for a surf break called The Farm which Olly showed us on our convoy back from the previous weeks festival. It's a beautiful little cove protected from the northerly winds by a big headland. The water was a beautiful shade of blue and there was a small but satisfying wave breaking. We had a quick hour before shark feeding time then picked our way back over the rocks to Vanwell and carried on south.
We decided to have dinner in Berry, as when we visited two weeks back, we didn't spend much time in this picturesque little place. We went for a scooner in the Berry hotel, the oldest pub in the village dating back to the 1863, that's pretty old for Oz. We then went to LEAF for some food. Apparently LEAF stands for Love Eating Asian Food and as we do, we did. It was super tasty and they were playing a soulful / jazzy Christmas album which started to make us feel a tiny bit Christmassy, which is a hard task when you're in flip flops and its pushing 30 degrees. Our waitress had only just come over for work from Thailand so we exchanged a few Thai words (Mainly hello and thank you)
After dinner we put another hour or so in on the highway and rolled into a little beach carpark surrounded by trees. It was a quiet little spot and our little camping app had tipped us off it was generally okay to stay there, as no one had been fined yet... We hopped into the back and dozed off to Charlie Browns soulful Christmas album. The music at Leaf had got us into a festive mood.
JERVIS BAY TO BERMAGUI
I awoke at 5am to see the windscreen ablaze in bright red and orange. I crept out and went for a walk. Just in front of the van a gap in the trees gave way to the impressive sight of Jervis Bay. The sky was doing all kinds of crazy things as the sun crept up over Bowen Island at the entrance to the bay. It was a great way to start the day, so great in fact I celebrated with one of Helen's brownies she had baked for the trip, how we've missed them. When I returned to Vanwell the sun was visible rising up through a small gap in the trees in front. I awoke Helen briefly who quickly glanced out the front then rolled over and went back to sleep. I joined her.
We got up round half seven and went for a morning swim at the little beach below. It was pretty fresh and we were wide awake in no time, who needs coffee. We drove down the coast a tad and pulled up by St George's Basin in the Booderee National Park and fired up the stove for brekkie. It was a nice little spot looking back across the waters at the mainland. Due to the varying depths the different tones of blue was stunning. Once full of toast and coffee we headed to Cave Beach on the south side of the park for a surf. Cave Beach faces south and was our best chance of a wave in the small southerly swell that was rolling through. Unfortunately the surf wasn't really trying hard enough, however the sheer beauty of the beach was a good consolation prize. We decided to go for a swim and Helen even had a crack at catching some of the small waves that did amble past every now and then.
We drove back to the nearest town to get food and ice then made lunch at another beautiful little inlet off Jervis Bay called Moona Creek Reserve. We had saved some of the sauce from last nights curry as it was so damn good. After a couple of hours on the famous white sands of Jervis Bay, another swim and a christmas card photoshoot we packed up and pointed Vanwell in a southerly direction.
We put in a hour or so hugging the ocean overlooking the many sandy nooks and crannies that make up this pretty stretch of coast line. The sun was hanging low so we decided to find a spot for dinner. After being tripped up by a closed road on route to a potential beach banquet spot, we weaved in and out of some little roads on a wooded headland and with luck popped out in a quiet little scrubland carpark overlooking a tranquil waterway. It was an idyllic spot that seemed a bit too picturesque for a sausage sandwich and a tinny.
We put another hour in before it got too late and headed for a spot on our camping app which was supposed to be a lovely forested free camping area off the main road. After following the directions and a dirt track up into the hills things seemed a bit weird. No one was around, it was pitch black and we were pretty far from anywhere. We decided not to risk another wolf creek and headed back to the main road and aimed to find somewhere a little closer to civilisation. We parked up for the night on another remote headland that ran along the edge of a small estuary just out of a little village called Bermagui.
BERMAGUI TO LAKES ENTRANCE
During the night the clear skies and high temperatures had given way to heavy cloud and rain. To make the best of the situation Helen decided we should listen to a band called Soak as part of our Falls Festival research. (Where we plan on spending New Year) The first few tracks were pretty slow and gloomy, so soon we were rocking out to a sunshine themed playlist instead. The morning drive although wet, flowed through some lovely countryside and we saw a number of kangaroos hopping around in the fields. It's nice to see them alive down here, it seemed that all the ones up in Queensland are lying along the side of the highway. I checked the surf on a few beaches along the main road but the gloomy cold weather and building wind didn't look too appealing. After nine months without, I think it might be time to buy a full wetsuit (Steamer as they are known here) as the water temp drops as you head south into Victoria. As the weather was greyer than mine and Helens wardrobe combined, we decided to use this as a sign to put some miles in as we really hadn't driven particularly far the day before. Sprinkled along the highway were patches of blackened or missing trees. There are signs every now and then alerting drivers to the huge fire hazards in these parts.
We put an hour in then pulled up by an old wharf sticking out of the headland. A big swell was rolling in below splashing the local fisherman every now and then. We sat content in Vannys cabin eating cereal and watching the angry ocean below. We carried along the coast until the village of Merimbula where I picked up a coffee and a wetsuit.
We continued along the coast to a village called Eden famous for its lookout that is regularly passed by migrating whales. Unfortunately we were a tad out of season. However the sausage sandwich with a view and hot shower down the hill made up for it. Full and fresh we hit the road again. We made for a little village called Mallacoota. It looked like the point there would hold off the wind and may have a clean wave breaking. On the way we crossed the border into Victoria, Australia's smallest state (If you don't count Canberra, created to house the politicians because they couldn't decide between Sydney or Melbourne... Out of sight out of mind).
We arrived at a surf break called Bastion Point. It was petty tiny but shelters from the wind which was a plus. I checked the beach on the other side of the headland just in case but the strong wind made sure it was deserted, and wild. I slipped into my Steamer and caught a few little rides, enough to shake off the cobwebs from the days long drive. It was kinda nice to be back in a wetsuit in a nostalgic sort of way. But I'd still take bordies and a rash vest any day. When I got back Helen had been rocking out on the uke and had even self produced her own music video.
Back on the highway for the final time today we aimed to make it to a camping spot just outside of Lakes Entrance, a manmade inlet that connects arguably Australia's biggest lake system to the ocean, with arguably Australia's longest uninterrupted beach at its eastern side. We pulled off the highway into a thicket of woodland, protected from the roar of the highway just as the sky went mental as the sun went down.
LAKES ENTRANCE TO FRANKLIN RIVER RESERVE
We headed further along the highway to a beach called Lake Tyers Beach just outside of a little village called Lake Tyers Beach (confusing). The carpark overlooked a reef break that seemed to be half working at around chest to to head high. Unfortunately the onshore wind were causing the waves to crumble. Still it was a wave with only one other guy out which was a bonus because I was contemplating breaking my never surf alone rule as these beaches tend to be empty a fair amount of the time, especially when the waves are not at their best. Helen opted for a Uke session on the sand whilst I paddled out for a quick hour. The other lad in the water was from Sydney and on his way to Melbourne for Christmas too. After a few good rides I headed in and joined Helen and Vanwell. We backed Vanny up to a decked viewing area that overlooked the surf and pretended it was our own private balcony. A long and leisurely breakfast later, we packed up and headed for the near by town of Lakes Entrance.
The wind had got up massively, apparently gusting over 30mph. In between the gusts you could hear the tinkering of the moored fishing boats and chimes from the various nicknack shops that sat on opposite sides of the main road through the village. It was a quiet surprisingly empty place, considering it was summer, with a large waterway hugging the main road which houses a large fishing community. We wondered the shops and picked up a few bits and bobs, the highlight being an eight ball solid metal Boules set which I had the luxury of carrying around town for the next hour. [editors note from Helen: I suggested we go and put it in the van before we walked around town, so no complaining please William.]
Even though it's the run up to Christmas, we did not feel in the slightest bit festive. Some of the shops had made an effort but the windows covered in snow flakes and songs about gathering roasting chestnuts on an open fire just felt out of place here. Plus down here there is a big bush fire risk and open fires are banned throughout the state. There were a couple of instances where Christmas and Australia had tried to evolve together. The best example being a stencil of Santa's sleigh being pulled by festive flying kangaroos.
We finished our potter and decided to cross the footbridge over the waterway to Victoria's famous Ninety Mile Beach. Unfortunately the winds had gained in strength making the wind battered beach and ocean not the most relaxing setting for our first game of Boules. We scuttled back over the footbridge hanging on for dear life when the guests reached their peak in the centre. We decided to give boules a miss and eat some fish instead inside the shelter of a cafe. With fishing at its heart this place is famed for its seafood so we did a quick trip advisor search and turned up to one of Lakes Entrance's best fish restaurant just as it was closing. We are not in London anymore and if we want lunch not at lunch time then we need to catch and cook it ourselves. We did however find a seafood restaurants with a Thai twist who kindly squeezed us in before they closed. H had fish and chips and I had a crispy barramundi red curry, it was delicious but it did blow my head off a bit.
On our way out of town we stopped by some free hot showers by the harbour, then hit the road up the hillside and out of town. Our goal for the evening was a free spot about an hour out of Wilson's Promontory one of Victoria's and probably Australia's most beautiful national parks home to all kinds of wildlife, walks, beaches and mainland Australia's most southern point.
We arrived at the Franklin River Reserve round seven and parked up at a nice spot next to some tall eucalyptus trees. We had read on route that near this site is a country track that is lined with more eucalyptus and is home to many Koalas. The winds were still pretty mental so our chances of seeing one seemed pretty slim, but after the drive we felt like an evening walk. The lane was beautiful with rolling hills on one side turning golden in the evening sun, and lush farmland on the other. After about half an hour along the track, and after twice getting really excited over koala shaped birds nests, we actually spotted one clinging on for dear life in the wind. We were lucky to see him awake and munching away as they sleep for something like 18 hours a day (I think my brother may have been one in a previous life). He clocked us as we approached below and then we settled into a staring contest... We won but he gave it a good effort. It was so brilliant to see one in the wild going about his daily business. We could have stayed watching him for hours but as the light was dimming and our tummies were rumbling, we bid farewell and headed back to camp.
FRANKLIN RIVER RESERVE TO MELBOURNE VIA WILSON'S PROM
We rose super early and silently crept out of camp, well as silently as a 17 year old van can creep.
The sun still hadn't cleared the horizon and the fields and hillsides were alive with wildlife. We pointed Vanwell south and headed for Wilsons Promontory or The Prom. Being one of the first cars on the road was like being on an Aussie safari. Kangaroos, wallabies and rabbits we in abundance hopping all over the place as we past. After about thirty minutes we entered The Prom. Within moments two giant emus ran across the road in front of us and disappeared into the bush in a flurry of feathers. It was great seeing them in the wild, they looked so much more spritely and full feathered with long thick black feathered necks with a little white feathered necklace. Further down the road we encountered our first wild wombat, which was fitting as we were listening to The Wombats as they are playing Falls Festival next week. We pulled off the road to get a closer look but he shot off into the undergrowth, however his kangaroo friends weren't so timid and just stared at us in a sort of what are you doing up so early kinda way. We said our good mornings and carried on.
About five mins down the road another couple of emus darted about next to us, then suddenly we screeched to a halt just in front of another wombat. This guy wasn't so timid and just stared at us from the road side whilst munching on some tasty leaves. However as soon as Helen produced the camera, he got nervous and shot off into the hedges. He must have been camera shy or munching on another Wombats bush.
We carried on to The Proms most famous beach, Squeaky Beach. The sands make up consists of a fair amount of silica causing it to squeak underfoot like the sands on Whitehaven beach up in Queensland. The whiter than white sand was like waking on warm snow, which seemed fitting only a couple of days away from Christmas. As it was about quarter past six in the morning the beach was deserted and the sun was just creeping over the hillside that backed the beach. It was so amazing to have this whole beautiful place to ourselves. The sun illuminated the crystal clear waters creating intense shades of turquoise and deep blue, as small clean waves peeled perfectly away from the headland into the shallows. It was a fun wave for me and a perfect size for Helen. We suited up on the beach and ran into the postcard view like excited school kids. The waves were breaking close enough to shore that I was only a few meters further out than Helen and we cheered each-other on as we glided along in the surf. "Share the Stoke!" It was a fucking awesome start to the day. After about an hour Helen got a bit cold and went for a doze in Vanny, I stayed in for another hour only joined by one other chap for a bit. The better waves were fairly inconsistent but the setting more than made up for it.
I joined H round half nine and we made coffee and an egg roll in the beach carpark. As we sat on the back bumper the carpark slowly filled with family's and day trippers ready for their day at the beach. We had read about a short trek up the mount Oberon that overlooked the peninsular. We drove over to the start, dug out proper shoes from the deepest darkest chambers in Vanny and followed the stoney track upwards. It was a fairly easy windy path and after about an hour we reached the summit. The view was stunning and the sun was still working its magic on the blue waters, and bright white sands below. We sat on a big rock for about twenty mins then headed back down.
Lunch was a quick burger and sandwich in the little village of Tidal River, the only village on the peninsular and also the end of the road. We were joined by a hungry kookaburra who was unusually tame and just expectantly plonked itself next to us. Before hitting the road to Melbourne we unzipped our boule bag and christened our new boules on Norman Beach before having one last dip in the ocean.
We made it to Melbourne round 7pm, the sun was out and it was still super hot. We headed for Elwood, a suburb of the city that is next to the beach. Helen had been in contact with her old work colleague Lauren from VB who had married an Argentinian called Federico and made a cute baby called Ramona. We found them on the beach out the front of their apartment. They took us to a cheap but damn good Italian restaurant near by their place where Helen and Lauren caught up on life and fashion and me and Federico chatted about graphics as he too is a freelance designer. We have been invited to join them for their orphans Christmas lunch in the park with a bunch of other tearaways who weren't home with their families for Christmas.
It felt good to have finally made it to Melbourne, our plan was to visit before starting work but time and money (the lack of both) cut our travel plans short. Either way we were here for the holidays and excited to explore the city and excited for our first Aussie Christmas in the sunshine.