Four Seasons in one Day

I can't believe we have not posted a new blog since New Years Day!!...... but we just haven't had a spare minute. We hired a car for 3 days to see some areas outside Sydney.

Northern Beaches

On Day 1 we went up the coast to Palm beach, where Home and Away is filmed (whatever that is?) This is a very swanky area full of million dollar mansions. The atmosphere on the beach here is very different from Bondi, it is full of families coming down to the beach after work and school to do some surfing, and chillin.

Day 2 we drove to the Blue Mountains about 200km west of Sydney. This area is beautiful, if you click this link you can see Carmel's blog with her account of our trip.

Liz in the rainforest in the Blue Mountains

Day 3 we went South of Sydney, towards Woollongong, to the Royal National Park. We had a full day in the most beautiful unspoilt area of countryside a huge area of rain forest and bush right on the coastline. It has been a protected area for over 100 years so no houses or people living or camping in the national park. We followed the map to a parking area near the coast and as we came into the parking spot a large lizard or small croc. ran across the road, when we parked we followed the trail through a small wooded area to the most perfect beach, white sand in a sheltered cove, with a lagoon behind it that stopped 3 metres from the sea. In the park we went to Wattamolla Beach and picnic area, it is just the most perfect swimming and sunbathing spot, you could swim safely in the deep freshwater lagoon or play in the surf on the shore or you could lie on the beach or shelter in the trees alongside the lagoon. We could have stayed there for hours! Eventually we moved on to the furthest edge of the park where the gum tree forest turns into temperate rain forest, so that half the trees are palms and other tropical vegetation, it is an incredible place to be in, not just for the views but the sounds as well insects and parrots make an incredible din.

The stunning view at the National Park

Pelicans enjoying the lovely day

We eventually headed back to Sydney as we had an important task to do, to take Carmel to buy her 1st BBQ! The shop we went to was BBQ Heaven everything but the outdoor kitchen sink, prices ranging from a few dollars to thousands of dollars for a BBQ that resembled a fully fitted kitchen. She felt that now she owned a BBQ she really was Australian!! (Her next door neighbour assured her you are only a real Oz when you own 2 BBQ's!) So we spent the rest of the evening in Carmel's lovely back garden cooking on the Barbie and drinking a few beers!

Keith demonstrates his BBQ skills

On Saturday we spent the evening in the Domain in the centre of Sydney, for the Opening Night of the Sydney Festival, (Crowded House wrote, "4 seasons in one day" about the Domain) all events on the 1st night are free & we arranged with Carmel and a group of her friends & colleagues to go and see Brian Wilson of the BeachBoys fame, supported by (an oz rock star) Paul Kelly. The weather was a bit changeable, just as we settled down to picnic and party, the heavens opened! Undaunted we used brollies and bin liners as waterproof poncho's and danced the night away to great songs from the classic BeachBoys catalogue inc. Good Vibrations and Sloop John B! Although the rain reduced the crowd slightly in numbers, by the end of the gig the Domain was almost full, with more than 100,000 people dancing in a natural amphitheatre in the heart of the city. We tramped out of the park a bit wet but very happy and looking forward to an early start the following day to go boating and BBQ ing on the Hawkesbery river at 7am!

Bopping to Brian Wilson in The Domain