CENTRAL COAST - 12 TO 18 NOVEMBER 2022

 

12 NOVEMBER

Lunch at Tall Timbers Hotel with the future in-laws.

Chloe and Angus’s engagement party. What a great night! We met a lot of their friends and relatives from Angus’s family.

15 NOVEMBER

Jacinta, Kara, Johnny and I had breakfast at The Haven. The next stop was Sydney to drop Kara off for her tonsil's operation. Sydney.

Making a day of it we visited long-time friend, Freckle and had a nice lunch at his digs then dinner at Enmore Road. It was great catching up. Newtown was where I grew up, so it was pleasant to reminisce on my early life and share it – where I did a newspaper run, what buildings were still there or what building were now gone …

17 NOVEMBER

A mountain bike ride and a hike to Kariong Falls in Brisbane Water National Park. It was downhill all the way to the falls and, of course, uphill all the way back. The ride was fun as the trail (Tommos Loop) had roughen a lot due to the recent rains. The steep track down to the falls was also eroded making the descent a little tricky. The falls and the area around the falls were so pretty. I spent a ½ hour there just soaking it all in.

Afterwards, it was coffee at The Haven.

18 NOVEMBER

A SUP at Terrigal Lagoon. I was a bit unsteady. Definitely need more practice.

A swim and coffee at Terrigal Haven. The water was warm.

CENTRAL COAST - 9 TO 14 SEPTEMBER 2022

 

9 SEPTEMBER 2022

No problems on the flight from Indonesia to Australia. Johnny drove us back home. We chatted and spent the afternoon sleeping.

10 SEPTEMBER

A lot of work to do but we are in no hurry. We worked around and inside the house and sorted out financial tasks. The next week will be getting the house and our affairs in order while still doing some fun things.

11 SEPTEMBER

A couple of laps around the Haven.

A kayak around the north wing of Avoca Lagoon. A pleasant quiet paddle. Two plovers in one section swoop and dived at me. Probably, they had a nearby nest. First time, I've experienced their swooping.

12 SEPTEMBER

A hike on the Girrakool Loop at Brisbane Water National Park. A very quiet walk where we came across no one except a preschool group at the end of the track. The water level was low considering the recent rains. A quiet and tranquil hike.

13 SEPTEMBER

A morning surf check. Caught up with a few of the boys – Steve, Jungle, Greg and Ian – It looks like I didn’t miss good surf while I was away.

Jacinta and I did a few walking laps around Terrigal Haven.

Later, we drove to Kincumba Mountain and had a mountain bike ride. It was nice to be on the saddle again.

14 SEPTEMBER

Mountain bike ride at Kincumba Mountain.

HAWKS NEST - 13 TO 15 DECEMBER 2020

13 December

We arrived in Hawks Nest after an hour of driving. Along the way we checked out a few beaches but the surf was blown out with the strong onshore winds. It was bucketed down with rain a few times.

At Hawks Nest, we decided to stay at Jimmys Beach Camp.

We set up camp and walked the sandy track to the beach. We sat in the occasional sun and I had a few swims.

Back at camp we rested then we had a mountain bike ride along a few of the tracks at Hawks Nest. I was turning on the go pro mounted on my helmet when wham I hit a low sawn off branch on a tree. It hurt! After awhile the pain and bleeding subsided and we continued onwards.

Back at camp we decided to move sites as the elderly couple set to us had a television blaring.

14 December

A red sunrise after a terrible sleep – I had a sore shoulder and gut pains.

Later, we had a long walk to the south base of Yacaaba Head along Jimmys Beach. It was a pretty walk and there were a few guys surfing the headland. It was too far to walk to with a board but four-wheel drive looked much easier. We continued the hike along Bennett’s Beach to the surf club and nearby coffee.

A late afternoon sit on the beach. It was quiet and cloudy.

15 December

Time to head home. J

TUNCURRY TO CAPE HAWKE - 11 TO 13 DECEMBER 2020

 11 December

It was an off and on rainy drive to Forster.

We stopped at a few places to look at the surf and North Haven for coffee.

We spent the day out of the rain. By late afternoon, the rain stopped so we had a walk along the breakwall at Tuncurry. A number of dolphins were frolicking in the river.

12 December

We woke to rain but it eased soon and I had a pleasant bike ride to northern breakwall then along a few tracks in the beach hinterland.

After breakfast, we drove around the Forster coastline and stopped at a number of lookouts with spectacular views and had a few short walks in the process. 

We continued onwards to Cape Hawke Lookout which was a short uphill hike to a four storey viewing tower. Great views to the north! Next was coffee at Main Beach in Forster on the return leg of the journey.

It was an easy afternoon back at the camp with two downpours of rain.

13 December

We woke to a beautiful sunny morning but only for awhile. The wind and clouds soon rolled in.

It was time to move onwards.

NOVEMBER FILES - 1 TO 19 NOVEMBER 2020

 

1 November

A surf at Wamberal Beach.

It was mid-tide early so I managed to get enough waves before the high tide swallowed the breaks. Some fun rights and the lefts were a bit full but okay. The temperature dropped a lot by the end of the session. It was home for  hot shower.

3 November

A mountain bike ride at Brisbane Water National Park.

I parked at Warrah Road and set off on the bike. I explored the tessellated rock platform then raced along the track parallel to Patonga Road. Towards the end of the track, there was a new track to the right. I followed it to top of the opposite rock platform. There was another new track in the far north east corner. The track was rough, through thick vegetation, over rocks and there were a lot of sections I had to get off (too hard for moi). I didn’t get to end as it got heaps harder so I backtracked.

Next, was nearby Pearl Beach for sit and coffee.

13 November 2020

A hike at Strickland State Forest.

A mid morning hike along the arboretum and bellbird tracks. Highlights - a number of short turnoffs down the sandy creeks that parallel the tracks, clear shallow water, bird calls, palms oscillating in the breeze, no one else on the tracks, no leeches and a short suspension bridge.

14 November 2020

Jacinta and I had breakfast at Killcare beach an watched the ocean and the beach activities. There were even occasional okay waves.

15 November 2020

A fun surf at Wamberal Beach.

The tide was going high but the waves were small but good for about an hour.

16 November 2020

The surf was small and onshore so I popped back home picked up the kayak and headed for Wamberal Lagoon.

It was a pleasant kayak with highlights of reflective water, the sun flickering in and out of view through the she oaks, a small number of birds fossicking on the shoreline and a short walk on Wamberal Beach.

17 November

A morning mountain bike and hike to the top of Mount Wondabyne in Brisbane Water National Park.

The journey to the mount was a gradual uphill along a number of tracks/trails until the final turn off which was steeper. The edges of the trail were festooned in yellow flowers in sections.

At the base of the mount, I hid my bike in the dense vegetation and rock scrambled to the top. The views at the top were awesome across an endless hinterland of shades of green. I sat at the trig marker for awhile enjoying the height.

The journey back by bike was downhill and fast. A lot of loose rocks made for exciting conditions. About halfway back, I came across a small flock of yellow tailed black cockatoos. I stopped for a short while watching their antics with the young and listening to their raucous screeching.

19 November

A surf checked revealed small weak waves so it was off for coffee on Terrigal Beach, a dip in the ocean and a walk along the beach with the sun rising.