This year we decided to spend some time catching up with friends, people from our past, people we formed friendships with during our days in Canberra and when we had a place in Caloundra – and more. People we hadn’t seen for too many years (some Covid-imposed restrictions). So we headed north to Queensland then down along the NSW coast and finally into Gippsland and this time we weren’t towing the caravan - it felt quite strange. It was glorious to be out on the plains where the horizon seems to stretch forever under the huge blue dome - Big Sky country where the clouds put on an amazing slow-camera show accompanied by silver linings.
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| A picnic birthday lunch on the edge of Lake Cargelligo |
We spent some time travelling on the Cobb Hwy, now often referred to as The Long Paddock (the longest paddock in the world), which was initially an amalgam of stock routes and Aboriginal trading routes linked by water supplies. It follows an old coach route from the Victorian border through the Riverina, connecting the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers. It was named in honour of the Cobb and Co stagecoach company that drove that route.
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| lots of cattle grazing roadside |
On our third day out we reached Lightning Ridge where we had fossicked for opalised fossils two years ago. Our timing was quite fortuitous as there was a small ABC filming crew in town to make a doco of Dr Elizabeth Smith and Dr Jenni Brammall, also a palaeontologist and the CEO of the Australian Opal Centre. We dined with them that night and the next day spent a couple of hours with Dr Elizabeth Smith - palaeontologist, author and artist, looking through her huge collection of ‘bones’ and precious fossils. Hovering around us was a delightful videographer from the ABC. After leaving Elizabeth I looked more lovingly at the turtle breast bones that sit on the dashboard of our car (I found them in WA 2021).
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| Boxes of bones L: an ancient echidna R: an ancient platypus |
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| The site where the Australian Opal Centre is being built |
From the silence and expanse, the big skies of the outback, 1000s of km later we hit the Sunshine Coast of Qld. What a culture shock and what a talk fest, 8 days non-stop! It was a bitter-sweet time of precious moments.
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| The red cliffs near Scarborough where we stayed |
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| A terrace with a view |
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| Nostalgic view of our unit in Caloundra (on the right overlooking the pool (behind those shops) |
The traffic, the crush of housing and resorts, the crazy roads – horrendous. But we eventually made it south of Sydney rather talked out and not a little bushed only to be assailed with more development – compared to when we lived up there. Enter NSW south coast. Gorgeous forests but horrifying beach developments, glassy frothy stretches of surf and pocket beaches still unspoilt. Many National-State forests thankfully preserved. Travelling long stretches of ghastly highway was relieved by ducking into winding stretches of rutted forests roads ending in wild beaches. And the bush! Delightful delicious fragrant and dripping in the rain. At some point we were driving along side the Coolangatta Mountain which holds special significance for the Aboriginal people of the south coast. Despite long distances the few days along the southern stretch of coast was quite refreshing after the previous couple of weeks of wall to wall people, buildings and roads, constant talk (wonderful though it was), high-rise ‘resorts’, horrendous traffic.
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| A few dainties caught me eye |
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| Eden where 40 odd years ago the kids were enthralled feeding bait to the wee fishies. |
As we travelled south, we passed through territory I had explored when I lived in Canberra (45 years ago - eek!). Eventually we came to Jervis Bay - it is part of the ACT, and I was always curious about it; Lindsay was chairman of the Cemeteries Trust and that included Jervis Bay. So of course we detoured in for a bit of a look. It has a quite remote feeling, mostly bush and rough coastline with less than a quarter of the promontory designated aboriginal land (plus HMAS Creswell base-related settlement). An interesting history to explore.
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| A wild coastline and a bleak day |
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| Cave Beach looking back at the cemetery on the hill |
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| Wild Hibiscus |
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| Curious little family at Lone Pine in the Booderee National Park |
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| A little 'bush apple' |
We turned in form the coast to head slowly homeward across the high county into Victoria. The smell of woodlands and forests after rain is spicy and intoxicating and all around us in the hills were burn-offs which add a wonderfully heady aroma. The creeks were a delight - we passed through platypus territory - the . The road we chose eventually passed through the Errinundra National Park which protects Victoria’s largest remaining stand of cool temperate rainforest and ancient tall eucalypt forests; some Shining Gums are believed to be over 600 years old. Here we spent many happy challenging days walking back in 2020 following what was once a network of ancient Aboriginal ridgeline travel routes, routes that countless generations of the Moreno people traversed to visit special places or events or to access seasonal foods, for example the Bogong moth feasts. There many aboriginal quartz artefacts have been found, some believed to have been made as much as 5000 years ago.
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| A tree house which I envied and a buried boat |
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| Looking out over Buchan Valley |
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| A just know there were platypus in there! |
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| Good to see some tree recovery after many years |
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| Bemboka Pie shop - struggling but smelling delicious |
Home was beckoning but there was one final stop to make – a totally indulgent two days at a delightful, delicious forest retreat @
Goldsmith's in the Forest Retreat ,Lakes Entrance. . There we wandered through native forests learning, explored their Australian-edibles garden, watched the birds, picked some fruit and were generally very spoilt with perfect food mostly from their garden or local and eaten around a wood fire except for breakfast which was served on a balcony overlooking the garden and lyrebird haunt. It was a fitting prelim 80th birthday treat for Lindsay. Enjoy the pix!
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| The living and dining room |
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| An old orchard inc avocado (L) and macadamia (flowers R) |
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| Breakfast was a delight overlooking the garden - dine in or out |
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| The forest pool where we saw lyrebirds come and bath |
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| A stroll through one of their edible gardens - this was native plants |
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| Our room with a delightful view |
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| Lindsay chilling out in the old squatters chair |
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| Checking the sugar gliders nesting box |
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| Fancy a game of crochet! |
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| Darilyn is an exquisite cook |
We were welcomed with a plate of delectable fingerlings and it only go better. Oysters with finger line and cheese served with sun dried tomato damper followed by Asian duck pie (Pithivier) with duck breast. Next day after a perfect breakfast, dinner was rack of lamb smoked over peppermint gum and served on salt bush and a slow-cooked shepherds pie. An absolutely delightful and indulgent couple of days. And we headed for home totally replete.
As enjoyable as our latest trip was, after driving 5000km in a little over 2 weeks it is so lovely to be home! We came home talked-out and pooped. At home our garden welcomed us with glorious flowers and edible greens. I love our garden as you know and so do the birds who once they realised we were home came calling. We came home with armfuls of leaves - kaffir lime, lemon Myrtle and buckets of grapefruit, finger limes and tangelos from the forest retreat as well as a bag of quinces I picked up on the way home. Inspired by the heady fragrance of the Lemon Myrtle leaves we brought home, we went and bought a tree to add to our balcony ‘forest’. The next week we a flurry of activity turning some of those delectable goodies into marmalades etc.
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| A little slice of Australia |
