CENTRAL COAST - 4 TO 11 MARCH 2023

 4 MARCH

I woke and unloaded and tidied the van.

I drove Jacinta to the Hens party for Chloe at Glenworth Valley.

Back home and I tidied up most of the front of the house … a lot of leaves.

Back to Glenworth Valley to pick up Jacinta.

Long day.

5 MARCH

A mountain bike ride at Kincumber Mountain. The tracks were good but some sections had deep soft sand.

A swim at the Haven afterwards was terrible with a lot of stinging jelly fish.

6 MARCH

Worked in the garden.

7 MARCH

A morning surf with Ken at Wamberal Beach. The waves had a reasonable size and some good ones were caught. We had coffee afterwards.

8 MARCH

A mid-morning surf at Wamberal Beach with Ken. There were heaps of waves and just the two of us for most of the session. Some good lefts and fast rights on the inside section. A coffee break at the end.

9 MARCH

A sunrise surf with Brett and Bryceson at Wamberal Beach. The tide was a little low and there were a few okay waves at first but the quality dropped towards the end of the session.

Met up with Jacinta at the Haven for coffee.

10 MARCH

A morning surf at Wamberal Beach. Not too good as the tide with the full moon was high with a lot of backwash.

Up to Erina Fair Mall to get haircut and other stuff.

Jacinta and I had a yummy Indian dinner at the Grand Pavilion at Terrigal and ice cream afterwards at the haven.

11 MARCH

Packed van for next short road trip. Up to Erina Fair to fit new prescription sunglasses and buy food.  Tidied inside the house and finished packing the van.

HAT HEAD - 1 TO 3 MARCH 2023

1 MARCH

We left Mylestom and drove to the Urunga wetlands.

The walk was short – 600metres – and really impressive. There were flowering lilies over most of the water and insects abounded. This whole wetland had been restored after mining in the area had finished.

Our next stop was South West Rocks. We parked at Horseshoe Bay and enjoyed the view while having lunch.

We decided that Hat Head would be a good camp for the next two nights.

We drove the backroads to Hat Head and settled into our camp site. It was very hot, so we wandered down to the beach where the creek exits for a swim and beach relax. The creek water was clear with a lot of fish. The tide makes it good for drifting along with goggles to watch the underwater life.

Later, we had an evening beach walk. Still and quiet!

2 MARCH

After breakfast, I had a fun bike ride along both sides of the creek and along part of the coastal tracks. A great ride with pretty scenery and even a group of kangaroos.

A short while after my return, we headed down to the beach for a sun laze, ocean dip and a snorkel drift in the creek.

We were a bit tired, so we headed to the local bowling club for dinner.

3 MARCH

After breakfast, we packed and drove a short distance to the other side of Korogoro Creek. I launched the kayak and Jacinta had a walk along the creek path. The water was very clear, and I was able the see the fish as I paddled along.

Next stop was Port Macquarie, where we caught up with John, Carmel and Tess for lunch. A great chat!

Back on the road and on our way home.

MYLESTOM - 19 to 20 FEBRUARY 2023

 

MYLESTOM

19 FEBRUARY

Our first stop was Nambucca Heads. We checked a few of the lookouts and drove further north.

We stopped at Urunga for coffee but decided to go a little further and stay at Mylestom.

We settled into the camp area and had an easy afternoon.

Later, we caught a courtesy bus to the bowling club for dinner. The food was good and the beer cold. We won a small tray of meat which we gave to an elderly couple and play a short while on the poker machines.

20 FEBRUARY

I woke early and walked down to the beach to watch the sunrise and have a dip in the ocean. The surf was very small.

Back at camp and we decided to move onwards and visit a few people. Before leaving Mylestom, we had a mountain bike ride to the beach, along the river path and a play in the short mountain bike course.

 A coffee break and we were back on the road.

CENTRAL COAST - 26 JANUARY TO 8 FEBRUARY 2023

 26 JANUARY

We drove back from a two week road trip while we had the wooden floors being restored. The floors looked great! Now to put everything back. This will take a few days. Haha!

27 JANUARY

An early walk around some of the tracks at Kincumba Mountain. Very quiet. Down to the Haven where Jacinta continued walking and I had an ocean swim. Coffee on the beach.

Back to getting things back in place at home.

29 JANUARY

Cooler day.

A walk around the Haven with Jacinta. Coffee on beach.

Finally, got everything back in place in the living room. Now to get on with other things.

A few visitors. Haha

30 JANUARY

A windsurf at Canton Beach. The wind had just a bit too much east to it so it wasn’t very good. The first run was the best but I hit a shallow section and wham the knee into the boom. A few cuts and a lot of bruises. The rest of the session was off/on wind.

2 FEBRUARY

An ocean swim at Terrigal Haven

3 FEBRUARY

A kayak on Terrigal Lagoon.

There was enough water in the lagoon to paddle to the western backwaters. Very quiet amongst the mangroves and casuarinas. I paddled to the beach and had a wander as well. 

4 FEBRUARY

So hot, so busy lately, so many things to sort out. 😊 We got in a coffee and apple muffin on the haven beach.

5 FEBRUARY

A surf at North Avoca Beach. It was fun with a very strong rip. Had a few nice waves and quite a few nose dives. It got better as the tide got higher.

6 FEBRUARY

Hep B first shot.

Later, I had a kayak at Kincumber Creek with Angus. A different sort of kayak starting at the Kincumber boat ramp - past mangroves, houses, a mixture of overhanging trees and ending at large drainage pipes.

7 FEBRUARY

Surf check North Avoca Beach.

Decided on a mountain bike Kincumba Mountain. A short fun ride of about an hour.

Another surf check of North Avoca Beach. A fun surf on the rights. Much better than two days ago. A lot of good waves till the wind increased.

Blood tests for cholesterol and prostrate checkup.

8 FEBRUARY

A surf North Avoca with Terry. Not so good (bumpy, random) but there were a few good waves. A lot of jellyfish.

LOSTOCK DAM AND DUNGOG COMMON MTB - 25 TO 26 JANUARY 2023

 

LOSTOCK DAM

25 JANUARY

We stopped for takeaway coffee and petrol. The drive to Lostock Dam was pleasant though the roads were extremely potholed in sections.

We stopped at Dungog Common for a mountain bike ride. It was very hot, but I was keen to ride these tracks. The section I rode was grass at first with a steady uphill. The downhill was fun and narrow and traversed across the hill side. I ended on the other side of a pipeline where I started so I rode a few more tracks which were excellent, but the heat became too much so back to the van I rode.

Back in Dungog, we stocked up on a few food items and continued driving to Lostock Dam. The scenery along the way was very pretty.

Eventually, we reached Lostock Dam. We checked out the dam first. It would be a pleasant kayak. Next was the camp. We got a nonpowered site above the Paterson River. The heat was still strong so we headed down to the creek for a cooling dip in the water.

A relaxing afternoon under the shade on the thick grass. An echidna wandered by and there were a lot of bird calls.

 

26 JANUARY

After a pleasant sleep, I woke to sounds of many birds. After breakfast, we packed and drove home.